Nigerian News: Morning Headlines – 26 October 2026

INEC To Address Omitted Candidates’ Petitions On Thursday

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will address concerns raised by aggrieved candidates omitted from the final list at its next meeting on Thursday, October 29, sources at the commission have said.

This followed a flurry of petitions submitted to the commission’s headquarters by candidates challenging the omission of their names from party lists ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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NCDC Monitors 53 Contacts Linked To Nigeria’s Ebola Case

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) is monitoring 53 primary contacts linked to the country’s confirmed Ebola case, as investigations expand to multiple locations.

Director-General Dr Jide Idris disclosed this at a press briefing on Sunday. He said 44 of the contacts were associated with the health facility where the patient was treated, while nine were identified outside the facility.

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NDC Names Dickson, Obi To Lead 2027 Campaign Council

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has constituted its National Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections.

The party named its National Leader, Senator Henry Dickson, as chairman and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as co-chairman. It announced the appointments in a statement posted on its X account on Sunday.

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Taraba Attack Death Toll Rises To 50 – Amnesty

The death toll from an attack by gunmen in Taraba State has risen to at least 50, Amnesty International said on Sunday, after more bodies were discovered.

Gunmen on motorcycles, from a suspected “bandit” gang, swarmed Binnari in eastern Taraba shortly after Friday prayers, killing dozens of people. Several residents have been missing since the attack.

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IGP Proposes 200% Gratuity For Retired Police Officers

Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has proposed a 200 per cent gratuity for retired police officers to address longstanding pension challenges in the Nigeria Police Force.

The proposal is being considered by a presidential committee set up to examine the concerns of police personnel and recommend sustainable solutions to the pension crisis.

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Police Arrest School Bus Driver For Kidnapping, Assaulting 14-Year-Old In Delta

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested a 28-year-old school bus driver, Onome Ughagha, for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old female student in Sapele.

Command spokesperson SP Bright Edafe said in a statement on Sunday that the suspect was arrested after he reportedly demanded and collected N503,000 in ransom from the student’s father.

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NDLEA Arrests Two Women With Cocaine, Cannabis At Lagos Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman, Qhina Beauty, with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The agency also arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother, Anetor Gloria Ubong, with 9.45 kilogrammes of high-grade cannabis, known as loud, allegedly imported from the United States.

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Mother, Child Killed As Container-Laden Trucks Overturn In Lagos

A mother and her child have been killed after two trucks laden with 20ft containers overturned at Mile 2, by Freeman Market, inward Apapa, Lagos State.

LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq, said in a statement on Sunday that the victims were trapped beneath the trucks and their containers, sustaining fatal injuries.

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Remaining Two Bodies Recovered After Akuku-Toru Boat Accident

The bodies of the two remaining victims of Tuesday’s boat accident at Robertkiri, along the Kula waterways in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, have been recovered.

They were reportedly recovered on Saturday evening, and their identities were revealed. Five bodies were recovered three days earlier, bringing the total number of corpses recovered to seven.

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IPOB Alleges Secret Transfer Of 68 Detained Biafrans

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has alleged that 68 detained Biafrans were secretly transferred from Wawa Barracks to correctional facilities in Kuje, Keffi and Suleja.

The group accused the Federal Government of using the justice system to prolong their detention. It also alleged that the Court of Appeal had yet to list an appeal challenging the conviction of its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

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SERAP Sues FG Over ₦78.8bn Cash Transfer Allegations

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued the Federal Government over alleged irregularities involving ₦78.8 billion allocated to cash-transfer programmes for vulnerable Nigerians.

It is asking the court to compel the government to investigate, recover any misused funds and take action against those responsible. The Auditor-General reportedly questioned ₦33.751bn said to have been transferred to households in 2023, citing inadequate records to verify payments.

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NDC Unveils Campaign Council List For Obi, Others

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has released its national campaign council list ahead of the 2027 elections, via a post by National Publicity Director Osa Director on Sunday.

Seriake Dickson is chairman of the National Campaign Caucus, with Peter Obi as co-chairman. National Chairman Senator Cleopas Zuwoghe is vice chairman, while vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso is co-vice chairman. Babachir Lawal heads the advisory council.

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Ebola: NCDC Identifies 53 Contacts, Rules Out Rivers Case

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified 53 primary contacts linked to the country’s confirmed Ebola case, as surveillance intensifies.

A suspected case in Rivers State tested negative, the agency said.

Director-General Dr Jide Idris said at a briefing in Abuja on Sunday: “We have established two suspected cases and 53 primary contact links. They are primary contacts. We have an isolation centre and a quarantine centre.”

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Aisha Yesufu Warns Of Possible Last-Minute Election Postponement

Activist and politician Aisha Yesufu has raised the alarm over a possible plan to rig the 2027 general elections through a last-minute postponement.

In a post on X on Sunday, she said she suspected the polls could be shifted by a week on the eve of the election, which would deplete candidates’ resources. She urged opposition politicians to anticipate every scenario but avoid wrong methods.

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Presidency Vows To Politically Retire Atiku, Obi In January

The Presidency has vowed that African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate Peter Obi will be politically retired in January.

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Olusegun Dada, wrote on X on Sunday: “We will retire Atiku and his lying brother Peter politically in January once and for all.”

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NCDC Approves ₦100,000 Weekly Payment For Ebola Contacts

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved a weekly payment of ₦100,000 for each person identified as a contact of an Ebola patient.

Director-General Dr Jide Idris announced this on Sunday, October 25, saying some people under monitoring had complained of financial hardship, including difficulty feeding themselves and their families while complying with health authorities’ instructions.

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Peller Rejects Divorce Calls, Cites Prison Term, Property Loss

TikToker Peller has dismissed calls for him to divorce his wife, Jarvis, over their public disagreement.

During a live video on social media, he said divorce could expose him to a four-year prison sentence and require him to surrender 30 per cent of his property, noting that his court marriage came with responsibilities and consequences he was not prepared to ignore.

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Toluwanisings’ Father Speaks On Burial Plans Amid Dispute

The father of late gospel singer Olayemi Bolaji, known as Toluwanisings, says he prefers that his son be buried in the house he built, not in a burial ground.

Reports suggest he wants burial at the house or in Ikirun, Osun State, where the singer’s mother was buried, while the wife reportedly prefers a cemetery in Ibadan.

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Premier League: Bournemouth Thrash Man United As Liverpool, Newcastle Win

Bournemouth won 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday, October 25, extending Manchester United’s winless run to eight games and increasing pressure on manager Michael Carrick.

Rayan, Marcus Tavernier and Evanilson scored, while Liverpool and Newcastle United also won. It was United’s third defeat in four home matches and Bournemouth’s fourth consecutive win in all competitions.

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NFF Hails Iwobi As He Equals Salah’s Premier League Appearance Record

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has congratulated Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi after he equalled Mohamed Salah’s record of 328 Premier League appearances by an African player.

Iwobi reached the milestone on Saturday, October 24, as Fulham beat Coventry City 1-0. He is 25 appearances short of Kolo Touré’s 353.