Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Sunday, 5th April, 2026.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has clarified his comment made during a media chat on Channels Television, stating that the remark was made figuratively and not intended as a threat.
The clarification was made by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the minister, in a statement issued on Saturday.
Olayinka said the minister’s comment during the interview with Channels Television anchor, Seun Okinbaloye, had been misunderstood.
According to Olayinka, Wike did not mean that he would harm the television presenter and had only used exaggeration to express his displeasure during the discussion.
He explained that Wike had been disappointed because he held the journalist in high regard but believed Okinbaloye’s comments took a political turn.
The aide added that the remark was made in a hyperbolic context and was not meant to be interpreted literally.
Olayinka also noted that the minister clarified his statement during the live broadcast.
According to him, the interview panel, which included Chamberlain Uzor, the Head of Channels Television’s Abuja Office, understood the context of the comment.
The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has accused President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of trying to intimidate opposition figures.
Speaking at a press conference, Governor Mohammed claimed that the federal government was attempting to use state institutions, including the courts and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to persecute Nigerians who are not aligned with their party.
He warned that if the government does not desist from its actions, members of the opposition are ready to declare war.
He said, “The APC-led federal government thinks they can use the court and the EFCC to prosecute Nigerians who are not in their party.
“If they don’t stop, we are prepared to declare war. I assure you, we will not keep quiet any longer. I will not allow anybody to criminalise me because I refuse to join their party.”
He emphasised his refusal to join the APC and reiterated his commitment to speaking out against any perceived abuse of power.
The Obidient Movement has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to undermine the presidential ambition of its principal, Peter Obi.
The National Coordinator of the group, Yunusa Tanko, made the claim at a press conference in Kano on Saturday.
He alleged that there are ongoing efforts to deny Obi a political platform for the January 2027 presidential poll through “orchestrated crisis and institutional interference”.
Tanko asserted that the alleged plan began after the 2023 elections and accused the ruling party of fueling internal disputes within the Labour Party to weaken Obi’s political base.
He further alleged that, despite a Supreme Court ruling on the party’s leadership in April 2025, subsequent actions by lower courts undermined the judgment.
The group noted that Obi eventually exited the Labour Party on December 31, 2025, following a prolonged internal crisis, and later aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC)
The movement alleged that Obi’s involvement in the ADC and his engagement with political figures, including former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, heightened political tensions.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has fired back at the presidency over a remark that the party is engaging in illegality.
Naija News reports that the presidency’s comment comes in response to ADC’s decision to proceed with its national convention despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) derecognising its national leadership.
ADC’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, had, in a notice released on Friday, said the party’s National Congress would proceed as planned despite INEC’s decision.
Abdullahi also said the congress is expected to last from April 7th to 14th, 2026, with the screening of aspirants and then end with a national convention.
Reacting to the post via the comment section on Bolaji’s 𝕏 handle, the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has warned that ADC’s continued disregard for legal processes could have consequences.
Onanuga wrote: “Just continue your illegality, the lawless ADC. The dog that wants to get lost in the forest will ignore the hunter’s whistle”
In response, Abdullahi used a metaphor to counter the criticism, stating that the party was not lost as suggested.
He maintained that the party would continue to act within the bounds of the law and would not be deterred by political attacks.
Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, has opined that the recent deadly Jos massacre occurred because the security personnel were also caught off guard due to the relative peace the residents have enjoyed, particularly in the last 10 months to one year.
Naija News reports that Mutfwang, while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, said the attackers studied the residents’ behaviour and mimicked the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operations to strike unexpectedly, leaving both citizens and security forces unprepared.
The governor described the incident as unfortunate and worrisome, but expressed confidence it would be a one-off event.
He said, “As a matter of fact, the community was blindsided. The security personnel were also caught off guard because of the relative peace we have enjoyed, particularly in the last 10 months to one year.
“So nobody envisaged this kind of thing, and people came out in their numbers as they usually do to relax on a Sunday evening,” he said.
“Obviously, the attackers had studied the psychology of the people, who are used to seeing operatives of the NDLEA who come to raid neighbouring communities in search of drug addicts and what have you. So they came in that manner, hooded, and were shooting in the same way NDLEA officers operate.
“People initially assumed it was an NDLEA operation and did not resist, but when they realised what was happening, a lot of damage had already been done. By the time they began to respond, the attackers had already escaped.
“It’s quite unfortunate. It’s quite worrisome, having such an incident occur in the city centre, but we are confident that by God’s grace this will be a one-off event and not a recurring situation.”
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for threatening to shoot Channels Television presenter, Seun Okinbaloye.
Naija News reported that during a Thursday edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, Okinbaloye had claimed that the 2027 elections were shaping up as a contest between one political party, owing to the crisis in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He added that Nigeria is doomed democratically if the only hope of opposition, ADC, cannot contest the 2027 election.
“I’m particularly very pained because what makes the race very interesting is when it’s competitive and not when only one party stands in the middle of the ballot, and we are looking for the rest of the political parties.
