Author: Amina Ibrahim

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, on Monday night, said it did not pay N20bn to ghost consultants as alleged by an online medium (not News Point Nigeria). “NNPC Ltd read with utmost dismay, a report by an online platform alleging: paying the sum of N20bn to ghost consultants, and theft of multi-billion naira tax due to the Ogun State Government. “NNPC Ltd wishes to state that as a responsible corporate organisation, it does not have or deal with ghost consultants. At NNPC Ltd, the process of engaging consultants whenever the need arises is clear and verifiable and follows global…

THE Federal High Court Lagos has granted an order of interim forfeiture of the sum of N725 million and property located in the Banana Island area of Ikoyi, Lagos, allegedly diverted from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Both are to be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Justice Tijjani Ringim gave the order following an exparte application filed and argued by Bilkisu Buhari, a counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The application was brought pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006…

POPULAR Nollywood Actress, Mercy Aigbe, has converted to Islam. The actress and her husband, Kazeem Adeoti had hosted friends, colleagues, and family to a Ramadan lecture, at the weekend. Following the success of the event, the actress was interviewed where she confirmed converting to Islam. In a widely circulated video, she was seen reintroducing herself with names that included a Muslim title. She urged Nigerians to address her as Hajiya Meenah Mercy Adeoti. “In Sha Allah, My new name is Hajia Meenah Mercy Adeoti. Meenah with the H. I’m so so so excited. I feel fulfilled actually. This is actually…

A LAWMAKER representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume says the leadership of the yet-to-be inaugurated 10th National Assembly should be open and not zoned to geopolitical locations in Nigeria. Ndume, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics monitored by News Point Nigeria, also said he is waiting on his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to make a decision on the leadership of the incoming Senate and House of Representatives. Senator Ali Ndume says the Senate President seat is not regionally based but purely a decision to be made by the lawmakers. The APC won majority…

THE governors of the 36 states of the federation will on Tuesday meet with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over the security votes in their respective domains. Also expected at the meeting are the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), spokesman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, said in a statement. The planned meeting, which will be virtual, is to ensure full attendance by all the relevant officers in the matter. Bello-Barkindo stated that the governors as well as the…

THE United Arab Emirates president named his eldest son as the crown prince of Abu Dhabi late on Wednesday, making him the oil-rich Gulf monarchy’s likely next leader and cementing his family’s hold on power. President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan tapped Sheikh Khaled, 41, his jiu-jitsu-loving son, as the crown prince of the UAE’s richest emirate — a position traditionally held by the leader-in-waiting. It was part of the biggest political shake-up since Sheikh Mohamed, 62, sometimes known as “MBZ” and the UAE’s long-time de facto ruler, became president last May following the death of his half-brother Sheikh…

PAYSTACK Co-founder and CEO Shola Akinlade has bought a 55 percent stake in a second division Danish club, Aarhus Fremad. This was made public Tuesday in a statement on the website of local football club Sporting Lagos also founded by the 37-year-old entrepreneur. “We’re delighted to announce our investment in Danish club, Aarhus Fremad. Founded in June 1947, Aarhus Fremad is currently top of the Danish 2nd Division — the third tier of the Danish football league system,” he said. “We’re excited about this development because this is a chance for us to learn from a community-focused club with similar values.”…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the presentation of certificates of return to the governors-elect in 26 states where winners have been declared following the conclusion of the March 18 elections. Also, certificates are to be presented to the lawmakers-elect in the relevant state legislatures across the 36 states of the federation. In a statement last Saturday, INEC National Commissioner, Festus Okoye had noted that Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 provides that the Commission is mandated to issue a certificate of return within 14 days to every candidate who has been returned elected under the law.…

THE Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the appointment of AIG Egbetokun Olukayode Adeolu as a Deputy Inspector General of Police and will be representing the South West Geopolitical Zone of the Country. DIG Egbetokun will be replacing DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo who retired on March 15th this year. According to a statement by PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, the Commission also approved the promotion of twenty four Commissioners of Police to the next rank of Assistant Inspectors General of Police and Thirty three Deputy Commissioners of Police to substantive Commissioners of Police. The appointment and promotions were some of the…

THE Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha says plans are on course to ensure a smooth, peaceful and formal transfer of power to the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu on May 29. He stated this during the meeting of the Presidential Transition Committee on Tuesday. Mustapha said despite litigations arising from the presidential elections, President Muhammadu Buhari won’t spend one more day as President after the expiration of his tenure. “President Muhammadu Buhari is not spending a day extra after May 29 to hand over power to whoever has been declared by INEC. “The court processes will continue…

