Author: Amina Ibrahim

MANAGEMENT of Max Air Limited has approved the appointment of Alhaji Abubakar Dahiru Mangal as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company. The announcement was contained in a statement by the management on Monday. Alhaji Abubakar was appointed as the CEO to fill in the vacuum the death of his Uncle Alhaji Bashir Barau Mangal had created. Until his new appointment as CEO Abubakar has been the Deputy Director of Finance of the Airline. He holds BA. Economics from the American University of Nigeria Yola, MSc International Business Salford University, Manchester UK, MBA Finance and Investment Bayero University…

HUMAN rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana has called on the President Muhammdu Buhari to force the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, back to Nigeria or sack him. “I am completely flabbergasted that the President of the country has not intervened; either to call the state security to order or to call Mr Emefiele to return to the country or be fired,” the senior lawyer said. Acccording to Falana, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics and monitored by News Point Nigeria, the government should consider the enormous implication of the effect…

BANDITS armed with sophisticated guns on Sunday attacked the New Life For All Church in the Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, kidnapping at least 25 worshippers. Eyewitnesses told Channels Television that the terrorists riding on motorcycles invaded the church at Dan-Tsauni Gidan Haruna Community in the early hours of Sunday when faithfuls were in church. The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Aminu Masari on Christian Affairs, Ishaya Jurau also confirmed the attack to Channels Television. According to Jurau, security personnel are currently on top of the situation and are working tirelessly to rescue all the victims unhurt. He…

PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has assured that the nightmare of Ajaokuta Steel Company will be addressed if he emerges President in the forthcoming February 25 election. He also assured that the Inland Port in the State will be developed to help the inland water transportation system in the North and Nigeria as a whole. Atiku, who stated these during the PDP presidential campaign rally in Lokoja, Kogi State capital, on Saturday, said, “I am very happy with the people of Kogi state for this show of support, show of love, most of the challenges…

CHINA on Saturday reported almost 60,000 Covid-related deaths in just 20 days, the first major toll released by authorities since Beijing loosened virus restrictions in early December. The government has been widely accused of underreporting the number of coronavirus fatalities since the abandonment of its zero-Covid policy. Only a few dozen deaths had been recorded officially in December before Saturday’s announcement, despite evidence of crematoriums and hospitals being overrun. But a National Health Commission (NHC) official said Saturday that China had recorded 59,938 Covid-related deaths between December 8 and January 12. The figure refers only to deaths at medical facilities,…

GOVERNOR Bello Matawalle says the Zamfara State Government has identified no fewer than 199 ghost doctors who were in the state payroll that are yet to be found. Matawalle made this known while speaking to journalists in Maradun town, the headquarters of Maradun Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. According to the governor, though the state government was paying salaries to 280 doctors every month, it discovered only 81 doctors are active in the entire state. He further disclosed that he already met with the state chapter of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) on how to trace those 199…

THE Niger State Police Command says it has neutralised four gunmen in separate operations against suspected bandits and kidnappers in the state. A statement by the Niger State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Wasiu Abiodun on Friday said seven others were also arrested on vandalism and armed robbery claims. Abiodun stated that a distress call was received on January 12th around 11:55 pm from Maje village via Nasko Magama Local Government Area (LGA) where several suspected armed bandits were making efforts to invade a residence in the village. When the suspects’ sighted police tactical teams deployed from Nasko Division,…

A SERVING Deputy Director of the Niger State Ministry of Land Transportation, Umar Shehu Farouk, has been sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. Farouk was sentenced by the State High Court in Minna for demanding and receiving gratification of N11 million from a contractor. He was charged with a seven-count offence bordering on gratification and conferment of corrupt advantage upon himself. A statement issued by ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, revealed the development on Friday. Our soourcr reports that the ICPC Prosecutor, Osuobeni Ekoi Akpos, told the court how Farouk committed the offence. He said while serving as the Deputy Director of…

GOVERNOR Babagana Zulum of Borno has approved an 8-day addendum to the 2022/2023 schools academic calendar in the state. The state Commissioner for Education, Mr Lawan Wakilbe, who confirmed this on Friday in Maiduguri, said the approval was to enable staff and eligible students exercise their civic rights. He said that government declared eight days holidays for the upcoming general elections in February, to also enable the usage of schools as Collation Centres. NAN reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had fixed the Presidential and National Assembly elections for February 25, while governorship and state assembly elections will…

KADUNA State Fire Service said an inferno which occurred in the early hours of Friday has killed one Mohammadu Sani, his wife, Raulatu Sani, his son, Hashim Sani (8) and an infant, Fatima Sani. Mohammad Umar, Commander of the service in charge of Zaria Zone made this known in an interview with newsmen in Zaria on Friday. Umar said the outbreak occurred at around 1.00am on Hajiya Maituwo St., Low Cost Area Zaria, Zaria Local Government. He added that the fire service was called after the fire had already destroyed substantial part of the house. However, Umar added that the…

