Author: Farouk Abbas

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.…

AHEAD of the by-elections in some parts of the country on Saturday, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has directed the deployment of senior officers to ensure a hitch-free exercise. The senior officers deployed are of the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police and Commissioners of Police, and are expected to assist the Commissioners of police in the affected states. Officers and men of the Police Mobile Force, Special Intervention Squad, Force Intelligence Department, and other tactical units have also been deployed. The affected states are Jigawa, Edo, Ogun, Oyo, Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna, Kano, Taraba, Kogi, Niger, Enugu,…

BRITISH Airways (BA) on Friday morning denied 58 passengers boarding its Abuja–London flight after a technical fault was detected in one of the aircraft’s doors. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed that the airline took the precautionary measure to leave several seats unoccupied for safety reasons. Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection at NCAA, Mr. Michael Achimugu, disclosed the development in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, explaining that the fault necessitated a reduction in passenger numbers. “As a result of the faulty door, they had to deny 58 passengers boarding this morning,” Achimugu wrote. According…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the completion of all arrangements for Saturday’s bye-elections across 12 states, confirming that sensitive materials have been delivered and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices fully configured. In a statement issued by National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the electoral body disclosed that the elections—scheduled for August 16, 2025—will take place in 16 constituencies nationwide. These include two senatorial districts in Anambra and Edo States; five federal constituencies in Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo States; and nine state constituencies in Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna…

SECURITY Operatives in Sokoto State have arrested Sirajo Ahmad Dan Liman, the Deputy Chief Imam of the Central Jumu’ah Mosque in Kangiye, Atakwanyo Ward, Gwadabawa Local Government Area, over alleged collaboration with armed bandits operating along the Tangaza–Niger Republic border axis. Sources told News Point Nigeria that intelligence-led investigations linked Sirajo to the supply of motorcycles and other essential items to criminal gangs notorious for kidnappings, cattle rustling, and cross-border smuggling in the region. According to security officials, operatives uncovered ₦47 million in the suspect’s bank account, money believed to be proceeds from his dealings with the bandits. Beyond his…

THE Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has directed the Nigeria Police Force Command situated at the airport to probe the ace Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, over his faceoff with some airport officials. The music star engaged in what was described as an unruly conduct last week when he allegedly obstructed the safe operation of an aircraft, in violation of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations. The spokesman of the Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the police boss had ordered that the investigation commences into the matter immediately. Adejobi, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said the IGP wants the officers to unravel the…

SUXTEEN inmates have escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, after breaching the facility’s security in the early hours of Tuesday, News Point Nigeria gathered. Confirming the incident in a statement issued in Abuja by the Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO), Abubakar Umar made available to News Point Nigeria, the escape occurred after some inmates overpowered security measures, attacked correctional officers on duty, and compromised the facility’s integrity. In the ensuing chaos, five personnel of the custodial centre sustained varying degrees of injuries. Umar revealed that two of the injured officers are in critical condition and…

THE Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) has issued a final warning to 3,598 civil servants who failed to participate in the 2021 verification exercise, ordering them to appear for a fresh re-verification or risk immediate dismissal for allegedly holding fake appointment letters. According to an official circular dated August 4, 2025, and seen by News Point Nigeria on Monday, the re-verification exercise will run from Monday, August 18 to Thursday, August 28, 2025. The affected officers are spread across multiple ministries and agencies, including the Federal Ministries of Agriculture, Defence, Education, Justice, Works, Information, Science and Technology, Aviation, Finance, Interior,…

A 33-YEAR-OLD Nigerian man, Segun Ogundipe, has been sentenced to five years in prison in the United Kingdom for raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Gloucester. Ogundipe, who lived on Tuffley Lane, was found guilty at Gloucester Crown Court of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and assault by penetration, despite denying all charges. He will also face deportation after serving his sentence. His conviction comes just days after another Nigerian, Elvis Nosakhare, was jailed for six years in the UK for sexually assaulting his girlfriend’s underage daughter. According to Gloucestershire Police, the offences took place in 2022 after…

THE Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a suit against the Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, over the alleged threat to shut down a private radio station in the state, Badeggi FM Radio. In the suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1587/2025, and filed on Friday, August 8, 2025, at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP and NGE sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the governor and NBC from further harassing, intimidating, and/or threatening to shut down Badeggi FM radio, revoke its licence, and profile the station’s owner. “Unless the reliefs sought are granted,…

