Author: Gloria Lamar Johnson

THE Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate in the Benue governorship election, Titus Uba. The apex court also affirmed the election of the priest-turned-politician. The apex court decision followed the withdrawal of an appeal by counsel for Titus Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sebastian Hon. Uba had challenged the victory of Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC). However, the Election Petitions Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, Abuja, affirmed Alia’s election as Benue governor, following his declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of…

LICENSING and control of all inland waterways spanning more than 10,000 kilometres in the country has been restored to National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) in a ruling by the Supreme Court on Friday,  January 5, 2024. By this judgement, Lagos State and some littoral states are to abide by the judgement. Before now, there had been a protracted legal tussle between the Federal Government and Lagos  State Government over which of them controls waterways in Lagos with huge economic potential. However, the latest judgement has empowered NIWA to control, regulate  and sanitise boat operators and dredgers in all the nation’s…

THE Nigeria Police Force has arrested a fake doctor, Igwe Gift Okechukwu, involved in criminal conspiracy, organ trafficking, fraud, cybercrime, stealing, impersonation, cheating, and identity theft. The arrest was made in Nasarawa State by operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department following the suspect’s fraudulent activities in Owerri, Imo State. The suspect, parading himself as Henry Ovie, a neurologist newly transferred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, tricked a point of sale (POS) operator, Anita Chinwe Mathias, into entering a code on her POS machine. As a result, the entire sum of twenty-one million naira (N21,000,000) was withdrawn from…

PROTESTING women on Friday afternoon burned down the house of the District Head of Bokkos town in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau state, Michal Monday Adanchi. According to a source from the area, the incident occurred around 12:30am. The source said the women burned the house following the arrest of some members of the community for their alleged involvement in the recent killings in the area, adding that the traditional ruler’s residence and his administrative office were burned down. “The incident began at the police station where they expressed their anger over the arrest of some members of the…

THE Chief Imam of Jumma’at Mosque of Ndun village of Tangur District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Malam Muhammad Sani Idris, as well as an okada rider, Muhammad Gambo, have been killed. The Chairman of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN), Garba Abdullahi, who confirmed the incident to this newspaper on Wednesday said, a younger brother of the slain Imam, Salisu Muhammad Sani Idris, was injured during the attack and was receiving treatment at Dung Hospital in Bokkos town. The chairman said the incident had been reported to the security agencies in Bokkos for immediate actions. Our…

THE Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Umar Nadada, has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigative Department in Lafia to commence an investigation into the attack on a supermarket in One Man Village, near Mararaba, in the Karu Local Government Area of the state. About four armed men reportedly attacked the supermarket and killed four customers. The incident was said to have happened around 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday. In the video obtained by our correspondent immediately after the incident, a voice was heard saying that one of the deceased individuals possessed an identity card…

THE Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has declared a one-week of mourning over the recent attacks in the North-Central State. About 200 persons were killed and scores wounded in separate attacks in the state in the last two weeks. While declaring the one-week mourning period, Governor Mutfwang told residents of the state that flags will be flying at half-mast during the time. “As a mark of honour for the memory of the deceased, I wish to declare a week of mourning from January 1st to January 8th, 2024. During this period of mourning, flags will fly at half-mast,” he said…

GUNMEN have kidnapped the Chairman of Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Safiyanu Isa Andaha. News Point Nigeria gathered that the victim was whisked away on Monday night at Ningo village along Andaha – Akwanga Road, alongside a native of the area, police authorities said. According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Ramhan Nansel, security personnel comprising the police and other agencies have swiftly begun the trail of the abductors to ensure the release of the victims. More details later…

TWO persons were killed in another attack by assailants in Durbi village of Shere district, Jos East local government area. The attack is coming when the state is yet to recover from the death of over one hundred ninety persons in the Christmas Eve attacks on Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi local government areas of the state. Transition Implementation Committee chairman Markus Nyam confirmed this on Sunday revealing that the attackers invaded the village on Saturday night and killed a father and his son. Nyam also said that the efforts of the vigilantes in the community who engaged the assailants resulted in…

LESS than 48 hours after their abduction, the 21 persons kidnapped along the Ajaokuta-Itobe Road in Kogi State on Thursday have been rescued. They were rescued by a team of security operatives, comprising personnel of the Nigerian Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and local vigilantes. A statement issued on Saturday by the state governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Mohammed, indicated that the victims, mostly travellers, were taken an unknown destination within the dense forest around the Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State. He said, “Upon receiving report of this distressing incident, Yahaya Bello, CON, the Governor…

