Author: Bala Muhammad

DR John Abebe, the in-law to the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has bagged seven years imprisonment for forgery and laundering. Justice Mojisola Dada of Ikeja Special Offences Court gave the verdict on Saturday with an option of fine to the tune of N50 million to be paid within 30 days in lieu of imprisonment. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned Abebe, who is the younger brother to the late former First Lady, Stella Obasanjo before the court for forgery. The EFCC, in the charges, claimed that Abebe “knowingly forged” a November 30, 1995 letter written by BP Exploration Nigeria…

THE Zamfara State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old boy for allegedly masterminding abduction of his mother and three others and collecting the sum of N30m as ransom. The state police spokesperson, SP Mohammed Shehu, while addressing journalists in Gusau, the state capital, on Friday, said the suspect, Thomas Yau, informed the police that he connived with four other and N10m was paid by each of the kidnap victims, including his mother, totalling N30m ransom. Shehu said, “On February 12, 2023, the Zamfara Police Command, through its community policing engagement, acted on intelligence information that led to the bursting of…

A PAIR of lawmakers have called on the United States to rescind a nearly $1 billion helicopter sale to Nigeria, saying that allegations of a forced abortion program have renewed concerns on human rights. News Point Nigeria reports that, the US Congress had delayed the sale over concerns about the Nigerian army’s commitment to protect civilians as it battles a jihadist uprising in the northwest, as well as the bloody repression of protests against police violence in 2020. But President Joe Biden’s administration approved the sale of the 12 Viper attack helicopters last year, saying the equipment would promote security…

A COMBINED team of troops of the Nigerian Army and Navy have neutralized seven bandits during clearance operations in the Kasso general area of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. While confirming the development,Samuel Aruwan,Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, said operational feedback to the Kaduna State Government revealed that the troops embarked on the operations, and made contact with bandits around Ungwan Rimi village in Kasso, near a river. “The troops promptly engaged and subdued the bandits after an intense gun duel. Seven bandits were confirmed neutralized during the operation, with the high possibility…

THE ruling All Progressives Congress on Friday morning released its primary election timetable for the governorship office in three states namely Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States. News Point Nigeria gathered that, the timetable was approved for release by the party after a series of meetings with its National Executive Committee and the National Working in Abuja. A closer look at the new primary election schedule published on Friday shows that, other than dates and venues, it wasn’t really different from the previous ones used for the timetable deployed last year for other states’ primary. Unlike in the category of the…

THE Department of State Services has written to the Federal Ministry of Transportation confirming that its intelligence revealed that the Boko Haram terrorists are planning to launch a fresh attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train service. The Ministry of Transportation, in an internal memo obtained by News Point Nigeria on Thursday, therefore wrote to the Federal Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Bashir Magashi, asking for security reinforcement to forestall the terrorists attack. The letter dated, February 3, 2023, and titled, “Re: Threat by Boko Haram terrorists to attack the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service” was signed by Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, the transportation Minister.…

THE United States Government has returned $954,000 stolen by the former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, to the state government through the Federal Government. US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard announced the development at a press briefing on Thursday afternoon in Abuja. She said the official salary of the former governor during his tenure as a public servant from 1999 to his impeachment in 2005 did not match the said amount. “However, during that time, he accumulated millions of dollars through abuse of office, money laundering,” she said. Alamieyeseigha died in October 2015 at the age of 62.…

KADUNA State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Wednesday alleged that some Federal Government officials are seeking out-of-court settlement over the controversy trailing the naira redesign by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Earlier on Wednesday, the Supreme Court adjourned the suit filed by state governments to challenge the naira redesign policy of the apex bank till February 22. In a statement released a few hours after the apex court’s adjournment, El-Rufai dismissed reports that some governors had held a meeting with the Federal Government over the issue. The governor, in a statement by his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye made available to…

THE Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed February 20 to rule on a bail application that was filed by Ali Bello, a nephew of the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello. Bello is facing trial over his alleged complicity in a three billion fraud. News Point Nigeria reports that, Bello was arraigned on February 8, 2023, alongside Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege and Iyadai Sadat, who are facing 18 count criminal charges before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ahmed Raji on Tuesday asked the court to admit to bail,…

GUNMEN suspected to be bandits, on Tuesday morning, attacked Mahuta town of Dandume Local Govt Area of Katsina State, killing two persons and abducting over a dozen women and children. A source close to the district head of Mahuta told News Point Nigeria that, the bandits attacked the village early hours of Tuesday on their trademark motorcycle barge. According to him, the bandits conducted a house to house attack in the town, shooting male occupants who tried to resist capture of their wives, after gathering over a dozen women and children, they shot their way out of the town. The…

