Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 17th June, 2025
1. President Tinubu Reschedules Kaduna Visit, Heads To Benue To End Killings
President Bola Tinubu is set to travel to Benue State on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, as part of efforts to foster peace and address the persistent conflict affecting communities in the state.
The Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who made this known in a statement on Monday, stated that due to the Benue Visit, the President has rescheduled his planned official visit to Kaduna State.
Naija News reports that during the Benue visit, Tinubu will meet with all stakeholders—including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders, and youth groups—to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.
Onanuga added that the President’s visit aims to assess firsthand the recurring crisis that has claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction.
According to reports, at least 200 persons were killed in the latest round of attacks in Benue, but the State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, put the figure at 59.
In preparation for the visit, President Tinubu has already dispatched the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, the National Security Adviser, and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Defence Committees to Benue State.
The President is expected to hold a town hall meeting with all stakeholders during the visit.
2. Shettima: Ganduje Reacts To Attack On Him During APC Event, Speaks On Endorsing Only Tinubu For Re-election
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has denied any intent to work for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027 at the exclusion of Vice President Kashim Shettima.
This is as he condemned the chaos that occurred in Gombe State over the weekend during an APC stakeholders meeting following the reported exclusion of Vice President Kashim Shettima from a motion endorsing President Bola Tinubu for a second term ticket in 2027.
Speaking on Monday in a statement via his Senior Special Assistant on Public Enlightenment, Oliver Okpala, Ganduje condemned the acts of thuggery displayed by some APC members during their meeting in Gombe.
Okpala, in his statement on Monday, explained that Tinubu’s endorsement does not exclude Shettima as the two leaders run a joint ticket.
He called on party members to avoid any attempt to cause disruption and misunderstanding, adding that Ganduje is a father to all.
3. Nigeria Doesn’t Need This Type Of Leaders – Peter Obi Tackles President Tinubu For Not Visiting Benue, Niger
The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has stated that Nigeria lacks true leadership capable of moving the country forward.
According to him, for any nation to make progress, its leadership must have competence, capacity, character and compassion.
Obi, in a statement on his 𝕏 account on Monday, however, said the listed characteristics can’t be found in the present leadership of the country.
In specific terms, Peter Obi called out President Bola Tinubu for failing to visit Niger and Benue States following the massive flooding and community violence respectively in the two states which has resulted in loss of lives and destruction of properties.
He lamented that when a leader lacks compassion, human lives are treated as statistics, and their suffering is ignored.
He added that in contrast to the action of President Tinubu, when similar disasters struck in India and South Africa, their leaders were quick to visit the affected communities and stand with the people.
4. Nigeria’s Headline Inflation Drops To 22.97%
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Nigeria rose to 121.35 in May 2025, reflecting a 1.83-point increase from the preceding month.
This was made known in a report released on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which shows that in May 2025, the Headline inflation rate eased to 22.97% relative to the April 2025 headline inflation rate of 23.71%.
Looking at the movement, Naija News reports that the May 2025 Headline inflation rate decreased 0.74% compared to the April 2025 Headline inflation rate.
On a year-on-year basis, the Headline inflation rate was 10.98% lower than the rate recorded in May 2024 (33.95%). This shows that the Headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) decreased in May 2025 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., May 2024), though with a different base year, November 2009 = 100.
Furthermore, on a month-on-month basis, the Headline inflation rate in May 2025 was 1.53%, which was 0.33% lower than the rate recorded in April 2025 (1.86%).
This means that in May 2025, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the average price level in April 2025.
5. State Police: IGP, State Speakers Clash Over Policing Model
The lingering debate over the creation of state police took centre stage again on Monday as the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly, led by Debo Ogundoyin, clashed over the merits and risks of decentralising Nigeria’s policing system.
They spoke in Abuja during a legislative dialogue on national security, themed “Nigeria’s Peace and Security: The Constitutional Imperative”, organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Naija News reports that Egbetokun reaffirmed his opposition to the creation of state police, saying Nigeria’s current political and economic conditions are “not ripe” for decentralised law enforcement.
He cited Sections 214(1) and 215(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which establish the Nigeria Police Force as the sole policing body for the federation, and vest its command in the Inspector General of Police, appointed by the President.
While acknowledging that localised policing might offer faster responses to community threats, he cautioned against potential dangers, including political misuse, fragmentation of intelligence, and lack of funding capacity by states.
