The arrest of five soldiers and two policemen over the misadventure on a notorious kidnapper and the flying of detained leader of Shiites for treatment in India are some of the trending stories in Nigerian press on Tuesday.
The Daily Trust reported that five soldiers and two policemen working at Ibi Police Division were said to have been arrested by the panel investigating the killing of three policemen and a civilian on August 6 at a check point.
The newspaper gathered that the two policemen were arrested for allegedly leaking information to suspected kidnap kingpin Hamisu Wadume of plans to arrest him.
The Punch reported that the Defence Headquarters has ordered the 93 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Takum, Taraba State, to produce the fleeing kidnap kingpin, Alhaji Hamisu Wadume, as evidence that its soldiers are not culpable in his escape after three policemen and a civilian were killed at a checkpoint in Ibi, last Tuesday.
The Guardian said though the bodies of the three policemen allegedly killed by soldiers of the 93 Battalion in Taraba State have been evacuated to Abuja, the residents of the Ibi Local Government have remained gripped by fear for their safety.
The man at the centre of the controversy, Alhaji Hamisu Bala Wadume, who is believed to be a notorious kidnapper, hails from the area.
It also reported that flight delays and cancellations in local air transport have worsened, much to the discomfort of passengers travelling for either summer or Muslim festivities.
ChannelsTV said Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky has left Abuja for India for medical treatment.
The leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria left with his wife and other security personnel aboard an Emirate Airline number EK2614.
The Nation said Africa’s largest oil refinery will not be finished until the end of 2020 due to problems importing steel and other equipment, according to the executives at Dangote, which is building the facility in the Nigerian commercial hub of Lagos.
The Sun said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) plan to wipe out the remnants of terrorists has recorded another success with the destruction of a major operational base of the terrorists.
ThisDay also reported that the new war strategy recently launched by the Nigerian Army has spurred troops to foil an attempt by fighters of the Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) to occupy Gubio Local Government Area (LGA) in Borno State.
The Tribune said former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd.), has described Osun State as a role model to other states in the country in terms of peaceful coexistence among the people irrespective of their religious differences.
The ex-leader, who had arrived the state since Saturday, led a prayer for the country through “Pray Nigeria” with a view to achieving a peaceful, secure and more united Nigeria.
MM/GIK/APA