Top 10 Stories in Nigeria You Need to Know This Thursday Morning

These are the top stories in Nigeria you need to know today:

1. Tinubu orders crackdown on killers of Benue residents

President Bola Tinubu has directed Nigeria’s security agencies to swiftly apprehend perpetrators of the mass killing, believed to have been carried out by herdsmen, in Benue State’s Yelewata community, where over 200 people were slain. He visited Makurdi, pressed police about the lack of arrests, and pledged justice for victims amid criticism over his delayed response.

2. Dangote refinery to export first gasoline cargo to Asia

The Dangote Refinery will dispatch its inaugural 90,000-metric-ton gasoline shipment to Asia on June 22, expanding its reach beyond West Africa. The move reflects growing confidence in Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity and signals the country’s evolving role in the global fuel supply chain.

3. US travel ban could hurt ECOWAS trade deals, Nigeria warns

Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar cautions that extended US visa restrictions on ECOWAS citizens may obstruct trade in energy and rare earths between Nigeria and West Africa.

4. Northern senators urge FG to equip military with modern weapons 

Northern senators have urged the federal government to urgently equip the military and security agencies with modern weapons to effectively combat terrorism and insurgency, especially following the recent mass killings in Benue, Plateau, Borno, and Zamfara states. They emphasised that sending condolences is no longer enough; without enhanced firepower, terrorists will continue to exploit Nigeria’s security gaps.

5. EFCC vows to prevent re‑looting of recovered assets

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede has pledged that assets seized from corruption will never again be misappropriated after recovery, emphasising the agency’s commitment to transparency and accountability. Speaking in Kaduna after officially transferring the former Nok University, which was seized for being built with illicit funds, to the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Olukoyede said, “Never in the history of this country will we allow recovered assets to be re‑looted again.”

6. Access Bank to meet forbearance conditions by June 30, says shareholders will be paid dividends

Access Bank has assured shareholders that it will fully meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) forbearance conditions, relating to single obligor limits and credit facilities, by June 30, 2025, while upholding its dividend policy. In a formal filing, the bank confirmed compliance with the CBN’s single obligor limit and pledged to adhere to all related directives before the deadline.

7. Tor Tiv to Tinubu: Benue attack is a calculated genocidal invasion, not farmer-herder clash

Benue’s traditional ruler, the Tor Tiv, emphatically rejected the notion that recent massacres in the state are mere farmer-herder clashes, describing them instead as a “calculated, well‑planned, full‑scale genocidal invasion and land‑grabbing campaign” by herder terrorists and bandits that has ravaged communities for decades. He warned that mislabeling the crisis as communal violence misguides both public perception and government intervention.

8. Tinubu forms peace panel to turn Benue tragedy into economic opportunity

In the aftermath of the Yelewata and Daudu community attacks that claimed over 200 lives in Guma LGA, President Bola Tinubu has set up an inclusive peace committee, including traditional rulers, former governors, federal and state officials, to address recurring violence and foster lasting harmony in Benue State. At a stakeholders’ meeting in Makurdi, he expressed determination to “convert this tragedy to prosperity,” directing regional cooperation, security intensification, and the committee’s first session in Abuja to develop an actionable peace framework.

9. TCN says power sector owes it ₦457 billion in unpaid debts

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has revealed that it is currently owed ₦457 billion for services rendered to the country’s electricity industry as of March 2025. The company’s Managing Director, Sule Abdulaziz, made the disclosure during a workshop for power sector journalists held in Keffi, Nasarawa State. Represented by Oluwagbenga Ajiboye, TCN’s Executive Director of Transmission Services, Abdulaziz explained that the debt includes ₦217 billion in legacy arrears accumulated over previous years, along with ₦240 billion from more recent transactions.

10. Ex-VP Namadi Sambo moves to APC ahead of 2027 elections

Former Vice President Alhaji Namadi Sambo has formally left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), becoming the latest high-profile switch as major political figures realign ahead of the 2027 general elections. Sambo, who served as Vice President under President Goodluck Jonathan (2010–2015) and previously governed Kaduna State, defected during a ceremony in Kaduna, where members of his political base followed him, highlighting the growing momentum for the APC in traditionally PDP-leaning areas.