Egbetokun argued instead for reforms aimed at strengthening federal police capacity, establishing community policing frameworks under the NPF, and building better intelligence-sharing architecture.
6. “Monopoly In The Making” – Marketers React, List 4 Demands As Dangote Reveal Plan To Begin Nationwide Distribution Of Petrol
Some oil marketers in the country have warned that the plans by Dangote Refinery to commence the nationwide distribution of petroleum products could come with some harmful effects.
The marketers noted that no company should be allowed to solely control the refining, supply, distribution, and retail of petroleum products all at once.
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), which made its stand known in a statement, joined the increasing number of industry stakeholders cautioning about the risks associated with a market dominated by a single player.
The reaction follows an earlier report by Naija News, which disclosed that Dangote Petroleum Refinery, on Sunday, announced plans to begin nationwide distribution of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol and diesel, from August 15, 2025.
The company is deploying 4,000 brand-new Compressed Natural Gas-powered tankers to boost delivery capacity and improve access to fuel across the country.
According to the statement released by the company, the offer is open to marketers, petrol station dealers, manufacturers, telecoms operators, aviation firms, and other large-scale fuel users.
However, PETROAN says the distribution strategy could harm the industry, adding that they are already being sidelined.
Speaking on behalf of independent station owners nationwide, PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harry, said while they are not against Dangote’s progress, care must be taken to avoid a case of monopoly in the industry.
7. Sunday Oliseh Blasts NFF Over Foreign Coaches, Bench-Warming Captains
Former Super Eagles coach and captain, Sunday Oliseh has renewed his criticism of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over its continued preference for foreign head coaches, calling the practice unfair and unnecessary.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Sports on Sunday, Oliseh, a former Juventus and Borussia Dortmund midfielder, insisted that there are enough qualified indigenous coaches who are capable of managing the national team.
His comments come months after the NFF appointed French-born former Mali international, Éric Chelle as the new Super Eagles head coach in January 2025.
Chelle replaced interim coach Augustine Eguavoen and remains unbeaten in charge of the three-time African champions, with three wins and two draws so far, including a 1-1 draw with Russia in June.
Oliseh, who briefly managed the team in 2015, also took aim at what he called an “anomaly” in the team’s leadership structure, lamenting the trend of captains not being part of the starting lineup.
8. Luis Enrique Slams Club World Cup Kick-Off Times; Bournemouth Sign Adrien Truffert
Paris Saint-Germain manager, Luis Enrique has voiced strong concerns over the scheduling of Club World Cup matches, calling the mid-day kick-off times unsuitable for top-tier football due to extreme heat conditions.
Speaking after PSG’s commanding 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in their group opener on Sunday in Pasadena, Los Angeles, Luis Enrique criticized the decision to hold games under the blazing sun.
Temperatures during the match soared to nearly 40°C with 60% humidity, leaving players visibly drained.
PSG are set to face Brazil’s Botafogo in the same venue on Wednesday, though the kick-off time will be at 6pm local time, a slightly more tolerable period.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid will travel north to Seattle for their next fixture, where weather forecasts predict a much cooler 19°C.
9. ‘Leave Me Alone’ – Ayra Starr Lashes Out Over Constant Online Bullying
Famous Nigerian songstress, Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, better known as Ayra Starr, has cried out over constant bullying on social media.
Naija News reports that the ‘Commas’ crooner, while expressing her frustration on Monday, urged online trolls to leave her alone and focus on more important issues.
In the post via X, Ayra Starr, who explained that her critics are committed to deliberately dragging her for no reason, accused them of seeing her as a scapegoat.
She wrote, “There’s nothing I can do nor say to people that intentionally want to bully and misunderstand me every time. You’ve found a scapegoat abi? Focus on issues that actually matter and leave me tf alone.”
10. Alibaba Blasts Fellow Comedians For Unprofessionalism, Lack Of Decorum
Veteran comedian Alibaba has berated some of his colleagues for their lack of professionalism during performances.
In an interview on Outside The Box podcast, he said that certain comedians, particularly three prominent ones, lack decorum and often cross boundaries with their jokes.
He recalled an incident where a comedian he had sent to a corporate event made an embarrassing joke about the plus-size wife of the company’s chairman.
He stated that when he tried to talk about the incident with the comedian in question, he became defensive.
According to Alibaba, some comedians prioritise shock value over intelligence and respect, which can damage their reputation and the industry.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
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