Compilations of latest happenings that you need to know in Nigeria Today, Thursday 20th November, 2025
Terrorists Attack Another Kwara Community, Abduct Four Farmers Day After Eruku Invasion
Terrorists have launched yet another attack in Kwara State, abducting four rice farmers in Bokungi Village, Edu Local Government Area.
This is barely 24 hours after gunmen invaded a church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the latest incident occurred on Wednesday evening while the victims were working on their rice farms during the peak of the harvest season.
According to a community source, the attackers arrived suddenly and surrounded the farmers as they were gathering their harvested rice.
‘It has been confirmed that bandits struck again at Bokungi under the Lafiagi Emirate.
Four people were abducted. Information is still emerging,” the source said.
Residents said the gunmen operated for several minutes without resistance, forcing the farmers into the nearby bush before whisking them away toward an unknown destination.
Tragedy as 16 NYSC prospective corps members die on their way to Gombe camp, 2 battle for life
Sixteen prospective corps members from Adeyemi Federal University of Education (AFUED), Ondo, have reportedly died in a tragic road accident while traveling to the Gombe NYSC orientation camp.
Two others from the same institution are said to be in critical condition.
The students were on board an 18-seater bus headed to the camp when the fatal crash occurred, abruptly cutting short the dreams of the young Nigerians who were set to begin their national service.
Emergency officials rushed to the scene to recover the bodies and move the injured survivors to a nearby hospital for urgent medical care.
Authorities are yet to release an official statement on the cause of the accident, but investigations are underway.
The incident has cast a dark cloud over AFUED, where staff, students, and families are mourning the sudden loss.
Many have described the tragedy as a devastating blow to the institution and the nation at large.
ECOWAS Says Terrorists Threat Has Spread Across West Africa, Plans Deployment Of 5000 Troops
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has decried the rapid expansion of terrorism across the region, revealing that extremist violence is no longer confined to the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin but now threatens entire West Africa.
Speaking at a United Nations Security Council briefing in New York, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Alieu Omar Touray, said early-warning data from the bloc shows 450 terrorist attacks and more than 1,900 deaths recorded in 2025 alone.
“Terrorism has spread beyond the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin to affect almost all of West Africa,” Dr. Touray warned.
“The threat is now regional in scope, and our response must match that scale.”
He added that extremist groups are shifting tactics by launching what he described as “economic warfare”, targeting fuel supply lines and obstructing trade routes.
Dollar to Naira exchange rate today, November 20, 2025
The naira traded at roughly ₦1,451 to the US dollar in the official Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) on November 20, 2025, while the parallel (black) market quoted the dollar around ₦1,475.What happened todayNFEM (official, volume-weighted average) — ₦1,451/US$1.
This is the CBN-published daily fixing used as the market’s official reference.
Parallel market (informal/black market) — ₦1,475/US$1, leaving a premium of about ₦24–₦26 between the two windows as traders continue to price dollars in an active informal market.
Kebbi Senator Maidoki: ‘We Have Idea Of Schoolgirls’ Location, They Will Return In One Or Two Days’
The lawmaker representing Kebbi South in the Nigerian Senate, Senator Garba Maidoki, has expressed strong optimism that the schoolgirls abducted in the state earlier this week may return home soon, possibly within the next one or two days.
Speaking on a current affairs programme, Maidoki said security agencies had a clear sense of the kidnappers’ location and remained confident of swift progress.
“We have a fair idea where the girls are, and we are sure they have not moved outside the Kebbi South Senatorial District,” he stated.
“There is high hope that the girls will return home in one or two days.”
His comments come amid heightened public anxiety following Monday’s abduction of no fewer than 25 students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.
US Congressman Meets NSA Ribadu, IGP, Army Chief, Others Over Terrorist Killings In Nigeria
United States Congressman, Riley M. Moore, on Wednesday met with a delegation of senior Nigerian government officials led by Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser to the President of Nigeria, during the delegation’s visit to Washington, D.C.
The delegation present at the meeting included Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, NSA and Leader of the Delegation; Her Excellency Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police.
Also, Chief Lateef Olasunkami Fagbemi, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation; General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff; Lt. Gen. EAP Undiendeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence.
Others were; Ms. Idayat Hassan, Special Adviser to ONSA; Ambassador Ibrahim Babani, Director of Foreign Relations, ONSA; Ambassador Nuru Biu, Acting CDA, Embassy of Nigeria; and Paul Alabi, Political and Economic Section, Embassy of Nigeria.
According to a statement, the meeting,
“allowed for a frank, honest, and productive discussion about the ongoing persecution of Christians and ongoing terrorist threats in Nigeria and opportunities for strengthened cooperation and coordination between the United States and Nigeria to end the bloodshed.”
Detty December 2025: Ciara’s Lagos visit sets tone
Ahead of Detty December, American-Beninoise Grammy Award winning artist, Ciara has caused quite a stir in the Lagos social scene when she arrived to participate in the Lagos Fashion Week 2025, and actually walked the runway at the Federal Palace Hotel Ballroom, venue of the event.
It was her first visit since 2006 and apparently could not hide her excitement at the city’s transformation, saying the streets now look “clean and developed.”
She was officially welcomed at Lagos House Marina at a brunch hosted by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for creatives, including designers, artists and industry leaders who continue to put Lagos on the global map, according to the state’s number one citizen.
Expressing his delight, the governor said Ciara’s presence highlights the “growing global interest in Lagos as a hub for creativity and style.”
FG restates commitment to student safety, safe learning environment
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring safer learning environments for Nigerian students through continued support for the Safe School Initiative.
The Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, made this known in Abuja during the 2025 International Students’ Day celebration organised by the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement.
This was contained in a statement from the SA’s office on Thursday.
The statement quoted the minister as saying,
“The government would continue to ensure funding for education, teachers’ salaries, school‑feeding programmes, and safe learning environments through initiatives such as the Safe School Initiative.
Man finds gold worth N1.1 billion while trying to dig swimming pool in his backyard
A man has gone viral after unexpectedly stumbling upon gold worth millions while trying to install a swimming pool in his backyard.
The French man, whose identity remains anonymous, was renovating his house in Neuville-sur-Saone, near Lyon.
In May, while digging the space intended for a swimming pool, he discovered several gold bars buried underground, leaving him stunned.
Instead of keeping the discovery to himself, the homeowner immediately reported the gold to local authorities.
“I’m Fine”- Actor Itele Addresses Viral Sick-Bed Video, Confirms He’s Healthy
Nigerian actor and filmmaker Ibrahim Yekini, widely known as Itele D Icon, has dismissed circulating claims that he is bedridden.
In a video posted on Wednesday, November 19, the actor assured his fans that he is healthy and urged them to disregard the misinformation
Speculation about his health began after an emotional clip featuring his colleague, Kemity, surfaced on Facebook.
In the video, she claimed the actor was in a severe condition and unable to walk.
Addressing the situation, Itele explained that the footage Kemity shared was recorded several years ago when he was indeed ill.
He stressed that the video does not reflect his current state.
Reassuring his supporters, he reiterated that he is perfectly fine and asked everyone to ignore the false reports.
