Author: Farouk Abbas

NIGERIA’s opposition parties suffered another major setback on Friday following the defection of Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), further consolidating the party’s dominance across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that Mutfwang’s move comes barely weeks after Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, defected to the APC on December 9, signalling an accelerating wave of high-profile defections ahead of the 2027 general elections. Political calculations suggest the ruling party’s influence may expand even further, as Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, is reportedly on the verge of joining the APC amid a lingering crisis within…

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed January 7 to hear the bail application of a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, over alleged money laundering. News Point Nigeria reports that Malami is being remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre. The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, his son Abdulaziz, and one of his wives, Bashir Asabe, are standing trial predicated on a 16-count charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The trio, who are accused of laundering ₦8.7 billion, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were arraigned…

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja has admitted the Bauchi State Commissioner of Finance, Yakubu Adamu, to a ₦500 million bail bond with two sureties in like sum. News Point Nigeria reports that ruling on the defendant’s bail application, Justice Emeka Nwite, who ordered that the two sureties must be land owners within Maitama, Asokoro or Gwarimpa District of Abuja, said the property documents shall be verified by the court registry. He added that the sureties must also depose to an affidavit of means. The judge further ruled that the defendant and the sureties shall deposit their passports with…

THE President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has directed his legal team to withdraw all pending defamation lawsuits he filed against several individuals, following what he described as a deeply moving New Year sermon delivered by a Catholic priest in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. News Point Nigeria reports that Akpabio made the disclosure on Thursday while addressing worshippers at the Sacred Heart Parish, Uyo, during a New Year’s Mass attended by prominent political leaders, clerics, and parishioners. According to the Senate President, he had instituted nearly nine separate court cases against individuals he accused of defaming, slandering, and spreading…

THE Nigeria Police Force has suspended the enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy nationwide following an interim order of court restraining the move. News Point Nigeria reports that the Force had, on December 15, 2025, announced the resumption of enforcement of the policy with effect from January 2, 2026, citing its responsibility for public safety and internal security. However, in a statement signed by the Force PRO, Benjamin Hundeyin on Thursday, it said it was subsequently served with an interim order issued on December 17, 2025, in Suit No. HOR/FHR/M/31/2025, restraining it from proceeding with the enforcement pending the…

AFTER a year marked by economic challenges, political upheavals, deadly attacks, and victories in sports, especially from the Super Falcons and D’Tigress, Nigerians, like their counterparts across the world, welcomed 2026, ringing in the new year with fireworks, prayers and hopes for a better year. News Point Nigeria reports that across the country, fireworks adorned the skyline as the clock hit 12:00 am. Millions of people trooped into churches where they held prayers, praise and worship to welcome the new year. Others took to fun spots with families and friends as they heralded 2026 amid jubilant chants and funfare. From…

NATIONAL leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has issued a stern warning to party members contemplating defection, declaring that political betrayal has never produced lasting success and warning that history is unforgiving to those who abandon the movements that brought them to power. News Point Nigeria reports that Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State and the NNPP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, spoke at his residence during a meeting with supporters, where he reacted to growing reports that some key figures within the party are planning to defect to rival political…

THE Federal Government has strongly rejected claims that it is operating a clandestine multi-agency task force aimed at unlawfully arresting, detaining, or prosecuting prominent opposition politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Tuesday, the government described a viral document circulating online as “fabricated”, “baseless”, and part of a deliberate disinformation campaign designed to mislead the public and undermine confidence in state institutions. The controversial document alleged the existence of a covert operation codenamed “ADP4VIP”, an acronym for Arrest, Detain, Prosecute for Very Important Persons. It further claimed that the supposed task…

A FEDERAL high court in Abuja has ordered the remand of Abubakar Malami, former attorney-general of the federation, in the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of his bail application. News Point Nigeria reports that Emeka Nwite, presiding judge, also ordered the remand of Malami’s son, Abdulaziz, and an associate, Bashir Asabe, pending the determination of their bail. The defendants were arraigned on a 16-count charge bordering on money laundering on Tuesday. All defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge. Thereafter, Ekele Iheanacho, counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), asked the court for a trial…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has begun moves to sell stakes in some of its oil and gas assets, as part of efforts to optimise its portfolio and attract fresh investment into Nigeria’s energy sector, according to a report by Reuters. The development marks a significant step in the state-owned energy firm’s strategy to reposition itself amid mounting operational challenges, declining investment, and the need for increased capital to boost oil and gas production. According to an invitation document released on Monday sighted by News Point Nigeria, NNPC has formally called for bids from interested investors, although…

