Author: Farouk Abbas

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked the immediate past Kogi governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to leave its office without any interrogation. News Point Nigeria had earlier reported that Bello submitted himself to the anti-graft office in Abuja, Wednesday morning after months of back-and-forth and an attempt by the agency to arrest him. But a statement by the Director, Yahaya Bello Media Office, Ohiare Michael later on Wednesday, said Bello was asked to leave without any interrogation as the ex-governor was accompanied by the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo. See full statement below: PRESS RELEASE…

A TOTAL of 271 persons have been arrested for their alleged involvement in murder and homicide, while 111 stolen vehicles were recovered over the past one month. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) disclosed this in a statement, detailing the activities of the Force under the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun in efforts to combat violent crime. In addition to the murder suspects, the Force also arrested 295 individuals for armed robbery, 186 for kidnapping and 71 for illegal possession of firearms. Police operations also led to the recovery of 185 firearms and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition of…

IMMEDIATE past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello has honoured the invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after months of back-and-forth and an attempt by the agency to arrest him. A statement by the Director, Yahaya Bello Media Office, Ohiare Michael on Wednesday, said Bello has honoured the invitation of the EFCC “after due consultations with his family, legal team and political allies.” The statement said, “The former Governor, who has great respect for the rule of law and constituted authority, had, all the while, only sought the enforcement of his fundamental rights in order to ensure…

THE Federal Government on Tuesday alerted Nigerians to the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon. In a statement, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Umar Muhammed, said the dam’s regulated water releases will commence on September 17. According to the statement, the water discharge is anticipated to progressively escalate to 1000m³/s over the next seven days based on the inflow from the upstream Garoua River. “The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency wishes to notify the general public that the authorities of the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon have communicated to the agency that they…

A TOTAL sum of ₦1.203 trillion June 2024 federation accounts revenue has been shared with the Federal Government, states, and local government councils in the country. The revenue was shared at the September 2024 meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) held in Abuja and chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun. This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by Bawa Mokwa, the FAAC spokesperson for the Accountant General of the Federation. He explained that the ₦1.203 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of ₦186.636 billion, distributable Value Added…

– Bag Distinctions In Various Fields, Some Emerge Overall Best NEWLY graduated medical doctors who are indigenes of Kogi State have expressed gratitude to former governor of the state, Yahaya Bello for making their dreams of completing their medical courses possible. According to the fresh doctors, the immediate past governor came to their rescue when they thought all hope of becoming medical doctors was lost. Publicly acknowledging the former Kogi State Governor for his role in supporting their medical education through a full scholarship, the medical professionals, who were part of the pioneer group transferred from Prince Abubakar Audu University…

THE price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, produced by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and released by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited on Monday may justify the importation of the commodity into Nigeria, oil marketers have said. Dealers also stated that vessels of imported petrol should start arriving in Nigeria from Tuesday (today) as they called for transparency in the pricing of the PMS produced by the Dangote refinery. This came as the Organised Private Sector faulted the role of NNPC as the sole off-taker of petrol from the $20bn Lekki-based refinery. They called for competition in the…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has rejected the call of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to redeploy the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Anugbum Onuoha, ahead of the September 21 governorship election. Recall that the opposition party had demanded Mr Onuoha’s redeployment over his blood relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Edo State PDP chairman, Anthony Aziegbemhin, in a protest letter addressed to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, on Thursday, said the ties between Messrs Wike and Onuoha are too close to ignore. “The ties between these two are too close to ignore as…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has said that it will sell the petrol lifted from the Dangote Refinery at a price above N1,000 per litre in the north. The NNPC spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, disclosed this early on Monday, in a statement titled, ‘NNPC Ltd Releases Estimated Pump Prices of PMS from Dangote Refinery Based on September 2024 Pricing’ made available to News Point Nigeria. Soneye explained that the price may go for as high as N1,019/litre in places like Borno State, and N999.22 in Abuja, Sokoto, Kano, and others. In Oyo, Rivers and other areas in the South, it…

THE Nigerian Correctional Service has declared 281 inmates missing from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The service noted that this followed an evacuation process in the aftermath of the flood incident in the state, as seven inmates were returned to the centre. In a statement on Sunday in Abuja by its spokesman, Umar Abubakar, the service released the details of the inmates, including their biometrics. Abubakar said, “The Nigerian Correctional Service has observed the flooding currently being experienced in Maiduguri, Borno State, and its environment. “The unfortunate incident has left scars, bringing down the walls…

