Nigeria’s headline inflation rate fell to 23.71 per cent in April 2025, down from 24.23 per cent in March 2025, according to new statistics issued by the National Bureau of Statistics.

This signifies a 0.52 percentage point decrease from last month, suggesting a more gradual increase in the overall price level of goods and services across the country.

The relaxation aligns with a major revision to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), following the NBS’s completion of a long-anticipated rebasing of the CPI structure.

The rebasing replaces out-of-date reference periods from 2009, putting the CPI in line with current economic conditions.

According to the Bureau, “Rebasing aligns the price and weight reference periods with the current economic environment, ensuring methodological accuracy, updating the composition of the goods and services basket, revising item weights, and incorporating necessary improvements.”

The newly updated CPI now uses 2024 as the price reference year (base year) and 2023 as the weight reference period. It covers 934 product varieties across 13 divisions under the international COICOP 2018 classification framework.

Month-on-month, the inflation rate in April stood at 1.86 per cent, significantly lower than March figure of 3.90 per cent

“This means that in April 2025, the rate of increase in the average price level is lower than the rate of increase in the average price level in March 2025,” the NBS noted.

The CPI for April stood at 119.52 points, representing a 2.18-point increase from the previous month.

The latest CPI data comes ahead of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee meeting slated for May 19 and 20, 2025.

Recall that Nigeria’s inflation rose to 24.23 per cent in March for the first time after the CPI rebase in January 2025.

In February, the CBN MPC paused interest rate hikes after inflation dropped.

Nigerians have condemned the short notice given to candidates who will be retaking the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) due to errors recorded in some areas.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has rescheduled the exam for 379,997 candidates in five states in the South East and Lagos, with the new exam dates starting from Friday, May 16, 2025.

Many candidates and stakeholders have condemned the short notice, citing concerns about the candidates’ ability to adequately prepare for the exam.

Some have suggested that the exam should have been pushed to after the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to give candidates more time to prepare.

“I don’t understand why JAMB couldn’t push the exam to after WAEC,” one candidate asked on social media. “These students are not running away. Give them ample time to prepare,” X User, Gospel, stated.

General Pushkin on X also asked, “Aren’t these students the same ones writing WASSCE and NECO? Why complicate their situation? JAMB is an objective CBT. JAMB should have less trouble dealing with this in shorter time frames than WAEC. Students who wish to resit can do so after the WAEC. It should be optional.”

Others have expressed concerns about the economic hardship in Nigeria and the emotional trauma that candidates have gone through.

“You know the economic hardship in Nigeria,” one commenter wrote. “Why not give them more time to recover and plan to write the exam?”

“The emotional trauma these kids went through has to heal. They are not in the right frame of mind to resit in such a short time. Haba!,” Ka-sha-mi added.

Also, one of the affected candidates, John Felix, a biology teacher, confirmed receiving a text message from JAMB informing him of the rescheduled date and time for the examination.
Felix expressed concern about the new schedule conflicting with another exam he has on the same day.

Some Nigerians have suggested that JAMB should have opted to remark the examination instead of re-administering the entire exam.

However, Alex Onyia, the Chief Executive Officer of Educare, believed that the decision to reschedule the exam was necessary to ensure fairness and accuracy.

Onyia, who was amongst the stakeholders to review the UTME, urged candidates affected by the error to remain calm and focused as they prepare for the rescheduled exam.

According to Onyia, JAMB worked tirelessly to navigate a scheduling nightmare, complicated by ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) exams and the looming National Examinations Council (NECO) timeline.

“When all internal attempts failed, they reached out to WAEC for support, and thankfully, WAEC responded with tremendous cooperation,” Onyia posted on the X platform.

While acknowledging that the new dates are close, Onyia emphasised that JAMB is working within a tight window to fix a complex mess.

He urged candidates to “dig deep and push forward with renewed resolve,” adding that the opportunity to retake the exam is a chance to prove that their initial scores did not reflect their true performance.

Onyia also noted that the vendor responsible for the error has been officially dropped and will not be given a second chance.

