OPERATIVES of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have grilled Dr Mustapha Muhammad Ali, the Secretary of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), on Tuesday over alleged fraud. This newspaper confirmed the development from EFCC officials, who are conversant with the case, but have no authorisation to share the details with the press They said a team of anti-fraud investigators at the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja had grilled the NAHCON secretary. The secretary, according to the anti-graft sources, was at the EFCC throughout Tuesday afternoon facing the investigators. He was released on bail around 6pm on Tuesday. He…
Author: Farouk Abbas
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THE Federal Government on Tuesday announced a major leap in Nigeria’s digital identity revolution, revealing that over 126 million Nigerians have now been enrolled in the National Identity Database, with system capacity expanded to accommodate 250 million records. News Point Nigeria reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, disclosed this during the 2025 National Day of Identity Celebration organised by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Abuja. The event, themed “Public Key Infrastructure: Backbone to Digital Public Infrastructure,” brought together key policymakers, lawmakers, regulators, and private…
THE Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government over unresolved issues affecting non-academic staff in universities. In a letter dated 12 September, 2025, the two unions condemned the “unjust” disbursement of earned allowances to university staff, the non-payment of outstanding allowances, and other unresolved issues. The letter signed by the president of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim, and general secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi obtained by News Point Nigeria, reminded the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, of a June 18, 2025, letter from…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that more than 4.4 million Nigerians have pre-registered online as part of the ongoing nationwide voter registration exercise that began on August 18, 2025. According to a statement issued on Monday by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee Sam Olumekun made available to News Point Nigeria, a total of 4,445,505 online pre-registrations were recorded as of Sunday, September 14, 2025. “As of Sunday 14th September 2025, a total of 4,445,505 Nigerians have now pre-registered online in four weeks since the commencement of the exercise on 18th August…
THE Federal Government has officially commenced a rigorous, multi-phase selection process to appoint five new Permanent Secretaries into the Federal Civil Service, following recent retirements and the creation of new ministerial portfolios. The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) confirmed the development in a statement signed by Mrs. Eno Olotu, Director of Information and Public Relations made available to News Point Nigeria, on Sunday. According to the statement, the recruitment exercise was approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and will fill vacancies arising from the recent retirement of Permanent Secretaries from Imo State and…
GOVERNOR Umar Mohammed Bago of Niger State has stirred nationwide debate after reaffirming that all religious preachers must submit their sermons for government approval before addressing congregations, in what his administration says is a bid to curb hate speech, extremism, and security threats. Speaking on TVC’s Politics on Sunday monitored by News Point Nigeria, the governor dismissed claims that the new regulation amounts to a blanket ban on evangelism or da’awah (Islamic propagation), insisting it is a proactive step to ensure peace and prevent incitement. “I didn’t ban evangelism,” Bago said. “For everyone going to sermon on Friday, he should…
THERE was a shouting match at the Presidential Villa between the Chairman/CEO of the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman (Pakistan); and Commissioner of Policy, Personnel and Finance (PPMF), Aliu Abdulrazak; Commissioner of Planning, Research, Statistics, Information and Library Services (PRSILS), Professor Abubakar A. Yagawal; and Commissioner of Operations, Prince Anofi Elegushi; after meeting Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa. The incident happened after 7pm on Friday, when the four top NAHCON officials left the Vice President office – venue of the meeting with Mr Shettima, an eyewitness told this newspaper. The shouting match started when…
THE Federal Government has issued an urgent flood warning to residents of 11 states, cautioning that heavy rainfall expected between Sunday and Thursday could lead to severe flooding and displacement. The alert, issued through the National Flood Early Warning Centre (NFEWC) under the Federal Ministry of Environment obtained by News Point Nigeria, identified multiple locations across Adamawa, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Delta, Niger, Kebbi, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states as potential flashpoints. According to the NFEWC, the following areas are likely to be most impacted: Adamawa: Ganye, Natubi Benue: Abinsi, Agyo, Gogo, Ito, Makurdi, Udoma, Ukpiam Nasarawa: Agima, Rukubi, Odogbo…
CANADA has denied 1,596 asylum claims filed by Nigerian nationals so far in 2025, according to fresh data released by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB). Figures obtained by News Point Nigeria show that as of August 21, 2025, Nigerians had filed 3,548 asylum claims, out of which 2,292 were approved, representing an acceptance rate of roughly 65 percent significantly higher than in previous years when cumulative rejections exceeded 13,000 applications. Analysis by Maple Crest Law, a Canadian immigration law practice, earlier projected that Nigerian claims could exceed 3,455 this year, keeping the country among the top five sources of…
THE brewing face-off between Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) intensified on Friday, as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery threw a bold challenge at the union to reveal the identities of those who allegedly squandered over $18 billion on Nigeria’s comatose government-owned refineries. In a hard-hitting statement made available to News Point Nigeria, the Dangote Group questioned why the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries despite years of so-called “turnaround maintenance” and rehabilitation remain moribund, leaving Nigeria heavily reliant on fuel imports. “We must begin to ask what has happened to…
