The Federal Government has ordered the release of 102,000 metric tonnes of rice and maize to Nigerians amid the food crisis in the country, coupled with the inflationary trend.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this while fielding questions from State House reporters shortly after the meeting of the Presidential Committee on Food Emergency, which was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said the President has directed that “food will be made available, whatever it takes.”

The decision came after a series of deliberations by the Committee, in reaction to the protests by Nigerians over the high cost of food and other economic challenges.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has issued certificates of return to winners of Saturday’s rerun and by-elections.

INEC had conducted legislative by-elections and re-run elections across the country in 26 states.

Seven political parties won seats in both the National and State Houses of Assembly.

They are the Action Democratic Party, ADP; All Progressives Congress, APC; All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA; Labour Party, LP; New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the Young Progressives Party, YPP.

Certificate presentations were done by INEC national commissioners representing each of the states where the rerun and bye-elections were conducted, and winners were declared by the commission.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised a special task force in all its zones against the dollarization of the economy as well as the mutilation of the currency in the country.

In a statement by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, EFCC disclosed that the task force was raised to protect the economy from abuses, leakages as well as distortions and exposure to instability and disruptions.

The anti-graft agency said it has already arrested some perpetrators of the acts in both Lagos and Port Harcourt.

The commission also said proprietors of institutions charging students in dollar have been invited over for questioning.

Oyewale said the commission has already made some arrests of perpetrators of issuance of invoices in dollars and mutilation of the Naira in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

Also, proprietors of private Universities and other institutions of higher learning charging fees in dollars have been invited by the Commission.

The statement added that the commission is committed to the enforcement of all laws in place for the reflation and stimulation of the economy.

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde says he has received an official report on the January 16 explosion in the Old Bodija area of Ibadan, which claimed five lives, injured 77 persons and destroyed 58 houses.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Retired Police Officer, Fatai Owoseni said the report linked three persons to the explosion.

He said the persons of interest would be prosecuted while noting that the government will check on the immigration status of all the suspects since a majority of them are from Mali.

The report comprises findings of the medical, security and engineering teams set up by the government.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the presentation of the report, Owoseni explained that a Closed Circuit Television, CCTV in one of the affected houses captured the footage of how the incident happened.

He said the character of the explosive is known as ‘Water Gel Type Based Explosive’ and the explosion was triggered by an electric spark.

He also said the street where the incident happened was Aderinola Street and not Dejo Oyelese Street, as earlier reported and the epicentre of the tragedy is No. 8A and No. 8B.