Author: Bala Muhammad

THE Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison (AHQ Gar), Maj.-Gen Koko Isoni, on Thursday, inaugurated a General Court Martial to try 14 officers and nine soldiers alleged to have breached different provisions of the Armed Forces Act. The court-martial was convened at the Scorpion Officer’ Mess, Asokoro Abuja, pursuant to the powers conferred on him by Section 131 (2) (d) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A20 LFN, 2004 for the trial of Nigerian Army personnel alleged to have committed different offences. The Garrison Commander in his inaugural speech assured the accused persons that justice would be done to all parties concerned…

POPULAR Islamic scholar, Sheikh Abubakar Giro Argungu, under the banner of Jama’atul Izalatil Bidi’a Wa’iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), is dead. The scholar died on Wednesday in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State capital, after a brief illness at the age of 68. His death was announced by the Izala sect leader, Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, on his verified Facebook page, on Wednesday. His funeral will take place on Thursday, according to Sheikh Bala Lau.

THE Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has approved an upwards price increase in the price of pre paid electricity meters in the country. In a circular signed and dated 5 September 2023 by the commission’s Chairman and Commissioner Legal, Licencing and compliance, Sanusi Garba and Dafe Akpeneye, respectively, it stated that a single phase pre paid meter would now cost N81,975.16k from the N58,661.69k while three phase pre paid meters is increased to N143,836.10k from N109,684.36k. The circular said the new price was to ensure a fair and reasonable pricing of meters to both MAPs and end-use customers. “Ensure MAP’s…

THE Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun has ordered the posting and redeployment of seven (7) Deputy Inspectors General of Police to various departments following the promotion of the senior officers to the rank of DIGs by the Police Service Commission. News Point Nigeria reports that, consequently, DIG Bala Ciroma has been redeployed to head the Department of Finance and Administration, DIG Frank Emeka Mba to the Department of Training and Development, and DIG Habu A. Sani to head the Force Intelligence Bureau. Others are DIG Usman D. Nagogo to Department of Logistics and Supply, DIG Daniel Sokari-Pedro to Department…

ONE of the factions of the New Nigeria Peoples Party under the leadership of Major Agbo has announced that it will investigate the presidential candidate of the party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and some of his loyalists over an alleged misappropriation of over N1 billion generated from the sale of nomination forms. This was even as the faction accused a chieftain of the NNPP, Buba Galadima, of favouring and imposing certain party candidates ahead of other aspirants. The allegations were made in a statement released on Sunday by NNPP factional National Publicity Secretary made available to News Point Nigeria, Abdulsalam Abdulrasaq,…

NATIONAL Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Umar Ganduje, has tasked the citizens of Kogi State to give the party nothing less than 99 per cent support and victory in the state’s forthcoming November 11, governorship election. Ganduje gave the charge yesterday while addressing party members and supporters at the inauguration of the party’s national and state campaign councils for the election. He said, “Today we are officially inaugurating the state campaign committee that will join hands with the national campaign committee and the LGAs’ campaign committees to ensure victory at the polls. “You have tested good governance…

DANIEL Bwala, a former spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council in the 2023 presidential poll, says the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, will be expelled from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the appropriate time. Bwala spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday night a day after Wike monitored by News Point Nigeria, a former Rivers State governor, dared the PDP leadership to suspend or expel him from the party for supporting the election of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ultimately working in his cabinet as minister.…

THE Police Service Commission (PSC) has ordered four Deputy Inspector-Generals of Police to immediately proceed on compulsory retirement. The affected senior police officers include Dan-Mallam Mohammed, Moses Ambakina Jitiboh, Hafiz Mohammed Inuwa and Adeleke Adeyinka Bode. Ikechukwu Ani, spokesman of the commission, who disclosed this to journalists in Abuja on Monday, said the commission gave the order in the exercise of its statutory powers. According to him, the powers is in pursuant to the Third Schedule, Part 1 M, para A&B of the 1999 Constitution, reinforced with Section 6 of the Commissions (Establisment) Act 2001, para a, c, d, e,…

THE National Working Committee (NWC) of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) has announced the suspension of a founding member of the party, Boniface Aniebonam and its National Publicity Secretary, Agbo Major. According to the NWC, the suspension of the duo was with immediate effect pending the outcome of investigations by the Disciplinary Committee of the party. The party in a statement signed by the Acting National Chairman, Mallam Abba Kawu Alli, said the suspension was as a result of unruly activities of the founding chairman of the party whom he alleged felt the political platform was his personal estate.…

THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested 13 suspected railway vandals with large quantities of long rails and sleepers worth N800m. They were nabbed around the Manchock area of Kaura LGA, the Zonkwa area in Zango Kataf LGA, and the Kaffanchan area in Jama’a LGA of Kaduna State, according to a Tuesday statement from NSCDC’s spokesman Babawale Afolabi. He said the suspects were arrested by the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CGs SIS). The suspects were paraded alongside five trucks conveying the large quantities of vandalised rails and sleepers at the NSCDC Headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday. “The…