A FRESH crisis is rocking the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) over alleged nepotism, witch-hunt, vendetta in the postings and redeployments of its staff. The development has degenerated into confusion at the Hajj commission headquarters in Abuja this week when a circular and a list of staff postings were released, but it was cancelled hours later by the chairman, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman (Pakistan), and then reissued. On Friday, September 5, 2025, the Hajj commission in a statement signed and released by its spokesperson Fatima Sanda Usara, announced the redeployment and promotion of some of its staff as parts…
NIGERIA’s aviation sector was rattled on Friday following revelations by the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) that the flight crew of an Air Peace Boeing 737 involved in a runway excursion at Port Harcourt International Airport tested positive for alcohol and hard drugs. The startling findings were contained in a preliminary report released by the NSIB and signed by Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, and made available to News Point Nigeria. The serious incident occurred on Sunday, July 13, 2025, when an Air Peace flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt carrying 103 passengers and…
THE Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has admitted that criminals operating across Nigeria are currently more sophisticated and better equipped than the country’s security agencies, warning that law enforcement must urgently modernize to keep pace with emerging threats. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking on Thursday at the Force Headquarters in Abuja during a strategic meeting with commanders of all border patrol units nationwide, Egbetokun described the situation as a wake-up call for the nation’s security architecture. In a blunt assessment of Nigeria’s security challenges, the Police Chief acknowledged that criminal groups are no longer the “ragtag gangs” of old…
IN what is being hailed as a major relief for millions of Nigerians grappling with high fuel prices, the Dangote Refinery has announced that its much-anticipated free fuel distribution programme will officially begin on Monday, with simultaneous rollouts in key states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). News Point Nigeria reports that the announcement was made late on Thursday by Anthony Chiejina, Group Chief, Branding and Corporate Communications, Dangote Group, in a statement confirming the programme’s commencement date and the accompanying slash in petrol prices. Chiejina disclosed that the refinery will retail petrol at ₦841 per litre in Lagos and…
IN what security experts are hailing as a major breakthrough in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, the Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced Mahmud Usman, a notorious commander of the proscribed terrorist group Ansaru, to 15 years imprisonment. News Point Nigeria reports that the judgment was delivered on Thursday by Justice Emeka Nwite, who found Usman guilty of illegal mining activities that were allegedly used to generate funds for arms procurement, terrorism operations, and multiple high-profile kidnappings. Usman, who security agencies describe as the “self-styled Emir of Ansaru,” was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on…
THE House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations has expressed growing concern over the slow pace of implementation of the 2024–2025 Appropriations Act, summoning the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, to provide explanations. News Point Nigeria reports that the lawmakers engaged the ministers behind closed doors on Wednesday in Abuja, pressing for clarity on why Nigerians have yet to feel the impact of the budget, despite the government’s assurances. Briefing journalists after the session, Chairman of the Committee, Abubakar Bichi (APC–Kano), said Nigerians were worried about the execution of the…
VICE President Kashim Shettima has commended Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, for establishing Nigeria’s first-ever State Council on Skills, describing the initiative as a bold and transformative step toward equipping citizens with the tools needed for national development. Speaking on Tuesday during the 7th meeting of the National Council on Skills (NCS) held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Shettima praised Kaduna’s pioneering role, noting that it aligns perfectly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s agenda to prioritize human capital development. According to the Vice President, the skills revolution is at the heart of the Federal Government’s covenant with Nigerians,…
YAGBA West Local Council in Kogi State was thrown into mourning on Wednesday after armed bandits launched a deadly ambush on a police checkpoint, killing three officers and carting away their rifles. News Point Nigeria reports that the incident, which occurred at the Ofili checkpoint along the Egbe–Okunran–Pategi Road, has heightened fears over the rising wave of insecurity in Okunland and renewed calls for urgent intervention by security agencies and government authorities. According to eyewitness accounts, the policemen had barely arrived at their duty post when the bandits opened fire on their Hilux patrol vehicle. “They came for their guns,…
THIS infographic chronicles the timeline of 57 major scandals of Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), in the last 11 months. Mr Pakistan took over the mantle of leadership at the Nigerian apex Hajj regulatory commission on October 2, 2024. The tenure of Mr Pakistan has been marred by so many scandals that include submit the 2025 Hajj report to the Presidency three months after the holy pilgrimage in a clear violation of the NAHCON (Establishment) Act 2022. Others scandals are submission of fraudulently packaged onshore/offshore budget to Tinubu…
THE National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has imposed an immediate ban on loading activities at unauthorized points nationwide to reduce boat accidents and enhance safety on Nigeria’s inland waterways. The Managing Director of NIWA, Bola Oyebamiji, announced the new directives during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. He said, “NIWA has placed an immediate ban on loading activities from all unauthorised loading points across the country. No commercial passenger boat shall be allowed to load from any point other than those recognised and registered by NIWA. “It is mandatory for all commercial boat operators to provide and enforce the…