Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 12th September, 2025
1. Court Sentences Ansaru Terrorist Commander To 15 Years Imprisonment
One of the arrested commanders of the Ansaru terrorist organisation, Mahmud Usman, has been sentenced to fifteen years’ imprisonment.
Naija News reports that Usman was sentenced to jail on Thursday by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, however, ordered the defendant to be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) pending his trial for thirty-one other charges preferred against him by the service.
The Ansaru commander had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge of illegal mining activities which enabled him to acquire arms for terrorism and kidnapping purposes.
In a thirty-two count charge filed before the Federal High Court, Usman and Abubakar Abba were alleged to have committed acts of terrorism sometime in 2022 by attacking Wawa Cantonment of the Nigerian Army in Kainji, New Bussa, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, leading to the death of several innocent citizens and residents.
They are also alleged to have received training in weapons handling and fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IED) from various terrorist camps.
They were also accused of receiving training in war tactics from a terrorist organization in Mali.
Justice Nwite fixed the 21st of October for the trial.
2. ‘Those Pushing For Sack Of Service Chiefs Have Ulterior Motives’ – Ndume Tells Tinubu
The Borno South lawmaker, Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Tinubu to disregard calls for the removal of current Service Chiefs, citing their adequate training and experience in handling security operations.
Naija News reports that the call for the removal of the Service Chiefs came from the Dominic Alancha-led Northern Ethnic National Forum, which accused them of lacking professional capacity despite significant funding.
However, Ndume, in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, dismissed the claims as unfounded and driven by ulterior motives and do not mean well for Tinubu’s administration and Nigerians.
Ndume instead recommended a proactive “TEAM approach” focusing on Training, Equipment, Ammunition, and Motivation to enable the Armed Forces to counter terrorism, banditry, and insurgency effectively.
Highlighting concerns over low morale among soldiers, Ndume noted that a private in the army earns about ₦100,000 per month, with a daily allowance of ₦5,000, which he described as inadequate.
He urged the government to prioritise the welfare of soldiers, emphasising that the current compensation is insufficient.
3. Peter Obi Holds Closed-door Meeting With Goodluck Jonathan In Abuja
The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Thursday, held a closed-door meeting with former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.
The meeting between the two leaders was held behind closed doors, according to details shared by Peter Obi on his X account.
He added that their discussions focused on the state of Nigeria and were fruitful.
“Today in Abuja, I met with my very dear elder brother, statesman, and leader, former President Goodluck Jonathan @GEJonathan. We had a fruitful closed-door meeting and discussed the state of our dear nation,” Obi wrote.
4. No Court Order Against Mark, Aregbesola Leadership – ADC Clarifies
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has debunked claims that a Federal High Court in Abuja issued an order restraining Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from acting as the party’s National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
The ADC, in a statement on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the circulating reports of a court order against the new leadership as the handiwork of mischief makers and false news peddlers.
The party maintained that the Abuja Federal High Court, in its ruling on September 4, 2025, presided over by Justice Emeka Nwite, refused the ex-parte application filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe and instead ordered that the defendants be put on notice, appear to show cause why the application should not be granted, and adjourned the matter to September 15, 2025.
The ADC added that desperate political jobbers who had been disappointed by the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognize the leadership change in the party are attempting to feed the media with fake news and mislead Nigerians.
5. NABTEB Releases 2025 June/July NBC/NTC Results
The National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) has released the results of the 2025 June/July National Business Certificate and National Technical Certificate (NBC/NTC) examinations.
Naija News reports that the release of the results was confirmed on Thursday by the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of NABTEB, Dr. Mohammed Aminu Mohammed.
Speaking at the ceremony at NABTEB’s Annex Office in Abuja, Mohammed noted that a total of 92,875 candidates registered for the examinations across 1,892 centres nationwide, marking a 37.08% increase in enrolment and a 10.77% rise in the number of centres compared to 2024.
He said 61,104 (68.18%) of the graded candidates scored five credits and above, including English Language and Mathematics.
Additionally, 74,633 candidates (83.28%) obtained five credits and above with or without English and Mathematics. In English Language, 93.10% of candidates passed, while Mathematics recorded a 94.60% pass rate.
