SECOND WAVE: BUHARI ASKS GOVS TO TAKE OVER FIGHT – DAILY TRUST PG.5, SUN PG.6, THISDAY PG.1&10

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked governors of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT to own the fight against COVID-19 in the wake of the second wave of the pandemic.

Buhari yesterday authorised the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to engage with the governors to “assume full ownership of this stage of the response” to the second wave of the novel coronavirus plague.

BLASPHEMY: FG MUM OVER COURT ORDER TO FREE FACEBOOK USER – DAILY TRUST PG.4

The office of the Attorney General of the Federation has failed to respond to inquiries on the status of detained Facebook user, Mubarak Bala, who was ordered to be released by a Federal High Court in Abuja. A message to the AGF was not responded to as of the time of filing this report. However, Dr Umar Gwandu, media aide to the AGF and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), told Daily Trust that the office had not decided on a response on the development yet.

CRIMINALS PLOTTING TO BOMB PUBLIC PLACES DURING YULETIDE – DSS – DAILY TRUST PG.4, NATION PG.4, PUNCH PG.8, THISDAY PG.5

The Department of State Services (DSS) has raised the alarm that it had uncovered plots by some criminal elements to carry out violent attacks on public places, including key and vulnerable points during the yuletide seasons. The intelligence agency also said the criminals were planning to carry out the dastardly acts by using the explosives, suicide bombing and other dangerous weapons.

ALLEGED $2M FRAUD: HOW ATIKU’S LAWYER LAUNDERED $2M, BY WITNESS – NATION PG.5

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told the Federal High Court in Lagos how Uyiekpen Giwa-Osagie, a lawyer to a former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, allegedly laundered $2 million. Its investigator, Shuaibu Shehu, told Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke that Giwa-Osagie received instruction from the former Vice-President to give the $2 million to one of Atiku’s security guards.

MALABU OIL: COURT DISMISSES FG’S OBJECTION, FIXES HEARING FOR MARCH 9 – DAILT TRUST PG.4

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the objections raised by the federal government and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources challenging the suit filed over the Malabu oil deal dispute. Justice Binta Nyako, yesterday, dismissed the preliminary objections for lack of merit.Also, dismissed were similar objections by Shell Nigeria Ultra-Deep Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd and Nigeria Agip Exploration Company Ltd, who are all defendants in the suit.

MATAWALLE SEEKS ALLIANCE TO END BANDITRY – NATION PG.31

Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle has called on his colleagues from the North to form an alliance to destroy bandit camps and operations in the region. Matawalle said that his administration was working with the military, Miyetti-Allah and repentant bandits to restore peace and stability in the state.

ABACHA’S FAMILY DUSTS FG, OTHERS OVER BID TO RECLAIM MALABU – PUNCH PG.41, THISDAY PG.45

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday dismissed an objection filed by the Federal Government, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Nigeria Agip Exploration Company against the hearing of a suit seeking to reclaim the Oil Prospecting Lease 245 originally awarded to Malabu Oil and Gas Limited. The suit was instituted by Mohammed Abacha, a son of the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.Mohammed claimed to be the majority shareholder of the controversial firm, adding that the subsequent transfer of the OPL 245 to Shell and Agip was without his authorisation.

ORJI KALU’S RETRIAL ASSIGNED TO ABUJA, HEARING BEGINS FEB 2 – PUNCH PG.9

The Federal High Court has assigned the retrial of a former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, and his co-accused for N7.1bn fraud to a judge in its Abuja Division. Court officials confirmed to our correspondent that Justice Inyang Ekwo to whom the case was newly assigned for retrial in Abuja has fixed February 2 for hearing.The case which originally started in the Abuja Division in 2007 was transferred to Lagos following the request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2016.

ALLEGED ELOPEMENT: SHARIAH COURT ORDERS PROBE OF KANO SINGER, PRODUCER – PUNCH PG.41

An Upper Shariah Court in Kano on Tuesday ordered the Divisional Police Office of Kwali Quarters in the Kano metropolis to investigate a popular Kano-based Hausa artiste, Dauda Kahutu, aka Rarara, for allegedly featuring a married woman, Maryam Muhammad, in his music video without the consent of her husband. The court also directed that the woman, Maryam, and the singer’s producer, Abubakar Maishada, be investigated for the roles they played in the matter.

PRESIDENCY: HOW WE FORCED BANDITS TO FREE ABDUCTED KATSINA PUPILS – THISDAY PG.5

The presidency yesterday shed more light on how the Katsina and Zamfara State governments, in collaboration with the federal government, were able to secure the release of 344 pupils of Government Science Secondary School Kankara, a week after their abduction. Presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, said on a breakfast television programme that repentant bandits assisted in securing the release of the pupils.

COURT REFUSES TO HALT HEARING IN ALLEGED FORGERY SUIT AGAINST OBASEKI – THISDAY PG.45

Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja yesterday declined to halt proceedings in the alleged certificate forgery suit against Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki. The All Progressives Congress (APC) and one of its chieftains, Mr. Williams Edobor, in a court action are alleging that Obaseki forged certificate with which he used in securing his candidacy for September governorship election, hence should be disqualified.