PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded a list of 68 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for approval, signalling a major reshuffle of Nigeria’s diplomatic corps. News Point Nigeria reports that the list, read during Thursday’s plenary by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, comprises 34 career diplomats, 31 non-career appointees, and three candidates previously cleared by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. The President is seeking swift confirmation to enable Nigeria to fill several key foreign missions. According to the letter, the appointments aim to strengthen Nigeria’s international representation and reposition its diplomatic engagements. The Senate has referred the list to the…
Author: Farouk Abbas
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THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed a judgment of a Federal High Court Abuja, which barred the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, also called VIO, from further stopping, impounding, or confiscating vehicles on the road and imposing fines on motorists. News Point Nigeria reports that in a unanimous judgment, a three-member panel of the appellate court resolved the three issues identified for determination against the appellant, the Directorate of Road Traffic Services. Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, held that the appeal was without merit. Justice Oyewumi further awarded a cost of N1m against the appellant and…
THE US-based aviation marketing firm overseeing the sale of Nigeria’s presidential Boeing 737-700 Business Jet has quietly withdrawn the aircraft from its online listing, raising fresh questions about the status of the long-running disposal process. The jet, part of the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) and purchased in 2005 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo for $43 million was listed by the Federal Government in July 2025 as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cost-cutting and fleet rationalisation plan. However, months after it was put up for sale, the jet has disappeared from the sales platform managed by JetHQ, the contracted broker.…
IMMEDIATE past Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, has debunked reports suggesting he resigned in protest of military operations authorised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting that the President is fully aware of the genuine reasons behind his exit from office. News Point Nigeria reports that Badaru tendered his resignation on Monday night, citing health challenges. President Tinubu accepted the resignation and swiftly announced former Defence Chief, General Christopher Musa, as his successor. However, the development sparked a wave of online speculation, including a viral claim alleging that Badaru stepped down because he “could not stand and watch the U.S. and…
THE National Economic Council (NEC) has approved the sum of ₦100 billion, subject to a final ratification by President Bola Tinubu, for rehabilitation of training institutions for police and other security agencies in across Nigeria News Point Nigeria reports that this followed recommendations by the adhoc committee earlier constituted to assess the state of police and security agencies’ training institution nationwide. At its 154th meeting held virtually on Wednesday and chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, NEC also approved the sum of ₦2.6 billion for consultancy services for the project. President Tinubu had at the 152nd meeting of NEC in…
FORMER Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, has raised concerns over President Bola Tinubu’s directive to transfer VIP protection duties from the police to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Ejiofor, in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today monitored by News Point Nigeria, insisted the corps neither has the manpower nor the training to take on such a sensitive role. The security expert said the directive, although well-intentioned, poses operational challenges for the NSCDC. “The NSCDC does not have the capacity; they are not trained for it. They don’t have the numbers to…
THE National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) has adjourned the arraignment of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, and the Secretary of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), Maj-Gen Abdulmalik Jibrin (rtd), to March 31, 2026, pending the outcome of a police investigation ordered by the court. News Point Nigeria reports that Justice Sinmisola Adeniyi, presiding over Court 5 of the NICN in Abuja, issued the adjournment on Monday after ruling that the proper procedure required a police investigation report before the defendants could take their pleas. Both officials are facing a…
SENIOR Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Ademola Oshodi, has described the ambassadorial nominees as the best for Tinubu’s administration. News Point Nigeria reports that Oshodi faulted the criticism against names on the list, maintaining that the President had the right to appoint whoever he felt could work with him to move the country forward. “This is the best the President has seen for the interests of his administration and for Nigeria. I can tell you that whether you accept it or anybody else accepts it, it is his discretion. “And we’ll see at the…
THE Presidency has called on Nigerians to actively help monitor compliance with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to withdraw police escorts for VIPs. The appeal was made by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Daniel Bwala, during an interview on TVC monitored by News Point Nigeria on Sunday, where he highlighted the administration’s commitment to enforcing the order and urged citizens to document any violations. “If you identify a celebrity, a private sector person, or any individual who has police against the executive order of the president, as much as you can, capture evidence, whether a photograph or…
A FRESH round of political back-and-forth has erupted after Umar D. Duhu, a former member of the APC National Working Committee, issued a rejoinder countering comments made by Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, ex-Political Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. News Poiint Nigeria reports that Baba-Ahmed had publicly suggested that President Tinubu should not seek re-election in 2027, arguing that the President has not demonstrated the urgency or “hunger” expected of a leader determined to fix Nigeria. The controversy began on Sunday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where Baba-Ahmed said President Tinubu appeared to have “achieved his life ambition”…
FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized the Bola Tinubu administration following reports that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) spent ₦17.5 trillion in just one year on securing fuel pipelines. He described the spending as “unprecedented and alarming.” In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the Atiku Media Office on Sunday, Atiku called the revelation “one of the most brazen financial scandals in our nation’s history.” The statement drew a comparison between the alleged pipeline security expenditure and Nigeria’s fuel subsidy, which cost the country approximately ₦18 trillion over a 12-year period. Atiku pointed out that…
THE operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a social media drug network responsible for the distribution of illicit substances packaged as imported christmas cookies and snack in Lekki area of Lagos state. Disclosing this in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said two individuals suspected to be the masterminds behind the operation were arrested in Lagos. “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered and dismantled a social media network used to distribute illicit substances packaged as imported Christmas cookies and snacks with two masterminds…
NIGERIA’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is unhappy with President Bola Tinubu’s ambassadorial nominees’ list, specifically questioning his inclusion of the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu. PDP’s concerns were contained in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the party’s spokesman, Ini Ememobong, who described the list of 32 ambassadorial nominees as scandalous. “Specifically, we convey the disappointment of many right-thinking Nigerians on the nomination of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate-past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), whose administration of our electoral umpire was characterised by countless…
FORMER Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has confirmed his release from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after honouring an invitation by the anti-graft agency for questioning. Malami disclosed this in a statement personally signed and posted on his official X handle on Saturday seen by News Point Nigeria, noting that the engagement with investigators was “successful” and that a fresh appointment had been scheduled for continuation of the inquiry. The former AGF, who has faced multiple allegations relating to his time in office, said he remained calm and confident…
THE Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has said that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is the only political party that can salvage Nigeria from its current economic and security woes. News Point Nigeria reports that Atiku was speaking during the inauguration of the Taraba State office of the ADC in Jalingo, the state capital. According to the former vice president, he and other politicians have tasted membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and other political parties and realised that they do not have what it takes to take Nigeria out of its current quagmire.…
THE Department of State Services (DSS) has invited Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the former running mate to the 2023 Presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, this newspaper learnt. Baba-Ahmed, who is the founder of Baze University, according to a security source, was invited Friday evening for allegedly sustaining views perceived as inciting against the Nigerian State. It was learnt that the secret police had been monitoring Baba-Ahmed’s recent public remarks on various media platforms, especially those bordering on his claims of a “constitutional crisis.” “A few days ago, Baba-Ahmed was on national television blaming the judiciary and the military for…
THE Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has proposed cutting back on certain discretionary government services, including activities of the National Assembly, as a way to redirect funds toward tackling rising insecurity in Nigeria. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday monitored by News Point Nigeria, Ndume suggested that lawmakers could meet less frequently, such as on a quarterly basis, with compensation reflecting the adjusted sitting schedule. He argued that Nigeria should reduce spending on areas that do not significantly benefit the majority of citizens and focus instead on ensuring public safety. “Urgently, we must discard everything as far…
THE Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has announced that more than 11,000 police officers previously assigned to guard Very Important Persons (VIPs) have been withdrawn and redeployed to core policing duties nationwide, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking during a meeting with senior police commanders in Abuja on Thursday, Egbetokun said the decision was a strategic move designed to reinforce frontline security operations and restore police visibility across communities facing heightened security threats. According to him, the police leadership fully supports the policy, which he described as a necessary correction to years…
THE House of Representatives, on Thursday, asked the Federal Government to explore diplomatic and every other measures to facilitate the safe return of former President Goodluck Jonathan who is trapped in Guinea Bissau following a coup in the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance moved by the House Leader, Prof Julius Ihonvbere. Ihonvbere informed the House that Jonathan who was in the country on election observation was trapped following the coup, saying, the government should explore ways of ensuring his safe return. The Nigerian leader alongside hundreds of…
FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted the Federal Government’s handling of abductors and believes President Bola Tinubu’s administration is treating the kidnappers with kid gloves. Atiku said this in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, hours after the presidency announced the release of schoolgirls abducted in Kebbi State last Monday. Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, had said the girls and another batch of students freed in Niger State, and about 38 worshippers from Kwara, were released without payment of ransom. However, Ibe, in the statement released on Wednesday by Atiku Media Office, said, “Under…