These are the top stories you should be monitoring today.
The Nigerian Army and the Police Monday, disagreed over who should be blamed for the February 19 abduction of 110 Dapchi schoolgirls.
The Army said it “formally” handed over security in Dapchi to the Police as its men moved to another operation, but the Police said there was no such handover.
The Army said: “Contrary to the comments credited to Governor Ibrahim Geidam, troops earlier deployed in Dapchi were redeployed to reinforce Kanama following attacks on troops’ location at the Nigerian – Nigerien border.
“This is on the premise that Dapchi has been relatively calm and peaceful, and the security of Dapchi was formally handed over to the Nigeria Police Division located in the town.”
The Police said: “The statement by the Military of formal handing over of Dapchi town to the Nigeria Police Division in Dapchi is not correct and untrue, as there was no time that the military informed the Police of their withdrawal, consult or handed over their locations in Dapchi town to the Police.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed that it was investigating former First Lady Patience Jonathan when it was discovered that she allegedly laundered money and bought property beyond her legitimate earnings.
An investigator with the EFCC, Kolawole Mukaila, who is a member of a special task force constituted by the commission to investigate the ex-First Lady, said this in a court document.
President Muhammadu Buhari Monday, advised the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to avoid what he called “illegal manoeuvres” in picking the party’s candidates at all levels for the 2019 elections.
“We should strictly follow the constitution of the party in undertaking these party elections. We should ensure internal democracy and avoid shortcuts and illegal manoeuvres which have characterised the opposition party with the consequences that they are now divided,” he said.
The implementation of the new national minimum wage would commence in the third quarter of 2018, the Federal Government announced on Monday.
According to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, the negotiation committee for the new minimum wage for workers had received memoranda from all stakeholders involved in the process, adding that implementation should begin later this year.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted to hold the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections on the same day while the governorship and state legislative elections will come next.
INEC had announced last year that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on February 16, 2019 while the governorship, state assembly and area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory would take place on March 2, 2019.
The National Assembly, however, opposed the sequence of the election and amended the Electoral Act such that the National Assembly election would hold first while the presidential election would come last.
And stories from around the world…
Saudi Arabia has sacked its top military commanders, including the chief of staff, in a series of late-night royal decrees.
Saudi King Salman also replaced the heads of the ground forces and air defences.
The news was published by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), but no reason for the sackings was given.
US President Donald Trump says an officer who stayed outside a Florida high school during a mass shooting was a “disgrace”.
Trump said he believes he would have acted differently.
“I really believe I would run in there even if I didn’t have a weapon,” Trump said.
A pro-Beijing newspaper has claimed that the Communist party’s decision to abolish presidential term limits is designed to “ensure people live happier lives”.
The China Daily, an English-language broadsheet that serves as an international mouthpiece for Beijing’s views, said the move, announced on Sunday ahead of an annual political summit in Beijing, was “necessitated by the need to perfect the party and the state leadership system”.
As well as unveiling plans to scrap the two-term presidential limit, Beijing also announced a series of other amendments designed to bolster the rule of China’s leader, Xi Jinping, which began in 2012 and now looks likely to continue well into the 2030s.
A Governor launched an attack on Donald Trump’s plan to arm teachers, telling him “we need a little less tweeting and a little more listening“.
Washington State Governor Jay Inslee made the comments at the National Governors’ Association winter meeting at the White House Monday, where he insisted neither teachers nor cops wanted more guns in schools.
Police have foiled four terror plots by right-wing extremists in the last year, Scotland Yard has revealed.
Mark Rowley, Scotland Yard’s assistant commissioner and the UK’s most senior counter-terrorism officer, said the country is facing a growing threat from organised far-right terrorism.
Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram
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