THE Nigeria Police Force has set up a Special Operation Squad which will commence work immediately in Plateau State as part of the intervention to address insecurity in the state. Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, disclosed this on Friday at the Government House in Jos during a condolence visit to the governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, over the recent attacks that led to about 195 deaths and many injuries. “More deployment of our tactical unit will be made. We are deploying our tactical unit to assist you; we are deploying our intelligence unit. When you see the IGP…

DAYS after the deadly Christmas Day attacks on Bokkos, yet another community came under attack in the same Local Government on Thursday night. The Yuletide incident has been regarded as the worst outbreak of violence in Plateau since May and has left more than 190 people dead and hundreds injured. News Point Nigeria had earlier reported that the gunmen had sent a letter of an imminent attack to the Pushit community in the Mangu Local Government Area of the state. When asked about the impending attack on the Pushit community yesterday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Alabo…

GUNMEN have threatened fresh attacks on a community in Plateau State on Friday (today), barely four days after they killed 195 persons in 17 communities across the state. The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Middle Belt Forum, Stanley Kavwam, in an interview with Arise Television on Thursday, said the gunmen had sent a letter of an imminent attack to the Pushit community in the Mangu Local Government Area, where he hailed from. When asked about the impending attack on the Pushit community, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Alabo Alfred, told this newspaper that the command was…

THE International Association Of World Peace Advocates IAWPA has condemned the Christmas eve massacre in Plateau state, describing it as horrendous and a sad tale of a brutality by man against man. The association made it’s position on the massacre known which was carried out against Christians preparing for the Christmas on its eve in some communities at Bokkos and Barkin Ladi LGAs of Plateau State through its Director of African Affairs Amb John Metchie describing it as reprehensible, ungodly, satanic and condemnable. Metchie, who promised to lead a high powered delegation of the International Association Of World Peace Advocates…

THE British American Tobacco Nigeria Limited (BATN) and affiliated companies will pay a $110 million (N132, 000, 000, 000) penalty over multiple infractions, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said on Wednesday. According to a statement, the affiliated companies that contravened the laws include British American Tobacco Marketing (Nigeria) Limited (BATMN), British American Tobacco Plc, and British American Tobacco (Holdings) Limited. This followed an investigation initiated on 28 August 2020, after the commission obtained a court-issued order and warrant of search and seizure. Substantial evidence, including forensic analysis and testimonies, revealed several violations and BAT parties cooperated under…

AS the maiden edition of Southern Kaduna Festival 2023 kicks off tomorrow Thursday, the zone has identified prominent sons and daughters, including the late Wazirin Jema’a, Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed and Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa for their sterling contributions in the development of the area. Disclosing this recently in Abuja, the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee for the event, Rear Admiral Fergusson Dukas Bobai (retd), revealed that the reason behind the awards is to give honour to the memories of leaders from the zone and also acknowledge the contributions of leaders, both past and present, in the development of the…

NO fewer than seventy six persons were reportedly killed by assailants in fresh attacks on several communities of Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State. Transition Implementation Committee Chairman of Bokkos Local Government Area, Monday Kasa, told News Point Nigeria that the coordinated attacks occurred on Saturday and lasted into the Christmas Eve when residents were already in the festive mood. The local government boss explained further that the casualty figures is increasing as more dead bodies are been recovered by the team of security personnel, local vigilantes and hunters who are still going through the bushes combing…

NO fewer than 16 persons were killed in Mushu village of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau state. Spokesperson of Operation Safe Haven, a multi security taskforce maintaining peace in the state, Captain Oya James, confirmed the incident to this newspaper. According to Captain James, the attack took place on Saturday night while residents of the attacked community were asleep. He added that “following the attack, security personnel were deployed to prevent any breakdown of law and order in the area. There was uprising after the incident but the situation has been brought under control.” Meanwhile, Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang…

THE 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Wednesday commenced sitting in Port Harcourt, the state capital. The lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule convened at the House of Assembly quarters. The notice of withdrawal was contained in a letter signed by the 27 – although one of them was hospitalised and wasn’t in attendance – of them and read out by their Speaker, Martins Amaewhule. Amaewhule said this was in line with the conflict resolution intervention instituted by the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The oil-rich state has been embroiled in a crisis following a rift between Wike…

THE Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Sonny Echono, has described as alarming the number of Nigerian university lecturers studying abroad under TETFund sponsorship and have absconded. Echono said TETFund would make the absconded lecturers refund money expended on them or be repatriated. He spoke on Monday on the sidelines of the TETFund Management Retreat held in Makurdi, He said TETFund devised the two ways, which he described as soft and hard measures, to ensure that the university lecturers who absconded were sanctioned. He said, “I don’t want to give a figure because it’s alarming and huge; it’s very sad…