TODAY IN HISTORY

• 2023 - Nigeria

Central Bank of Nigeria finally extended deadline for exchange of old Naira notes by 10 days from January 31 previous deadline. CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, said it had the permission of Pres. Muhmammadu Buhari to effect the extension, added that so far CBN has collected N1.9 trillion and is left with N900 billion to achieve implementation of cashless policy.

• 2020 - Nigeria

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, ordered Leader of the House, Hassan Ado Dogwa, to present a bill that will amend the 1999 constitution to recognise the Southwest security outfit, Amotekun and other related security outfits in Nigeria. This is as the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria accused South- west leaders of trying to Christianize the region with establishment of Amotekun.

• 2020 - USA

COVID- 19: The Trump administration established the White House Coronavirus Task Force under Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.

• 2017 - Canada

A gunman opened fire at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, killing six and wounding 19 others in a spree shooting.

• 2009 - USA

Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich was removed from office following his conviction of corruption charges, including solicitation of personal benefit in exchange for an appointment to the United States Senate as a replacement for then- U. S. presidentelect Barack Obama.

• 2002 - USA

In his State of the Union address, Pres. George W. Bush described "regimes that sponsor terror" as an Axis of evil. He included Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

• 2011 - Gabon

Ivory Coast's incumbent president, Laurent Gbagbo ordered the military to stop and search UN vehicles, in latest escalation of hostilities between the man who refused to leave office and the global body that declared his rival winner.

• 2010 - Nigeria

In Jos bodies with scorched hands reaching skyward laid in the streets and a mosque with blackened minarets smoldered after days of fighting between Christians and Muslims killed over 200

• 1996 - France

Pres. Jacques Chirac announced a "definitive end" to French nuclear weapons testing.