He expressed confidence in the resilience and brilliance of Nigerian youth, believing that their performance in the rescheduled exam will speak volumes.

Onyia also praised JAMB for working tirelessly to navigate a scheduling nightmare and for acknowledging their fault and providing a way forward.

“We’ve won a major victory—not just in securing a retest but in getting JAMB to acknowledge their fault and provide a way forward,” he said.

The UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has strongly criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to establish “return hubs” in foreign countries for failed asylum seekers, describing it as a weak and ineffective alternative to the shelved Rwanda deportation scheme.

Badenoch’s remarks followed Starmer’s announcement during an official visit to Albania on Thursday, where he revealed that his government was in talks with several countries to explore the creation of return centres for individuals denied asylum in the UK.

She disclosed this in a post on X, responding to a Mail Online article about Starmer’s remarks.

“Starmer is making an effort, but this will NOT stop the boats. People will still try their luck knowing they can stay in Britain if granted asylum so it won’t get rid of asylum hotels in the UK,” she wrote.

“We left Labour a real deterrent. This is weaker than the Rwanda plan and won’t work,” she added.

The Rwanda policy announced in April 2022 by the UK government under the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was part of the Conservative Party’s immigration strategy to deter illegal crossings by sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing and potential resettlement.

However, the controversial policy was eventually derailed by legal challenges and never implemented. But Starmer’s proposal is different, as it focuses on deporting individuals only after their asylum applications have been processed and rejected.

Speaking during a press conference in Albania, Starmer defended the initiative, saying, “We are in talks with a number of countries about return hubs. I view them as a really important innovation.

“What I’d like to do is add return hubs to the record number of returns and law enforcement arrangements already in place,” he added.

However, when asked which countries the UK is speaking to, Starmer declined to provide details, saying he was not yet in a position to reveal more.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, standing alongside Starmer during the press conference, ruled out hosting such a hub, citing a prior agreement with Italy.

“When we started this process with Italy, it was a one-off because of our special relationship,” Rama said, adding that Albania had rejected similar requests from other countries to remain “loyal to the marriage with Italy”.

The Labour government is under growing pressure to tackle irregular migration, particularly the increasing number of small boat crossings across the Channel.

Over 12,500 migrants have arrived via this route so far this year, according to UK Home Office data.

The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has turned down invitations from three rival factions of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, each seeking to have the commission observe their primaries ahead of the July 12 local government elections in the state.

This development was announced by LASIEC Chairperson, Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile (retd.), during a stakeholders’ forum held in Ikeja on Thursday.

The event was themed “Enhancing a Credible and Inclusive Local Government Election in Lagos”.

According to Okikiolu-Ighile, each LP faction separately requested LASIEC’s presence at their primary elections.

“Three factions of the Labour Party in Lagos invited us to observe their primaries,” she said.

However, LASIEC declined all invitations, citing the internal division within the party.

“LASIEC officials did not attend their primaries today (Thursday) because of the perceived division in the party,” she explained.

Okikiolu-Ighile further noted that LASIEC is currently awaiting advice from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine how to proceed with the Labour Party’s involvement in the local polls.

“We are waiting for INEC’s advice on the next steps regarding the situation with the LP,” she added.

THE WHISTLER reports that the leadership crisis rocking the Lagos State chapter of the LP deepened on Monday as a factional chairman, Mrs Dayo Ekong, refuted claims of her suspension by another faction of the party loyal to Senator Nenadi Esther Usman.

In a rebuttal, Ekong dismissed the purported suspension announced by a 24-member caretaker committee led by Rotimi Odunaike and Dorcas Omorodion, describing it as illegal and an act of impersonation.

“The so-called ‘suspensions’ announced by a group of unauthorised individuals have no legal or constitutional bearing within the Labour Party.

“The group led by one Rotimi Odunaike remains an illegitimate faction, currently in contempt of court, and has repeatedly acted outside the provisions of the party’s constitution.

“Their pronouncements carry no weight and are not recognised by the national leadership of the party under Barrister Julius Abure,” Ekong stated.

