ACF urges FG to ban flight over Benue, Taraba, Borno

• The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has appealed to the Federal Government to extend its “no-fly zone” order on other states with security challenges like Zamfara.

• Chief Audu Ogbe, ACF Chairman, in a statement, expressed the Forum’s happiness with the federal government’s decision to ban flights in Zamfara state.
• ACF however, pleaded with the government to extend the ban to other states like Benue, Taraba and Borno, saying there were rumours that helicopters frequently dropped arms for bandits and insurgents operating in these states.

FG afraid to investigate Sheikh Gumi ―CAN

• The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has described as shameful, the decision of the federal authorities not to caution renowned Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi over his alleged religious profiling of the military personnel combating bandits in parts of the country.
• Recall that Gumi was reportedly quoted as saying, ‘What I want you people to understand is, soldiers that are involved in most of the criminalities are not Muslims. You know, soldiers have Muslims and non-Muslims. The non-Muslims are the ones causing confusion just to ignite crisis.’
• The Christian body expressed disappointment that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government was “afraid” to condemn Gumi allegations and investigate him unlike it did in the cases of some Christian leaders who have been caught in the web of controversial remarks related to the pervasive insecurity in the land since the administration began in 2015.

Food blockade: Union calls off strike after Yahaya Bello’s intervention

• The Amalgamated Union of Foodstuffs and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria, has called off the industrial action following Wednesday’s intervention by the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello.

• The union and the Northern Consensus Movement had met at the instance of the governor at the Kogi state Governor’s Lodge in Abuja where the governor impressed it on them to call off the strike.
• After extensive dialogue with the governor, the union immediately called off the strike embarked upon by her members on Friday.

FG, commissioners meet over sharing of 3.9million vaccine doses today

• The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has convened a meeting with commissioners for health in the 36 states as part of efforts to ensure effective sharing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine.
• The Plateau  State Commissioner for Health, Dr Nimkong Lar, and his counterpart in Cross River State, Dr Betta Edu, who disclosed this in separate interviews on Wednesday, said the meeting would hold in Abuja on Thursday (today).
• Nigeria on Tuesday received 3.94 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the third African country to benefit from the COVAX facility after Ghana and Ivory Coast.

#EndSARS: 25 insurance companies to pay N20.4bn claims

• Twenty-five insurance companies have recorded claims totalling N20.4bn from losses that emanated from the #EndSARS protests which occurred in the country in October, findings have revealed.
• Figures obtained from by our correspondent from the underwriters on Wednesday under the Nigerian Insurers Association revealed that the companies have set aside a reserve of N13.2bn to settle the claims.
• Confirming the figures, the Director-General, NIA, Mrs Yetunde Ilori, said 25 insurance companies were currently involved in the N20.4bn claims payment.
• The NIA DG added, “Out of a total of 1,661 claims that we have received, 143 have been fully settled; a total of N105m claims had been paid; 539 claimants are yet to substantiate their claims with the necessary documents; seven claims were repudiated because they were not covered by any of the policies; while 972 claims are going to be settled.”