- Dozens of delegates walk out of Netanyahu’s UN speech
- Okpebholo says UK petrol costs over ₦3,000 per litre
- Late tax payments to attract new interest rates from October
- Award-winning novel faces AI writing allegations
- Macklemore announces ‘Free Palestine’ tour after Ed Sheeran exit
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.
Dozens of delegates walk out of Netanyahu’s UN speech
Dozens of delegates left the UN General Assembly hall as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address on Thursday, repeating a protest seen during his speech last year. Others remained and applauded him.
Netanyahu called those who walked out “moral cowards” and defended Israel’s military action against Iran, saying the strikes were necessary. He also said the fall of Iran’s government was only a matter of time.
The Israeli leader criticised European sanctions on West Bank settlements and attacked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, accusing him of hosting Hamas leaders.
Okpebholo says UK petrol costs over ₦3,000 per litre
Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo has compared petrol prices in Nigeria and the UK, saying fuel costs more than ₦3,000 per litre in Britain. In a viral video, he said Nigeria was “doing very well” at current prices and praised President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies.
As of September 24, UK petrol averaged about £1.74 per litre, while NNPC lists petrol at ₦1,385 in Lagos and ₦1,430 in Abuja, with prices varying by location.
Okpebholo described Tinubu as an economist working to stabilise Nigeria’s economy, saying the country was in “safe hands” under his leadership.
Late tax payments to attract new interest rates from October
From October 1, 2026, taxpayers who delay payments will face new interest rates linked to prevailing market conditions, the Federal Government has announced.
For naira-denominated taxes, the rate will be the Central Bank of Nigeria’s 23% monetary policy rate plus one percentage point, making it 24%, subject to the 364-day Treasury bill yield floor. Foreign-currency tax payments will be subject to SOFR plus six percentage points.
The Finance Ministry said the new framework would make late-payment costs more predictable. Minister Taiwo Oyedele added that it would prevent delayed tax payments from becoming a cheaper source of credit than borrowing from the market.
Award-winning novel faces AI writing allegations
Canadian-Haitian author Thélyson Orélien is facing allegations that his award-winning novel ‘C’était ça ou mourir’ was largely written with the help of artificial intelligence. The book recently won the Prix du Roman Fnac and is also shortlisted for the Goncourt and Renaudot prizes.
French group Balance ton Claude claimed the novel was “almost totally” AI-generated after testing passages with Pangram, an AI detection tool. The group said several sections returned a 100% AI result.
It described Pangram as highly accurate, citing a reported false-positive rate of 0.0041%. Orélien, 38, has yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
Macklemore announces ‘Free Palestine’ tour after Ed Sheeran exit
Following his removal from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour, American rapper Macklemore has announced a new ‘Free Palestine’ tour, with proceeds from the concerts going to organisations supporting Palestinians.
The tour will begin in Dublin on October 26, before moving to Paris on October 29 and London on October 30. Macklemore said the idea followed the controversy surrounding his departure from Sheeran’s tour.
He said he had contacted artists who had publicly supported Palestinians and wanted the shows to create space for artists to speak about the issue. “So, we’re going on tour,” he wrote.