Odunaike’s group had on Sunday announced a six-month suspension of Ekong and other party officials over alleged anti-party activities, citing “gross misconduct” and violations of party rules.

The group also declared the immediate dissolution of all ward and local government executives constituted by the Ekong-led executive committee.

However, Ekong fired back, warning that the public should not be misled by what she called a “well-funded” campaign of disinformation designed to destabilise the party in Lagos.

She reaffirmed her leadership, stating that her administration was the only legally recognised and duly affirmed leadership structure in Lagos, committed to due process and party discipline.

Ekong further alleged that the individuals parading themselves as party officials are either expelled or suspended members whose current actions amount to criminal impersonation.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), in collaboration with law enforcement, has carried out an enforcement operation at No. 214 Aba-Owerri Road, Aba, Abia State, where it sealed the premises of an unlawful entity operating as the Community Crime Prevention Initiative of Nigeria (CCPIN).

The FCCPC’s action followed credible intelligence that CCPIN was falsely claiming affiliation with the Commission and misleading the public by representing itself as an “Authorised Consumer Protection NGO” of the FCCPC.

The entity had issued public notices alleging joint surveillance operations with FCCPC and was soliciting consumer complaints through unauthorised telephone lines.

During the operation, the operator of the facility, Amb. Dr. Onwuka Okorie was arrested on-site and is currently in police custody at World Bank Police Station, Abayi-Aba, Abia State, pending further investigation and prosecution.

A number of exhibits bearing FCCPC’s name, logo, and false enforcement materials were recovered from the premises.

The Commission categorically disassociates itself from CCPIN and affirms that it neither authorises nor partners with CCPIN or any similarly styled organisation for enforcement or consumer protection operations and does not delegate such powers to NGOs, private entities, or individuals without formal legal authorisation.

The FCCPC said it is committed to operating with the highest level of transparency while ensuring consumer protection and market integrity.

“The public is strongly advised to disregard any announcements, sealing notices, or consumer-related campaigns issued by CCPIN or any of its representatives.

“To verify any enforcement or communication, members of the public can contact the Commission through its hotlines: 08056002020 and 08056003030,” it added.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment in a suit filed by Asue Ighodalo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 21, 2024, election in Edo State.

A three-member panel of the court, led by Justice Mohamed Danjuma, after listening to final arguments by parties, reserved judgment to a date that will be communicated later.

The panel also reserved judgment on two other appeals, filed by Action Alliance (AA) and its National Chairman, Rufai Omoaje, and another filed by one Bright Enabulele and Accord Party (AP), as well as a cross-appeal filed by Okpebholo.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the governorship election in the state.

Ighodalo and the PDP, in their joint appeal, prayed the court to reverse the judgments of the Election Petitions Tribunal delivered on April 2, 2025, which affirmed Okpebholo as governor.

Specifically, counsel for the appellants, Robert Emukpoeruo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, argued that the tribunal failed to clear the issue of non-compliance in their petition.

Emukpoeruo noted that there was no record of the serial number on Form EC25B as required by Section 73(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

“The Tribunal said we required evidence of polling agents or witnesses to prove how the forms were filled or not filled.
That was not our case. Our case was that the Form EC 25B did not contain the serial numbers,” he said.

The appellants’ lawyer argued that the tribunal was also wrong to claim that the documents his clients tendered at the trial were dumped on it, noting that oral evidence was not needed in their case.

Emukpoeruo said his clients did not challenge the conduct of the election, but the conflict in the results collated and announced. He argued that the results collated at the ward levels were not the results declared at the polling units.

In their own final address, the lawyers for the respondents urged the court to affirm the judgments by the tribunal and dismiss the appeals.

Okpebholo’s Counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, urged the court to dismiss the appeal, describing it as an “academic exercise”.

Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Emmanuel Ukala and Kanu Agabi, representing the APC and INEC, respectively, also argued in a similar manner and urged the Court to dismiss the appeal and affirm the judgment of the Election Tribunal.

The court, however, reserved judgment on all appeals.

