THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has sacked the Acting Executive Chairman of the FCT Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS), Michael Ango. This was made known in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Friday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka. The most senior official of the FCT-IRS has also been directed to take over the running of the revenue agency with immediate effect. “The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has sacked the Acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue…
Author: Maryam Garba
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NIGERIAN organisations are facing the highest volume of weekly cyberattacks in Africa, according to the newly released African Perspectives on Cyber Security Report 2025 by Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., a global leader in cybersecurity solutions. The report reveals that Nigerian firms experience an average of 4,200 attacks per week, significantly higher than the continental average of 3,153 and 60 per cent above the global average of 1,963 attacks per organisation. The findings highlight a sharp rise in attacks across Africa, driven largely by artificial intelligence-enabled threats. Country Manager for West Africa at Check Point, Kingsley Oseghale, said attackers are…
THE National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay a ₦620,000 fine for stalling proceedings in the suits filed by 62 former staff members challenging their disengagement. News Point Nigeria reports that Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae issued the order after counsel for the former employees, Ola Olanipekun (SAN), complained that the apex bank’s late filing of a fresh application had forced an unnecessary adjournment in a matter scheduled for hearing. The 62 former staff, who filed separate suits now pending before the court, are urging the NICN to nullify their termination letters…
FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has hit back at Senator Adams Oshiomhole, accusing the former All Progressives Congress national chairman of defending a party that destroyed internal democracy and turned itself into a “private estate.” News Point Nigeria reports that Atiku issued the response on Tuesday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu. On Monday, Atiku formally joined the African Democratic Congress after receiving his membership card at his Jada 1 Ward in Adamawa State. His registration came months after resigning from the PDP over “irreconcilable differences.” The event drew prominent political figures, including former Governor Bindow…
A SIGNIFICANT portion of the global internet experienced disruptions on Tuesday after US-based internet infrastructure giant Cloudflare reported a failure caused by what it described as a “latent bug” in one of its core systems. The outage temporarily knocked offline several major digital platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), popular AI service ChatGPT, online gaming networks, and some Google services. News Point Nigeria reports that according to outage tracker Downdetector, thousands of users across multiple continents reported difficulties accessing sites such as X and the widely played game League of Legends, as well as select services provided by Google and OpenAI, …
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has renewed the appointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for another five-year term. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said in a statement on Friday. Marwa was first appointed by late President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021, after serving as the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to December 2020. The reappointment means the Adamawa-born former military officer will remain at the helm of the NDLEA until 2031. Marwa, a former…
THE Nigeria Immigration Service has announced plans to introduce a Single Travel Emergency Passport, a new biometric travel document designed to help Nigerians abroad whose passports are expired, lost, or stolen return home securely and verifiably. News Point Nigeria reports that the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap, disclosed this during the Joint Thematic Meeting of the Khartoum, Rabat, and Niamey Processes held in Abuja, which Nigeria co-hosted with the Government of France. This is contained in a statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, on Wednesday. According to Nandap, the STEP will replace the current…
CHINA has called on the international community to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty following a threat of military action from the United States. News Point Nigeria reports that Chinese government reaffirmed its support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration, praising Nigeria for pursuing a development path that reflects the country’s unique national realities. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning, made the remarks when she chaired a regular press conference, the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria confirmed in a post on X on Tuesday. “As a comprehensive strategic partner of Nigeria, China firmly supports the Nigerian government in leading its people to a development path that…
SOME United States lawmakers are relying on inaccurate and misleading data to allege a Christian genocide in Nigeria, the Federal Government has said. Earlier, the US lawmakers had asked the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to take decisive diplomatic action against the Nigerian government over the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians.” Although the Federal Government has repeatedly denied the claims, saying no religious group is being targeted, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has maintained that some Christians are victims of attacks in the Northern part of the country. However, speaking during an interview on CNN on Tuesday night…
THE National Assembly on Wednesday approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to secure a total of $2.347bn from the international capital market to part-finance the 2025 budget deficit and refinance maturing Eurobonds. News Point Nigeria reports that also granted was Tinubu’s request to issue a $500 million debut sovereign sukuk in the international capital market (ICM) to fund infrastructure projects and diversify Nigeria’s financing sources. The approval was given request after considering the report of both committees on aids, loans and debt management. In the lower chamber, the House of Representatives adopted a report presented by the House Committee on Aids,…
