Author: Farouk Abbas

AS the battle for the 2027 elections intensifies, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abba Moro, has hinted at the possibility of Peter Obi and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan returning to the party and joining the presidential race. Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro, who spoke on Tuesday while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today monitored by News Point Nigeria, disclosed that talks are ongoing over a possible return of the duo to the main opposition party. “So, in the run-up to 2027, I am aware certain individuals have been talking to Peter Obi, ‘Hey, come back home, this…

THE Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has suspended operations on the Abuja-Kaduna rail corridor following the derailment of a passenger train on Tuesday morning that left at least six people injured. The incident, which occurred around 11am shortly after the train departed Abuja for Kaduna, sparked panic among passengers, some of whom scrambled out in fear of a possible attack. News Point Nigeria reports that briefing journalists in Abuja, the NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, said the suspension would remain in place until investigations are concluded and safety fully guaranteed. Opeifa confirmed that six passengers sustained minor injuries and have since…

NIGERIA’s university system faces the prospect of a fresh shutdown as tensions mount between the Federal Government, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). News Point Nigeria reports that, on Monday, NANS warned it would mobilise students nationwide to shut down critical infrastructure including airports, highways, and government offices, if the Federal Government failed to avert the looming strike threatened by ASUU. The threat came just hours after ASUU’s zonal branches across the country reiterated their long-standing demands, warning of an “imminent” strike if government continued to ignore unresolved issues. Speaking in…

KANO State Government has broken its silence on allegations of diversion of ₦6.5 billion, describing the reports circulating in the media as “false, politically sponsored, and deliberately crafted to smear the image of key officials of the administration.” In a press statement signed by Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Director General, Media and Publicity to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf made avaialble to News Point Nigeria, the government dismissed the claims as baseless propaganda by the opposition aimed at distracting the NNPP-led administration from its developmental agenda. The controversy arose following an August 22nd, 2025 publication by Daily Nigerian, a online platform,…

THE Federal Government has intensified its crackdown on illegal tertiary institutions with the closure of 22 unaccredited Colleges of Education across the country. The action was taken by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) as part of its ongoing efforts to rid Nigeria’s education sector of what authorities have described as fake “certificate millers” eroding the credibility of the system. According to a report of the commission’s recent achievements obtained by News Point Nigeria, the NCCE revealed that it had identified and shut down 22 illegal Colleges of Education operating without approval or accreditation. The commission added that…

NIGERIA Police Force (NPF) has successfully deported a notorious Chinese fugitive, Mr. Dai Qisheng, to the People’s Republic of China after his dramatic arrest in Abuja. The 45-year-old gang leader, wanted in Guizhou Province, China, for orchestrating and leading violent organised crimes, fled his country in 2024 after the Public Security Bureau of Zhijin County issued a warrant for his arrest. He had been on the run for over a year, reportedly evading multiple crackdowns before seeking refuge in Nigeria. However, operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, acting on intelligence and international alerts, launched discreet surveillance operations…

THE Presidency has expressed support for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after the anti-graft agency declared Abdullahi Haske, businessman and son-in-law to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, wanted over allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering. News Point Nigeria gathered that Haske, the founder of AA & R Investment Group, was reportedly declared wanted after allegedly breaching the conditions of his administrative bail and refusing to honour invitations by the EFCC. According to an insider at the commission, the businessman had been under investigation for months over alleged corruption but went into hiding after securing bail. “His case…

FORMER Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd.), has proposed a temporary lockdown of Nigeria’s land borders as part of measures to decisively deal with terrorism and cross-border crimes in the country. Buratai, who served as Nigeria’s army chief between 2015 and 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, made the suggestion on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored by News Point Nigeria. The retired general argued that just as the federal government shut down the country’s borders during the outbreak of COVID-19 to prevent further spread, similar drastic steps could be considered…

THE Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that terrorist groups in Nigeria are increasingly turning to gold as a major means of financing their activities. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday monitored by News Point Nigeria, the defence chief said terror financiers exploit sophisticated international networks and financial channels, making it difficult for authorities to immediately trace or prosecute them. When asked to identify the primary sources of funding for insurgent groups, General Musa responded bluntly: “Gold. They try to circulate this money, and that is why it is important for…

THE Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has called on Nigerians to acquire basic combat and survival skills as part of personal safety and national security consciousness. Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday monitored by News Point Nigeria, General Musa stressed that self-defence training is as essential as learning to drive or swim, given the growing threats to personal and collective safety across the country. “That one should be taken as learning driving, learning how to swim. Whether we have war or not, it is a survival instinct,” the Defence Chief said. “In…

THE police in Katsina State on Wednesday said that the death toll from the attack on a mosque located at Unguwar Mantau Community in the Malumfashi Local Government Area of the state has risen to 17. The spokesman of the Katsina State Police Command, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, who confirmed this to our correspondent, said 15 people were earlier fatally shot and seven injured by the attackers. He said two out of the seven earlier injured later succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment in hospital. “Fifteen people fatally shot, seven injured, later while receiving treatment at the hospital, two out…

FOLLOWING recent unpalatable airport incidents, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has mandated that all passengers must switch off their phones during civil flights. At a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, NCAA Director General, Chris Najomo, said all phones must be switched off during the critical aspects of flight takeoff and landing in all airports in Nigeria. The directive by the civil aviation regulator followed a recent controversial brawl that involved a passenger, Comfort Emmanson, and an Ibom Air flight attendant. The NCAA boss said this would further put a stop to different rules by airlines, which have caused…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained Commissioner of Policy, Personnel and Finance (PPMF), Aliu Abdulrazak; and that of Planning, Research, Statistics, Information and Library Services (PRSILS), Professor Abubakar A. Yagawal, of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), over alleged fraud. The two commissioners, this newspaper reliably gathered from the anti-graft commission sources, were detained on Monday after honoring the anti-graft agency’s invitation. The PPMF and PRSILS commissioners went to the EFCC headquarters around 11 am on Monday. At the time of filing this report on Tuesday morning, the two top officials are still with the anti-corruption…

A DEBT controversy erupted in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday as local contractors clashed with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over alleged unpaid contract bills running into ₦5.2 billion. Dozens of protesting contractors stormed the minister’s residence in Abuja, carrying placards and demanding immediate payment for projects they claimed to have executed over the last two years. One of the contractors, Okeke Benardine, alleged that despite Wike settling part of their liabilities when he assumed office, the bulk of their payments had been outstanding for nearly two years. “When the minister came, he paid us some. But most of…

OPERATIVE operatives have arrested eight suspected kidnappers and recsued a kidnap victim in its war against kidnappings and other violent crimes in the country. The operation held in Kaduna and Delta State, Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement late on Sunday. He said firearms, ammunition, and fabricated weapons were also recovered during the exercise executed by tactical units in Kaduna and Delta States. Identiying the kidnap victim as Hussaini Ibrahim from Jagindi Tasha Village, Adejobi said operatives of the Kaduna State Police command launched a coordinated rescue operation which successfully yielded results when the abductors abandoned the victim…

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged victorious in the keenly contested Ganye State Constituency by-election in Adamawa State, with Hon. Misa Musa Jauro declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Returning Officer, Prof. Tukur Ahmed, announced that Jauro polled 15,923 votes, narrowly defeating his closest rival from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 15,794 votes. The slim margin of 129 votes highlighted the tense and highly competitive nature of the race. In a congratulatory message, prominent APC chieftain Umar D. Duhu hailed the victory as “a testament to the unwavering support of the people” while…

A FORMER governorship candidate in Zamfara State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, on Friday, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja. The attack reportedly occurred shortly after Juma’at prayers as he was returning home. According to Shinkafi, heavily armed, masked men dressed in black ambushed his vehicle and opened fire before fleeing the scene in an unmarked black Prado Jeep. The incident has triggered widespread concern over the safety of prominent political figures and outspoken critics of insecurity in northern Nigeria. In a strongly worded statement issued through the Patriots for the Advancement…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the release of ₦16.7 billion for the immediate reconstruction of the Mokwa Bridge in Niger State, which was destroyed by flooding in May, 2025. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced this in Abakaliki on Saturday after a meeting with the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi. Idris, who is leading a Federal Government delegation on a three-day tour of projects and citizen engagements in the South-East, said the approval underscores the administration’s responsiveness to urgent infrastructure needs. “We want to thank Mr. President, and we want to thank the Minister of…

SECURITY operatives in Kaduna State have arrested a man in possession of nearly ₦26 million in cash, allegedly earmarked for vote buying ahead of Saturday’s bye-elections in the state. The suspect, identified as Shehu Patangi, was apprehended in the early hours of Saturday at a popular hotel along Turunku Road in Kaduna metropolis, where he was reportedly coordinating the distribution of funds to influence voters in the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency bye-election. Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the arrest in a statement, disclosing that operatives recovered ₦25,963,000 cash from the suspect. According to the statement,…

THE Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has issued a stern warning to its officers, vowing to impose sanctions on personnel whose negligence has contributed to the wave of jailbreaks undermining national security. Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, sounded the note of warning on Friday during the decoration ceremony of 30 newly promoted Assistant Controllers-General of Corrections in Abuja. He said the service could no longer tolerate the “lackadaisical attitude” of officers at custodial centres, which has allowed repeated security breaches across the country. “It is obvious that our Zonal Coordinators, State Controllers, and Officers-in-Charge of Custodial Centres have abdicated their duties.…