NIGERIA was plunged into widespread darkness on Monday afternoon following the collapse of the national electricity grid, resulting in a total shutdown of power supply across most parts of the country. Data obtained from the national grid and monitored by News Point Nigeria showed that electricity generation, which stood at 3,660 megawatts (MW) as of 6:38 pm on December 28, 2025, suffered a dramatic decline, crashing to zero megawatts by about 3:10 pm on Monday. The grid collapse, which occurred during peak daytime hours, effectively cut off electricity supply to almost all electricity distribution companies (DisCos) nationwide, disrupting homes, businesses,…

THE Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has recounted how divine intervention shaped his rise to national leadership, revealing that his elevation came at a time when circumstances appeared stacked against him and conspiracies were allegedly formed to pull him down. News Point Nigeria reports that Musa shared the testimony during a recent church service at the Conquerors Global Assembly in Abuja, where he attended worship alongside his wife. The service was monitored by Church Times and later shared on its website on Sunday, with excerpts of the video circulating widely on social media. Expressing gratitude to God, the…

INDICATIONS have emerged that Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, is on the verge of defecting from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in what is shaping up to be a major political realignment in the state. Multiple sources within government and party circles told News Point Nigeria that the governor’s defection is imminent, barring any last-minute change. According to the sources, Yusuf has already made up his mind to leave the NNPP and is prepared to do so with or without the blessing of his long-time political mentor and leader of the…

THE Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) has announced a “notable” improvement in power generation following the repair and restoration of the vandalised Lagos-Escravos gas supply infrastructure. According to the statement by the Operator made available to News Point Nigeria, the repair was carried out by the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), which it said had enhanced gas supply to several key thermal power plants across the country. The update followed recent reports of poor power supply across the country. NISO said the development is a positive step toward stabilising the electricity supply and improving grid reliability for consumers nationwide. “Currently,…

OPERATIVES of the Force Intelligence Department have arrested two suspected bandits said to be linked to various violent crimes across Katsina, Zamfara, Niger and Kwara States. The Force spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Friday, said the suspects were apprehended during a high-stakes covert operation in Kwara State. According to the statement, one of the suspects was identified as Abubakar Usman, popularly known as Siddi, who was seen in viral video flaunting arms and large sums of money. The second suspect was identified as Shehu Mohammadu aka Gide. Hundeyin said operatives recovered one brand…

AS Governors across Nigeria present their 2026 appropriation bills to their respective state Houses of Assembly, a fresh analysis has revealed stark disparities in education funding, with Anambra, Enugu, Kano and Jigawa emerging as the country’s leading investors in the sector, while several others fall far below both national expectations and international benchmarks. An analysis of budget proposals submitted so far by 34 state governments shows wide variations in how much priority education commands within state spending plans, raising renewed concerns about equitable development, human capital investment and the future of learning across the federation. Anambra State tops the national…

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned Wednesday’s bomb explosion at a mosque in Maiduguri, Borno State, describing the incident as unacceptable. The opposition party, in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the administration of President Bola Tinubu has failed woefully in protecting the lives and property of Nigerians. “The news of an explosion at a mosque in Gamboru Market, Maiduguri, is another sad reminder of the rising insecurity that has become the unfortunate contemporary reality Nigerians face. “This is totally unacceptable. The irreducible minimum the government should offer its people…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly traced 41 high-value properties to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, in what appears to be one of the most extensive asset trails linked to a former top government official. News Point Nigeria reports that the properties comprising universities, hotels, schools, factories, residential buildings, commercial facilities, farmlands, and undeveloped lands—are spread across Kebbi State, Kano State, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with a combined estimated value of ₦212.89 billion. According to documents obtained by this newspaper , the…

THE Federal Government has filed 16 alleged money laundering charges, to the tune of ₦1.014bn, against a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, before the Federal High Court in Abuja. News Point Nigeria reports that also listed as a co-defendant in the case is Hajiya Bashir Asabe. According to the charge, the government is accusing Malami, his son, and others of being involved in the laundering and concealment of ₦1,014,848,500.00 (One Billion, Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) allegedly traced to a commercial bank.…

FORMER Minority Leader, House of Reps, Farouk Aliyu, has advised the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) to put its act together, or merge with the All Democratic Congress (ADC).  Aliyu, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said this on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored by News Point Nigeria. “I call on my brothers and sisters in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) to put their acts together and, in my opinion, the Peoples Democratic Party should merge with the African Democratic Congress,” he said. According to him, if the Peoples…