Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Friday morning

Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. The House of Representatives has retained Value Added Tax, VAT, at 7.5 per cent and rejected a staggered increase to 15 per cent by 2030 as proposed in the Tax Reform Bills being debated at the National Assembly.

   

2. Following the remarks by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike that if Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State is impeached, heaven would not fall, the leadership of Supreme Egbesu Assembly, SEA, an ancestral traditional institution of the Ijaw people, has, threatened to “shock” President Bola Tinubu at the appropriate time, if the governor is removed.

3. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday said Nigeria would have been bankrupt if his administration had not embarked on the prevailing economic reforms. This is as he said the primary motive for the reforms was protecting the interests of future generations.

4. Malam Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, has raised an alarm over the alleged abduction of Jafaru Sani, a former Commissioner in his government. El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna between 2015 and 2023 before handing over to Uba Sani, his preferred successor, raised the alarm in a post on his verified Facebook page, on Thursday.

5. Former President Muhammadu Buhari has reaffirmed his commitment to the All Progressives Congress, APC. This was contained in a statement on Thursday by Garba Shehu, a spokesperson for Buhari.

6. Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Umar Damagum, has insisted that the zonal congress conducted by some members of the party in the South South cannot stand.

7. The Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, on Thursday met with Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State. The purpose of the meeting held at the Ramat House in Bauchi was not made known immediately.

8. A Kaduna State High Court has ordered the remand of a husband and wife alongside two co-conspirators following their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly impersonating the wife of the Katsina State Governor and defrauding a Bureau De Change operator to the tune of N197m.

9. A suspected cultist, Segun Ogunfunmilayo, has been arrested by the Osun State Police Command for shooting a grocery seller in the Ede area of the state. Ogunfunmilayo, who allegedly committed the act on March 8, 2025, at about 9:00 pm in the Bihari/Ishola area, Ede, reportedly bought a bottle of energy drink from the victim and promised to transfer the amount to him.

10. The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted $1.154m and 135,900 Saudi Riyals as undeclared foreign currency at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. It announced this on Thursday in a statement issued by the Customs National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada.