Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Monday, 19th June, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Monday, 19th June 2023

1. CBN Lifts Restrictions On Domiciliary Accounts

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says cash deposits into domiciliary accounts will not be restricted, and customers “shall have unfettered and unrestricted access to funds in their accounts”.

Naija News reports that the CBN disclosed this in a statement issued after a meeting with the bankers’ committee on Sunday.

The bankers’ committee meeting was meant to provide further guidance to deposit money banks (DMBs) on the recent operational changes to the foreign exchange market and to discuss the implementation and implications of the policy changes for the banking public.

2. How I Was Poisoned In PDP Secretariat, My Wife Diagnosed With Cancer, Survived Plane Crash – Wike Reveals

The immediate past Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday revealed that he was poisoned at the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in December 2018.

Naija News reports that the former governor disclosed this at a special Thanksgiving service on Sunday organised by his family at the St. Peters Deanery, Rumuepirikom, Obio-Akpor.

Dignitaries, who attended the service, listened in shock as the former Governor disclosed secrets he kept about his health.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was represented at the event by Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Narrating how he almost died of poisoning, Wike said the poison ravaged his internal organs, affecting his liver and kidneys and almost killed him but for God’s intervention.

Speaking further, the former Minister said he was flown to a hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, at 12 midnight where doctors after running series of tests told him that his liver and kidney were all gone.

He said that the doctors after some treatments returned and told him his organs had started working again.

According to Wike, the doctors discharged him after about a week and asked him to return home noting that he altered his itinerary during the campaigns for his second term.

The former Governor said everybody became a suspect as he decided that he would not enter any party leader’s home during the course of his campaigns.

Wike also recalled when his wife called him during his presidential primary campaign and told him that she had been diagnosed of cancer.

3. If You Want To Be An Aliko Dangote, Don’t Go Into Farming Because You Will Not Make It – Obasanjo

Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has declared agric business as a serious business that is very demanding.

According to him, however, researchers, financial institutions, and the government have not been fair to those in the agricultural line of business as they have conspired to victimize them.

Speaking further, Obasanjo narrated that anyone who wants to make money like Aliko Dangote should not venture into agric business because of the risks involved, saying that Dangote himself tried it but didn’t make it.

Naija News understands the former President spoke in Lagos while delivering his keynote address at the Agribusiness Investors’ Network organized by the Innovative Youth in Agriculture (I-Youth) in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Mastercard Foundation.

He lamented the inability of farmers to access sustainable funding from financial institutions, saying no farmer can survive and make profit by taking double-digit loans from the banks except such a person is growing cocaine.

4. Okorocha Survives Assassination Attempt, Police Officer Killed

Former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has narrated how he survived an assassination attempt when his convoy was attacked by gunmen in the Ihube community on the Okigwe- Enugu expressway.

One of the policemen in the convoy was however not lucky as he lost his life in the attack.

Confirming the attack, Okorocha who spoke on Sunday narrated that the cop killed during the attack which happened on Friday was one of the policemen deployed from the state Government House to take him to the burial ceremony of the mother of the immediate past governor of Imo state, Emeka Ihedioha.

The former Governor narrated his encounter on Sunday at Amaimo in the Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state, at the birthday anniversary celebration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the November 11 governorship election in Imo state, Samuel Anyanwu.

Lamenting the killing of the cop which he described as unfortunate, Okorocha said many people who are running to govern Imo State are not capable.

5. Form Another G5 For APC To Win In 2027 – Akpabio Tells Wike

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has proposed to ex-Governor, Nyesom Wike and the G5 group that they form another opposition group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to smooth the way for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election.

The suggestion came during a thanksgiving reception at Wike’s private residence in the Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State

“We are very delighted, we are proud to have G5. Please, ensure that in 2027, another G5 emerges so that APC will continue to do well in this country,” Akpabio said.

The Senate President praised Wike and the G5, a group of significant politicians who opposed their party’s choice for the 2023 presidential election, for their part in APC’s recent success.

