Author: Maryam Garba

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a bank’s operations manager in Abuja for hoarding N29m worth of new naira notes. Nigeria’s apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), fixed February 10 as the deadline for swapping the old naira notes with the new ones. But there is a scarcity of banknotes, a development that led to the intervention of security agencies. The EFCC, which is one of the agencies, said it arrested the unnamed bank staff in one of its operations. “An Operations Manager of a leading Commercial bank in Abuja Central Area was on Monday,…

THE Supreme Court has affirmed the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan as the authentic Candidate of Yobe North Senatorial District. In the lead judgement, Justice Centus Nweze faulted the approach of Bashir Machina in commencing the suit at the Federal High Court Damaturu division by way of originating summons and without oral evidence to prove allegations of fraud. In the majority decision, the apex Court also set aside the decision of the Appeal Court, Gombe Division, which affirmed the decision of the trial court that declared Machina the Senatorial Candidate for Yobe North. But in a dissenting decision by Justices Emmanuel…

THE Dangote Industries Limited is the major sponsor of the ongoing 44th Kaduna International Trade Fair which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture(KADCCIMA). The Trade Fair, which was officially declared open at the weekend, has as it theme: “Promoting Value Addition for Economic Growth and Development”. Speaking, President of KADCCIMA Alhaji Suleiman Aliyu described the partnership with Dangote as very important for deepening commercial activities in the country. He said that the support of the Dangote Group towards the success of the Fair cannot be quantified. Speaking to newsmen, the Director…

NIGERIAN singer, Temilade Openiyi, known professionally as Tems won the ‘Best Melodic Rap Performance’ category on Sunday night for her role in ‘Wait for U’, the 2022 hit song by Future, featuring Drake. Tems is the first female Nigerian artiste to win a Grammy award. Tems rose to prominence after she was featured on Wizkid’s 2020 single “Essence,” which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 Tems got some international recognition after she featured with DJ Khalid which increased her income and event charges. Although she’s new in the industry, her net worth is an estimated $100,000. However, Burna boy…

THE Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila says the lawmakers may reconvene if the hardship occasioned by the naira swap continues. While the lawmakers are on break and are expected to resume after the general elections, the scarcity of the new naira notes and the attendant consequences may force the House of Representatives to reconvene, according to Gbajabiamila. “Many have argued on the independence of CBN, the autonomy of CBN. That does not make CBN above the law. The constitution gives the House the power to issue an arrest warrant against anyone, we can summon anybody, and that…

THE National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has fixed Friday, February 10, 2023 for a fresh governorship primary election in Taraba State. This comes after the Supreme Court on Wednesday nullified the primary in which Senator Emmanuel Bwacha emerged as the APC governorship candidate in the forthcoming general elections. In a letter dated February 2, 2023, the National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Muhammad Argungu, told the Taraba State Chairman of the party that the exercise will be held at Jolly Nyame Stadium in Jalingo, the state capital. “We are in receipt of the judgments of the Supreme Court in…

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has arrested officials of two commercial banks in Abuja and Osun State for alleged sabotage as the scarcity of new naira notes lingers. A statement by the ICPC spokesperson, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, said the arrests were in continuation of its clampdown on elements frustrating efforts to make the redesigned naira notes available to members of the public. Ogugua said an Abuja-based bank official was taken into custody for her “deliberate refusal” to upload cash into her branch’s automated teller machines (ATMs), though the cash was said to have been available…

LABOUR Party’s House of Representatives candidate for Lere Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, Suleiman Tambaya, on Friday night, escaped an assassination attempt as gunmen invaded his residence at Gure village in Lere Local Government Area of the state, killing two persons. The incident, News Point Nigeria gathered occurred at about 10:00 pm when the House of Representatives candidate was away at a political meeting in Kaduna, the state capital. This is coming barely three months after gunmen killed the Party’s women leader, Mrs Victoria Chimtex, in her residence in the Kaura Local Government Area of the state in November 2022.…

GUARANTY Trust Bank (GTB) has taken possession of the assets of Stallion Nigeria Limited in Lagos and its sister firms, following a N13 billion judgment debt in a suit filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos. Possession was taken through the receiver/manager appointed by GTBank, Mr. Temilolu Adamolekun. Officials from his office and court bailiffs, protected by policemen, took over the firm’s Victoria Island office and showroom containing several exotic automobiles. The brands of vehicles recovered from the premises included Porsche, Audi, Bentley, Volkswagen, Skoda, Hyundai, and Hyundai among others. On December 2, 2019, the court granted the receiver/manager leave…

THE FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says no fewer than 22 persons have so far been rescued in the ongoing efforts to evacuate those trapped in a building which collapsed in Gwarinpa, Abuja. The agency’s Head of Public Affairs, Mrs Nkechi Isa, made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday in Abuja. Mrs Isa also revealed that two persons trapped in the building collapse had died. She said a combined team of FEMA, NEMA, FRSC, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the department of Development Control, Abuja Metropolitan Management Agency, and Red Cross were at the scene to…