The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has announced the killing of 60 bandits who invaded Mansur Village in Alkaleri Local Government Area.

According to him, the incident occurred two weeks ago and also claimed 21 lives.

During a condolence visit to Mansur Village on Thursday, Governor Mohammed revealed that 21 deaths included 13 vigilante members and 10 civilians.

“As they inflicted serious loss on us, over 60 of them died too in the fierce battle. So the loss is not only that our people have been killed. Our security forces also decimated over 60 of them. This shows the chivalry and courage of our people. Despite their superior firepower, we were able to contain them through these young and able-bodied vigilantes and security agencies,” he said.

Governor Mohammed consoled the community on behalf of the federal government, assuring that they would be assisted.

“We are here on behalf of the government to commiserate with this community, especially the communities of Alkaleri, Gwana, Duguri, Yelwan Duguri, and parts of Bauchi Local Government.

“I want to convey to you the commiseration of the Federal Government, especially the Office of the National Security Adviser. We are going to get a lot of assistance to enable you to work with strength and encouragement,” he stated.

He disclosed that each family of the deceased vigilantes would receive ₦5 million, while ₦3 million would be given to each family of the dead civilians. Additionally, ₦20 million would be provided to support logistics for vigilante operations in the area.

Mohammed also revealed plans to recruit over 2,100 vigilantes across the state before the end of the year, starting with 300 to 500 personnel from the most affected communities.

“These people have come to the wrong place. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for our people to live. Definitely, we will do everything. If it comes to a point where I have to throw away this ‘Babanriga’ and join you, I will join you, In Sha Allah,” he added.

The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has announced the killing of 60 bandits who invaded Mansur Village in Alkaleri Local Government Area.

According to him, the incident occurred two weeks ago and also claimed 21 lives.

During a condolence visit to Mansur Village on Thursday, Governor Mohammed revealed that 21 deaths included 13 vigilante members and 10 civilians.

“As they inflicted serious loss on us, over 60 of them died too in the fierce battle. So the loss is not only that our people have been killed. Our security forces also decimated over 60 of them. This shows the chivalry and courage of our people. Despite their superior firepower, we were able to contain them through these young and able-bodied vigilantes and security agencies,” he said.

Governor Mohammed consoled the community on behalf of the federal government, assuring that they would be assisted.

“We are here on behalf of the government to commiserate with this community, especially the communities of Alkaleri, Gwana, Duguri, Yelwan Duguri, and parts of Bauchi Local Government.

“I want to convey to you the commiseration of the Federal Government, especially the Office of the National Security Adviser. We are going to get a lot of assistance to enable you to work with strength and encouragement,” he stated.

He disclosed that each family of the deceased vigilantes would receive ₦5 million, while ₦3 million would be given to each family of the dead civilians. Additionally, ₦20 million would be provided to support logistics for vigilante operations in the area.

Mohammed also revealed plans to recruit over 2,100 vigilantes across the state before the end of the year, starting with 300 to 500 personnel from the most affected communities.

“These people have come to the wrong place. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for our people to live. Definitely, we will do everything. If it comes to a point where I have to throw away this ‘Babanriga’ and join you, I will join you, In Sha Allah,” he added.

Justice Dorcas V. Agishi of the Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, has sentenced four Chinese nationals to 20 years in prison each for engaging in illegal solid mineral mining.

The convicts — Liang Quin Yong, Wang Huajie, Zhong Jiajing, and Long Kechong —were apprehended on March 8, 2025, at the JLM Mining Company site in Jos following credible intelligence reports on their suspected involvement in illegal mining activities.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged the four men separately on a one-count charge each, bordering on illegal dealings in solid minerals without lawful authority, contrary to Section 1(8)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1983.

According to court documents, each of the defendants was arrested around the Dura Rayfield axis of Jos on March 9, 2025, where they were found unlawfully purchasing mineral resources without the necessary approvals or licenses.

They pleaded "guilty" when the charges were read to them, following which EFCC counsel, M.O. Arumemi and F.A.I Asemebo prayed the court to convict them accordingly.

