These are the top ten stories that drove conversation this week.

Sixteen, out of the 36 states in Nigeria, have indicated interest to be part of the cattle colonies initiative of the Federal Government.

According to the Special Assistant to the Minister for Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, Dr Olukayode Oyedele, said more are expected to join.

Oyedele, however, did not name the 16 states. But, Abia, Benue and Taraba states have explicitly declared that they should be counted out.

Also, the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.) held a crucial meeting with heads of internal security agencies over the herdsmen killings and other security challenges in the country.

The minister noted that the meeting was a follow-up to a parley with state governors two weeks ago over the violent conflicts between farmers and herdsmen in Benue and other places.

Then, protesters numbering over 500 Thursday, shutdown the capital city of Abuja, in protest of the protracted clashes between farmers and herdsmen, which have resulted to the deaths of many Nigerians in Benue, Taraba and other parts of the country.

The group, under the aegis of Good Governance and Transparency Initiative, is demanding the Nigerian government as well as the international community to urgently resolve the issues leading to the clashes.

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The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has congratulated the National Coordinator of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, on his installation as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III.

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A doctor, Idowu Ahmed, has died of Lassa Fever, having started treating a seven-month old baby for the same disease.

In that light, two Nigerian doctors spoke on the flawed health system, Nigerian doctors and Lassa Fever.

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Nigerian Rapper Olamide has cleared the air on his latest viral track, Science Student which made a few people call for a ban on the song as it seemingly promotes drug abuse.

Following the conversation on the song’s purported message, Olamide has taken off time to dissect the song and its intentions in an interview.

Olamide says he was only trying to pass a subtle message that would impact his generation positively.

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday, in a 13-page statement, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019.

Obasanjo, in the letter titled, “The Way Out: A Clarion Call for Coalition for Nigeria Movement” said Buhari has performed far below expectation and should honourably “dismount from the horse” to join the league of the country’s former leaders whose “experience, influence, wisdom and outreach can be deployed on the side line for the good of the country.”

Buhari’s government has issued its formal response to the attack by Obasanjo. The Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed thanked the former president for his “positive comments”.

Mohammed said the government received the statement in good faith. He also assured Nigerians of better life ahead.

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Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) has accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of involvement in a fresh multi-million dollar corruption.

Melaye, at a plenary, claimed that NNPC is involved in a “monumental corruption” which the Senate should look into.

He noted that the NNPC allegedly registered a company by the name Brass NLG. The firm, he said, was jointly owned by investors from Italy, Belgium, France, among others.

Still on the matter, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGC) on Thursday accused the NNPC of short-changing the country in revenue remittances to the federation account.

Chairman of the NGF and Zamfara Gov. Abdulaziz Yari, made the accusation after presenting the forum’s grievances to President Muhammadu Buhari.

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The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali has asked security agencies to fish out those spreading hate speeches especially on social media.

The minister said notable Nigerians will be given special attention.

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The Federal High Court, Abuja, Friday, declined to order the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to produce the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

In the ruling delivered by Justice Binta Nyako, the court dismissed an application filed by a team of lawyers representing the IPOB leader, which prayed the court to compel Buratai to produce their client, either dead or alive.

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President Buhari has assented to eight bills passed by the National Assembly into law.

One of the eight bills is the National is the National Senior Citizens Centre Act, 2018.

Other bills signed include:

• Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges), 2018,
• the National Institute of Legislative Studies (Amendment) Act, 2018,
• and Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Spain (Domestication and Enforcement ) Act, 2018.

Others are:

• Rail Loan (International Bank) (Repeal) Act, 2018,
• Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2018,
• Chartered Institute of Local Government and Public Administration Act, 2018,
• and Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (Establishment), Act, 2018.

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Long queues of Nigerians waiting to buy fuel has returned to filling stations in Lagos.

Many of the stations in Lagos and Ogun were shut, while some of the ones that dispensed the product sold above the official pump price of N145 per litre.

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