Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Sunday, 5th October, 2025.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s attendance at the funeral event of the late Nana Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda.
According to Atiku, Tinubu’s presence at the event, which was held in Jos, the Plateau State capital, is a testament that the President has no regard for the ordinary citizens of Nigeria.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement sent to Naija News on Saturday, said Tinubu chose to attend a social event in Plateau State but never saw it fit to commiserate with the people of the state who have been victims of recent attacks from terrorists.
According to Atiku, the APC-led government has displayed its lack of empathy for Nigerians affected by various issues of insecurity and insurgency and instead chose to make merry with political elites while the people mourn and are in pain.
He added that the Plateau event is a confirmation that there is a disconnect between Tinubu’s leadership and ordinary citizens.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, has clarified that he never implicated former President Muhammadu Buhari in his recent speech about Boko Haram activities in Nigeria.
Jonathan, in a statement on Saturday, said certain reports in the media suggesting that he alleged that Boko Haram nominated the late President Buhari to represent them in dialogue with the federal government, and therefore, somehow complicit in the Boko Haram crisis, are misleading.
He submitted that his comments on Buhari and Boko Haram were grossly misinterpreted.
Naija News recalls that Jonathan spoke on Friday in Abuja at the public presentation of “Scars,” a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.).
His comments, however, have attracted a series of backlash.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan, however, clarified that he was referring to the deceitful nature of the insurgents in his speech.
He explained that Boko Haram often invoked the names of respected public figures to sow confusion, exploit political divisions, and undermine public confidence in government.
The statement added that Jonathan’s comments were not an accusation against the late former president or any other individual.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, has issued a stern warning to Senator Ted Cruz, who represents the State of Texas in the United States Senate.
He condemned a statement by Cruz claiming that Nigerians are being targeted in the country.
Cruz accused officials in Nigeria of ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists
The lawmaker said that his “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act would target these officials with powerful sanctions and other tools.”
The lawmaker added, “It’s time to hold those responsible accountable.”
Speaking via his 𝕏 account, Onanuga warned the lawmaker against propagating malicious lies against Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, emphasised the need for Nigerians to embrace religious tolerance, noting the need for unity and peaceful coexistence among citizens of the country.
Using a personal example, Naija News reports that President Tinubu drew an inference from his family, noting that despite inheriting and practising Islam, he is married to a pastor and they live together happily.
The President, who spoke in Jos at the burial programme of the late Nana Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, appealed to the residents of Plateau State and Nigerians as a whole to shun religious and ethnic differences.
Also speaking at the event, Yilwatda described his late mother as a dedicated, committed and loving wife who dedicated her life to the service of humanity.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has declared his intention to contest the 2026 governorship election in Osun State under the ruling party.
Omisore, a former deputy governor of the state, made the announcement in a post on his 𝕏 handle on Saturday.
According to him, the formal declaration will hold on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at the APC Secretariat in Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo, by 10 a.m.
The declaration, themed “Fix the Broken, Restore Our Dreams,” is expected to flag off Omisore’s campaign, which he said would focus on restoring hope, strengthening governance and delivering a brighter future for Osun people.
Omisore, who served as deputy governor of Osun between 1999 and 2003 under the Alliance for Democracy, later became a senator representing Osun East from 2003 to 2011. He was also chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee during his time in the National Assembly.
He first contested the Osun governorship in 2014 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party but lost to the then-incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
In 2018, he contested again under the Social Democratic Party before formally joining the APC in 2021. Within a year, he emerged as the party’s National Secretary at its national convention in Abuja after his main opponent stepped down.
The Deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the demolition of buildings owned by Igbos in Lagos.
Kalu stated this on Friday during the commissioning of projects in Aba, Abia state. Kalu urged Tinubu to prevail on the Lagos state government to stop the demolition.
He pleaded with the president that the destruction of properties was making the hearts of the Igbos in Lagos to bleed.
Speaking further, Kalu stated that Tinubu should be commended for making more funds available to states through reforms.
He said, “I want us to be very vocal in praising the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on how he has made resources available to the states when he removed the oil subsidy.
“He did not keep that money in Abuja, he sent it to the states. It is my challenge to the commissioner for information and all the media houses in Abia state to give credit to whom credit is due.”
The deputy speaker appealed for the establishment of a seaport in the south-east, saying it would boost trade and economic activities in the area.
Nigeria’s Military authorities on Saturday disclosed that sixteen officers have been arrested and are facing trials for issues related to indiscipline and breach of service regulations.
A statement made available to Naija News by the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, said the conduct of the officers were deemed incompatible with military service.
According to him, the grievances of the affected officers stem largely from career grievances linked to repeated failures in promotion examinations.
He added that some of the arrested officers are either awaiting trial or undergoing trial for various offences.
Gusau stated that the actions of the officers are at variance with the expected professionalism in the military, and the disciplinary actions against them are within the provisions of the law and rules of engagement.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has said it is yet to be served with the order of the Federal High Court restraining it from enforcing tinted-glass permits.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, made this known on Saturday in response to reports that the court had stopped the arrest and prosecution of motorists over the matter.
Naija News had earlier reported that a Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, on Friday ordered the police to suspend enforcement of the tinted permit scheme.
In suit No. FHC/WR/CS/103/2025: John Aikpokpo-Martins v. Inspector-General of Police & Nigeria Police Force, the court directed the police to maintain the status quo until the substantive case is determined.
The order effectively halted police action against motorists with tinted glasses pending the outcome of the case.
Reacting via 𝕏, Hundeyin insisted that the police had not been formally served with the order.
His clarification followed claims by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, who had shared excerpts of the ruling restraining the police from enforcing the regulation.
The tinted permit scheme has been a recurring controversy. In April 2023, the police announced the resumption of enforcement under the Police Specialised Services Automation Project (POSSAP), after it was previously suspended in 2022.
Nigerian comedian, Seyi Law has raised concerns about the growing economic struggles affecting citizens across the country.
Naija News reports that he said that the rising cost of living and hunger are creating frustration among the people.
In an interview with Inside The Box podcast, Seyi Law explained that the anger seen among Nigerians is linked to hunger and financial hardship.
He said it is important for leaders to acknowledge these challenges rather than ignore them.
According to him, admitting the difficulties is the first step toward helping citizens cope with ongoing reforms.
He also shared how government policies and the falling value of the naira have personally affected him.
Converting naira to pounds for his family in the UK has become more expensive, increasing his expenses more than twofold.
He said that while reforms may bring benefits eventually, the current impact is causing real pain.
Associate Senior Pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, Toluwani Odukoya, has opened up about her separation from her husband.
Naija News reports that she shared her story in an interview on her YouTube channel, revealing that the separation was due to factors beyond her control.
The 40-year-old described the end of her marriage as a deeply painful experience, comparing it to a death.
Between 2021 and 2023, she also faced the loss of her stepmother, her father’s twin sister, and her father, Pastor Taiwo Odukoya.
Despite the challenges, she stressed that separation does not mean the people involved are at fault.
She said that even though her marriage ended, she respects her ex-husband and believes that if a union is not ordained, forcing it rarely succeeds.
