Author: Hamza Rufai

JULIUS Bokoru, Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to former Minister of Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, has condemned the sealing of his principal’s Maitama residence in Abuja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Bokoru expressed his displeasure in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Monday, titled “A grave breach of decency: EFCC’s attempted raid and defacement of Sylva’s family home.” In November, the EFCC declared Sylva wanted over an alleged $14.8m fraud. Earlier, agents of the military intelligence raided his Abuja home, arresting his brother and driver over his alleged link to an alleged failed coup…

JUSTICE James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja, has rejected an application filed by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, seeking his transfer from the Sokoto Correctional Centre, to a custodial facility within the Federal Capital Territory or neighbouring Nasarawa State. News Point Nigeria reports that Kanu, through the Legal Aid Council, had approached the court with an ex-parte application requesting an order directing the Federal Government or the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to immediately move him from Sokoto to either Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja or Keffi Custodial Centre in Nasarawa. In the…

VICE President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, for the inauguration of Cote d’Ivore President, Alassane Ouattara. News Point Nigeria reports that 83-year-old incumbent was declared winner of the presidential election on October 2. He won a fourth term with 89.77 percent of the ballots cast. His swearing in ceremony would hold at Presidential Palace in Abidjan on December 8, and Shettima is representing President Bola Tinubu. “He was received on arrival at the airport by Côte d’Ivoire’s Prime Minister, Mr. Robert Mambe; the Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire, Mrs. Item Akpama; and other…

NATIONAL Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu hosted a delegation from the United States Congress in Abuja on Sunday, continuing security discussions between Nigeria and the US. Ribadu, sharing the update on X, noted that the visit follows prior meetings in Washington, D.C., which focused on areas of mutual security interest and cooperation. “This morning, I received a US Congressional delegation on a fact-finding mission to Nigeria, following our earlier engagements in Washington, DC, on shared security priorities,” he said. “The delegation included Rep. @MarioDB Mario Díaz-Balart, Rep. @NormaJTorres Norma Torres, Rep. @RepFranklin Scott Franklin, Rep. @RepCiscomani Juan Ciscomani, and Rep. @RepRileyMoore…

SENATE President Godswill Akpabio says he has filed no fresh charges against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. News Point Nigeria reports that Akpabio, in a statement by his Special Assistant On Media, Jackson Udom, described as misleading and incorrect, that the Senate President had “just filed” a N200bn suit against her. “Her claim that the matter was “just filed” is therefore false, misleading, and intended to distort public understanding of the case,” Udom said in a statement on Saturday. The statement read in part that,” The suit was filed over three months ago. Its progress was temporarily delayed by routine administrative processes…

NIGERIA Will Win because President Bola Tinubu introduced fertility drugs into the Nigerian economy. Governor Hope Uzodimma, Imo Governor and National Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors disclosed in Lagos. News Point Nigeria reports that according to him the economic reforms introduced by President Tinubu have begun to yield results. “ Nigeria was like a  barren woman looking for a child before President Bola Tinubu came. He introduced the fertility drugs needed. Yes they came with pains, but we are seeing results. We are not after excuses. We are interested in results”. He spoke at the South West Zone APC…

THE Peoples Democratic Party has condemned the defection of 17 Rivers State lawmakers to the All Progressives Congress, describing their action as reckless and an act of betrayal carried out at a critical moment for the state’s democracy. News Point Nigeria reports that PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, said the lawmakers had portrayed themselves as “enemies of democracy by abandoning the platform through which they were elected.” He accused them of undermining the mandate of Rivers people and destabilising the legislature for partisan gain. Seventeen members of the Rivers State House of Assembly,…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a medical doctor accused of treating wounded kidnappers and supplying medical drugs to armed gangs operating inside forests in parts of Kwara State. News Point Nigeria reports that the doctor, whose identity was still being withheld by security agencies as of press time, was intercepted in the Jebba axis following weeks of intelligence tracking. According to security sources, the arrest followed credible reports indicating that couriers had been moving medical supplies from Sokoto to Kwara, where bandits recovering from gunshot injuries were being treated in remote forest hideouts. Sources familiar with the…

THE Senate on Thursday raised a national alarm over what it called a “widespread and scientifically verified lead-poisoning disaster” devastating Ogijo, a densely populated community straddling the Ikorodu area of Lagos and the Ogun East Senatorial District. News Point Nigeria reports that the Lawmakers said the tragedy, caused by emissions from multiple used lead-acid battery recycling factories operating in the area, has matured into what one senator described as “a full-scale public health emergency that is silently destroying an entire generation.” Tokunbo Abiru, who sponsored the motion alongside Senator Gbenga Daniel, warned that the scale of contamination in Ogijo was…