IT was good news for residents in Nigeria’s capital as fuel queues suddenly disappears with availability of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as fuel. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) supplied 67 million litres to marketers. Virtually all the major filling stations that used to have heavy queues before, were seen without queues on Wednesday, as most of them dispensed petrol to the cars sighted in their various outlets. This came as the NNPC revealed that some of its 67 million litres daily supply of PMS was not only smuggled by trucks to neighbouring countries but through marine…

THE Director, Centre for Gender Studies, Kaduna State University (KASU), Prof. Hauwa’u Evelyn Yusuf, has won a N34.7million research grant under the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) National Research Grant Fund (NRF). The institution’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Adamu Nuhu Bargo, disclosed this on Wednesday in a statement made available to journalists in Kaduna. He described the development as a ‘milestone’ in the institution’s drive to promote research. Bargo said that Hauwa’u Yusuf, a Professor of Criminology and Gender Studies, accessed the grant to conduct a research titled, ‘Use of Intervention Strategies for Sustainable Wealth Creation Among Low-Income Women…

THE Academic Staff Union of Universities on Tuesday said it was not in the purview of the National Universities Commission, NUC, and other tertiary institutions regulatory agencies to shut schools to allow students in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to vote during the forthcoming elections. A member of the National Executive Council of ASUU and chairperson of the union at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof Gbolahan Bolarin, said this in an interview. He was reacting to calls from individuals and groups, including the House of Representatives that the nation’s higher institutions should be shut during elections so…

CHAIRMAN of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said that the commission planned to declare election results promptly as decided by Nigerians. News Point Nigeria reports that, the Commission chairman stated this on Monday when International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES) delegation paid a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, during which the IFES said Nigeria’s improvement in electoral integrity since 1999 was significant. According to the INEC chairman, the delegation came at a very auspicious time, just three weeks to the seventh general election in Nigeria since the restoration of democracy in 1999. The…

NIGERIAN Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the resumption of services along the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor after the suspension due to derailment on Friday. The corporation’s Director of Operations, Mr Niyi Alli, in a statement said the services would commence on Jan. 31. “The Board and Management of Nigerian Railway Corporation are pleased to announce the recommencement of the Abuja-Kaduna Train Service. “The service was suspended on Jan. 27, due to the derailment that occurred at Kubwa Station on the same date. “Subsequently, the service will resume on Jan. 31, with the following daily schedule – KA2 departs Rigasa at 0700; AK1 departs…

CHRISTIAN Pilgrims from Borno State have commended Governor Babagana Zulum for his dedication to the building of faith of the people through sponsorship of  101 indigenes to Israel for the 2023 Christian pilgrimage. Speaking on Sunday, shortly after visiting one of the holy sites in Jordan, Rev John Bakeni who is the Auxiliary Bishop of Maiduguri Catholic Dioceses, said the pilgrimage was  an opportunity for the Church to pray for peace as the country prepared for general elections in 2023. The Bishop said that participation of Christian faithful in the pilgrimage would enable them to renew their faith in the…

AS part of its annual activities, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on January 25 released its  2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP), which gives a general climatic and weather forecast advisory during the year and the potential impacts on diverse sectors of the economy. The SCP does not replace the daily and five-day weather forecast by NiMet throughout the year. The NiMet SCP has become a critical component of planning by the government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). It also impacts other aspects of our national lives like prospective diseases outbreaks, the transport modes as well as how the farmers grow…

THE Inspector of General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered the prosecution of holders of Police Community Relations Committee Identity Cards with effect from December 2022. The IG directed that whoever is found parading with the invalidated PCRC ID card should be arrested and prosecuted. The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement issued and made Available to News Point Nigeria on Saturday, said this is in line with the IGP’s zeal to sanitise and standardise all sectors including the PCRC. He added the IGP has also ordered the redesign and re-issuance of new PCRC ID…

AFRICA’s richest billionaire, Aliko Dangote was awarded with the Personality of the Year Award by Vanguard newspaper, on Friday. Dangote, the chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dangote Group was honoured for his immense contributions to the nation’s economic growth and development in the area of industries. The event was held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Reggae-dancehall singer, Patoranking treated the audience to lively renditions of his show-stopping single, “Celebrate Me”, which he released in 2021. The artiste also serenaded the guests with his 2014 single, “Iya Bisi”, featuring Qdot and Kbaj. The awards show tagged, “Night…

BARELY a day after losing his son, Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, says he sees the tragic death of Hassan as a test from God. His 36-year-old son died on Thursday night after a brief illness. Hassan was buried on Friday in Gudi, Akwanga Local Government Area of the state. Receiving condolences on Friday at the palace of his father, the Sarkin Gudi, HRH Alhaji Sule Bawa, in Akwanga LGA, the Governor said from the experiences he had gathered from the Holy Qu’ran, God promised to test the faith of every believer. “I see this as a test from God.…