These are the stories that drove the conversation today:

The Department of State Services (DSS), has dismissed videos in circulation which showed that N21bn cash, 400 assorted and sophisticated small arms and light weapons and thousands of Permanent Voter Cards belonging to immigrants were recovered from the Katsina and Abuja homes of the sacked DSS chief, Lawal Daura.

According to a statement issued by the spokesperson for the agency, Tony Opuiyo, in Abuja on Monday, the videos in circulation were false and should be disregarded, noting that “no such recovery operations have been undertaken by the EFCC or any other security agency at DSS’ office or residences of the former DG.”

Opuiyo urged members of the public to exercise restraint in their narration of events and as such, to desist from spreading fake news or engaging in activities that he said might mislead or further cause a breach of the peace as well as preempt the outcome of investigations.

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The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the result of the Bauchi South senatorial election held on Saturday, where his candidate, Ladan Salihu was declared runner-up in the election with 50,256 votes.

Addressing a press conference at the party secretariat in Bauchi on Monday, state chairman of PDP, Hamza Akuyam, said the bye-election was a perfect delivery of “a script on the art and science of election rigging which was carefully rehearsed and executed with active participation of law enforcement agencies and officials of the INEC.”

Akuyam also alleged widespread vote buying during the exercise, adding that APC-led government officials openly lured citizens with cash between N100 up to N5,000 for their votes.

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Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi on Monday announced the approval of N5,000 travel allowance to each of the 2,200 Batch B Stream 1 Corps members who ended their orientation course in the state.

At the end of the course on Monday, the governor approved N2 million for corps members who took part in the parade and various cash sums to the staff of NYSC and military officers who trained the corps members;

He also donated N400 million to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Ebonyi State for the renovation of the scheme’s orientation camp in Afikpo North Local Government Area.

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A High Court sitting in Makurdi has granted an exparte order, restraining the Speaker of the Benue House of Assembly, Titus Uba and five others from carrying out any legislative sitting and responsibilities, pending the determination of the substantive suits.

Justice Theresa Igoche who had earlier restrained the impeached Speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange, while ruling on a separate exparte motion brought by him, granted the order on Monday.

She also adjourned to August 15, hearing on the substantive suits which include the motion seeking to partially restrain Ikyange as Speaker of the assembly, having been impeached by the 22 lawmakers.

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The Federal Government has donated relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons in Zamfara to support and ameliorate their sufferings.

Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Sokoto, Malam Sulaiman Muhammad who made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria in Gusau on Monday said the items comprised assorted grains, clothing materials, cosmetics, toiletries among others.

According to him, the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the NEMA Director-General are expected to inaugurate the distribution of the items to IDPs in Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara on Tuesday.

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And stories from around the world:

Turkey’s central bank on Monday failed to halt the precipitous plunge of the lira with a raft of measures aimed at soothing markets, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States of seeking to stab its NATO ally “in the back.” (AFP)

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Iran’s Supreme Leader on Monday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s offer of unconditional talks to improve bilateral ties and he also accused the Iranian government of economic mismanagement in the face of reimposed U.S. sanctions. (Reuters)

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Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has contradicted his recent reluctant commitment to abide by renewed US sanctions on Iran, saying his government only committed to not using dollars in transactions with Tehran. (Al Jazeera)

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Cuba has begun a public debate on issues ranging from one-party rule and socialism to inequality, gay rights, private property and restructuring of the country’s government as it moves to replace a Cold War-era constitution.  (Reuters)

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Thousands of people have gathered in Yemen for the funerals of dozens of children killed in a Saudi-led coalition attack on a bus last week.

The mass burial took place in Saada, a northern stronghold of Houthi rebels. (BBC)