• First Bank of Nigeria Holdings changes company name to ‘First Holdco’
• NJC suspends judges in Rivers and Anambra over alleged misuse of judicial authority
• FG reveals plan for $1m AfDB food grant to aid flood victims
• Police force deploys 34,000 officers ahead of the Ondo State gubernatorial election
• NBS reports that Nigeria’s inflation surges to 33.88%

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.

First Bank of Nigeria Holdings changes company name to ‘First Holdco’

The First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) Holdings has announced that it would be changing its brand name to ‘First Holdco’ after changing it to ‘FBN Holdings’ in 2012.

The news about the change of the company’s name was announced by the company’s secretary, Adewale Arogundade after the decision was made in a virtual meeting by the shareholders of the company.

The company has changed its name several times since being established in 1894. It changed in 1979, 1991, and 2012.

“That there should be a change of the legal and brand names of the Company from FBN Holdings Plc and FBNHoldings to First Holdco Plc and FirstHoldco, respectively,” FBN Holdings said.

NJC suspends judges in Rivers and Anambra over alleged misuse of judicial authority

The National Judicial Council (NJC) has suspended G. C. Aguma, a Rivers State High Court judge, and A. O. Nwabunike, an Anambra State High Court judge, for alleged misuse of judicial authority.

According to the NJC statement, both chief judges were prohibited from performing judicial activities for one year without salary and would be placed on a watch list for the next two years.

“The Council’s findings revealed that Hon. Justice G. C. Aguma committed acts of misconduct by aiding a litigant who obtained a judgment at the FCT high court, Abuja, and filed a garnishee against judgment debtors in Bori Division of the high court, Rivers state,” the statement reads.

FG reveals plan for $1m AfDB food grant to aid flood victims

The federal government of Nigeria has announced that it will be getting a $1m food grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to aid flood victims in 29 states across Nigeria.

The food grant is to help provide food supplies to people deeply affected by the floods, as over 200,000 people were displaced from their homes and over 500,000 hectares of farmlands were ruined.

According to FG, 122,253 individuals in 16 of the worst-hit districts will be provided with food packages including 25kg of rice and 10kg of beans.

Police force deploys 34,000 officers ahead of the Ondo State gubernatorial election 

The Nigeria Police Force has dispersed about 34,000 police officers ahead of the Ondo State gubernatorial election to secure all voting polls and avoid any electoral violence that may occur.

Abiodun Alabi, the deputy inspector-general of police (DIG) coordinating election security, stated in an interview that all protective measures have been taken against the interruptions of political thugs during the election.

NBS reports that Nigeria’s inflation surges to 33.88%

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported that the country’s inflation has surged to 33.88% in October, rising from 32.70% in September 2024.

The report by the agency reveals that food inflation on a year-on-year basis was caused by the hike in prices of guinea corn, rice, maize grains, bread, cereals, yam, water yam, coco yam, potatoes, yam, palm oil, vegetable oil, and Milo, Lipton, coffee, Bournvita.

The report also stated that the surge can be traced to the increase in the average prices of palm oil, vegetable oil, fish, meat, and flour.