Good morning, Nigeria. Welcome to the Naturenex roundup of today’s major newspaper headlines for Friday, 16th May, 2025.
1. President Tinubu Departs For Rome To Attend Pope Leo XIV’s Inauguration
President Bola Tinubu is set to travel to Rome this weekend to participate in the inauguration ceremony of Pope Leo XIV. The announcement came through a statement on Thursday from the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, President Tinubu will leave Abuja for Rome on Saturday, following an invitation from Pope Leo XIV. He is expected to join other global leaders at a solemn mass that will mark the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church.
The statement further indicated that President Tinubu is scheduled to return to Nigeria on Tuesday, May 20.
2. Inflation Rate In Nigeria Declines To 23.71% In April — NBS
Nigeria experienced a slight improvement in inflation figures, as the nation’s headline inflation rate dropped to 23.71% in April 2025, compared to 24.23% in March.
This update was provided in the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The report also highlighted a reduction in food inflation.
According to NBS, the food inflation rate eased by 0.53 percentage points to settle at 21.26% in April, a slight drop from 21.79% recorded the previous month. The report attributed this to a decline in the prices of food items such as maize flour, wheat grain, dried okra, yam flour, soya beans, rice, bambara beans, and brown beans.
3. ‘He Insulted My Father, Even Threatened To Slap Me’ — Tuggar Explains Feud With Bauchi Governor
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has provided clarity regarding his recent confrontation with Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed.
Naturenex recalls that in April, there were reports suggesting that Deputy Governor Auwal Jatau had slapped Tuggar during a dispute.
However, in a conversation with BBC Hausa, Tuggar corrected the account, confirming that the disagreement involved Governor Bala Mohammed himself. He recounted that the incident occurred inside a vehicle alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima during a visit to Bauchi. Tuggar alleged that Mohammed verbally insulted his late father and also threatened to slap him.
4. Court Issues Order Against CBN, AGF, Finance Ministry Over Osun LG Dispute
A Federal High Court in Osogbo has issued a restraining order to the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Finance.
As reported by Naturenex, the court’s decision bars them from opening local government accounts for a group of ousted council chairmen.
The court instructed all involved parties to maintain the status quo, declaring that no financial transactions or account openings should take place for the sacked officials. It stressed that since no court ruling has overturned their removal, any fund disbursement in their favour would be illegal.
5. ‘Defectors To APC Are Seeking Forgiveness For Their Sins’ — Abba Moro
Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, has weighed in on the recent wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Naturenex reported that several prominent figures, including former PDP vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and PDP lawmakers from Delta State, switched allegiance to the APC. Additionally, three PDP senators from Kebbi State made the same move.
Speaking on AIT’s Focus Nigeria, Moro claimed those defecting to the APC have “sinned and are looking for forgiveness.”
6. Peter Obi Reacts To JAMB UTME Errors: ‘Let’s Not Turn Glitches Into National Crisis’
Labour Party’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has responded to the controversy surrounding the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
As previously covered by Naturenex, JAMB Registrar Ishaq Oloyede admitted to errors affecting over 206,000 candidates across 65 centres in Lagos and 92 centres within the South East.
Oloyede described the situation as a “sabotage” and announced plans for affected candidates to receive text messages, allowing them to retake the exams between May 16 and May 19.
In a Thursday statement, Obi advised JAMB and other critical institutions to adopt robust quality assurance practices, including frequent system tests and audits. While acknowledging JAMB’s prompt response, he pointed out the significant emotional and psychological impact on students and parents, noting reports of trauma and even tragic deaths.
7. Police Arraign VeryDarkMan For Alleged Cyberbullying As Trial Adjourned
Popular social media figure, Martins Otse — widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM) — has been re-arraigned by the Nigeria Police Force at a Federal High Court in Abuja on charges of cyberbullying.
Naturenex reports that VDM appeared before Justice Musa Liman on Thursday, May 15, 2025, facing a five-count charge and pleaded not guilty.
The police alleged that he cyberbullied several celebrities, including actresses Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh, as well as singer Samklef, among others.
This re-arraignment follows VDM’s release from EFCC detention over unrelated fraud allegations. Initially charged in May 2024 under the Cybercrime Act, he was granted bail in June 2024. The case, initially overseen by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, is now handled by Justice Liman.
8. Uriel Oputa Explains Why She Stopped Cooking For Men
Reality TV star and health advocate, Uriel Oputa, has shared reasons behind her decision to stop cooking for men.
Speaking via Instagram on Thursday, Uriel expressed that no matter how well one cooks or how attractive one looks, “He will still surprise you.”
According to her, there’s no guaranteed formula to hold on to a man, stating that a man stays only if he genuinely wishes to.
9. South Africa Edge Nigeria’s Flying Eagles Out Of CAF U-20 AFCON
South Africa narrowly defeated Nigeria’s Flying Eagles with a 1-0 scoreline in the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final held at the Suez Canal Stadium on Thursday, May 15.
The only goal came in the 66th minute via a header from Tylon Smith. Despite dominating large spells of the second half, the Flying Eagles couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities, with South African goalkeeper Fletcher Lowe making crucial saves, especially against Emmanuel Chukwu and Israel Ayuma.
Although Nigeria missed out on the final, their semi-final qualification had already earned them a spot at the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup.
10. FC Barcelona Crowned 2024–2025 Spanish La Liga Champions
FC Barcelona have officially secured the 2024–2025 La Liga title after a decisive 2-0 away win against city rivals RCD Espanyol on Thursday, May 15.
The Catalan giants clinched the championship with two games to spare after a season of impressive consistency. Seventeen-year-old winger Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, with Fermin López sealing the win deep into stoppage time.
Espanyol’s Leandro Cabrera was sent off in the 80th minute, dashing any hopes of a comeback.
With this result, Barcelona amassed 85 points from 36 matches, boasting 27 wins, 4 draws, and 5 losses, with a goal difference of +61. Their title win also guarantees participation in the 2025–2026 UEFA Champions League.
That wraps up today’s top stories from Nigeria. For more updates, visit Naturenex. See you again tomorrow.
