Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know this Friday morning

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know this morning:

1. The detention and subsequent release of former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo by the SSS made the news headline this Friday morning. Report says Asari was arrested by the SSS over an inflammatory comment about Jonathan’s re-election in 2015. He was however cautioned and released after 6 hours.

2. The reconciliation effort by the new PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu’ azu continues to fail as the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, in a meeting told him that until Jonathan succumbs to the agreement they reached in 2011 that he won’t return in 2015, he (Obasanjo) was not ready to make peace with the party.

3. Report also has it this morning that President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi may soon meet to reconcile their differences. It was revealed that the President was advised by PDP Governors to make peace with whoever will make his 2015 re-election possible.

4. Former Kano State Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau has termed as rubbish the agitation that power should return to the North. Shekarau said that localizing the presidency was not necessary. He said it was necessary to have a good leader to turn things around for the country and not by where the individual comes from.

5. The redeployment of the Rivers state Commissioner of Police, alongside 21 others by the Police Service Commission glaringly made the news headline today. The Commissioner has been transferred to the FCT and to be replaced by the Commissioner in charge of the Special Fraud Unit, Johnson Ogunsakin.

6. A new group of northern elders in support of Jonathan’s 2015 ambition has emerged. The group, comprising former ministers and National Assembly members and businessmen, including billionaire businessman, Alhaji Hassan Adamu, Wakilin Adamawa, former Senator Muktar Aruwa among others has vowed to oppose those trying to cause confusion in the polity.

7. On a sad note, no fewer than 22 people were killed in Plateau state on Thursday. The incident occurred when gunmen stormed Tarok community in Mavo, Wase local government area of the state about 2am, killing about 22 people and injuring several others.

8. Wife of the late Odumegwu Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu has been appointed as APGA National Leader by the Maxi Okwu leadership of the party. The decision was announced in a communiqué signed by the party’s Acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Stanley Chira and read to members and newsmen on Thursday.

9. In his effort to strengthen his government at all fronts, President GoodlucK Jonathan yesterday appointment fresh hands to occupy key positions in his government. Appointed were Mr. Ima Niboro, as Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), General Martin Luther Agwai, as Chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Mrs. Tanwa Olusi as Deputy Chairman of SURE-P, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze as Special Adviser to the President on New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and Senator Suleiman M. Ajadi as Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly (NASS).

10. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Sovereign state of Biafra, MASSOB, yesterday warned the Police to desist from harassing and detaining its members who wear MASSOB uniform, stressing that the uniform was important to the group just like police uniform is important to officers of the Nigeria Police. The warning came after four of them were arrested during a meeting in the commercial city of Aba, Abia state on Thursday.