The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has cautioned students against applying for education loans they do not need, emphasising that the scheme is voluntary and designed to assist those who cannot afford the cost of their studies.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The fund clarified that students who can comfortably pay their tuition fees and other educational expenses without financial assistance are under no obligation to apply for the loans.

NELFUND disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday and signed by its Director of Strategic Communications, Oseyemi Oluwatuyi.

According to the agency, the student loan scheme was established to ensure that financial difficulties do not prevent eligible Nigerians from pursuing higher education.

It stressed that making the programme compulsory for all students, regardless of their financial circumstances, would undermine its original purpose.

“The student loan scheme is a support mechanism, not an obligation,” the fund stated.

NELFUND urged tertiary institutions, student leaders and other stakeholders to provide accurate information about the programme and guide students who genuinely require financial assistance through the application process.

The agency also highlighted that the loans are interest-free, describing them as an option for students struggling to meet the financial demands of their education.

However, it reminded prospective applicants that the loans must be repaid in accordance with the provisions of the Student Loans Act.

The fund advised students to carefully review the terms and conditions of the facility before applying to ensure they understand their repayment obligations and avoid potential difficulties in the future.

NELFUND reiterated that its primary objective is to ensure that eligible Nigerian students are not denied access to educational opportunities because of financial constraints.

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The Federal Capital Territory chapter of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Solidarity Front, BATSOF-FCT, was on Tuesday inaugurated in Abuja with a charge to members to take the Renewed Hope Agenda to every ward in the Territory.

In his inaugural address, the Convener of BATSOF-FCT, Hon. Bola Asiru Balogun, commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barr. Nyesom Wike, for making Abuja work again and for providing an enabling environment for grassroots mobilisation.

According to him, Wike’s excellent performance as FCT Minister has made the task of the group easier by 50 percent.
He said BATSOF is not just another support group, but a movement that has existed since 2003.

“BATSOF was formed in Lagos not only to mobilise votes for the re-election of Asiwaju as second term Governor, but to propagate and defend his leadership ideals, now captioned as Renewed Hope Agenda, and to promote it as a panacea for equality and service delivery amongst public leaders,” Balogun said.

He disclosed that BATSOF-FCT will focus on three key objectives in the build-up to the 2027 general elections.
“One, to defend the Renewed Hope Agenda with facts and figures, not propaganda. Two, to explain the reforms of Mr. President to the common man at the grassroots. Three, to deliver votes and goodwill for Asiwaju and all APC candidates in the FCT come 2027,” he said.

Balogun urged members to counter fake news being spread by the opposition on social media with verifiable projects on ground.

“Distinguished guests, look around Abuja today, development has been made. Our job is to go ward to ward to tell the story, because the opposition is spreading fake news on social media, but we have real projects on ground to counter their false narrative,” he stated.

He announced that from today, BATSOF will be present in all 62 wards of the six Area Councils of the FCT, not as noise makers but as grassroots mobilisers.

“Today, as BATSOF FCT executive gets inaugurated, our loyalty is to Mr. President, we will be loyal to the party, APC, to the FCT Administration and work day and night to ensure that President Tinubu gets massive votes in the FCT in 2027. We shall collaborate with other groups to bring this to reality,” he said.

The Convener recalled that BATSOF delivered in 2003 when South-West states were lost to the opposition, yet Asiwaju was returned as Lagos State Governor for a second term.

“We want to break the jinx of a ruling party not winning a second term in general elections in the Federal Capital Territory and deliver massive votes for Mr. President as our compensation for his performance in this first term, thereby changing the narrative in his time as President and the APC as a political party,” he added.

He therefore called on all members, both new and old, to return to their various wards and open BATSOF ward offices, even in their sitting rooms if they have no office.

“Hold small meetings, explain the Renewed Hope Agenda to the electorate. Identify five people on each street in your neighbourhood and convince them to join the progressives,” Balogun charged.

CHIEF DAYO LAWAL DIRECTOR, MEDIA & PUBLICITY BATSOF-FCT 20/10/2026

One of the prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) rescued from kidnappers in Imo State has recounted the horrifying conditions they endured in captivity, revealing that their abductors beat them and forced them to survive on dry garri and dirty water in a forest.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking in an interview with the BBC, the victim disclosed that the kidnappers monitored conversations between captives and their families, assaulting them whenever they were displeased with anything said during the calls.

She was among 20 prospective corps members and another passenger abducted on October 1, 2026, while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

According to her account, the kidnappers allowed the victims to contact their relatives using a phone but subjected them to physical punishment if their conversations provoked the abductors.

She said, “We are given a phone to call our family, and if any family say anything they don’t want to hear or any rubbish that would make them angry, we will be beaten.

“That person will be beaten, used the gun, wood. Sometimes they use their hands to punch them, mostly the guys.”

Recounting the circumstances surrounding the abduction, the victim explained that their journey began at about 9 a.m., with the vehicle making several stops along the way.

She said the driver eventually stopped after reaching a stretch of road considered dangerous, and the passengers were advised to rest before continuing their journey.

The prospective corps member added that she had informed her family they would spend the night in a public place before going to sleep.

However, she said she woke up to find herself caught up in the abduction and could not understand how she had been taken to the forest where they were initially held.

“When I woke up, that was when the incident happened. I don’t know how we got to the forest where we were kept for some time,” she recounted.

The victim said the abductors later moved them further into the forest, where access to food and clean drinking water was severely limited.

Describing their living conditions, she revealed that the captives survived mainly on dry garri and muddy water, despite the poor quality of the water.

“What we are eating there is just garri. Like Igbo garri, dry garri with mud water. Very dirty water. I can’t even give my enemy that water. We don’t have a choice, we have to take it for survival,” she said.

She also described the emotional distress she experienced during captivity, explaining that the situation left her confused, frightened and unable to process what was happening.

“I can’t explain how I felt. I can’t even cry, I was just looking, I was lost. I don’t know what to do,” she said.

“It felt like it was a movie. I don’t believe that this is happening to me.”

The victim further disclosed that she feared she might not survive the ordeal before security operatives intervened.

She expressed gratitude to the government and security personnel, particularly operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), whom she credited with helping to secure their release.

“The government, the DSS staff, we were rescued by them,” she stated.

The prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 when gunmen reportedly attacked two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road near Umunoha in Imo State.

They regained their freedom on October 7 following a coordinated security operation and were subsequently taken to a DSS medical facility in Owerri for treatment.