Author: Farouk Abbas

KADUNA State Government has issued a stern and final warning to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of orchestrating a campaign of provocation, manipulation, and dangerous rhetoric aimed at destabilising the state’s fragile peace. In a strongly worded statement signed by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Suleiman Shuaibu, the government said El-Rufai’s recent activities amount to a deliberate attempt to drag Kaduna back into the cycle of ethno-religious violence, insecurity, and economic stagnation that plagued the state during his administration. “This government will not fold its arms and allow a discredited former leader, who left the…

THE Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland has sentenced a pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison for terrorism offences. In a ruling delivered on Monday, the court found him guilty of inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group. The court said Ekpa had used his “significant social media following” to stoke tensions in the South-East region of Nigeria between August 2021 and November 2024, a Finnish newspaper, Yle, reported. According to the newspaper, the court also convicted him of aggravated tax fraud. The three-member panel of judges, in a unanimous ruling, also stated that…

FORUM of State Chief Executives of Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards/Agencies and Commissions, and the registered tour operators have passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman (Pakistan). The states and the tour operators are puzzled that over two months after the completion of 2025 Hajj, the Hajj commission is yet to pay some Saudi Arabian service providers and approved Hajj airlines. They said that both the states and the tour operators have fully paid for the services rendered to their pilgrims during the Hajj -…

ORMER First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has categorically ruled out any return to Aso Rock, saying she values her peace more than the pressures of political life. News Point Nigeria reports that a resurfaced video of her speech, recorded in May 2025 at an Abuja event where she was honoured with the Women Icon Leader of the Year Award by Accolades Dynamics Limited, has stirred renewed debate as speculations continue to swirl about her husband, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, and the 2027 presidential elections. In the viral clip, Patience Jonathan spoke candidly about the toll of public office and her personal…

THE Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Sunday advised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against fielding former President Goodluck Jonathan as its candidate in 2027. Keyamo stated on Sunday that the opposition risks serious consequences in the upcoming election if it relies on former Anambra governor Peter Obi as its candidate. He said the PDP remains in a “non-enviable position” after failing to zone its 2023 ticket to the South, a decision he said cost the PDP support in its traditional strongholds in the South-South and South-East. The minister stated that nominating Jonathan carries a constitutional danger…

A FORMER Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, has died. News Point Nigeria learnt that Arase, 69, passed away on Sunday at the Cedar Crest Hospital in Abuja, the nation’s capital. A family source confirmed the incident to News Point Nigeria on Sunday via a phone conversation. The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, also confirmed the death to Channels Television. He said the police authorities would soon issue a statement on the matter. Arase, who served as Nigeria’s 18th Inspector-General of Police, was later appointed Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC). Before becoming IGP, he headed the Force Criminal…

MEMBERS of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics have issued a fresh 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address all lingering issues with the workers, or risk a nationwide industrial action. The 21-day ultimatum, which began on August 27, 2025, was contained in a communique issued at the end of the association’s 77th General Executive Council Meeting held at the Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Danbatta, Kano State. The polytechnic workers demanded the release of the new Scheme of Service, constitution of the Renegotiation of 2010 Agreement Committee, payment of all owed arrears and the release of the…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has filed charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja against nine suspects linked to the recent deadly attacks on Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, as well as in parts of Plateau State. The charge sheet stated that one Haruna Adamu, Muhammad Abdullahi of Awe LGA of Nasarawa state, and others still at large, had on June 13th, 2025, allegedly carried out attacks against the people of Abinsi and Yelwata villages. According to the DSS, the offence is contrary to, and punishable under section 12 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition…

THE Kaduna State Government has dismissed a report ranking the state among the highest in kidnapping incidents nationwide, describing it as “false, mischievous and irresponsible.” A statement issued on Thursday by the Ministry of Information and signed by the Commissioner-Designate, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki made available to News Point Nigeria, faulted a report attributed to SB Morgen which alleged that 629 persons were abducted in Kaduna between July 2024 and June 2025. “The attention of the Kaduna State Government has been drawn to recent reports and commentaries regarding the security situation in the state. The publication by SB Morgen alleging that…

THE Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Thursday, announced a landmark welfare policy approved by President Bola Tinubu, which guarantees lifetime salary benefits to senior officers retiring from the rank of Deputy Controller, Comptroller, or Commandant-General and above. News Point Nigeria reports that the minister made the announcement while speaking at the 2025 Ministerial Retreat in Abuja, where he presented the achievements of the Interior Ministry and reaffirmed its commitment to institutional reforms and capacity building across its agencies. The beneficiary paramilitary bodies under the Ministry of Interior are; the Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service,…

FORMER Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye, has been summoned to appear before the Federal Capital Territory Magistrate Court in Abuja over his alleged failure to pay over N509 million in Personal Income Tax for the years 2023 and 2024, alongside arrears from previous years. The summons, dated August 21, 2025, mandates Melaye to appear at the Magistrate Court, Wuse Zone II, Abuja, on September 5, 2025, to answer questions over the alleged tax defaults. According to documents from the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) obtined by News Point Nigeria, Melaye has consistently underpaid his statutory taxes despite…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to admit into evidence statements made by three men accused of spying on American and Israeli interests in Nigeria on behalf of suspected Iranian handlers. News Point Nigeria reports that the accused persons; Haruna Ali Abbas, Ibrahim Hussaini Musa, and Adam Suleiman were arrested in Kano and Lagos in 2013 and subsequently charged with terrorism-related offences. They are standing trial on a 2014 charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/129/2014, which links them to espionage and terrorist activities allegedly carried out under instructions from Iran. At Wednesday’s proceedings, lawyers…

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…