These are the stories you should be monitoring today:

A violent protest took place in Jos, the Plateau capital on Wednesday as residents protested the killings in three local government areas of the state.

The protest, which started peacefully turned violent when youths and women damaged some cars parked at the New Government House in Jos and other offices, after an initial attempt to deny them access to the premises, leading some of them to climb the fence to gain access to the Government House and forcing security agents at the gate to eventually open it.

The protesters defied pleas from security operatives who were forced to shoot into the air to disperse them. But they stood their ground demanding to see the governor (who was said to be visiting about 50 victims of the attacks receiving treatment at the Jos University Teaching Hospital)  so they could register their displeasure over the killings as well as his position on the ranching policy.

---

The monthly Federation Accounts and Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting held on Wednesday ended in deadlock over alleged controversy in remittances from the the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC).

The meeting had only lasted for two hours before the disagreement alleged to be between the oil agency and the committee members over figures ended the forum, on the grounds that they were low and poor, leading most states’ representatives, comprising commissioners and states accountants- general to disperse angrily.

Officials of the Federal Ministry of Finance at the meeting told journalists that a new date would be called in the next two days.

---

Former National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Izunaso has accused the Chairman of the National Convention Planning Committee, Gov. Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa of conniving with Imo Governor, Rochas Okorocha to rig the results of the polls held on Saturday.

A group loyal to Izunaso led by Dr Theo Ekechi, Mazi Okey Ikoro and Barr. Kingsley Ononuju disclosed this, noting that Okorocha openly canvassed his determination to ensure that Senator Izunaso was not returned because, “as he has openly admitted, the Senator had consistently failed to do his bidding of hoisting his son-in-law as the next governor of Imo” and consequently deployed himself and humongous resources of Imo to ensure that this would be realized.

Ekechi accused Gov. Badaru of collating votes from only 30 states and FCT, Abuja as against the 36 states and the FCT, Abuja that were duly accredited and present at the convention, adding that Governor Badaru announced  that Senator Osita Izunaso had reached a consensus with Badaru, Okorocha and the endorsed candidate that for peace to reign, the lmo delegates would not be voting, which they said came as a shock to them as Izunaso vehemently denied ever having a discussion with Governor Badaru.

---

Governor of Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose has cautioned the state’s civil servants not to sell their votes to the All Progressives Congress on the election day.

The Governor gave the warning at the Fajuyi Pavilion in Ado Ekiti on Monday when he handed over promotion letters to civil servants, noting that the offer to buy votes could be a trick to arrest the workers and hand them over for prosecution by the Electoral Offences Tribunal.

Fayose told them that he never sacked workers arbitrarily throughout his tenure, while reiterating his promise to either pay the backlog of workers’ salaries or reduce it to the barest minimum before leaving office.

---

Former Governor of  Sule Lamido was on Wednesday discharged and acquitted by a State High Court in Dutse, Jigawa, who has been standing trial since 2017 in a suit instituted against him by the Jigawa State government.

In their judgement, Justices Ahmed Musa Gumel, Umar Sadiq and Abdulhadi Suleman of the state High Court discharged and acquitted the former governor and set aside all charges against him as earlier prayed in his counsel’s submission

---