THE Presidential Committee on the Sale of Crude Oil and Refined Products has said that the Dangote Refinery will sell Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol only to the state oil company, NNPCL. A member of the committee and Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, disclosed this in Abuja on Friday, while announcing that loading of the first batch of petrol from the Dangote Refinery will commence on Sunday, September 15. He said, “I am glad to announce that all agreements have been put in place, and the loading of the first batch of…

THE Presidential Committee on the Sale of crude oil and Refined Product has announced that loading of the first batch of petrol from the Dangote Refinery will commence on Sunday, September 15. A member of the committee and Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, disclosed this in Abuja on Friday. Briefing journalists, the FIRS boss said that from October 1, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) will commence the supply of about 385kbpd of crude oil to the Dangote Refinery to be paid for in Naira. “I am glad to announce that all agreements have…

THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said that the current trend of flooding indicates that 29 states and 172 local government areas have been impacted; 1,048,312 people affected; 625,239 displaced, and 259 deaths recorded nationwide. In an update by the Director General, NEMA, Zubaida Umar said that the statistics were released on Thursday at the National Emergency Coordination Forum (ECF) meeting to review strategies and reassign responsibilities in the face of current realities in the pattern and management of disasters nationwide, including Borno State, where a search and rescue operations are ongoing. According to her, however, except for the…

THE Managing Director/CEO, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Chukwuemeka Agbasi, PhD,  has welcomed a strategic partnership proposal from the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) aimed at improving housing projects by providing accessible and motorable roads. According to a statement by Maryam Sanusi,  Director Information and Public Relations, FERMA on Thursday, this collaboration is in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises the importance of both housing and road infrastructure. Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Managing Director/CEO, Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Hon. Oyetunde Oladimeji Ojo, to the Agency’s headquarters on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, Engr.…

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says its President, Joe Ajaero, was not invited by Department of State Services (DSS) before being arrested. NLC spokesman, Benson Upah, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday. “Our attention has been drawn to a story (circulating in different media platforms) linked to “sources within the agency (DSS)” that preceding his arrest, Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress was invited by the DSS but that he did not honour the invitation,” the statement read. The “sources” further added that it was the reason for his arrest at the airport on his way…

FOUR days before the September 15, 2024, date announced by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to start lifting Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, from the Dangote Refinery, investigations by The PUNCH show that no commercial agreement has been reached to that effect by both parties. Multiple sources from NNPC and Dangote confirmed on Tuesday that the two oil firms had yet to reach a deal on the quantity and pricing of PMS to be lifted by the national oil company. On September 5, 2024, the Executive Vice President of Downstream, NNPC, Adedapo Segun, said during a live television…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has released the passport of the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), this newspaper can confirm. Some of labour leaders, who confided in our correspondent on Tuesday in Abuja, said the secret police did not find anything incriminating against Ajaero. This newspaper had reported that on Monday while on his way for Union business in the United Kingdom, Ajaero was arrested by security operatives and quizzed for over 15 hours. The NLC had in solidarity with their embattled leader given the government a midnight ultimatum. The DSS bowed to pressure from various quarters on…

DETERMINED to support government effort in bolstering youth empowerment and fast-tracking economic development in Nigeria, the Dangote Cement Plc is set to deliver a multi-million naira Skills Development Centre in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. The Skill Centre was conceived by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and the government of Kogi State. A statement from the Company’s Corporate Communications Department quoted Engr. Azad Nawabuddin, Plant Director of Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana, as affirming that the company is poised to deliver the project within the coming months. He stated that the Skill Centre is part of a series…

THE Department of State Services has clarified why its officers visited the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project’s Abuja office on Monday. The secret police, in a statement on its website on Tuesday, explained that contrary to reports that its officers raided SERAP’s office, the agents were detailed for routine investigation. The DSS insisted that the officers’ actions had been misinterpreted as harassment and intimidation. The statement read, “The Department of State Services has been inundated with multiple enquiries on its alleged unlawful invasion of SERAP offices in Abuja and Lagos. “This narrative is inaccurate and misleading in its intent. For…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has released labour leader Joe Ajaero, News Point Nigeria has learnt. Ajaero, who confirmed his release to our correspondent, said the secret police allowed him to go home around past 11pm on Monday. The Nigeria Labour Congress president said he was grilled for about 15 hours since his arrest around 7am at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Ajaero, however, said his travel passport was seized by the secret police. The labour leader said though he was detained by the DSS, some police officers also came around to grill him at the DSS office…