THE Kogi State government has threatened to apprehend and prosecute persons and businesses that reject the old naira notes in the state. In a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, said that rejecting the old naira notes is a clear disobedience of the Supreme Court ruling. He said it is unacceptable that some persons and businesses will continue to reject the use of the old naira notes after the Supreme Court ruled that both the old and new naira notes remain legal tenders until December 31, 2023. The Commissioner asked the Kogi people to…
Author: Maryam Garba
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THE United Nations has strongly condemned the reported ambush and brutal killing of more than 30 civilians in Mukdolo village in Ngala Local Government Area in Borno State. In a statement on Thursday, the UN through its Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale, extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wish the injured who are recuperating a speedy recovery. Several persons were also reportedly injured, and others are still missing following the deadly attack allegedly carried out by an armed group, yet to be identified. According to reports, the victims of this heinous attack were fishermen…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said indicated plans to appeal a court judgement granting the request of two plaintiffs to use their temporary voter cards. The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, in a statement on Thursday, expressed the intention of the commission to approach the appellate court. “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been served a copy of the judgement delivered today by the Federal High Court, Abuja Division which ordered it to allow two Plaintiffs to vote with their Temporary Voter’s Card (TVC),” the statement read. “The Commission is taking immediate…
THE National leadership of Action Democratic Party (ADP) has dispelled the rumour making the rounds suggesting that, its Governorship Candidate in Kaduna State is stepping down for another political party’s candidate. In a statement issued by its National Secretary, Victor Fingesi, ADP argued that, its Candidate, Hon Sani Sha’aban, who is also an inlaw to President Muhammadu Buhari, is the choice of Kaduna State people to become their next Governor. The party categorically stated that Sani Sha’aban is in the race to win the governorship of Kaduna State as he has not stepped down for any other candidate in the…
EXECUTIVE Director, Commercial, NASCON Allied Industries, Fatima Aliko Dangote, has revealed that women play a pivotal role in the success story of the Dangote Group. Fatima Dangote spoke via zoom to all subsidiaries of Dangote Group while opening the International Women’s Day at the Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana Plant, Kogi State, she said the company provides equal opportunities for men and women, adding that both genders have contributed immensely to the development of the company. She said the company provides opportunities for women to thrive in their various fields, adding that it has many women in the technical fields who…
THREE persons have been abducted by gunmen in Beji town of Bosso local government council of Niger state. They were kidnapped on Tuesday. An investigation revealed that the gunmen entered the town around one o’clock in the morning and started shooting in the air for over two hours to scare the people before executing their nefarious act. The operation took place behind Beji General Hospital which is just a stone’s throw from the main town without any challenge from security agencies or vigilante members. A woman and her two daughters were abducted from their home and taken to an unknown…
AS the world celebrates the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD), it is important to take a look at women participation in politics. Again, like the gender constitution of the previous and current National Assembly (NASS), Nigeria’s 10th Senate and 10th House of Representatives, which will resume by June is male-dominated, raising concerns about the lip service paid to affirmative action as well as gender and equal opportunity in the West African country. Characteristically, of the new crop of federal lawmakers elected during the just-concluded February 25 presidential and National Assembly polls, only 15 of the 423 legislative seats declared so…
THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fix all bugs or glitches in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines before the March 11 governorship and state assemblies’ elections. The Bar also asked INEC to exclude its collation and returning officers with proven cases of misconduct in the February 25 elections from the forthcoming polls. NBA National Publicity Secretary, Akorede Lawal, stated this in an interim report released on Tuesday. The NBA deployed over 1000 INEC accredited observers drawn from the 128 Branches of the Bar to monitor the February 25 polls. “In…
THE number of pregnant women and nursing mothers suffering from undernutrition has increased by 25 percent since 2020 in 12 countries at the epicenter of the world food crisis, the UN children’s agency warned Monday, stressing the impact it is having on children’s health. The countries are Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Chad and Yemen. The UNICEF report, based on data analysis of women in nearly every country in the world, estimates that more than one billion women and adolescent girls suffer from undernutrition — which leaves them underweight and of short stature…
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has urged developed and developing nations to grant duty-free and quota-free market access for products from the world’s 46 least-developed countries to ensure their integration into regional and global value chains. The President made the call while speaking at the UN Conference of Least Developed Countries in Doha, the capital of the State of Qatar. The President criticised the current structure of the global financial system which places an unsustainable external debt burden on the most vulnerable countries. According to a statement released by the senior special assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu,…
