2. President Muhammadu Buhari will today, depart for Bamako, the capital of Mali on a one-day visit. This was contained in a statement signed by his Spokesman, Femi Adesina. The purpose of the meeting is to engage in further consultations towards finding a political solution to the crisis in Mali.
3. Boko Haram have executed five aid workers. Footage of the recorded murder became public on Wednesday. The terrorists confirmed that their victims were humanitarian staff of non-governmental organizations. Five men, with their faces covered, stood behind the abductees and shot them after making comments.
4. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the sum of N75 billion for the establishment of the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF). The NYIF also tagged ‘the Youth Bank’, would create financial support for creative and innovative Nigerian youths within the age range of 18 and 35 years. The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare disclosed this to State House Correspondents after a lengthy FEC meeting on Wednesday night.
5. President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the recent murder of five staff of humanitarian agencies in Borno State. Buhari in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, sympathised with the families of the five aid workers, assuring them that his government will continue to do all it can to ensure that every remaining vestige of Boko Haram is wiped out completely from Nigeria and that the perpetrators of the atrocity will face the law.
6. Four Chinese workers have been kidnapped in Cross River State. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at Oban community in Akamkpa LGA of the State. The victims were Kan Jinxi, Hujinchang, Jiang Jijun and Cheng Qing. They were kidnapped at the premises of Danatrite Construction Company in Oban, Akamkpa LGA, when armed men stormed the company early Wednesday morning.
7. The Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that the All Progressives Congress is the headquarters of corruption in Nigeria. It also said it has uncovered an alleged plot by the APC to stall ongoing probes into various acts of corruption under the current regime. This was contained in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Wednesday.
8. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 543 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. NCDC revealed this via its official Twitter handle. It brings the total number of cases in the country to 38,344. Lagos State, FCT and Oyo still has the highest number of cases with 13,806, 3,297 and 2,219 respectively.
9. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has ridiculed a member of the House of Representatives, James Faleke. Ngige who appeared before the Ad hoc Committee of the House of Representatives to answer questions over an alleged breach of a presidential directive called Faleke “a small boy” and claimed he was “Tinubu’s mate” He also referred to Faleke as a ‘’Mushim’’ boy while calling himself a VI boy.
10. The United Nations (UN) has expressed sadness over the execution of aid workers by Boko Haram. Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, in a statement, said he was utterly shocked and horrified by the gruesome killing. He decried the number of illegal vehicular checkpoints set up by terrorists along main supply routes.