"Satisfied that the prosecution has proven the case beyond reasonable doubts, Justice Agishi found the defendants guilty and sentenced the four Chinese to five years imprisonment each or to pay a fine of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira only) each for unlawful purchase and possession of mineral resources."

The judge also ordered that the convicts be deported from Nigeria and banned from re-entering the country.

All proceeds of crime are to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria while Liang Quin Yong is to forfeit the sum of N134,874,769.01 (One Hundred and Thirty Four Million, Eight Hundred and Seventy Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Sixty Nine Naira, One kobo) which formed the proceeds of the unlawful purchase of the mineral resources.

However, Justice Agishi orderd the forfeiture of the entire mineral resources recovered in the course of investigation and the sum of N16,300,000 (Sixteen Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira) as administrative fine for failure to report a financial transaction within seven days to the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) as provided under Section 11(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

All the convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arraigned before the court for illegal dealing in solid minerals.

They pleaded guilty to the charges and were convicted

Yemi Ayebo, the Nigerian actor who is widely recognized for his role in the 1993 Yoruba classic Yemi My Lover, has opened up about facing financial challenges despite the film’s popularity and success.

‘Yemi My Lover‘ is a fantasy romance that tells the story of a young man who falls in love with a beautiful woman from a mystical water spirit lineage.

The film gained widespread attention and success, earning recognition as a standout in the Yoruba film scene.

In an interview with YouTuber Mr LilGaga, Ayebo attributed his lack of profit to widespread piracy and limited promotion due to the analog era.

He claimed 90% of the film’s earnings were lost to pirates who illegally distributed and screened it across Yoruba-speaking regions.

He also alleged that industry marketers worsened his situation by “waging war” against him for sidelining them, going as far as printing and selling their DVD copies without his consent. 

“I was the one who wrote and produced the movie in 1993. The movie cut across the country, especially the Yoruba-speaking part, but I didn’t make any money from it; 90% was gotten by piracy,” he said.

“I didn’t profit from that film because it was created during the analog era. There was no social media then, so I didn’t have the opportunity to promote it widely.

“The awareness was low, and I was struggling, doing the little I could to promote it. As a result, the movie was pirated, and the marketers were not pleased with me because I handled the marketing myself.

“The marketers waged war against me, which marked the beginning of my problems with them.

“Since then, I’ve been struggling. Both pirated and original copies of the movie circulated. People were printing and selling it without my consent.

“Back then, there was no way to combat piracy due to limited means of communication. Across all Yoruba-speaking regions, the film was being distributed illegally, and people profited from it.

“Some even rented halls to screen the movie and charged people to watch it. Meanwhile, some marketers printed the DVD covers and distributed them, while I was in my office selling what little I could.”

Ayebo said he handled all the marketing and promotion himself due to limited industry knowledge.

He said the small returns he made went into buying a car, setting up a modest office, and covering other basic expenses.

“In the film industry, there’s supposed to be a division of labour, but I did everything myself due to my limited knowledge,” he added.

“I produced ‘Yemi My Lover’ with about N50,000 to N60,000 and only made a small amount back. I don’t own a house, I rent an apartment. So, from the money, I bought a camera, rented an office, hired a few staff, and got a car. That was all.”

The filmmaker also revealed that his financial struggles deepened in 1996 after he was falsely accused and detained, describing it as a “major setback”.

“There was a time in 1996 when I was in my office on Lagos Island, and a guy came to my office with soldiers,” he added.

“I was taken to Alausa, Ikeja, where we met a major, and I was falsely accused, beaten, and the major asked that I should be killed.

‘However, some of his colleagues stopped him, and I was locked up. Some of my boys were also arrested. Before I could resolve the case, I spent almost N500k, and that issue was a major setback for me. Things haven’t been the same since.”

Ayebo revealed that he is currently facing financial difficulties, adding that getting jobs in the industry has been tough due to a lack of connections.

“Right now, I’m broke and don’t have much. Things aren’t easy,” he said.

“The movie industry is all about connections; you’ll struggle financially if you’re not well-connected. I need more connections to get back on my feet.”