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

200 terrorists killed in three days in Niger State – Official

At least 200 bandits have been killed in Niger in the past three days in security operations, The state’s Commissioner for Local Government, Community Development, Chieftaincy Affairs and Internal Security, Emmanuel Umar, said this on Wednesday.

Mary Noel-Berje, the media aide to Governor Abubakar Bello, in a statement said Umar spoke at a press briefing at Government House, Minna on the directive of the governor.

According to her, Umar said many commanders of the terrorists were killed in the operations, pointing out that the eliminated terrorists belonged to the camps of Ali Kawajo, Yello Janbros, Kachalla Halilu and Bello Turji.

Lagos to implement child protection policies in schools

In a bid to stop child abuse in schools, the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) of Lagos and the Office of Education Quality Assurance have commenced plans to implement the safeguarding and child protection programme.

The initiative recently kicked off with a one-day sensitisation programme for principals, heads of schools and school administrators on the policy. And, the programme will be implemented in all education districts.

The initiative may not be unconnected to the recent cases of alleged bullying, molestation, and physical assaults on young school children reported in some schools in the state.

Witnesses submit 10 exhibits in Hanifa Abubakar’s murder case

The suspects, Abdulmaliq Tanko, Hashimu Isiyaku and Fatima Musa, are facing five charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, culpable homicide and abatement of crime.

Although the prime suspect, Tanko, and Isiyaku pleaded not guilty to four counts except criminal conspiracy, Musa denied culpability of all five charges.

At the resumption of the hearing, yesterday, a Kano High Court 5, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawan Abdullahi, presented three prosecution witnesses before Justice Usman Na’aba – two personnel of Department State Service (DSS) and a police inspector, who gave testimonies before the court, submitted 10 exhibits to substantiate their claims against the suspects.

Varsity education sinking, stakeholders warn

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As university students await the return of academic activities after severe disruption as a result of last month’s warning strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), stakeholders have warned that continued shut down of schools might further destroy the already battered tertiary education system in the country.

The stakeholders, in their review of the sector, concluded that successive governments have failed to give the needed attention to tertiary education.

A professor of Business Studies, Pat Utomi; former vice-chancellors of the University of Ibadan (UI), Prof. Idowu Olayinka and that of Caleb University, Prof. Ayodeji Olukoju; former Deputy Director, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bashorun Olorunfunmi and Prof. Adebayo Williams, all agreed there’s an urgent need for stakeholders to come together and ensure that the standard did not fall below what it is, at the moment.

Sanusi details why he was sacked as Kano emir, CBN governor

Former Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, has explained that his unrepentant attitude of speaking truth to power cost him his positions as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor and Emir of Kano.

In his address at the closing ceremony of the AIG Public Leadership Programme Class of 2021 in Abuja, Wednesday, Sanusi regretted that instead of the civil servants sticking to ethics and performing their duties creditably for the benefit of the masses, “over 80 per cent of them have lost their conscience” for personal gains.

He said, “A public servant is a servant to Nigeria, not to any head of state, governor or minister, this is what is missing now in the country; hence the judiciary, health, agriculture, education, transport and power sectors are not working.”