• CBN places N100,000 limit on cash withdrawal
• Sultan, CAN say 2023 elections won’t break Nigeria
• My husband only candidate with strong support for women – Rukaiya Atiku
• Supreme Court alleges plot to silence CJN, other judges
• Bandits strike in Abuja, kidnap corps member, 7 others in Kubwa

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss:

CBN places N100,000 limit on cash withdrawal

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has imposed restrictions on cash withdrawals made over the counter, at ATMs, and at points of sale (PoS).

According to a statement released by the CBN on Tuesday, the weekly maximums for over-the-counter cash withdrawals by both individuals and corporate entities should be N100,000 and N500,000 respectively.

According to Mustafa, withdrawals beyond these thresholds will be subject to processing costs of 5% and 10%, respectively.

He also said that there would still be current limits of N410,000,000 on clearing checks, meaning that third-party checks over N50,000 would not be eligible for over-the-counter payment.

Mustafa stated that the maximum amount of cash that can be withdrawn from an ATM each week should be N100,000, subject to a daily cap of N20,000, and that only bills with denominations of N200 or less should be inserted into the machine.

The CBN director stated that N20,000 should be the daily cap on cash withdrawals from PoS terminals.

“In compelling circumstances, not exceeding once a month, where cash withdrawals above the prescribed limits are required for legitimate purposes. such cash withdrawals shall not exceed ₦5.000.000 00 and ₦10.000,000.00 for individuals and corporate organisations. respectively, and shall be subject to the referenced processing fees,” Mustafa said.

Mustafa also urged clients to conduct their banking transactions using alternative channels like cards/POS, USSD, internet banking, mobile banking apps, eNaira, etc.

He noted that the new policy will take effect from Monday, January 9, 2023, and added that anyone who does not adhere to the policy will face severe sanctions.

Sultan, CAN say 2023 elections won’t break Nigeria

The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council dispelled on Tuesday concerns in some quarters that the elections in 2023 may make or break the nation.

Instead, under the joint direction of the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, NIREC expressed optimism that a national rebirth for Nigeria could occur after the election with the help of collective action by important stakeholders and the people.

In Abuja, at the NIREC’s fourth quarterly meeting, which had as its theme “Peaceful and credible elections for national revival,” the co-chairmen allayed the concerns.

Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, gave stakeholders assurances that the elections would be legitimately held and conducted in a peaceful manner during the event.

“A lot of people have suggested that the 2023 elections will make or break Nigeria, but I don’t believe that,” Abubakar remarked.

“I’m not going to accept it. The next elections will be peaceful and voters will cast their ballots in the open. Whoever wins will be in charge of both this nation and the states from which we all hail.

“We shouldn’t and can’t play into the hands of Nigeria’s enemies who continue to parade or bring up such issues.”

The CAN President said the ugly history of pre- or post-electoral violence would not be repeated in 2023 if all critical stakeholders decide to halt the trend through a strategic conversation that appeals to the conscience of the political class.

My husband only candidate with strong support for women – Rukaiya Atiku

Princess Rukaiya Atiku Abubakar, wife of former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar has said that her husband is the only candidate that has strong support for women.

According to her, it was for this reason that the former VP set aside the sum of $10 billion for women and youth empowerment if elected into power.

Rukaiya and the other members of her organisation PRACO, were in Bauchi State on Tuesday to rally the support of Northeast women for her husband, Atiku Abubakar.

“My husband, Atiku Abubakar, is the only Presidential candidate in the forthcoming 2023 election that has a strong support for women and youth inclusion in governance.

“It is in the light of this that he had promised to set aside $10Billion for youth and women empowerment,” she said.

Rukaiya, one of the wives of the 2023 presidential candidate of the PDP, has been seriously involved in Atiku’s campaign for the forthcoming election.

She promised that if Atiku emerged as President, he would work towards proffering solutions to those myriad of issues affecting women’s advancement.

