Newspaper review: Buhari's travel ban on 50 VIPs triggers legal war

The headlines of mainstream Nigerian newspapers for Tuesday, October 16 revolve around the tension that was sparked by President Muhammadu Buhari's travel ban on 50 VIPs, the murder of an aide worker, Hauwa Mohammed Liman, by Boko Haram insurgents, Bishop Kukah's denial of being involved in endorsing Atiku Abubakar, and Governor Ayodele Fayose's resignation of his fate with the EFCC.

In its reports, The Nation stated that the battle to reverse Executive Order 6 under which 50 prominent Nigerians have been banned from travelling has been taken to the to the Court of Appeal.

Not less than two lawyers on Monday, October 15, filed an appeal seeking to set aside Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu’s October 11 judgement validating the Order.

The legal practitioners prayed the Court of Appeal in Abuja to set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court upholding the constitutionality of the Presidential Order.

However, the president’s camp scoffed at the moves against the Order, claiming that this indicates that corruption was fighting back.

The Nation newspaper for Tuesday, October 16. Photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com
Source: Depositphotos

The Guardian reported that the federal government on Monday, October 15, revealed that a female aide worker, Hauwa Mohammed Liman, has been murdered by Boko Haram terrorists following the expiration of the deadline given by the insurgents who kidnapped her.

The deceased youth worked with the international committee of the Red Cross. Speaking on the sad and woeful development, the minister of information, Lai Mohammed, said: “We are deeply pained by this killing, just like we were by the recent killing of the first aid worker.”

The minister said that the government will keep the negotiations open and continue to work to free the innocent women who are still in captivity.

The Guardian newspaper for Tuesday, October 16. Photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com
Source: Depositphotos

On its front page, Vanguard has the report of the Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah, who on Monday, October 15, denied being involved in the endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Abubakar Atiku ahead of the 2019 polls.

Kukah said in a statement that he only facilitated the reconciliation meeting between Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and his former vice, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at the former president’s residence in Abeokuta, Ogun state on Thursday, October 11.

The bishop further stated that the endorsement of Atiku by Obasanjo only coincided with the meeting he was invited to, which was to witness a historic reconciliation and settle the age-long quarrel between both personalities. He said that he had no political intention whatsoever.

The Vanguard newspaper for Tuesday, October 16. Photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com
Source: Depositphotos

Punch reported that the Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose, whose tenure expired on Monday, October 15, has said that he will be at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) office in Abuja on Tuesday, October 16, with his bedclothes and pillowcase.

Fayose’s immunity expired with his tenure and he has been invited to the headquarters of the EFCC where he have to respond to allegations that he received about N1.3bn from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) through Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, a former minister of state for defence.

Fayose said: “I will be there on Tuesday. I am not begging for any bail. It is up to them. If they want me, they should just give me a bed. I have done by bed bedclothes, I have done my pillowcase, I have my English and Yoruba bibles. I am prepared for them. Nobody should worry about me. Only cowards die many times before their deaths.”

Punch newspaper for Tuesday, October 16. Photo credit: snapshot from NAIJ.com
Source: Depositphotos

On its part, This Day also relayed the report of the killing the Red Cross aid worker, Hauwa Mohammed Liman, by Boko Haram insurgents. Liman and Alice Loksha were abducted by Boko Haram on March 1 during an attack on Rann, on Nigeria’s far north-eastern border.

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They were in captivity with Leah Sharibu, who was kidnapped in Dapchi in February, 2018 with about 108 other students.

The terrorist held Sharibu when other 104 students were freed in March, 2018 for her refusal to convert to Islam.

Liman's murder by the terrorist group was the second execution of the aide workers, following the killing of Saifura Hussaini Ahmed by her kidnappers in September, 2018.