1. The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, has said Nigerians paid N2.2 trillion as ransom across Nigeria between May 2023 and April 2024. Its document, titled: “The Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, CESPS 2024,” revealed this yesterday in Abuja.

2. A Delta State High Court, sitting in Ibusa, Oshimili, has sentenced to death three persons for killing a traditional ruler of Ubulu-Uku, Obi Edward Ofulue III. The convicts were said to have conspired with one another to kidnap, rob and murder the monarch on January 6, 2016.

3. Edo State House of Assembly has suspended the chairmen and vice chairmen of the 18 local government areas in the state for two months, citing alleged gross misconduct and insubordination. The assembly directed the council leaders to hand over administration to the legislative leaders of their respective local governments.

4. The presentation of the N47.9 trillion 2025 budget by President Bola Tinubu, initially scheduled for Tuesday, December 17, 2024, has been postponed to Wednesday, today. Sources within the Senate revealed that the shift was confirmed by a top management staff of the National Assembly.

5. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has said it secured a $1bn loan backed by crude oil to support the coming on stream of the 650,000 barrels per day capacity Dangote Petroleum Refinery. It also stated that the firm facilitated the $3bn Gazelle loan as a critical intervention to help stabilise the federation’s foreign exchange crisis.

6. The Lagos State Environmental Taskforce has arrested 17 persons, including eight minors in some parts of the state for alleged street begging. The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who disclosed this on his X.com handle on Tuesday stated that the operation was to maintain law and order in the metropolis.

7. Jigawa State Government says it has uncovered 6,348 ghost workers in its staff verification exercise in the state. Mr Sagir Musa, Commissioner for Information, Youths, Sports and Culture, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Dutse.

8. A young lady, Ms Blessing Ibuku, was among the over 30 suspects paraded by the Delta State Police Command on Tuesday for being involved in crimes such as robbery, kidnapping, cultism, and murder, among others, while also recovering 150 arms, including 32 AK-47 rifles. Also, she allegedly killed her 10 months old baby.

9. The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has predicted dust haze from Wednesday to Friday across the country. NiMet’s weather outlook released on Tuesday in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT envisaged moderate dust haze on Wednesday with visibility range from 2Km to 5km in the northern region.

10. The Kano/Jigawa command of the Nigeria Customs Service has seized 2,179 kilograms of pangolin scales in a joint enforcement operation with the Wildlife Justice Commission, WJC. A statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SC Saidu Nuruddeen, said one suspect had been arrested in Mubi,Adamawa,in connection with the matter.