Author: Khadija Abubakar

THE Kano State Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with the attack on the Emir’s palace at Kofar Kudu in the Kano metropolis on Sunday. The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the arrest of the suspects to News Point Nigeria via a WhatsApp message Wednesday morning. “Yes, the command has arrested four suspects and they are now in police custody as an investigation is still ongoing,” he wrote. According to him, the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, had already set up a panel to investigate the altercation that happened between supporters of the…

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has set 150 as the cut-off mark for admission into universities in the country. News Point Nigeria reports that JAMB made the decision on Tuesday during the 2025 Policy Meeting on Admissions, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja. It said the cut-off mark for colleges for nursing is 140, colleges of agriculture 100, and colleges of education 100. “The minimum admissible scores for admissions for the next academic session have been fixed at 150 for universities, 100 for polytechnics, 100 for colleges of education, and 140 for colleges…

THE historic city of Kano witnessed a dramatic escalation in the ongoing emirate crisis on Sunday, as supporters of the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, clashed with loyalists of the reinstated 16th Emir, Muhammadu Sanusi II, at the Kofar Kudu palace. The clash reportedly broke out as Emir Bayero made his way from his residence in Mandawari. Eyewitnesses say his procession approached Gidan Rumfa, the main palace occupied by Sanusi II, sparking a confrontation that left several guards injured, police vehicles vandalised, and the palace gate forcibly broken open. The confrontation is the latest episode in the lingering…

FORMER Vice President, Architect Muhammad Namadi Sambo, has commended the Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, for his bold decision to declare a state of emergency on education in the state. This was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa on Monday. Sambo, who paid a condolence visit to Governor Yusuf over the death of renowned business mogul and elder statesman, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, expressed admiration for the administration’s commitment to infrastructural renewal. “As an architect, I am particularly passionate about the ongoing rehabilitation and beautification of the Kano Government House,” Sambo…

THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the arrival of 104 Nigerian returnees from Algeria under the Assisted Voluntary Returns programme facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the Federal Government. According to a statement shared via its official X handle on Tuesday, NEMA said the returnees were received by its Lagos Operations Office at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport cargo terminal on Sunday, 30 June 2025, at approximately 13:50 hours. The group arrived aboard an Air Algerie flight with flight number 70-BKT. The returnees comprised 80 adult males, 14 adult females, two male children,…

PROFESSOR Haruna Musa Dambatta has been elected as the new Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano (BUK) at the election which took place on Tuesday on the university campus. Dambatta secured 853 votes, well ahead of Professor Mahmoud Umar Sani, who polled 367 votes, and Professor Muhammad Sani Gumel, who got 364 votes. Other candidates included Professor Adamu Idris Tanko who polled 161 votes and Professor Bashir Muhammad Fagge with 18 votes. Professor Dambatta will succeed the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas, who has led the institution since August 2020 as the 11th substantive Vice Chancellor of the…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday said it would issue a supplementary regulation to clarify the review process for election results under Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022. The commission stated that its intervention became necessary due to growing concerns over conflicting interpretations of the provision. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this during the second quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. “As we approach the bye-elections, the off-cycle governorship elections and ultimately the 2027 General Election, the commission is concerned with the various interpretations given to the provision…

THE Honourable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Works, Rt. Hon. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, Esq, has commended a prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Otunba Segun Sowunmi, for his unwavering love for Nigeria and his role in providing constructive opposition that strengthens democracy. The Minister made these remarks on Sunday during an inspection tour of ongoing critical infrastructure projects embarked upon by the administration of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, including the Section-1 Abuja-Kaduna Road and the Suleja-Minna Road. Rt. Hon. Goronyo, who joined the tour at the instance of the Honourable Minister of Works, Engr.…

GA’IB – funeral prayer in absentia – have been observed for the soul of late business mogul, Aminu Dantata, in Kano, on Saturday. The prayer was led by the Chairman of the Kano Council of Ulama, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, alongside the Commandant General of Kano Hisbah board, Sheikh Ibrahim Daurawa. The prayer was observed at the Umar bn Khattab mosque, along Zaria Road, Gyadi-gyadi, Kano. Among attendees at the prayer were the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin and members of Kano Executive council among many other dignitaries from the business community and others. This newspaper reported…

THE President and founder of Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria (MAAUN), Professor Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of elder statesman, business icon, and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata. Professor Gwarzo described the death of the Alhaji Ɗantata as a painful and irreplaceable loss not only to Kano State but to Nigeria as a whole, citing his lifetime of service, generosity, and unwavering commitment to the nation’s progress. He recalled with pride that in 2023, the MAAUN Kano School of Health Sciences was named after the late Alhaji Dantata in honour of his outstanding contributions…

