DAILY NEWSPAPERS REVIEW THURSDAY DAY 21 JANUARY, 2021

SANS, AFENIFERE BACK AKEREDOLU, FAULT PRESIDENCY, NEF DISAGREES – PUNCH PG.1&2,DAILY TRUST PG.5,DAILYSUN PG6,THE NATION PG.1 &4,THISDAY PG.5

Three senior lawyers and groups, including Afenifere and the Yoruba Council of Elders, on Wednesday, criticised the Presidency over its stand on the Ondo State Government’s ultimatum to herdsmen in the state’s forest reserves.

But the Northern Elders’ Forum directed the Fulani herdsmen to disregard the notice to quit forest reserves in the state.

FALANA TACKLES ARMY OVER MAN’S SEVEN-MONTH DETENTION FOR FACEBOOK VIDEOS – PUNCH PG.4&5

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has described as illegal and unconstitutional the continuous detention of a civilian, Emmanuel Odaudu, for over seven months in the Nigerian Military Special Investigation Bureau’s underground cell in Abuja over an old Facebook video. Falana told PUNCH Metro on Wednesday that the Nigerian Army had no constitutional power to detain any person beyond 24 hours, adding that Emmanuel’s indefinite detention was alien to constitutional democracy.

BIAFRA ABOVE KANU’S CAPACITY TO DECIDE, SAYS OHANAEZE – PUNCH PG.7,DAILY TRUST PG.8,DAILYSUN PG.8

The new President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof. George Obiozor, has said the issue concerning Biafra is beyond the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Obiozor also warned the people of the South-East and some organisations to restrain forthwith actions or utterances that put Ndigbo in imminent danger or harm’s way.

JAILBREAKS: EDO OPENS PORTAL TO REPORT FLEEING INMATES – PUNCH PG.9,DAILY TRUST PG.30

The Edo State Government has opened a portal for members of the public to submit credible information that will lead to the arrest of fleeing inmates from two correctional centres in Benin, the state capital. In a statement on Wednesday, the Managing Director Designate, Edo State Information Communication Technology Agency, Emmanuel Eweka, urged members of the public with useful information relating to the fleeing inmates to log into the portal:

EDO NDLEA SEIZES 15,253.82KG OF CANNABIS, COCAINE, TRAMADOL, 10 CARS – PUNCH PG.11,THISDAY PG.44

HE Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said it arrested 262 suspected drug traffickers and seized 15,253.82kg of narcotics, including cannabis, cocaine, heroin and tramadol last year. In a statement on Wednesday, the State Commander, Mr. Buba Wakawa, said 180 were males while 82 were females. He said 10 vehicles used in smuggling illicit drugs were equally impounded within the period under review, adding that 15 cannabis plantations measuring 11.82 hectares were identified and destroyed.

MAINA BAIL REQUEST TO EVADE ARREST, FLEE TO US – EFCC – PUNCH PG.25

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday said the former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina’s bail request is to evade arrest and flee to the United States of America. The Commission in a fresh court document said Maina wanted to flee to the US where he and his family are equally citizens.

GRASS-CUTTING SCANDAL: EFCC PRESENTS FIRST WITNESS AGAINST EX-SGF – PUNCH PG.25,DAILY SUN PG.4&5,THISDAY PG.44

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has opened its case in the ongoing trial of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and three others when it presented its first witness, Mohammed Babansule, a relationship manager with the First City Monument Bank. According to a statement on Wednesday by the EFCC’s head of media and publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, the witness, who is the account manager of the sixth defendant, Josmon Technologies Ltd, during his examination-in-chief, told the court the account opening form and other documents submitted to the bank showed that the fourth defendant, Apeh, is the signatory to the account.

NEW CCB MEMBERS PROMISE TO END CAPITAL FLIGHT, CORRUPT PRACTICES – THISDAY PG.43

hree new members of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) yesterday promised to contribute their quota to ensure a change in the nation’s anti-graft fight. The new members -Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, Olayinka Balogun and Benedict Umeano- spoke with State House correspondents shortly after they were inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.