• Day 1 Recap of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Nationwide Protest
• Governments of Borno, Kano, Katsina and Yobe declare 24 hour curfew
• Telecom operators reveal that over 30 million GSM lines have not correctly linked their NIN
• Minister of Aviation explains why Air Peace and other airlines charge high airfares
• Tinubu meets with Wike in FCT amidst protest on August 1

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

Day 1 Recap of #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Nationwide Protest

August 1 marked a huge turning point in Nigerian history as every Nigerian (excluding those in the South East) took to the streets to protest their anger towards the country’s governance, policies and misplaced priorities.

The nationwide protest is scheduled to go on from August 1 to 10, and the events that occurred yesterday, day one of the protest, have likely given the protest’s structure a new shape as there have been records of deaths and destruction of properties across the nation.

There were deaths recorded in some of the cities where protests were held (four killed in Maiduguri, three died in Jigawa, one killed in Kano, one killed in Kebbi, two allegedly killed in Kaduna, and one killed in Abuja, six allegedly killed in Niger).

Hoodlums saw the opportunity to partake in the protest and cart away with some valuable properties worth hundreds of millions and belonged to both private and public entities.

Governments of Borno, Kano, Katsina and Yobe declare 24 hour curfew

The governments of Borno, Kano, Katsina and Yobe states have declared a 24-hour curfew within their respective states after the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest took a violent turn and led to the death and vandalisation of properties.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State held a conference meeting in the government house, stating that a “24-hour curfew should be put in place to further prevent looting and vandalisation of businesses and killing of innocent citizens.”

In Yobe State, the Potiskum, Gashua and Nguru local government areas were put under curfew as it was discovered that hoodlums had taken advantage of the curfew to vandalise and loot so many government-owned properties.

Telecom operators reveal that over 30 million GSM lines have not correctly linked their NIN

The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators in Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, announced that over 30 million phone lines are yet to be connected entirely to National Identification Numbers (NIN) and will possibly be barred.

He claimed these devices are likely gadgets like MiFi units, Point of Sale Machines (POS), WiFi devices, and car trackers. He revealed this information after the backlash that came upon MTN after the sudden vast disconnection of numbers.

“There are instances where individuals provided their NINs, but the information did not match our records; these discrepancies must be resolved at service centres to ensure proper verification.”

Minister of Aviation explains why Air Peace and other airlines charge high airfares

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, explained why so many Nigerian airlines, including Air Peace and Max Air, demand high airfares from their passengers.

According to the Minister, these domestic airlines have limited aircraft available to satiate the growing demand for flight trips across the country, so the airfares are high.

The Minister, however, promised to reduce the price of airfares as soon as he claimed he was working with operators to cut down the prices of airfares.

Tinubu meets with Wike in FCT amidst protest on August 1

The President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, met with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) despite the nationwide protest on the streets of Abuja yesterday, August 1.

According to reports, the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, arrived at the Presidential Villa in an SUV and walked into the Presidential Office, where he met with the President.

Although the reason for their meetings was not disclosed, many eyes were raised on why they met under such circumstances in the Capital. The protesters in Abuja were restricted from protesting in the Moshood Abiola National Stadium but soon moved into Eagle Square, causing traffic.