The bill before the National Assembly on control of the social media and the accusation that the Western Union is defrauding Nigerians are some of the trending stories in the Nigerian media on Thursday.
The Guardian reported that the Senate has reintroduced a bill seeking a three-year jail term for anyone involved in what it calls the abuse of social media.
The development came years after the upper chamber was pressurized into abandoning the planned promulgation of what many tagged a “draconian and anti-social media” law.
It also reported that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo chaired the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is in London on a ‘private visit’.
The Sun said that the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, accused Western Union of defrauding Nigerians.
The Punch reported that crude oil and refined products worth $41.9 billion were stolen from Nigeria in the last 10 years, quoting the Nigeria Extractive Industries Initiative.
It added that NEITI urged the government to embrace oil fingerprinting technology, comprehensive metering infrastructure of all facilities and other creative strategies to combat the growing menace of theft of Nigeria’s crude oil and refined petroleum products.
The Nation said the fire on Wednesday at the Brasas Plaza in the popular Balogun Market, Lagos Island claimed two lives and another victim in critical condition.
The newspaper also reported that a police officer and a shop owner died while trying to put out the fire.
The Daily Trust said the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has disclosed that the federal government will launch an emergency call centre for the purpose of contacting various security agencies in times of distress.
ThisDay said the Court of Appeal, sitting in Kaduna on Wednesday depleted the rank of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senate caucus, removing the upper chamber’s spokesman, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, and replaced him with former minority leader, Senator Abiodun Olujimi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
MM/GIK/APA