Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Thursday, 2nd October, 2025

Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Thursday, 2nd October, 2025

President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, admitted that it was not an easy decision to end the controversial fuel subsidy regime in Nigeria.

He, however, added that it was a necessary and timely decision needed to save Nigeria’s economy from total collapse.

Naija News reports that President Tinubu made the acknowledgement during his nationwide broadcast to Nigerians on the occasion of the country’s 65th Independence Anniversary celebration.

It would be recalled that President Tinubu, on May 29, 2023, right from the venue of his inauguration, declared an end to the fuel subsidy regime, prompting an immediate rise in the price of petrol, heightened inflation and other economic pressures.

Addressing the issue during his speech on Wednesday, Tinubu stated that the fuel subsidy regime was a corrupt system that needed to be abolished. He added that since the removal of fuel subsidy, the accruing financial resources have been deployed to other areas of development in the country.

The President explained that the money saved from subsidy removal was channelled to other key areas, education, healthcare, security, agriculture, and infrastructure, areas he said would improve the lives of Nigerians.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has suspended its nationwide strike, which it initiated due to a dispute with Dangote Refinery.

The suspension of the strike was announced on Wednesday during a press conference in Abuja by the PENGASSAN president, Festus Osifo.

He explained that the union’s National Executive Council held an emergency meeting where it was decided to suspend the strike to give room for the process of absorbing the sacked Dangote Refinery workers, as agreed by all parties during a reconciliatory meeting facilitated by the federal government.

Osifo, however, warned that PENGASSAN would resume the industrial action without notice if the management of Dangote Refinery fails to honour the agreement.

He also pointed out that some “grey areas” remain in the communiqué, which neither the government nor refinery management could fully clarify.

A lawyer, Joe Abah, has described the 1996 military coup as the greatest tragedy that ever befell Nigeria as a nation.

He lamented that the coup led to the collapse of a functioning and thriving regional system of government in the country.

Speaking on Wednesday on the theme, “Rebuilding Our Nation”, at The Platform Nigeria, an Independence Day event hosted by Covenant Nation Church in Iganmu, Lagos, the governance expert said the 1996 coup not only ushered in thirty years of military rule, but also led to the collapse of a thriving system of governance in Nigeria.

Speaking further at the event, Naija News reports that Abah outlined Nigeria’s regional achievements in various sectors before military intervention.

He submitted that the regional competition yielded great results, but with the advent of the military, healthy competition and innovation among the regions were stifled, and Nigeria was divided into twelve states.

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has used his Independence Day message to launch a blistering critique of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the government of plunging Nigerians deeper into poverty while indulging in wasteful spending.

In a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Wednesday, marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, Obi said the country had been reduced from a continental leader to “one of the most terrorised and unsafe nations in the world” due to failed leadership.

Obi accused the APC government of prioritising luxury projects over the welfare of citizens. He cited billions spent on new presidential jets, yachts, and luxury cars, comparing them to the paltry allocations for healthcare and education.

The former Anambra governor lamented that more than 150 million Nigerians lack access to basic services such as healthcare, education, and clean water.

He warned that hunger and food insecurity are reaching crisis levels, with UNICEF and WFP projecting 33 million Nigerians facing acute hunger in 2025.

He also accused the government of reckless borrowing “not for productive infrastructure but for wasteful consumption,” adding that insecurity has made road travel dangerous and turned kidnapping into a thriving criminal enterprise.

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has warned that the insecurity situation in the country has not been totally eradicated.

Speaking on Wednesday while fielding questions during an appearance on Arise Television, the clergyman stated that Nigeria has entered a temporary period of reduced conflict and violence.

He warned against assuming the country’s insecurity woes are over, despite recent improvements in the fight against insurgency and banditry.

The clergyman was responding to President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day speech, which stated that the threat of insecurity in Nigeria was now over, warning that such a conclusion would be premature.

The Bishop stressed that insecurity in Nigeria is far more complex than the popular focus on guns and violence, describing it as the product of deeper structural decay.

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has vowed to flush out bandits and kidnappers from the state, declaring that those behind the recent deadly attack on Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area will not escape justice.

Naija News reports that gunmen had on Sunday ambushed local vigilantes and a traditional leader in the area, leaving several people dead and throwing residents into fear.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, the governor said he had already briefed President Bola Tinubu on the attack and renewed his call for additional federal deployment to secure Kwara’s border communities.

He revealed that the Army Headquarters had relocated the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2nd Division to Ilorin as part of intensified military operations in the state.

AbdulRazaq disclosed that combined forces of the Army, DSS, and Police launched a major offensive on Monday night around Baba Sango, along the Kwara-Kogi border.

Reality TV star, Phyna has accused Dangote Group of negligence in the case of her late sister, Ruth Otabor.

Naija News reports that in a series of posts on her Instagram story, the former Big Brother Naija housemate claimed that the company failed to take full responsibility for hospital and burial expenses after publicly stating otherwise.

According to Phyna, Dangote Group only paid hospital bills at Lagoon Hospital, while other expenses incurred during her transfer from Auchi to Irrua were handled by the family without any refund.

She alleged that the company did not assist with other pressing needs, including mortuary and burial costs, despite earlier promises.

On the day of the burial, September 13, Phyna said several calls placed to the company were ignored, leaving her family to cover all pending payments.

This, she claimed, contradicted public statements issued by the company that all hospital and burial bills had been settled.

The reality star further revealed that a letter was later sent to her father, written by the company, asking him to sign an acknowledgment for funds allegedly provided for the burial.

She accused the group of impersonating her father by drafting the letter themselves instead of requesting the family to prepare one, describing the move as disrespectful and deeply hurtful.

Phyna also expressed concern about Ruth’s children, stating that no form of support has been extended to them since their mother’s death.

Former Big Brother Naija housemate, Venita Akpofure, has mourned the death of her cousin and childhood god-sister, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, who worked as a television anchor with Arise TV.

Naija News reports that the 29-year-old journalist lost her life on Monday during a robbery at her home in Katampe, Abuja.

Reports said she fell from the balcony of her third-floor apartment while the incident was ongoing.

Venita, who shared her grief on social media, recalled caring for Somtochukwu as a child and expressed the pain of losing her suddenly.

She also reshared an old post in which the late anchor had openly shown her love and support during her time in the Big Brother Naija house.

Liverpool have been dealt a setback with goalkeeper Alisson Becker ruled out until after the international break, according to Sky Sports.

The Brazilian shot-stopper will miss the crucial clash against Chelsea and is not expected to return before mid-October at the earliest.

The Reds will now rely on back-up options, with Alisson’s absence raising fresh concerns over Liverpool’s defensive stability in a season where margins are already tight.

Victor Osimhen may have been the match-winner for Galatasaray on Tuesday night, but Thierry Henry believes the Nigerian striker’s decision-making kept his side from running up a bigger score against Liverpool.

Naija News reports that Osimhen’s calmly struck penalty was enough to seal a 1-0 victory at Rams Park in the Champions League, handing Arne Slot his first major setback as Liverpool boss. Yet, speaking after the game on CBS Sports, Henry suggested that the forward could have done more for his teammates.

Despite his critique, Henry was quick to recognise the effort put in by the Turkish champions and the quality they showed on the night.

The Frenchman added that he had tipped Galatasaray to trouble Liverpool before the game and felt the result proved his point.