In this post, we digest some top stories that make up the front pages of major Nigerian newspapers on Tuesday, 17 December, 2024, and provide key advocacy asks.

193 foreigners, 599 suspected Nigerian crypto fraudsters arrested – Daily Trust

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it has carried out its largest single-day operation against cryptocurrency and romance scam networks, arresting 193 foreigners and 599 Nigerian suspects in Lagos.

The EFCC and relevant agencies must intensify collaborative efforts to combat cybercrime in Nigeria by deploying advanced technology for tracking illicit activities, and implementing stringent penalties for offenders.

Inflation bites harder as Nigerians await FG’s food import-duty waiver – The Guardian 

The aggressive monetary and fiscal measures taken to check headline inflation appear to be slow in taming inflation as the consumer price index rose to 34.6 per cent in November, setting a new multi-decade high and suggesting that the war against price crisis is far from being won. 

The President Bola Tinubu-led government must urgently implement the promised food import-duty waiver and take immediate steps to address the structural challenges hindering food production and distribution.

Killer bread: Nigerians risk cancer over use of bromate – Researchers – Vanguard

Researchers across many Nigerian cities have found that many bread brands contain potassium bromate and impermissible levels of other heavy metals such as arsenic, mercury, lead, chromium, manganese, nickel, cobalt and zinc.

We call on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to urgently intensify monitoring and enforcement of safety standards to eliminate the use of potassium bromate and reduce heavy metal contamination in bread production across Nigeria. We call on NAFDAC to conduct regular inspections, penalise violators, and ensure public awareness on the dangers of consuming such harmful products.