Here are the major Nigerian newspaper headlines today, Thursday, 25 February 2021:
1. Rotimi Akeredolu was sworn in, yesterday, as the governor of Ondo State for another term of four years. Akeredolu was re-elected on October 10, 2020 having defeated his former deputy, Agboola Ajayi, who contested on the platform of Zenith Labour Party and Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP.
2. Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), yesterday, shut the headquarters of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Abuja, as earlier threatened at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting. The leadership of the congress, led by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, stormed the Maitama headquarters of the commission early, yesterday.
3. The arraignment of 5,000 suspected Boko Haram insurgents being held across various detention facilities in the country would soon begin. Director-general of the Legal Aid Council, Aliyu Abubakar, said this yesterday during a visit to Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum.
4. Bandits, who abducted the 27 students and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State, have threatened to starve victims to death if the ransom they are demanding is not paid on time. One of the abductors stated this in an audio recording made available to reporters by prominent Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi.
5. The international oil benchmark, Brent crude, further rose to $67 per barrel on Wednesday, compared to Nigeria’s budget benchmark of $40 per barrel. The development may trigger more fuel price hikes in the country as Nigerians depend on imported products.
6. Some bandits, between Monday and Tuesday, raided the Igabi and Chikun local government areas of Kaduna State, killing 18 persons. The State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday.
7. The Nigerian Senate, yesterday, confirmed the appointment of Abdulrasheed Bawa as the substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was confirmed after being grilled during the Senate plenary on Wednesday.
8. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the Ekiti East Constituency 1 bye-election for Saturday, March 20. INEC stated this yesterday in a statement by the National Commissioner & Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.
9. The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) on Tuesday, condemned the alleged marginalization of Christians in appointments into federal government offices by the Buhari-led government. National president of the fellowship, Rev. Dr. Felix Omobude disclosed this in a statement yesterday.
10. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has confirmed 655 fresh cases of COVID-19 in 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The total number of confirmed cases across the country now stands at 153,842.
