- Kidnappers reduce NYSC ransom to ₦5m per victim
- INEC to reveal 2027 election plans as countdown hits 100 days
- Nigerians’ personal loans hit ₦2.06tn as borrowing rises
- Fola gives Ibadan fan ₦500,000 at the Homecoming Concert
- Nigeria picks ‘Dear Ajayi’ for 2027 Oscars race
Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the top five Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss.
Kidnappers reduce NYSC ransom to ₦5m per victim
Kidnappers holding 20 prospective NYSC members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State have reduced their ransom demand from N50m to N5m per victim. Consequently, the total demand has dropped from ₦1bn to ₦100m.
Parents said the victims were being beaten by their captors, raising fresh concerns about their safety. One parent, Alhaja Alimot Akande, said the abductors had physically assaulted the victims since Friday.
The graduates were travelling from Ibadan to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom when gunmen attacked their buses. Parents also disputed claims that 10 victims were rescued, saying those who escaped fled into the bush.
INEC to reveal 2027 election plans as countdown hits 100 days
Nigeria’s electoral commission will, on Tuesday, hold a national stakeholders’ meeting and a World Press Conference to mark 100 days to the 2027 general elections. The event will provide an update on preparations for the polls.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said discussions will cover the voters’ register, candidate nominations, logistics and measures to protect the credibility of the electoral process.
The meeting will take place at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, and other stakeholders are expected to address the gathering as the election countdown enters its final stretch.
Nigerians’ personal loans hit ₦2.06tn as borrowing rises
Nigerians’ personal loans climbed to an estimated ₦2.06tn in May 2026 as consumer borrowing continued to rise amid high living costs and weak spending.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said total consumer credit increased by 1.60% from ₦3.13tn in April to ₦3.18tn in May, meaning Nigerians borrowed an extra ₦50bn in one month.
Personal loans accounted for 64.78% of the total, while retail loans made up 35.22%. Retail borrowing stood at about ₦1.12tn during the month, according to the CBN’s latest Economic Report.
Fola gives Ibadan fan ₦500,000 at the Homecoming Concert
Ibadan came alive on October 3 as Afrobeats singer Fola held his homecoming concert at Agodi Gardens, drawing fans and several Nigerian music stars.
Dressed in a green-and-white agbada and matching abetiaja cap, Fola opened the show with an unreleased song before performing hits including ‘B4 B4’, ‘Very Soon’ and ‘You’.
Ayo Maff, TML Vibez, T.I Blaze, Bella Shmurda, Kidd Carder, and Magixx also performed, while celebrities Yhemo Lee and Kamo State attended. Fola later brought a fan with his face tattooed on his arm on stage and promised him ₦500,000.
Nigeria picks ‘Dear Ajayi’ for 2027 Oscars race
Nigeria has selected Damilola Orimogunje’s ‘Dear Ajayi’ as its submission for the International Feature Film category at the 2027 Oscars. The film must still be approved by the Academy’s executive committee before it can advance.
The drama follows two estranged sisters in 1990s Nigeria who are forced to live together while caring for their paralysed mother. Bimbo Akintola, Uzoamaka Power, and Tosin Adeyemi are among the cast.
The 99th Academy Awards will be held on March 14, 2027, in Hollywood. Nigeria did not submit a film for the 2026 Oscars, marking its third absence from the category in five years.