Supreme Court alleges plot to silence CJN, other judges

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, and other judicial officers have been the target of what the Supreme Court has condemned as coordinated attacks aimed at intimidating, blackmailing, and ridiculing them into silence for nefarious purposes.

The Department of State Services, or DSS, allegedly interrogated the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) over comments he made during a recent state banquet in Port Harcourt that was hosted by the Rivers State government, according to a statement from the apex court signed by its Director of Press and Information, Dr. Akande Festus.

It expressed regret over the additional claim in the report that five Supreme Court justices are calling for the CJN’s resignation.

“Just like our earlier press statement debunking this barefaced falsehood and mischievous antics aimed at scoring very cheap and unpopular political gains in this era of aggressive and mudslinging politicking, we wish to state in very clear and unmistaken terms, that this is yet another round of the avalanche of lies that have been disingenuously packaged by individuals with unenviable pedigree to malign the character and personality of not just the CJN but several other Judicial Officers that they considered to be too unpalatable and principled to be approached for any form of underhand dealings, especially as election cases (petitions) will soon be streaming to the tribunals (courts) for adjudication.

“It has become very obvious that those with sinister motives have perfected plans to unleash all manner of coordinated attacks on Judicial Officers, starting from the CJN with a view to arm-twisting and blackmailing and ridiculing them to silence, ultimately for their ulterior motives.

“For sure, it will only take an undiscerning mind to believe this string of falsehood, misinformation and blackmail.

“Nigerians are much wiser to fall for this armchair criticism and disingenuous sponsorships of paid crowds who masquerade as ‘civil society organizations’ to help them further their inordinate ambition of gagging and fettering the Nigerian Judiciary so that they could cowardly do their biddings.

“The publication, which was laced with tissues of lies, non-existent sources of information and unsubstantiated claims, clearly showed the unwholesome intentions of the authors.

“For the records, no single Justice of the Supreme has asked the CJN to resign, and no Justice of Supreme Court has or is writing any letter of protest whatsoever.

“This stream of falsehood, as usual, is flowing from the same discredited source that is hell-bent on destroying the Judiciary for some selfish interest.

“The Supreme Court Justices are united and firmly behind the CJN; and are, as usual, all working assiduously to dispense justice without fear or favour.

“Neither the CJN nor the Honourable Justices of the Supreme Court or other Courts for that matter, are politicians, so, none of them should be dragged into politics in any form whatsoever.

“Our advice to this set of rabble-rousers whose stock in trade is character assassination via dissemination of false information to create tension and disaffection, is to have a rethink and engage in meaningful productive activities that will move the nation forward. A word is enough for the wise”, the statement further read.

Bandits strike in Abuja, kidnap corps member, 7 others in Kubwa

Late on Tuesday, suspected armed bandits attacked the Arab Road Extension 2 in the Kubwa region of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), killing one person while kidnapping Adenike, a serving member of the Youth Corps.

According to sources, Miss Adenike, the only child of her parents, was kidnapped when bandits assaulted some buildings along the Arab Road, shooting randomly and stealing whomever they could grab as hostages.

Two people were allegedly shot, one of whom allegedly died immediately while the other was taken to the hospital after the bandits fled with the victims they had kidnapped.

According to sources, the bandits entered the Arab road extension from a hill that acts as a barrier for locals.

“Apart from the Youth Corper, we are looking for seven other resident’s. Nobody can sleep anymore. It was like a war zone the way they were shooting. Luckily two of those kidnapped escaped. That is how we knew seven persons were taken away”, a resident said.

“From Amilomania Street, they moved to Toyin Street, all in Extension 2 Relocation, along Arab Road, in Kubwa” the source said adding that “one of the victims shot dead is a popular tailor in the area,

According to the source, the bandits may have turned to using the hilly area as a means of accessing the street in order to avoid the Vigilante who are stationed at the street’s well-known entrance and prevent a fight.

The FCT Police Command PRO, DSP Josephine Adeh, could not be reached for comment on the last night’s events.