Things You Need To Know Today. February 13  

Latest happenings in the past 24 hours

• Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabimila has called on the United States government to help Nigeria defeat Boko Haram and other security challenges in the country.

Gbajabiamila, who made the appeal while hosting the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard in Abuja on Tuesday, explained that Nigerians are afraid about the incessant insecurity challenges and are looking up to the United States of America for assistance.

Read Also: Things You Need To Know Today. February 2

• Hundreds of Borno State residents booed President Muhammadu Buhari and his entourage on Wednesday during his “sympathy visit” to the state.

As he moved through town, the people shouted “Ba ma so, ba ma yi” in Hausa language, which means “We don’t want, we are not interested.”

• The Ondo State government has given a nod for the Draft Bill as regards the legislative backing and the module operandi of ‘Operation Amorekun’.

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who approved the bill on Wednesday during the State Executive Council meeting, said the outfit will be known as the Ondo State Security Network Agency, while the operatives will be known as Amotekun Corps.

• The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, on Wednesday, warned the police against attacking mourners during the burial ceremony of the parents of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, Eze Israel Okwu Kanu and his wife in Afaraukwu, Abia State.

IPOB warned that the police would be setting up a chain reaction that Nigeria may never recover from if mourners were attacked during the burial ceremony.

Read Also: Things You Need To Know Today. February 11

• Veteran highlife musician, Victor Olaiya, died on Wednesday at 89 years.

The Managing Director of the Evergreen Music Company Limited, Bimbo Esho, said Pa Olaiya passed away at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital around 12noon on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

• Members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect on Wednesday attacked Jiddari Polo area in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.

The attack happened hours after President Muhammadu Buhari paid a condolence visit to the people of the state over the killing of 30 persons on Sunday.

• The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as well as some religious leaders on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to allow the South-East to establish their security outfit to be known as Operation Ogbunigwe.

The Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, who read the position of the governors at the end of the summit organised by the Nigeria Police, said that they were satisfied with the strategies for the implementation of the community policing programme in the zone.

Read Also: Things You Need To Know Today. January 29

• Wednesday’s proceedings of the trial of SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, who is being prosecuted alongside Olawale Bakare, for organising the #RevolutionNow protest in August last year, stalled because the Attorney General of the Federation’s office, which took over the prosecution of the case from the Department of State Services in December, had not been able to serve the amended charges and other documents relating to the case on the defence counsel to enable the trial to commence as scheduled.

Displeased with what she described as frivolous development, the trial judge, Justice Ijoma Ojukwu, awarded N200,000 fine against the prosecution.

• Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s house was gutted by fire on Wednesday.

The inferno started around 9pm on one side of the house, which is located at Ita Eko area of Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.