The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen justified some of the reasons the National Judicial Council, NJC approved the elevation of Judges to the Court of Appeal. Justice Onnoghen gave the reason at the Annual Conference of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, Nigeria. The CJN stated that aside filling the vacancies that existed; it is also to prepare the court as the country approaches the election year.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Friday debunked media reports alleging that the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari authorized the Corporation not to remit over $50bn to the Treasure Single Account (TSA) in flagrant disregard to the policy. The report had claimed that the Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru stated this while appearing before the National Assembly.

Sen. Shehu Sani, Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District has faulted plans by the Federal Government to withdraw one billion Dollars from the excess crude account to prosecute the war against Boko Haram. Yesterday, the National Economic Council (NEC) approved the withdrawal from ECA to assist relevant agencies combat insurgency particularly in the North East.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has faulted the approved withdrawal of $1bn from the Excess Crude Account to aid the war against insurgency in the North East. In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party berated the All Progressives Congress led administration for lying to Nigerians earlier that Boko Haram had been defeated.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday hosted the President of ECOWAS Commission, Marcel A. de Souza at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and stated that Nigerian troops in Guinea Bissau need to be sent back home. According to a statement by Buhari’s special adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President said he expects a formal report on the situation in Guinea Bissau at the 52nd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government set to hold on Saturday in Abuja.

The Nigerian Army General Court Martial sitting in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital on Friday sentenced a serving soldier to death for killing five rescued civilians from Yamteke area of the state. The soldier who was identified as Lance Corporal John Godwin was charged with murder, punishable under Section 106 (a) of Armed Forces Acts (Cap A20), Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004. He had since been in custody before his trial.