THE National Population Commission has said the 2023 census will cost more than N400 billion. The Head, NPC Public Affairs Department in Plateau State, Jick Lawrence, revealed this on Monday during a one-day capacity-building workshop for journalists on effective reporting of census in Jos. He revealed about N100 billion had so far been spent on arrangements ahead of the April exercise. He said, “Over N400 billion has been earmarked to be expended on the 2023 census. About N100 billion has so far been expended on preparations ahead of the exercise, census is a very big and capital-intensive exercise.” He explained…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, are expected to visit Imo State on Tuesday for the former’s inauguration of road projects as the latter continues his campaign. Ahead of the both events, Governor Hope Uzodimma on Monday inspected the newly completed and reconstructed MCC-Toronto dual carriageway to be commissioned by Buhari as well as the Dan Anyiam Stadium, the venue of the rally. During the inspection tour in Owerri, the state capital, Uzodimma said all is set to host the President who will be visiting Imo for the second time in five months.…

THE Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has warned that the continuous scarcity of the N200, N500 and N1,000 new notes may lead to economic recession as well as severe food inflation. The Forum, in a communique issued at the end of its meeting on Saturday, lamented that though the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said the Federal Government would comply with the order of the Supreme Court of Nigeria nullifying the February 10 deadline for the validity of three old notes, Nigerians have not experienced any change so far. “The inability to use the new notes has had…

THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to “promptly seek authorisation from the ICC Chamber to commence an investigation into the situation in Nigeria in relation to the growing cases of pre-election violence.” In a statement on Sunday, SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare warned that if cases of pre-election violence were not addressed, it may escalate and lead to post-election violence in the country. The rights group wrote a petition dated February 11 and sent to the ICC Prosecutor, Mr Karim Khan. It urged Khan to “urgently send the ICC legal team to…

ZAMFARA State Commissioner for Budget, Alhaji Aliyu Mafara, on Friday, resigned his position, dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara State, News Point Nigeria gathered. Alhaji Aliyu Mafara who is the incumbent Commissioner for Budget in Governor Bello Matawalle’s cabinet declared his full support for the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Dauda Lawal-Dare. Speaking on Friday during the brief ceremony at the residence of the Zamfara PDP governorship candidate in Gusau, the former commissioner reiterated that his conscience would not allow him to stick to failure. He said, “I informed…

THE Federal Government has directed all Universities and Inter-University Centres to shut down and academic activities suspended from February 22 to March 14 over the forthcoming February 25 and March 11, 2023 general elections. The order is to allow the over 3.8 million registered voters, accounting for 40.8 per cent of students, to participate in the elections. The directive was contained in a circular dated February 3, 2023 and addressed to all Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities and Directors/Chief Executives of Inter-University Centres by the National Universities Commission (NUC), which was sighted by News Point Nigeria on Thursday. NUC Deputy Executive…

NO fewer than fifteen (15) suspects have been arrested and paraded by the Police for committing various crimes in Katsina State and its environs. The first category of the suspects comprised three (3) suspected thieves led by one Mohamed Abdurrahman of Saulawa Quarters, Katsina State. The suspects according to the Katsina Police Spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, specialized in breaking into houses to commit armed robbery and car snatching in the state capital. Two Corolla motor vehicles, two brand-new motorcycles, and a locally-made gun were recovered from them. Other suspects arrested and paraded before the command headquarters on Tuesday include; two…

THE death toll from the clash between terrorists and the Yansakai Group in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State has risen above 100, residents say. This figure comes shortly after Governor Aminu Masari of the State sent a delegation under the leadership of Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Muntari Lawal to condole with families of the victims. Residents of the affected communities put the number of those killed at over one hundred, stating that more corpses are being recovered from the area as some persons in the communities are still missing. One of the residents who hails from…

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the attack on vigilantes at Yargoje forest in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State, where many lives were lost. The insurgents had ambushed a convoy of vigilantes in the forest as they went to recover stolen cows leading to the killings on Thursday. The President, according to a release issued on Sunday by his spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu, paid tribute to all those vigilantes and family members who have been killed, saying the sacrifices of the brave men who are working to prevent and punish crime in their communities will not be forgotten. According…

THE death toll from the attack by bandits on some communities in Bakori and Kankara local government areas of Katsina State has risen to 84. News Point Nigeria broke the news that, no fewer than 30 members of vigilante group and residents were confirmed killed in an ambush by bandits as an unspecified number were injured in Kankara Local Government Area of the state, on Thursday. However, residents of the affected communities had on Friday put the number of those killed at 58 and expressed fear that more corpses could be recovered from the area as others were still missing.…