Good morning! Below is a summary of today’s major stories from Nigerian newspapers:
1. A fresh shutdown of public hospitals nationwide appears imminent as the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) maintains its decision to embark on a strike, despite an interim injunction issued by the National Industrial Court in Abuja. The court, presided over by Justice E. D. Subilim, on Friday restrained the association, including its President, Dr Mohammad Usman Suleiman, and Secretary, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, from proceeding with the planned action scheduled for Monday, January 12. Nonetheless, NARD insists the strike will go ahead to press its demands.
2. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, on Friday unveiled a reform agenda aimed at repositioning the commission ahead of next year’s general elections. He said the goal is to deliver elections that meet global standards and mark a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
3.Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, through his legal representatives, has submitted a corruption petition against former Managing Director of the Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The petition follows the earlier withdrawal of a similar complaint from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
4.The 26 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly pursuing the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara have reaffirmed their resolve to continue with the process. This comes as the Pan Niger Delta Forum, the apex socio-political group in the South-South, has reportedly activated high-level interventions to halt the move. The lawmakers insist the impeachment proceedings are “fully on course.”
5.Former United States President Donald Trump has, for the first time since refocusing attention on insecurity in Nigeria, acknowledged that Muslims are also victims of violence. In an interview with The New York Times, Trump said no single religion is exclusively targeted, although he maintained that Christians have suffered the most casualties.
6.The Labour Party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has claimed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has harboured presidential ambitions since his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) days. Baba-Ahmed made the assertion during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday
7.President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are projected to spend a combined N9.36 billion on domestic and international travel, as well as food and refreshments, in the 2026 fiscal year. The figures are contained in details of the 2026 Appropriation Bill released by the Budget Office of the Federation.
8.Police officers from the Assakio Division, working alongside local vigilantes, have raided kidnappers’ hideouts in Angara and Fadaman Bauna villages in the Lafia East Development Area of Nasarawa State. The operation resulted in the arrest of six suspected kidnappers and the rescue of three victims—two women and one man.
9.The EFCC on Friday arraigned an Austrian national, Kavlak Onal, before the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged failure to declare foreign currencies worth N2.28 billion. Onal was charged before Justice Yellim Bogoro on two counts relating to the non-declaration of $800,575 and €651,505.
10. Nigeria’s Super Eagles is set play Algeria at the 2025 African Cup of Nations Quarter-finals on Saturday. Winner of the fixture would play Morocco at the Semi-Final.