THE only surviving member of the old People’s Democratic Party PDP in Sokoto state and former Minister of Water Resources, Barrister Mukhtar Shehu Shagari has formally dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Shagari, who was a former Minister of Water Resources in the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo formally received APC membership card from the party secretary, Abubakar Yabo in the company of other state APC executives. Shagari, who was a founding member of the PDP and has been in the party for over 25 years until August this year, when he decided to move to…

THE President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, says the N5 billion approved for each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal is inadequate to impact on the people. Ajaero, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria, said that if calculated, the N5bn will not amount to N1,500 per person. According to him, it is unclear whether the money is a loan or a palliative to the states or to Nigerians. “But whichever might be the case, let’s assume that it…

THE Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to lift economic sanctions imposed on neighbouring Niger Republic. Democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum was deposed on July 26, leading to the imposition of sanctions including electricity cut and closure of borders by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) chaired by Tinubu. During ECOWAS extraordinary meeting on Thursday, the decision was made to deploy standby military troops to restore constitutional order in Niger Republic. The convener of NEF, Ango Abdullahi, expressed concern on the use of force to restore constitutional order in Niger Republic, suggesting that it…

PARIS St-Germain have agreed a deal to sell Brazil forward Neymar to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal for about 90m euros (£77.6m) plus add-ons. The transfer is subject to the 31-year-old completing a medical and all necessary paperwork. Neymar, who joined PSG for a world record fee of 222m euros in 2017, was left out of the squad for their Ligue 1 draw against Lorient on Saturday. He was not part of coach Luis Enrique’s plans for the new season. His exit also fits PSG’s strategy of moving away from the ‘Galacticos’ era of signing high-profile players for big fees…

THE Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) says it has cancelled its planned nationwide protest, billed to take place today, Wednesday, August 9, 2023, following the intervention of the Senate. The resident doctors also hinted that they may call off their ongoing strike soon. The National President of the association, Dr Emeka Innocent Orji, disclosed this Tuesday while briefing newsmen after meeting behind a closed door with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other Principal Officers of the Senate at the National Assembly, Abuja. NARD had on Saturday said it would embark on peaceful protests from Wednesday and picket the Federal…

NUHU Ribadu, the National Security Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, met with Governors from the five South-East states in Abuja on Monday. Although the agenda of the closed-door session was not made known to journalists, it might not be unconnected to the worsening security challenges in Anambra, Enugu, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi states. Last Wednesday, the Senate condemned the Monday sit-at-home in the South East geopolitical zone and asked the Federal Government to collaborate with the Finnish Government and extradite a pro-Biafran agitator, Simon Ekpa, for prosecution. The upper chamber resolved to invite the Minister of Foreign Affairs (when appointed)…

FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Also said to be meeting with the President were the Governors Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara). While the purpose of the meetings remains unclear, Jonathan’s return to the Villa comes barely a month after his June 13 visit. Jonathan, who doubles as Head of the ECOWAS Mediation Team to Mali, noted that the visit was to discuss issues pertaining to Africa and the West Africa subregion. “I came to brief the president about some continental and subcontinental bodies,”…

RENOWNED businessman, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, las lost his wife. Hajiya Aisha Daihuru Mangal died at a hospital in Abuja Saturday evening after a brief illness. A family source said her funeral prayer will be held at the Mangal’s country home, Kifar Guga, Katsina metropolis, by 11 am on Sunday. Late Hajiya Aisha was survived by her husband, children, and grandchildren. The loss is the third straight one to have affected the businessman in recent times. His younger brother who was CEO died last year, while his son died before he lost his brother.

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu is currently meeting the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Adamu and the Party Secretary, Dr Iyiola Omisore, at the State House, Abuja. This newspaper observed that the duo arrived at the Aso Rock Villa a few minutes before 5 pm, and were ushered into the President’s office shortly afterwards. The meeting comes barely 24 hours after the party distanced itself from the principal officers of the 10th National Assembly announced on Tuesday by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas. At a meeting with the Progressives Governors’ Forum led by Governor…

THE Nigeria Immigration Service, on Wednesday, announced the promotion of no fewer than 7,000 officers nationwide. This was as it redeployed 12 new Comptrollers to their respective states of assignment. “The promotion was contained in a letter signed by the Secretary of the Immigration, Civil Defense, Correctional and Fire Service Board, Jafaru Ahmed,” a statement signed by the acting Service Spokesperson, Kenneth Kure, read on Wednesday. The statement is titled ‘NIS elevates 7,000 officers, redeploys 12 comptrollers.’ Kure, who was also elevated to the rank of Assistant Comptroller, revealed that the number of promoted officers and men included senior officers…