TheCable

Daily Sun leads with the comment of northern elders to President Muhammadu Buhari. The newspaper reported that the elders told Buhari that the country is on fire under his watch. There is rising tension in the country owing to the numerous security challenges bedeviling the country. The northern elders asked Buhari to act swiftly because the country is going up in flames.

The Nation devoted its cover story to the comment of President Muhammadu Bubari on ethnic violence following the clash in Shasha market, Ibadan, Oyo state. Buhari said his administration will not tolerate ethnic and religious violence, adding that those who stoke up ethnic violence would be decisively dealt with. The newspaper’s cover picture showed Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo state, and Ngozi Onadeko, Oyo state commissioner of police, when they visited Shasha market, on Sunday.

THISDAY reported that President Muhammadu Buhari flayed nationwide violence, adding that the president vowed to protect all groups. The newspaper had a rider which examined the killings in Kaduna, stating that bandits killed 121 people in 44 days in the state. On the #OccupyLekki protest, the newspaper reported that the Nigeria Police Force will probe molestation of protesters.

Unlike other newspapers, The Guardian focused its cover story on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), especially on items that are exempted from the AfCFTA. The newspaper reported that cement, flour, rice, sugar and 180 other products are exempted from the (AfCFTA), noting the exempted items would have helped the country tame the rising inflation.  On Nigeria’s vaccine strategy, the newspaper reported that experts say the country lacks capacity to conduct COVID-19 vaccine trials.

The Punch reported that inbound passengers shunned isolation and that enforcement of the protocol has collapsed. The newspaper said there were strong indications that relevant state governments and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control were not enforcing the 14-day self-isolation for inbound international travellers. In another report, the newspaper reported that Ohanaeze, Pan-Niger Delta Forum and Afenifere berated Sunday James, spokesman of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), for saying there are no armed herdsmen.

The cover page of the Nigerian Tribune had five headlines –and with its cover story on insecurity. The cover story focused on the events after the Shasha market clash in Oyo state. The newspaper reported that Seyi Makinde, the governor, vowed to deal with criminals responsible for the clash, while promising palliatives for the victims. The newspaper also reported the disclaimer of Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state, on his comment that herders can bear Ak-47 rifles. The governor said his comments are to avert the prospect of nationwide backlash on herders and not to support criminality.