• President Buhari to address Nigerians on old notes deadline Thursday
• After Intensive Interrogation, DSS Asked Me To Report Every Day – Fani Kayode
• Three dead as Edo residents protest naira scarcity
• Tinubu meets Wike in Rivers
• Sack CBN Gov, Emefiele now – Bayo Onanuga

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

President Buhari to address Nigerians on old notes deadline Thursday

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari will today, Thursday, make a nationwide broadcast.

This was revealed by a presidential aide, Bashir Ahmed.

He tweeted late Wednesday night, “President Muhammadu Buhari will make a national broadcast tomorrow, February 16, 2023, at 7 am.

“Television, radio stations, and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the NTA and Radio Nigeria for the broadcast.”

This is coming amidst the worsening scarcity of the new Naira notes.

Angry citizens piled up pressure on Wednesday, with protests taking place simultaneously across the country.

Apart from attacks on some financial institutions, deaths have also been recorded as security agencies try to quell the uprising.

Before the February 10 deadline, President Buhari has asked Nigerians to give his government one week to resolve the issues arising from the scarcity of the Naira notes.

However, with the deadline ended, and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, insisting that there was no going back, there has been a grave silence from the presidency.

Efforts by some State governments to get a reprieve from the Supreme Court did not also yield results as the CBN remained adamant on its stand despite the ex parte order by the apex court.

After Intensive Interrogation, DSS Asked Me To Report Every Day – Fani Kayode

Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Femi Fani-Kayode said on Wednesday that he will be interrogated daily by the Department of State Services (DSS) about his claims of a planned coup.

The ex-minister of aviation’s tweet about a coup attempt by army personnel prompted an invitation from the secret police.

Over the course of a series of tweets last Saturday, Fani-Kayode claimed to have learned that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar attended a meeting with several army generals.

The Defence Headquarters later denied the meeting, reiterating its support for democracy.

However, Atiku asked the DSS and police to invite Fani-Kayode for questioning, wondering why he was linked to such.

On Monday and Wednesday, FFK honoured the invitation but said in a tweet after his return that he has been asked to report to the DSS headquarters every day.

He said the interrogation had been intensive, challenging, and grueling.

“Reported to DSS again today. Just got back. I was there for hours of intensive interrogation. It was challenging & grueling. I have been ordered to report there EVERY day. I will comply. No fear! The Lord is with us! He is a man of war & MIGHTY in battle! Who can resist Him?” he tweeted.

Four dead as Edo residents protest naira scarcity

Four persons, including a nursing mother, were on Wednesday, killed in Benin, the Edo State capital, as angry residents barricaded the gate of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in protests over the scarcity of naira cash.

According to sources, two persons were killed on the Akpakpava road where the CBN office is located, one on Sakpoba road, while the nursing mother was killed by a stray bullet while waiting at the ATM spot to withdraw cash.

Angry residents had besieged the CBN to swap old notes, following its rejection by banks, fuel stations, and market women.

Trouble started when an unmarked Toyota Hilux which the protesters believed was from the government officials coming to the CBN to collect new cash wanted to enter the bank.

This angered the customers, who rejected it and started throwing stones at the vehicle before security agents brought the situation under control.

The protest snowballed into crisis when other protesters from Mission road and Sakpoba road started attacking the CBN by throwing stones and other objects in an attempt to break in.

The angry protesters later moved into the town attacking and vandalizing bank offices across the state.

It was gathered that UBA, First Bank, Keystone, Access bank, Unity Bank, and Polaris Bank had their ATMs vandalised.

Following the development, banks across the state hurriedly closed down.

Tinubu meets Wike in Rivers

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, on Wednesday, hosted Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The meeting was held at the Rivers government house in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

Abubakar Bagudu, David Umahi, and Babajide Sanwo-Olu — governors of Kebbi, Ebonyi, and Lagos — were present at the meeting.

Others are Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti; Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum; and Adamu Abdullahi, APC national chairman.

The development comes amid speculations that Wike is backing Tiunubu’s presidential bid.

Wike — who has the support of his allies — fell out with Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the refusal to prevail on Iyorchia Ayu, the party’s chairperson, to resign.

Speaking at the meeting, Wike blamed the federal government for the naira scarcity which has resulted in violent protests across the country.

“Do you people really want this election to take place or not? Or do you have an agenda to truncate this election? I don’t know. Look at what (protests) happening in Oyo, Edo, and Delta. See what is going on,” he said.

“I believe your party should make sure this election holds. You people are in power, ensure that this election holds. Nobody can solve the issue of corruption in two, three months. It is not possible. This thing is purely politically motivated.”

While describing the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as “anti-people”, Wike said it’s unacceptable for the federal government not to comply with the ruling of the supreme court on the matter.

“How can you people be in government at this time; governor of a central bank disrespecting the supreme court? Where has it happened in any democracy? Governor of Central Bank thinking of whether to obey supreme court order? Where has it happened?” Wike queried.

In his remarks, Tinubu commended Wike for working for the country’s unity

“Our courtesy call, not to personalise it, is out of the respect I have for you. You worked hard and you voiced loudly your commitment to unity and the critical part of that unity in Nigeria. You never advocated a division of our country. You followed history. You respect the country,” he said.

Sack CBN Gov, Emefiele now – Bayo Onanuga

The camp of the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s campaign Director of Media and Publicity, said Emefiele should be sacked because Nigerians don’t deserve this bumbler.

Onanuga made the call while responding to a Twitter user who noted that the naira redesign was not APC’s policy.

@DeeOneAyekooto shared news of banks collecting enough new notes.

He wrote: “This is NOT APC Policy. This is not Tinubu’s Manifesto.”

Responding, Onanuga tweeted: “This was then under Major General Muhammadu Buhari. There was no suffering then to get new notes.

“PMB, sack Emefiele now. Nigeria doesn’t deserve this bumbler in CBN.”

In 2022, CBN introduced the redesigned N200, N500, and N1000 notes.

CBN had fixed January 31 for the mopping up of the old naira notes. But, the deadline was extended to February 10 following a public outcry by Nigerians.

However, Nigerians have been witnessing naira scarcity following the deadline by the CBN for the mopping of the naira notes.

Banks had claimed they haven’t received enough supply of the new naira notes from the CBN to end the scarcity.