“But we get one of them talking tonight about the state of ADC, particularly, it looks like one of the only hopes of the opposition going into 2027. If this hope is dashed, we are doomed democratically speaking,” Okinbaloye said.
However, speaking on Friday during a media chat in Abuja, the nation’s capital, Wike said Okinbaloye’s comment showed he was taking sides in the crisis rocking the ADC.
He said, “If there was any way to break the screen (of the television), I would have shot him.”
Reacting, ADC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a post via 𝕏 on Saturday, described Wike’s remarks as irresponsible and unacceptable, stressing that such remarks constitute a direct attack on freedom of speech.
He wrote, “Wike threatening to shoot Seun Okinbaloye from Channels Television for doing his job as a journalist is irresponsible and unacceptable.
“This must be condemned by all lovers of freedom of speech. After destroying opposition parties, they now want to start shooting journalists.”
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has denied trending reports that it has postponed the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) .
In a statement released on Saturday, JAMB said the trending report about the purported postponement is false and deliberately misleading.
It therefore urged members of the public to ignore the report, stressing that it did not originate from the board, adding that all arrangements for the 2026 UTME remain as scheduled.
“Our attention has been drawn to a malicious press release alleging that the 2026 UTME has been postponed. We wish to state clearly that the notice is fake and did not emanate from the board. Candidates and the general public are advised to disregard it. All arrangements for the 2026 UTME remain on course as scheduled,” JAMB stated.
Naija News reports that JAMB had earlier announced that the 2026 UTME would hold from Thursday, April 16 to Saturday, April 25, 2026.
Prior to the commencement of the UTME, JAMB conducted the 2026 UTME mock examination on Saturday, March 28.
A grieving mother, Mrs Favour Ayuba, whose son, Promise Ayuba, was killed by suspected terrorists in Jos, Plateau State, has sparked emotional reactions after a video of her farewell message to her late son surfaced online.
In the viral video circulating on social media on Friday, the bereaved woman was seen speaking through tears beside her son’s coffin, recounting the pain of losing him in the recent attack.
The mother said she had not eaten since the Palm Sunday attack that claimed the life of her son and several other residents.
The violence occurred on March 29 in the Angwan Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area, where gunmen reportedly attacked residents.
The attack, which happened on Palm Sunday, left at least 24 people dead while several others sustained injuries.
The incident is the latest in a series of violent attacks that have continued to trouble communities in Plateau State.
In the video, Mrs Ayuba, speaking in Hausa, expressed deep anguish over the death of her son while standing beside his coffin.
At one point, she brought out a cutlass wrapped in white cloth, which she had concealed under her clothing.
An autopsy report has revealed the cause of death of a promising young Afrofuji artist, Destiny Boy.
Naija News reports that Destiny Boy died on January 17, 2026, in what has been described as controversial circumstances, triggering outrage and demand for an autopsy.
Following his death, videos shared widely on social media showed what appeared to be his body being transported to a mortuary, triggering rumours about what may have led to his death.
An attempt to clarify the circumstances surrounding his passing was later made in a separate video by an unidentified associate, who said the singer had been battling a private health challenge.
“God, I want to do this video before people start saying rubbish about Destiny Boy’s cause of death. We all came to this life to write our own history. May God rest his soul. Destiny was nursing a health issue in his body before he died. We tried for him, but he didn’t make it,” the man said.
However, two months after his death, findings by Daily Trust showed that the Police Homicide Section conducted an autopsy.
It was further gathered that the autopsy report was released about a week ago.
When contacted on Friday by the aforementioned publication, the Police spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed that the autopsy report had been released.
According to him, the report revealed harmful levels of tramadol and its metabolites, as well as methamphetamine, in the deceased’s body.
The report concluded that the cause of death was “aspiration pneumonitis resulting from the ingestion of these toxic substances.”
Controversial self-acclaimed relationship expert, Blessing Okoro, better known as Blessing CEO, has described reports of being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer as miscommunication.
Naija News reports that Blessing CEO, in an interview with the popular online show ‘Young and Healthy Bros’, hosted by content creator Egungun, clarified details about her cancer diagnosis and responded to public speculation.
Blessing explained that miscommunication had fueled some of the confusion around her condition, stressing that she had just received the biopsy results.
According to Blessing, she has not started chemotherapy and is still awaiting further tests to determine the exact stage of the cancer.
She said, “I don’t have stage 4 cancer. That was a miscommunication.
“I just received my biopsy results. Initially, the lump was thought to be non-cancerous, but later tests revealed it was cancerous. I haven’t started chemotherapy yet, and I’m still awaiting further tests to determine the exact stage.
“The money raised is not hundreds of millions as some people think. It’s just 13 million naira.
“I will not post my results online because it’s personal, and I don’t owe anyone an apology. I’m just trying to communicate what the doctors have told me.”
Blessing emphasised that her goal remains to explore all treatment options and ensure she makes informed decisions.
She added, “I just want to be sure about what I am doing. I’m not a doctor; I’m only sharing the updates I receive from them.”
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
Leave a Reply