FIVE United Nations agencies have called for urgent action to protect the vulnerable children in Nigeria and 14 other countries worst hit by the food and nutrition crisis. A press statement issued by the World Health Organisation on Thursday noted that conflict, climate shocks, ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and rising costs of living are leaving an increasing number of children acutely malnourished while key health, nutrition and other life-saving services are becoming less accessible. The statement read in part, “Currently, more than 30 million children in the 15 worst-affected countries suffer from wasting – or acute malnutrition – and eight…

WITH just over a month to February presidential election, three of the main protagonists will next week mount the podium at the Royal Institute of International Affairs- Chatham House – to talk about their prospects and readiness. Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, kick starts the Africa Programme event series tagged “Nigeria’s 2023 elections” on Monday afternoon, when he will talk about “a vision for policy change and institutional reforms.” News Point Nigeria gathered that, Tuesday will be the turn of Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). His brief is to discuss the electoral…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the timeframe for the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) nationwide. Instead of ending on Sunday, January 22, 2023, the nation’s electoral body said the collection of PVCs will now continue until Sunday, January 29, 2023. The National Commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC, Festus Okoye, who disclosed this in a statement, said the Commission was determined to ensure that registered voters have ample opportunity to collect their PVCs ahead of the forthcoming general elections. Okoye stated that the Commission was encouraged by the turnout of registered voters and…

ALMOST 24 hours after a soldier allegedly shot a tanker Driver along Zaria-Kano Highway, thousands of travellers are still stranded on the road News Point Nigeria gathered. The Protesting tanker drivers blocked the road on Wednesday around 3:30 pm shortly after a soldier attached to a construction company reportedly shot the victim following an altercation. The incident happened near Tashar Yari in Makarfi town along the highway. Efforts to clear the road on Wednesday by representatives of Police and NURTW failed as the angry tanker drivers remained adamant. The Sector Commandant of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Lawal Garba, lamented…

THE Department of State Services, DSS, has confirmed the arrest of the former presidential spokesman, Dr. Doyin Okupe. DSS said he was arrested on the instruction of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The confirmation was made via a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the DSS, Dr. Peter Afunanya, in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria. Afunanya said: “Doyin Okupe was intercepted by the DSS at Terminal 1 of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, this morning (Thursday) at the instance of the EFCC. “He has long been handed over to the Commission, which requested for the…

BARELY two months to the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the total number of registered voters for the elections to the 18 registered political parties in Nigeria. The registered voters’ list was handed over to the representatives of all the political parties by INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu at a meeting with political parties held at the Commission’s Conference Hall, Maitama, Abuja on Wednesday. A closer look at the Registered Voters’ list shows that out of the 93, 469, 008 persons who are on the register, 49, 054, 162 are male while 44, 414, 846…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said Boko Haram a plot to destroy Nigeria. The President stated this while receiving Executive members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), led by the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, at the State House, Abuja. He faulted the ideology of the terrorist group which barred people from seeking knowledge thereby affecting the intellectual growth of citizens. President Buhari said the gains recorded in security would be further consolidated, and more attention would be given to the economy, before handing over on May 29, 2023. The President said the security situation had improved over…

THE United States was facing another major aviation disruption on Wednesday as the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a halt to all domestic flight departures after the system providing pilots with pre-flight safety notices went offline. The FAA said in a statement it had ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9 a.m. Eastern Time while it tried to restore its NOTAMS — or Notice to Air Missions — system. “We are performing final validation checks and repopulating the system now,” an earlier FAA statement said. “Operations across the National Airspace System are affected. We will provide frequent updates as…

WIFE of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Amina Titi Atiku Abubakar has vowed that women, children and people living with disabilities will be empowered if her husband takes over power in 2023. She made the vow during the Respect Her Vote Summit 2023 and the launch of the SHE 2 Orange Nigeria project in Abuja. Amina said she has been a mother to so many children and promised that she would not relent in demonstrating that attribute if her husband wins the presidential seat. She said, “I have been a mother to so many Nigerian children…

THE Nigeria Immigration Service has disclosed that it has commenced the deployment of Assistant Comptroller Generals to some zonal offices with a higher number of unclaimed passports to ramp up the collection of over 140, 000 produced but unclaimed passports across the country. The Comptroller General of Immigration, Isah Idris, made this known in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the NIS, Anthony Akuneme, on Tuesday. Idris stated that Lagos State topped the list of uncollected passports with about 40,000 produced passports yet to be claimed by applicants. He said, “Lagos State topped the list of uncollected…