Daily News...

 A chief magistrate court sitting in Kaduna on Tuesday ordered the remand in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Kaduna, of self-styled activist and public commentator, Shehu Mahdi. Mahdi was arrested a few days ago by officers of the Department of State Services over videos he posted online claiming that President Bola Tinubu granted France the approval to set up a military base in northern Nigeria.

 The Bayelsa State government has announced the tragic loss of Mrs. Elizabeth Bidei, a member of the State Executive Council and Commissioner for Women Affairs. A statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Orientation, and Strategy, Hon. Mrs. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, expressed deep condolences to the bereaved family, particularly her widower, Chief Jackson Bidei, and their children.

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Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says it is planning to reach out to former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to persuade him to return to the party that “nurtured his political career and brought him to where he is today.” The PDP acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagun, revealed this in an interview with the BBC.

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 The Federal Government on Tuesday launched the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, MOFI, Real Estate Investment Fund, MREIF, valued at N250 billion. Presiding over the launch, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, noted the potential of the initiative to transform the country’s housing delivery space.

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 On Tuesday, the Naira appreciated to N1,650 per dollar in the parallel market, compared to N1,655 on Monday. Similarly, the Naira appreciated to N1,535 per dollar in the official foreign exchange market.

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 The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Tuesday, insisted on the withdrawal of the Tax Reform Bills forwarded by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly to enable all key national stakeholders to be part of the process. President of NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, made this known in his New Year message.

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 The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesome Wike, says that the FCT Administration will do more for FCT residents in 2025. Wike stated this after he inspected the ongoing construction Outer Southern Expressway, OSEX, Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal and Saburi – Dei Dei road, in Abuja on Tuesday. According to him, things will get better, God willing, for residents of FCT in the coming year.

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The Katsina State Police Command says it has neutralised 40 suspected bandits who have been terrorising communities in different parts of the state in 2024. Mr Aliyu Abubakar-Musa, the State Commissioner of Police, CP, stated this on Tuesday in Katsina at the command’s maiden end-of-year celebrations and award presentations.

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 No fewer than five motorists escaped death in three road accidents that occurred along the Lagos-Abeokuta and Sagamu-Benin expressways on Monday and Tuesday. It was learnt from multiple traffic updates released by the Commandant General of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Seni Ogunyemi, that the accidents were caused by speeding and careless driving.
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 The Federal Government has taken delivery of the first batch of locally assembled Compressed Natural Gas buses, marking the beginning of their deployment for airport shuttle services across Nigeria. This disclosure was made in a statement on Tuesday.