KADUNA based Islamic Scholar and cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has announced the death of his mother, which occured on Sunday evening. News Point Nigeria gathered that, his mother died today around 5.30pm and preparations are on for her burial at the Unguwar Sarki cemetery. In a statement on his verified Facebook page, the Islamic cleric said, “Inna lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihil Raji’un. Today at 5.30pm, with a sad heart, I announce the death of my dear mother. ”Please seek for her Allah’s forgiveness and mercy. “Her last words to me two weeks ago: “lnsha Allah, Allah will put me and…
OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested a businessman, Kingsley Celestino at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos over 9.40 kilograms of heroin concealed in false bottoms of his two travelling bags. Kingsley, a business class passenger on Qatar Airline flight was arrested at Terminal 2 of the MMIA on Saturday 4th March on his way to India. Though a native of Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, the 49-year-old was travelling with a Guinean international passport. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect frequently travels to India on business class tickets. He claimed…
– Spent Over N35bn In Taraba THE federal government said it had spent N35.5billion on national social investment programmes since its inception in Taraba State. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, disclosed this in Jalingo while meeting with some beneficiaries of the programme. Represented by the state’s focal person of the programme, Beatrice Kitchina, the minister said over 100million people, including youths and women, were lifted out of poverty under the programme. She listed some of the programmes to include the N-Power, Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), Government Enterprise and Empowerment (GEEP) and the…
ABDULLAHI Abacha, the second to the last son of the late Nigerian Head of State, Sani Abacha, has died aged 36. The announcement was made by Gumsu Sani Abacha, his sister, via a tweet on Saturday. Family sources also confirmed the death, saying Abdullahi died peacefully in his sleep at the family’s Nelson Mandela Street residence, Abuja. “He was hale and hearty last night, but was found dead this morning. He died peacefully in his sleep,” said a source. News Point Nigeria gathered that the funeral prayer would hold by 4pm at the National Mosque, Abuja on Saturday. Born in…
THE Troops of Sector Four of Operation Whirl Punch, and Special Forces of the 167 Battalion have killed a bandit and rescued 14 kidnapped victims in Kaduna State. The troops who embarked on a long-range fighting patrol to the Tukurua general area of Chikun Local Government Area of the state engaged and cleared a bandits’ hideout during a fierce encounter in the location. Samuel Aruwan, Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday, “The troops during the operation rescued 14 kidnapped victims, comprising nine men and five women. The victims were moved to…
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said the sacrifices of the Armed Forces remain appreciated by Nigerians, commending the patriotic role they played in maintaining law and order at the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections. Buhari, who virtually commissioned 700 Ashok Leyland Troop Carrying Vehicles assembled in Lagos, from his country home, pledged more support for the welfare of the military while assuring that their labour will not be in vain. “I wish to commend the resolve of our armed forces towards the defeat of insurgency and its support in maintaining law and order as was demonstrated in the…
BANDITS have killed one person and abducted 23 other residents in Dogon-Daji community along the Abuja-Kaduna near Kagarko town in Kaduna State. A resident, Shuaibu Danmalam, said the bandits in their large numbers on Wednesday around 12pm moved from house to house amid sporadic shooting and abducted men and women, and that one person who attempted to escape was shot dead. The Madaki of Janjala, Malam Samaila Babangida, confirmed the latest abduction to our reporter through telephone on Thursday. He said, “The bandits first attacked Kubau village near Jere town and abducted some people before they proceeded to Dogon-Daji and…
PRESIDENT-ELECT Bola Tinubu has said he is fully prepared to face whatever challenge the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, would launch against him anytime anywhere. At a press conference on Thursday, Atiku had said last Saturday’s election which Tinubu was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was neither free nor fair. But in a swift reaction, Tinubu in a statement by the Director Public Affairs and Chief Spokesman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Festus Keyamo (SAN), said, “Atiku Abubakar’s decision to challenge the outcome of the results is welcome. “We are prepared to meet…
AS one of the 60-member nations of the International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), joined the rest of the world to mark the year 2023 World Civil Defence Day with the theme: “The role of Information Technologies in Risks Assessment”. The event which coincided with the second-year anniversary of the appointment of Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR, as the Commandant General of NSCDC and the Passing out Parade of 530 personnel of 2019 intakes from an intensive eight weeks of training in arms bearing, tactics and regimentation, also witnessed the official presentation…
UNITED Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has congratulated President-elect Bola Tinubu on the heels of the just concluded presidential election. Both the UK and Nigeria share a longstanding relationship that has withstood the latter’s over-62-year independence from the former. “Congratulations to @officialABAT on his victory in Nigeria. The UK-Nigeria relationship remains strong,” Sunak tweeted on Wednesday evening. “I look forward to working together to grow our security and trade ties, opening up opportunities for businesses and creating prosperity in both our countries.” In a hard-fought battle on February 25, 70-year-old Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) claimed…