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised serious concerns over the involvement of some gemstone dealers and miners in the financing of terrorism and money laundering activities in Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that the anti-graft agency sounded the alarm on Monday during a one-day capacity building and sensitisation workshop for miners and dealers in precious metals and stones held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, while addressing participants, warned that certain individuals in the gemstone and mineral trade have become conduits for illicit financial flows that are fueling terrorism and economic…
THE Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has appointed former Editor of The PUNCH newspaper, Adedayo Oketola, as his Chief Press Secretary (CPS). News Point Nigeria reports that the commission announced Oketola’s appointment to journalists on Monday. He replaces Rotimi Oyekanmi, who served in the same capacity under the immediate past INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. Oketola is a multiple award-winning Nigerian journalist, author, and strategic communications expert with over two decades of high-impact experience in journalism, editorial leadership, and media innovation. He served as Editor of The PUNCH, Nigeria’s most widely read and influential…
THE Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the official opening of its online student loan application portal for the 2025/2026 academic session, allowing eligible students to apply for financial assistance to support their education. This was made known in a statement posted on NELFUND’s official X handle on Tuesday sighted by News Point Nigeria, titled “NELFUND Announces Opening of Student Loan Application Portal for 2025/2026 Academic Session.” According to the statement, the application window will run from Thursday, October 23, 2025, to Saturday, January 31, 2026. The Fund appreciated the cooperation of tertiary institutions across the country and urged…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, on Monday, praised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s strides in anti-graft fight, saying the agency secured 700 convictions and recovered N500bn fraud proceeds in two years. Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the opening of the 7th EFCC-NJI Capacity Building Workshop for Justices and Judges on Monday in Abuja, Tinubu said his administration remained committed to empowering anti-graft agencies to deliver tangible results, citing the EFCC’s performance as a clear example. According to a statement by the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale sent to News Point Nigeria, Tinubu said the Commission had recorded over 7,000 convictions…
THE Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has appointed the immediate past Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, to lead its Election Observation Mission to the upcoming presidential election in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire scheduled for 25 October 2025. News Point Nigeria reports that the Mission will be deployed from today, the 19 to 29 October 2025 in line with the provisions of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. As Head of Mission, Professor Osinbajo will lead a team of eminent West Africans tasked with engaging key national stakeholders…
THE 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, NDHS, Report says Nigeria’s Total Fertility Rate, TFR, has declined from 5.3 children per woman in 2018 to 4.8 in 2024, marking a major demographic shift over the past five years. News Point Nigeria reports that the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja at the launch of the report. Salako said the decline reflects gradual gains in access to and use of family planning services nationwide. “Modern contraceptive use among currently married women increased modestly to 15 per cent in 2023 from…
THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has issued a draft guideline on the operations of Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), mandating that banks refund customers for failed ATM transactions within a stipulated timeframe. Specifically, customers must be refunded for failed interbank (not-on-us) ATM transactions within 48 hours, while refunds for failed transactions on the same bank’s ATM (on-us) should be reversed instantly. In the event that an instant reversal is not possible due to technical issues, a manual reversal must be completed within 24 hours. The directive was contained in a circular entitled, ‘Exposure of the Draft Guidelines on the Operations…
THE Senate has disclosed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has requested additional time to clarify audit queries involving an alleged ₦210 trillion in unaccounted funds spanning seven financial years, from 2017 to 2023. News Point Nigeria reports that this revelation came from the Senate Committee on Public Accounts (SPAC), which is currently investigating discrepancies flagged by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation in NNPCL’s audited financial statements. In July, the committee had summoned the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bayo Ojulari, and given the company three weeks to provide detailed explanations on 19 separate…
RENOWNED diplomat, lawyer, and philanthropist, Barrister Kashim Musa Tumsah, MFR, has donated N1.5 million and brand-new laptops to three students of Nigerian Tulip International Colleges (NTIC), Mamudo, Potiskum Local Government Area of Yobe State. The students distinguished themselves at the global TeenEagle competition held at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom. News Point Nigeria reports that in addition, cash tokens were presented to the principal, Habibullah Jogi, English teacher Adamu Mukhtar, and Olympiad coach Mohammed Umar, in recognition of their efforts and contributions. The donation was announced on Monday at NTIC, where Tumsah was represented by Kaka…
THE Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called on the government at all levels to desist from intimidating journalists with repressive laws. The NGE, in a statement to mark World News Day obtained by News Point Nigeria, urged the government to always respect the Freedom of Information Act by freely providing journalists with any requested information and, therefore, aligning itself with the United Nations Universal Day for Access to Information. “As we celebrate World News Day, we note the challenges journalism as a profession faces in Nigeria, most especially the growing attempt to suppress press freedom and freedom of expression.…