He also acknowledged Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, a G5 member, saying, “I predicted that you are going to be a governor when I met you with the late Alaafin, may his soul rest in peace. I just saw the way you were walking and I said, ‘This man walks like a governor.’ I wasn’t surprised when you became a governor.”

Many believe that the G5 had a considerable influence on the last presidential election, which was won by Bola Tinubu with a lead of almost two million votes over his closest rival.

6. Dokubo Seeking Favour Through Criticism Of Nnamdi Kanu – IPOB

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) denounced ex-militant leader, Asari Dokubo’s advice to President Bola Tinubu regarding the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a pro-Biafran leader.

The group lambasted Dokubo for suggesting that the president should not release Kanu, suggesting that Dokubo was merely trying to secure an oil contract by using Kanu’s name as a bargaining chip.

IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful, stated on Sunday accusing Dokubo of exploiting the situation with Kanu to obtain an ‘oil guard’ contract from the Federal Government.

The pro-Biafran group argued that Dokubo was primarily focused on securing a contract to protect oil pipelines and infrastructure.

7. Aregbesola Confesses How Tinubu, Buhari Helped Him While In Office

Former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has disclosed how former President, Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu helped his political career.

Speaking on Sunday during a civic reception organised in his honour by Concerned Muslim Scholars and Clerics in South Western Nigeria on Sunday in Oyo town, the former Minister of Interior said he would be forever grateful to the two leaders for their role in his life.

Aregbesola recalled how Tinubu mentored him in Lagos State and facilitated his emergence as Governor of Osun State. He said his height working with Tinubu and Buhari facilitated the grand reception in which people praised him for today possible.

The former Minister also said the establishment of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Passport Office, Fire fighting office and Agro Ranger Office in Oyo town, which people praised him for, was done by Buhari and executed through him as the Minister of Interior.

8. Muslims To Observe Eid-El-Adha Wednesday, Dhul Hijjah Crescent Sighted

The crescent moon marking the start of the month of Zil Hajj has been sighted in Saudi Arabia, the country’s Supreme Court announced.

According to the announcement, Monday, June 19th, 2023, will mark the start of Zil Hajj.

Consequently, the annual Hajj pilgrimage will fall on Tuesday, June 27th, and Eid Al Adha will be observed on Wednesday, June 28th.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expected to make an announcement regarding their own crescent sighting later today.

Traditionally, both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, along with several other Gulf countries, observe Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha on the same days.

The Sultan of Sokoto and President General Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar called on Muslims this Saturday to keep an eye out for the Zil Hajj crescent moon beginning on Sunday.

His directive was included in a statement signed by Prof. Sambo Junaidu, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs for the Sultanate Council, Sokoto. ()

9. EFCC Debunks Reports, Says Matawalle Not Wanted

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has distanced itself from viral reports alleging it declared former Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, wanted.

A senior security source had confided to Sunday Tribune earlier that the EFCC requested the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest Matawalle wherever he is seen in the country.

Naija News recalls that just before the end of his tenure, Matawalle accused the now-suspended EFCC chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, of demanding a $2 million bribe from him, a claim that the anti-corruption agency has denied.

Matawalle, who aired his accusation in a Hausa Service interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), criticized the EFCC for targeting governors while ignoring federal officials with significant budget allocations.

Reacting, a security official, who spoke to journalists, queried rhetorically the whereabouts of the former governor saying “Have you seen him anywhere lately?”

However, in an official statement made available on its Twitter handle on Sunday, the EFCC described the report that it was after Matawalle as incorrect.

10. ‘Binance Nigeria Limited Scam Entity’ – Binance CEO Declares

The Chief Executive Officer of Binance, Changpeng Zhao, has stated that Nigeris’s subsidiary of the global cryptocurrency exchange platform is a scam.

Naija News reports that Zhao made this known via his Twitter handle on Sunday.

He said, “Binance Nigeria Limited a scam entity.”

“Binance has issued cease & desist notice to the scammer entity “Binance Nigeria Limited”. Don’t believe everything you read in the news,” he wrote.

Those are the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.