THE Senate has demanded full disclosure from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over the alleged non-remittance of ₦1.44 trillion operating surplus, even as the apex bank declared that the Nigerian economy is now enjoying its most stable period in more than a decade. News Point Nigeria reports that the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, chaired by Senator Tokunbo Abiru, issued the directive on Wednesday during its statutory briefing with the CBN leadership. Abiru said the Auditor-General’s query on the unremitted funds must be addressed with clarity, documentation, and transparency, insisting that institutional credibility depended on…

THE Senate has completed the screening of the three ambassadorial nominees forwarded to the upper chamber by President Bola Tinubu for confirmation. They are Kayode Are (Ogun State), Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa State), and Ayodele Oke (Oyo State). The nominees, who appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs chaired by Senator Sani Bello (APC, Niger North), were screened by the panel. The committee’s report is expected to be presented at plenary for consideration and possible confirmation in due course. Speaking during the session, Senator Bello disclosed that Ayodele Oke had addressed and cleared all allegations previously raised against him. President…

THE Senate has summoned key members of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to explain the alleged collapse and mismanagement of the Safe School Initiative, a multi-million-dollar programme created to secure schools from attacks across Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that the summons was issued on Wednesday during the inaugural sitting of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee probing the failure of the scheme. The committee, chaired by former Abia State governor and Senator for Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, is expected to receive the ministers next Tuesday. Others to appear…

THE Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday began the screening of three ambassadorial nominees forwarded to the upper chamber by President Bola Tinubu. News Point Nigeria reports that the nominees, Kayode Are (Ogun State), Aminu Dalhatu (Jigawa State), and Ayodele Oke (Oyo State), were earlier transmitted to the Senate in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary last week. This newspaper reports that the three-man list was released ahead of 32 additional names from the President. Their appearance before the committee, chaired by former Niger State Governor, Senator Sani Bello, marked the beginning of their legislative…

FORMER Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs in Kano State, Muhammad Garba, has sharply criticised the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) led government over what he described as an “embarrassingly poor and unacceptable” execution of the 2025 budget, accusing the administration of prioritising propaganda over governance. News Point Nigeria reports that Garba, who serves as Chief of Staff to the former APC National Chairman, was reacting on Tuesday to a budget performance review published by Solacebase, which revealed extremely low capital spending across critical ministries between January and September 2025. According to the report, the Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry…

SENATOR Danjuma Goje, representing Gombe Central, has clarified that there was no rift between him and Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s rowdy session, describing the incident as a routine parliamentary procedure. News Point Nigeria reports that Goje offered the clarification during Wednesday’s plenary, a day after he confronted Akpabio over what he called an “unparliamentary act” during proceedings. The senator, who had raised a point of order citing procedural rules, said his actions were misinterpreted by sections of the media. “My intention in calling that order was not to go against the Senate President personally or to fight him,”…

THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has not yet submitted the 2025 Hajj report to President Bola Tinubu, six months after the pilgrimage. This breaches the NAHCON (Establishment) Act 2022, insiders have said. The Act requires that the commission submit a Hajj report within three months of the pilgrimage. Section 20 (1) states that, “The Commission shall, not later than three months after Arafat Day, prepare and submit to the President, under whose Office the Commission shall operate, a report on the pilgrimage for each year.” Subsection 2 (a) specifies that the “Commission shall at the end of each…

AMID renewed national security challenges, the Senate has announced a major shake-up of several standing committees, fulfilling its earlier pledge to reconstitute the committee on National Security and Intelligence. News Point Nigeria reports that the announcement was made during plenary on Tuesday by the Senate Selection Committee chaired by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio. Under the new arrangement, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi of Kebbi State is now named Chairman of the Senate committee on National Security and Intelligence. He previously headed the committee on National Planning. The Senate also restructured the committee on Livestock and animal husbandry, appointing…

THE United States House Appropriations Committee will host a joint congressional briefing on Tuesday to examine the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria. US Congressman Riley Moore shared a notice on X sighted by News Point Nigeria, confirming that House Appropriations Committee Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chair Mario Díaz-Balart will lead the session. He will be joined by colleagues from the Appropriations Committee, as well as members of the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees. The briefing will also feature input from representatives of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and other subject-matter experts. According to the…

FORMER Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has firmly ruled out the possibility of accepting a vice-presidential slot in the 2027 general elections, insisting that he is solely in the race to become Nigeria’s next president. News Point Nigeria reports that Amaechi’s position comes amid growing speculation following comments by media entrepreneur and political ally of Atiku Abubakar, Dele Momodu, who recently suggested that the former Rivers State governor could be considered as a running mate to the former Vice President—especially if Peter Obi declines a joint ticket with Atiku. Momodu, speaking in an interview, argued that many Nigerians underestimate Amaechi’s…

FORMER National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, has formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing neglect by his former party during his years of political and personal travails. News Point Nigeria reports that Metuh announced his defection on Sunday during a thanksgiving service in Abuja to commemorate his 60th birthday, marking his return to active partisan politics after publicly withdrawing from the political scene three years ago. The event drew a high-powered delegation of political heavyweights from across party lines, including the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma; former President…