WITH just 48 hours left before the August 12 deadline for obtaining or regularising tinted glass permits, the Nigeria Police Force has yet to issue clear enforcement guidelines—leaving motorists anxious, suspicious, and in the dark. The current wave of concern began on May 1, 2025, when the police reactivated their digital tinted glass permit platform after years of complaints over abuse, extortion, and arbitrary arrests linked to tinted windows. The system, according to the Force, was designed to promote transparency, streamline applications, and strengthen national security, particularly in curbing crimes where tinted vehicles are used to conceal identities. To encourage…

DESPITE ongoing electricity shortages affecting millions of Nigerians, the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) says supplying power to neighbouring countries such as Benin Republic remains a strategic and economic necessity. In an interview with Channels Television, ECN Director-General, Mustafa Abdullahi, said only about 6% of Nigeria’s generated electricity goes to Benin Republic, largely from hydro dams located near the border. “We’re not doing it to sell, but it is strategic. If we share rivers and waterways with a country, we must also share electricity out of goodwill. “At one point, Benin Republic wanted to situate a dam close to ours,…

NIGERIA has lost one of its foremost political figures, Chief Audu Ogbeh, a former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and ex-National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Ogbeh died peacefully on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the age of 78, according to a statement from his family. “It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, Chief Audu Ogbeh,” the family said. “He departed peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of integrity, service, and dedication to our nation and community.” The family added that funeral arrangements will be announced later, while…

HUMAN rights activist and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has been released from police custody. Sowore had been detained at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory since Wednesday when he honoured an invitation from the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit. The activist confirmed his release in a Facebook post. He described his detention as “illegal and unjust.” “The Nigeria Police Force has capitulated to the demands of the revolutionary movement. I have been released from unjust, illegal and unwarranted detention. “However, it is nothing to celebrate, but thank you for not…

THE Federal Government has commenced payment of the second tranche of the N35,000 wage award arrears to civil servants, signalling continued efforts to fulfil its commitments to federal workers. In a statement on Friday in Abuja, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) confirmed the disbursement, stating that the payment was part of the outstanding wage award introduced to cushion the impact of economic reforms on public sector employees. Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations at the OAGF, said the government had earlier settled one month’s arrears out of the total five months owed to…

THE Nigerian Military has disclosed that more than 300 repentant terrorists are currently undergoing rehabilitation, while over 2,600 ex-combatants have already completed the programme under the Federal Government’s non-kinetic counter-terrorism efforts. News Point Nigeria reports that this revelation was made by Major-General Adamu Laka, the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), during a high-level stakeholders’ and donors’ meeting held Thursday in Abuja. The meeting focused on expanding livelihood and agricultural opportunities for former fighters and conflict-affected communities. Laka said the efforts fall under Operation Safe Corridor, a government initiative established to deradicalise, rehabilitate, and reintegrate low-risk Boko…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has questioned some top officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) over multibillion naira alleged fraud. The anti-graft commission, this newspaper authoritatively learned, is investigating the top officials over the loss of public funds amounting to about N50 billion under the stewardship of Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman (Pakistan). During the 2025 Hajj alone, Mr Pakistan has midwifed the alleged squander of N25 billion on Masha’ir tents, N1.6 billion on spouses, and N7.9 billion on Makkah contingency houses. There are also cases of bloated expenditure for NAHCON  officials, stakeholders, spouses, amounting to…

THE West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the temporary withdrawal of the 2025 WASSCE results for school candidates due to technical glitches linked to a new examination integrity system. In a statement released late on Thursday, August 7, 2025, the Council’s Acting Head of Public Affairs, Moyosola Adesina, explained that the withdrawal followed an internal review that uncovered issues arising from a recently introduced paper serialization system designed to combat exam malpractice. “The Council embarked on an innovation already deployed by a national examination body. The paper serialization was carried out in Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Economics. However,…

MINISTER of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has condemned the conduct of popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, aka K 1 de Ultimate, for blocking a moving aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has since blacklisted the singer for six months, following the incident that saw him obstructing a ValueJet flight from taxiing on Tuesday. Keyamo, in a firm statement, described Ayinde’s actions as “unacceptable, reprehensible, and akin to a hostage situation.” “Contrary to what his agents are saying, Kwam 1 physically moved on the tarmac to block a plane ready for…