Dr. Mohammed, said the 2025 performance is better when compared to the previous year’s June/July 2024 NBC/NTC examinations.
6. ADC Demands Unconditional Release Of Journalist Arrested Over Kebbi Hospital Video Leak
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Hassan Mai-Waya Kangiwa, a journalist detained in Kebbi State after publishing a viral video showing the deplorable state of facilities at the Kangiwa General Hospital.
ADC spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement on Thursday via his verified 𝕏 handle, accused the APC-led Kebbi State Government of attempting to silence accountability journalism instead of addressing the rot in the healthcare system.
“We call on the Kebbi State Government to immediately release Hassan and respect the fundamental rights of journalists to report the truth,” Abdullahi said.
He added that the party would continue to circulate the video until Kangiwa regains his freedom and the government fixes the health sector failures highlighted.
7. I Don’t Like ‘Queen Of Afrobeats’ Tag – Tiwa Savage
Nigerian singer, Tiwa Savage, has revealed why she is uncomfortable with being tagged as the “Queen of Afrobeats”.
Naija News reports that the musician, during an interview with Apple Music’s Ebro, opined that there are a lot of other female artists who also deserve the title.
The ’eminado’ crooner emphasised that while she appreciates fans dubbing her the “Queen of Afrobeats,” she does not like the tag because it comes with a lot of responsibilities.
She said, “Yeah, they call me the Queen of Afrobeats, but there are a lot of us that are Queens.
“Personally, I don’t like that tag, it’s uncomfortable because I feel like if I start accepting it, I need to be humble and secondly, it doesn’t make sense to me. So, I don’t [accept it]. But I appreciate it. It didn’t come up with it. I think it’s just because I was one of the first female artists in Nigeria to breakthrough. I do appreciate that. I’m not taking it for granted.”
8. Why I Don’t Want To Be In A Serious Relationship – Young Jonn
Nigerian singer Young Jonn has spoken about his approach to relationships, saying he is not ready to commit to one woman at the moment.
The Akwa-Ibom-born music star shared his thoughts during an appearance on the ‘Way Up’ podcast hosted by Angela Yee.
Naija News reports that he explained that he currently prefers to keep his relationships at a friendly level rather than move into anything serious.
The 30-year-old Aquafina crooner said he values love but believes he is not in a stage of life where he can dedicate himself fully to a partner.
According to him, starting a serious relationship now would not be fair to anyone, as he would not be able to give the attention and effort that such a commitment requires.
9. ‘Entire NFF Board Has To Go If Nigeria Doesn’t Qualify For 2026 World Cup’ – Mikel Obi
Former Super Eagles captain, Mikel Obi, has opined that the entire Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) must be disbanded if the Super Eagles fail to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Naija News reports that the Super Eagles’ chances of reaching the next World Cup are very slim after drawing South Africa in a Group C qualification race for the competition.
The result leaves the country’s senior team third on the log, six points behind Bafana Bafana of South Africa with just two games to go.
Displeased with the games so far, the former Chelsea star, while speaking on the ‘Obi One’ Podcast, urged the federal government to take action on the NFF if Nigeria fails to make the 2026 World Cup.
Mikel stated that the country’s struggles in the World Cup qualifier are due to the football body’s inability to put its house in order.
He also recalled how the team failed to qualify for the last World Cup in Qatar.
10. Chelsea Hit With 74 FA Charges Over Rule Breaches
Chelsea Football Club have been charged with 74 breaches of Football Association (FA) regulations, covering alleged misconduct that spanned over a decade.
According to an FA statement on Thursday, the charges involve violations of:
FA Football Agents Regulations (Regulations J1 and C2)
FA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries (Regulations A2 and A3)
FA Third Party Investment in Players Regulations (Regulations A1 and B3)
The breaches, the FA noted, allegedly occurred between 2009 and 2022, with the bulk of the infractions taking place during the 2010/11 to 2015/16 seasons.
Chelsea have until 19 September 2025 to respond officially.
Reacting to the development, Chelsea said the case pertains to historical matters that were discovered before the club’s 2022 takeover by its new ownership group.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
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