These are the stories you should be monitoring today:

The Plateau Police Command has confirmed the killing of not less than 86 people in attacks on Razat, Ruku, Nyarr, Kura and Gana-Ropp villages of Gashish District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) ASP Terna Tyopev who confirmed the new figure on Sunday in Jos, revealed that  “after a careful search of the villages attacked in the district, it was discovered that 86 persons all together were killed and six severely injured” alongside “fifty houses, two cars and 15 motorcycles which were completely burnt down.”  This is after the command had earlier said that only 11 persons were killed.

The Plateau Government had since announced a 6pm to 6am curfew in Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Jos South local government areas to check possible breakdown of law and order in the state.

The Federal Government has on Sunday clarified that the cattle ranches it intends to set up in conjunction with states in different locations across the country are not solely for Fulani herdsmen.

Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Tolu Makinde noted that the programme, which will gulp N70bn in its first three years, will be for any individual who is interested in grazing his cattle in any of the facilities in the 10 states where the pilot scheme will start and while lands will be provided by the state government, the modalities will be worked out between the federal and state governments.

“Now, this does not mean that the land will be given directly to individual herders. The way it is being conceived is that a facility will be provided in the states and whoever has needs to graze will take them there. People need to understand that it (the land) is not going to any individual, whether Fulani or not. If you are a herder, you can take your herds there to graze and pay whatever token is necessary,” he added.

The new National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has been charged to stamp out injustice from the party and promote equity.

The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who gave the advice on Sunday at the national convention of the party, said stamping out injustice will bring respect to the party and urged them to work as a team, while noting that it is irresponsible of leadership not to take on challenges and find solutions.

Dogara on his part, charged the new leadership to create equal opportunities for the weak and the strong and maintain the culture of democracy which is conflict, compromise, consensus and progress.

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told the All Progressives Congress (APC) to perish the thought of deceiving Nigerians by its alleged attempt to changing its slogan from ‘CHANGE’ to ‘PROGRESS’.

National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement on Sunday described the development as the worst form of deceit from a political party who had brought nothing but hunger to the nation, adding that the solution to the problems facing the nation does not lie in changing slogans.

The opposition party said it was an insult on the intelligence of the people and maintained that Nigeria requires a new leadership of qualitative individuals endowed with in-depth knowledge in the areas of economy, security and good governance which the repositioned PDP is working round the clock in our resolve to bring forth.

The Federal Government has concluded plans to partner foreign consultants, comprising legal practitioners and other experts in Switzerland on a voluntary offshore asset repatriation scheme.

Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami disclosed this in Bern, Switzerland on the sidelines of a meeting held at the Nigerian Embassy, noting that experts would collaborate with the Swiss Government under the scheme to target funds that have not been identified in ongoing investigations.

“The success of the scheme in Switzerland will determine the inclusion of other nations,’’ the minister added.

And stories from around the world:

Senegal’s sloppiness cost them much as they were pegged to a 2-2 draw against Japan in Matchday 11 of the  2018 World Cup holding in Russia

Sadio Mané and Moussa Wague both scored for Senegal while Takashi Inui and Keisuke Honda levelled the game to draw parity for Japan.

Colombian captain Radamel Falcao powered his country to a convincing 3-0 victory over an extremely overwhelmed Polish side.

Goals were scored by Barcelona man Yerry Mina who opened the scoring for Colombia in the 40^th minute with a powerful header, Falcao netted the second in the 70^th minute before Juan Cuadrado extended the lead to the lead to 3-o.

England pounced on World Cup debutants, Panama like hungry lions by defeating them 6-1 at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in their Group G encounter on Sunday. 

Harry Kane grabbed a hat-trick in the game to become the current top goal scorer in the World Cup with five goals.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won the tightly-contested presidential polls, the election authority said Monday, extending his 15-year grip on power as the opposition complained bitterly about the conduct of the vote count. (AFP)

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa says elections will go ahead as planned on 30 July, despite what he said was an attempt on his life on Saturday. (BBC)

Twenty-five people have been injured, four of them severely, when an explosion destroyed an apartment building in the western German city of Wuppertal, police have said. (The Guardian, UK)

Japaneese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe’s support rose 10 points to outstrip his disapproval rating for the first time since February, a survey showed on Monday, boosting his chance of weathering a series of scandals to become the country’s longest-serving premier. (Reuters)

Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq

Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq is a Journalist, Political Analyst and Satirist with major interest in Nigerian Politics, Governance and Sports.