VICE-PRESIDENT Yemi Osinbajo has urged world leaders to put aside their differences and work toward eliminating terrorism in Africa. Osinbajo made the call in a lecture delivered at King’s College, London where he decried terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa. Stating that terrorism has escalated the existing problems, the Vice President urged world leaders to recognise that terrorism in any part of the world is a threat to humanity as a whole. “The more pressing problem today is the encroachment by franchises of global terror groups into Africa; although many African countries have acted vigorously to tackle these terrorist…

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have suspended their planned strike scheduled to commence on Wednesday over the scarcity of naira notes. The labour unions made this known at the end of their National Executive Council meeting on Tuesday. Recall that the labour unions had threatened to embark on a nationwide from Wednesday, March 29, 2023 if issues like the cash crunch, fuel scarcity and electricity tariff increase are not addressed by the government. NLC President, Joe Ajaero said after receiving briefings from its state councils in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,…

THE House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government to immortalise late elder statesman Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya. The House made the resolution on Tuesday, following a motion from the member representing Ijebu Ode/Odogbolu/Ijebu North East Federal Constituency, Kolapo Osunsanya. The Lower Chamber held a moment of silence in his honour and stated that a delegation would be sent to visit his family in Lagos. Diya’s death was announced in a statement by his son, Prince Oyesinmilola Diya, on Sunday morning. The late general, who was the chief of staff under the late head of state General Sani Abacha, died…

THE Peoples Democratic (PDP) has appointed Umar Damagum as the acting National Chairman of the party.  “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at an emergency meeting today, Tuesday, March 28, 2023, acknowledge the Order of the Benue State High Court, dated March 27, 2023, with regards to the Chairmanship position of our great Party,” the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said in a statement. “After a careful consideration of the Court Order and in line with Section 45 (2) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017), the NWC resolved…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) says it has intercepted criminal gangs in various parts of the country, recovering different kinds of weapons from them. A statement by the DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, on Sunday, said the secret police carried out a joint operation with sister security agencies in Kogi State on 26th March 2023. Afunanya said the security team intercepted a six-man criminal gang at Gegu Beki, along the Lokoja-Abuja Road during the operation. While the gang includes Col. AU Suleiman (rtd), Barr. MK Aminu, Kabir Abdullahi, Isah Umar, Kadir Echi, and Adama Abdulkarim, items recovered from the members…

THE United Kingdom has expressed displeasure over controversial comments made by Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In an interview with Nigeria Info FM on Sunday, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, faulted the APC chieftain for his statements and said a number of high profile Nigerians are currently on visa ban list. Fani-Kayode is also the APC presidential campaign council’s director of new media. News Point Nigeria reported that the United Kingdom, lastweek, said it had embarked on an exercise of collating information with the aim to impose…

OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested a businessman, Molokwu Nwachukwu, who frequents China, Dubai, Pakistan, and Vietnam, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos for concealing thirty-six (36) parcels of cocaine in different parts of his check-in bags, hand luggage and two pairs of slippers, while heading to Southeast Asia. Molokwu was arrested at the screening point of the MMIA Terminal 2 while attempting to board his flight to Vietnam on Wednesday 22nd March. A total of thirty-six parcels of whitish powdery substance that tested positive to Cocaine with a gross weight of…

NIGERIA’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya has challenged Reuters to provide evidence to substantiate its claim of abortion of 10,000 pregnancies, massacre of children and other Sexual and Gender Based Violations leveled against the Armed Forces, News Point Nigeria reports that, the COAS issued the challenge while testifying before the Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in Counter Insurgency Operations in the North East, insisting that it appears that Reuters is acting a script to rubbish successes in the North East. Making reference to the Reuters report, he said “some people are gifted in writing…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it will issue certificates of return to newly elected governors, deputy governors-elect and State Assembly members-elect from Wednesday to Friday. In a statement made available to News Point Nigeria late Saturday, INEC National Commissioner, Festus Okoye said by the provisions of Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, the Commission is mandated to issue a certificate of return within 14 days to every candidate who has been returned elected under the law. “Pursuant to the above provision, the Commission has fixed Wednesday 29th, Thursday 30th and Friday 31st March 2023 for the issuance…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has warned politicians to desist from peddling “hate speech” and all forms of “false narratives” to ignite violence or pit citizens against the President Muhammadu Buhari government or the incoming administration of the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu. In a statement on Saturday, DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, said violence will consume politicians inciting the breakdown of law and order. The secret police warning followed a petition by the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo that the DSS invite the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi; and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, over their…