• Local rice prices increases by 200%
• Tribunal grants Jandor substituted service on Sanwo-Olu, Rhodes-Vivour
• FEC approves over N100b contracts 40 days to the end of current administration 
• FG grants citizenship to 385 applicants
• “I’m unaware of it” | Hakimi’s mother reacts to reports her son transferred his wealth to her

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

Local rice prices increases by 200%

Rising insecurity in the country, import ban and others factors have caused the price of one kilogramme of local rice to rise by 201.52 per cent in seven years, according to findings by The PUNCH.

This happened despite a multibillion naira funding support of the Central Bank of Nigeria for the nation’s rice value chain aimed at boosting production.

Data from the Selected Food Prices Watch Report of the National Bureau of Statistics analysed by The PUNCH showed that the average price of 1kg of local rice rose from N172.74 as of February 2016 to N520.84 as of February 2023.

Tribunal grants Jandor substituted service on Sanwo-Olu, Rhodes-Vivour

Lagos State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has granted leave to the PDP Gubernatorial Candidate for the state, Dr Azeez Adediran (alias Jandor), for substituted service of an election petition on the state Gov. Babaide Sanwo-Olu.

The tribunal also granted that Adediran should do the same for Labour Party’s Gubernatorial Candidate for the state, Mr Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.

The respondents in the petition numbered EPT/LAG/GOV/01/2023 are Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Sanwo-Olu, Sanwo-Olu’s Deputy, Dr Hamzat Obafemi; APC, Rhodes-Vivour and Labour Party (LP).

Adediran and his party, PDP, through their counsel, Mr Austin Akpomreta, had told the tribunal that he was unable to effect personal service of the petition on Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat and Rhodes-Vivour.

FEC approves over N100b contracts 40 days to the end of current administration 

With less than 40 days to go, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, approved a number of contracts running into billions of naira.

Coming in the twilight of the administration, the FEC approved some project contracts, following memos presented by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, just as it approved the sum of N3.4 billion for the procurement of an aircraft by the nation’s Customs Service.

The Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the week’s cabinet meeting.

FG grants citizenship to 385 applicants

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the granting of Nigerian citizenship to 385 applicants who have met the requirements.

Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday, April 19, said the categories of citizenship granted to the applicants are by naturalisation and registration.

“FEC today approved the granting of Nigerian citizenship by naturalisation to 317 applicants and Nigerian citizenship by registration to 68 applicants.

The applicants got the nod after meeting all the constitutional and administrative requirements for the grant of Nigerian citizenship,” he said. 

“I’m unaware of it” | Hakimi’s mother reacts to reports her son transferred his wealth to her

According to Morocco World News, Saida Mouh, the mother of PSG defender Achraf Hakimi, has reacted to the reports making the rounds that her son transferred all his assets to her.

This is coming after viral reports claims that Hakimi’s wife will not be getting anything in their divorce because it was discovered that Hakimi has no asset in his name as all are in his mother’s name.

In response, Hakimi’s mother said it is also news to her because she has no idea.

“If he has taken any action to protect himself, l’m unaware of it,” Saida Mouh said.

She added that if it is true, there is nothing wrong with her son taking such actions to protect himself.

“What’s the problem if the news is true? If my son does not do this, he will not be able to get rid of that woman [Hiba Abouk],” Hakimi’s mother