PRESIDENT and Founder of MAAUN Group of Universities, Prof. Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo, has donated a 2-storey building to Alliance Francaise in Kano. Mr Gwarzo, who announced the donation on Thursday, said the edifice which is located at Ahmadiyya Junction along Airport Road in Kano metropolis, would serve as the permanent office of the organization. He explained that the gesture is part of his effort to ensure the organization owns a permanent office of its own instead of staying in rented offices, moving from one place to another. He said it was unfortunate that Alliance Francaise, which has been in Kano…

THE killing of two young men from Kano State in Makurdi, Benue State, has triggered widespread outrage, with Governor Abba Yusuf condemning the attack as “barbaric, senseless, and unacceptable.” The victims, Barhama Suleiman and Jamilu Ahmad, sons of renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, were reportedly attacked and murdered at around 11:00 p.m. on Monday by unidentified assailants. According to official reports, they were targeted without provocation while living peacefully in the area. In a statement released on Tuesday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Governor Yusuf expressed profound grief over the loss. “It is with a heavy…

THE Kano State Government has declared Thursday, June 26, 2025, as a public holiday to mark the beginning of the Islamic New Year, Hijrah 1447 AH. This was announced through a statement signed by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya. Governor Abba Yusuf congratulated Muslims across the state for witnessing the new Islamic year, which begins with the month of Muharram. He urged the Muslim Ummah and the people of Kano to use the occasion for reflection on their actions over the past year and offer prayers for peace, unity, and prosperity in the…

GOVERNOR Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has deeply mourned the death of the ace broadcaster, late Hajiya Bilkisu Babangida who passes on today following a protracted illness in Abuja at the age of 56. This was made known via a statement issued by the governor’s Spokesperson Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa in Kano on Tuesday. In the statement, the governor said late Hajiya Bilkisu Babangida was a trailblazer in the world of broadcasting, leaving an indelible mark on the industry. He added that as a renowned broadcaster, she used her platform to share stories, amplify voices and bring people together.…

THE Kano State Police Command has confirmed that nine unexploded ordnances (UXOs) have been recovered at the site of Saturday’s deadly explosion at Yongxing Steel Company in Mariri Quarters, along Ring Road in Kano. This newspaper reports that the blast, which occurred around 11:30 a.m. on June 21, claimed the lives of five persons and left several others injured. According to the police, the explosion was not caused by an IED bomb as initially feared but by a UXO that accidentally detonated during the offloading of scrap materials. Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Hussaini Abdullahi, In a statement on…

THE Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has conferred the “Media-Friendly Governor of the Year” Award on Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, in recognition of his administration’s commitment to press freedom, open governance, and strategic engagement with the media. The award was presented to the Governor at the NUJ’s 70th Anniversary Gala/Award Night and Book Presentation, held at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja. The event was chaired by veteran journalist and former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, and attended by leading figures in government, media and civil society. Governor Inuwa Yahaya, represented by Commissioner for Environment, Water and Forest Resources,…

KANO State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has announced a major redevelopment initiative for the Farm Centre GSM Market, pledging an investment of over N2 billion to restore, expand, and modernize the bustling commercial hub. This was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa on Saturday. The intervention, according to the governor, is a direct response to recent fire outbreaks that devastated parts of the market and a broader effort to meet the growing needs of traders and customers. Governor Yusuf made the announcement during a visit to the market on Friday where he was…

MINISTER of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has dismissed the formation of the new opposition party, the All Democratic Alliance, as a failed attempt to recreate the 2013 coalition that birthed the All Progressives Congress. In a post shared via his official X account (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Keyamo ridiculed the move, describing it as a “pedestrian joke.” “If they are thinking of recreating what the APC did in 2013, then this is nothing but a pedestrian joke; a complete mockery of that seismic political coalition,” keyamo wrote. The proposed party, driven by the National Opposition Coalition Group,…

A WITNESS in the ongoing trial of Olu Agunloye, former Minister of Power and Steel, on Monday told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja that neither Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria nor the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the controversial $6 billion contract awarded to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited for the Mambilla Hydropower Project. Testifying before J.O. Onwuegbuzie (Justice), Umar Babangida, the third prosecution witness (PW3) and an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), revealed that Obasanjo made it clear, both in writing and during a meeting with investigators, that he…

THE Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed June 19, 2025, for Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s arraignment. The senator is being dragged before the court for alleged defamation. The federal government dragged her to court over the allegation she made against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello. The date was initially set for June 3 but was adjourned following procedural delays. The charge was a result of the claims made by Akpabio and Bello. The senator has expressed confidence that the truth will prevail, even as civic groups demand that the Attorney General and Inspector General…