Top Stories From Nigerian Newspapers Today, Friday, April 4, 2025
Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 4th April, 2025......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday, departed Abuja to attend Senegal’s 65th Independence Anniversary in Dakar.
Naija News reports that the VP will be representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the anniversary.
Senegal celebrates its Independence Day on April 4 each year, commemorating its freedom from French colonial rule in 1960. The day is marked by national pride, with ceremonies, parades, and cultural events.
The Vice President’s attendance at the annual event is in honour of an invitation extended to President Tinubu by the Senegalese President, Faye Diomaye, following the strong mutual relationship between Nigeria and Senegal.
The Independence Day celebrations will be held at the Place de la Nation in Dakar, with President Faye playing host to Vice President Shettima and other distinguished guests from across Africa and beyond.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the recall petition against suspended Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial district at the National Asembly, Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, for the second time.
Naija News reports that the electoral umpire’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this on Thursday at the end of the Commission’s regular weekly meeting.
Olumekun said the decision of INEC followed the verification of signatures/thumbprints forwarded with the petition, which stood at 43.86%, instead of the more than 50% required by Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
According to him, a petition for the recall of a Senator must comply with the provision of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which requires the signatures of more than one-half of the registered voters in the constituency.
The national commissioner further said that INEC had assured Nigerians that it would handle the matter with fairness to the parties involved, adding it would be in line with the provisions of the law and our Regulations and Guidelines.
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has appealed to Lagosians over inconveniences experienced as a result of the closed Independence Bridge.
Naija News reports that Governor Sanwo-Olu said the closure of the bridge was regrettable but necessary to save the lives of its users.
Speaking with newsmen on Thursday morning when he paid a visit to the bridge, the Governor urged Lagosians to support the government’s effort to make the bridge safe for road users.
He stated that if ongoing works on the Independence Bridge were not kicked off, road users could risk sinking in the water as it was already old.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has vehemently dismissed circulating reports that he collapsed last week, labelling the claims as the work of individuals seeking to score cheap political points.
Naija News reports that Wike made the statement after inspecting four ongoing projects in the FCT, including the International Conference Centre (ICC).
The minister’s clarification came in response to social media posts, particularly on 𝕏 (formerly Twitter), which alleged that he had collapsed at an event on Friday in Abuja. These posts further claimed that Wike was rushed to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
Earlier, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, had already debunked the false reports, calling them fake.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also refuted the rumours.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has given fresh assurances that the notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, would soon be eliminated or captured.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, gave the assurance on Thursday during a press briefing on the activities of the Nigerian Military.
He stated that the military has eliminated many high-profile terrorists and that Bello Turji’s case is only a matter of time.
Kangye said this while dismissing suggestions that the military has scaled down its fight against insurgents, terrorists and other criminals in the country.
Naija News reports Kangye also dismissed reports that the welfare of troops is suffering and that injured soldiers were being ignored by the Armed Forces.
He narrated that those wounded in action are receiving top medical attention, and the service chiefs are always in touch with the troops.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has sharply responded to former Senator Elisha Abbo’s recent criticism of his leadership, describing the claims as “baseless” and driven by “media theatrics.”
Naija News reports that Abbo during an interview on Arise News programme on Wednesday night, April 2, 2025 alleged that Akpabio is running the Nigerian Senate like a personal empire and targeting senators who oppose his views.
In a statement issued by Akpabio’s Special Adviser on Media, Rt. Hon Eseme Eyiboh, the Senate President refuted Abbo’s allegations, emphasizing that the accusations were a continuation of “spurious and malicious” remarks made by the former Senator following his ouster from the Senate.
Akpabio further dismissed Abbo’s claims of Senate interference, asserting that the legal process that led to his removal was conducted in accordance with the law and was not influenced by any political figures.
The statement clarified that Abbo had once made similar allegations in 2023, only to retract them later, admitting that his accusations were “premature and based on the available information at our disposal.”
Akpabio emphasized that Abbo had acknowledged in a prior conversation that he had no involvement in the judicial process that led to his removal from the Senate, making his current remarks all the more puzzling.
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice-Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd), has announced that his administration is in the process of preparing a new state budget following the recent Supreme Court ruling that invalidated the state’s 2025 budget.
Naija News gathered that Ibas made this revelation during a meeting with a delegation from the Rivers Caucus of the National Assembly at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
The new budget, Ibas explained, would focus on crucial sectors such as education, healthcare, social services, and infrastructural development, similarly highlighted in the nullified 2025 budget.
Ibas, speaking about the budget’s priorities, emphasized the administration’s commitment to improving the lives of Rivers State residents through targeted investments.
Ibas further assured that the process of drafting the budget is transparent and inclusive, with a focus on speeding up its implementation.
Controversial Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okikiola, better known as Portable, has revealed that he was once sexually interested in popular crossdresser, Idris Okunneye, also known as Bobrisky.
Portable disclosed that he entered into Bobrisky’s DM on social media with the intention of asking him out and eventually sleeping with him.
The singer, who made the disclosure during a recent interview with Echo Room, however, added that he wasn’t aware Bobrisky was a man at the time he was planning to sleep with him.
Portable added that he backed out of the plan after discovering Bobrisky is a man and not a woman.
Naija News reports the singer disclosed further that he is a friend of Bobrisky and has advised the cross dresser to stop portraying himself as a woman.
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães will miss the remainder of the season after the club confirmed he requires surgery on his hamstring.
Gabriel Magalhães, 27, was substituted during the first half of Arsenal’s 2-1 victory against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, raising concerns about his fitness.
Since joining the club from Lille, Gabriel has emerged as a pivotal figure in Arsenal’s backline, starting 28 out of 30 Premier League matches this season. His strong performances have significantly contributed to the team securing the best defensive record in the league, having conceded just 25 goals thus far.
This news comes as a setback for the Gunners, who currently sit second in the Premier League standings, trailing leaders Liverpool by 12 points with only eight matches remaining in the season.
Adding to the club’s challenges, Arsenal are set to face the reigning Champions League holders, Real Madrid, in the quarter-finals of the tournament. The first leg will take place at the Emirates on April 8 at 20:00 BST, followed by the return leg at the Bernabeu on April 16 at 20:00 BST.
Real Madrid are bracing for potentially significant sanctions from UEFA, as they await critical verdicts regarding the conduct of several key players: Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Antonio Rudiger, and Dani Ceballos.
The ongoing investigation against the mentioned Real Madrid players follows their intense penalty shootout victory over Atletico Madrid on March 12, which was marked not just by athletic prowess but also by controversial behaviors displayed by the players.
UEFA has launched a thorough investigation into the actions exhibited during and immediately after the penalty shootout. Central to this inquiry are certain gestures made by the players, particularly those of Rudiger and Mbappe, which have drawn considerable attention and criticism.
Among the allegations, Antonio Rudiger is reportedly facing the most severe accusations. The German defender allegedly made a throat-slitting gesture that was perceived as directed at Atletico Madrid supporters.
Given the context of heated rivalry between the two clubs, such an action could be interpreted as a threatening gesture, potentially leading to a more stringent punishment for Rudiger compared to his teammates.
Kylian Mbappe also finds himself under scrutiny, as social media has circulated video footage that purportedly captures him making a crotch-grabbing gesture during his celebration. This kind of behavior raises further questions about sportsmanship and professionalism, adding fuel to the ongoing investigation.p