Author: Gbenga Mukhtar

THE Ogun State Police Command has arraigned the driver of a Lexus SUV involved in the road crash of heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua. News Point Nigeria reports that the suspect, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, was brought before a Sagamu Magistrate Court in the Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State on Friday, January 2, 2026. Confirming the development, the Police said the 46-year-old driver was formally charged in connection with the accident. “I wish to inform the general public that the driver of the Lexus SUV involved in the Anthony Joshua accident case, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode (male), aged 46, was…

THE last have not been heard of Anthony Joshua’s auto crash Anthony Joshua’s auto crash after word filtered in from Abeokuta, Ogun State capital that Anthony Joshua’s ill-fated driver, Kayode Adeniyi might appear in court on Friday (today). An officer from Ogun State Police Command who pleaded anonymity told News Point Nigeria that Adeniyi is currently being interrogated at Eleweran Police Station. “He is in a stable condition and was able to provide us with his version of events that led up to the crash and we expect a charging decision within the next 48 hours but the bank holiday…

BOXING champion Anthony Joshua has been discharged from hospital following a road accident along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on Monday , which claimed the lives of his two close friends, Lateef Ayodele and Cina Gami. In a Wednesday statement co-signed by Gbenga Omotoso, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lagos State, and Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Ogun State sent to News Point Nigeria, the governments of Lagos and Ogun states expressed their condolences to the families of the deceased. “The governments of Lagos and Ogun states once again commiserate with the families of the two young men, Lateef…

FINANCIAL institutions will start charging senders a ₦50 stamp duty on electronic transfers of ₦10,000 and above from January 1, 2026, following the implementation of the Tax Act. This was disclosed in notices seen by News Point Nigeria sent by Nigerian banks to their customers ahead of the policy’s implementation. The stamp duty or electronic money transfer levy (EMTL) is a single, one-off charge of ₦50 on electronic receipt or transfer of money deposited in any commercial money bank or financial institution on any type of account on sums of ₦10,000 and above. In an email sent to customers on…

THE family of world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua has expressed deep concern over their inability to gain access to the boxer following the fatal road accident that occurred on Monday along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, which claimed the lives of two of his close associates. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking to journalists on Tuesday at the family residence in Ijokun, Sagamu, Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, described the incident as a “rude shock” and said the family was distressed by the lack of direct information and access to the boxer. According to him, the family only became aware of the…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the provisional list of governorship and deputy governorship candidates for the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) conspicuously absent from the list. The list, which was seen by News Point Nigeria on Monday, displayed at the INEC state office located along New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022. According to the commission, the provisional list features candidates from 12 registered political parties, all of whom successfully submitted their nomination forms within the stipulated timeframe. Leading the field is…

TWO persons have been confirmed dead following a road traffic accident involving Nigerian-British boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State. The accident occurred on Monday when a vehicle conveying the former world heavyweight boxing champion reportedly collided with a stationary truck on the busy highway. News Point Nigeria gathered that the vehicle, a Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle with registration number KRD 850 HN, was part of a convoy carrying Joshua when the crash occurred. Confirming the incident, the Spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun State Command, Afolabi Odunsi, said two people lost their…

RESIDENTS of Offa, a major commercial town in Kwara State, were thrown into panic late Thursday night after explosions rocked parts of the community, damaging properties and triggering widespread fear, barely hours after the United States announced airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets in northwest Nigeria. The incident, which occurred around midnight on Christmas Day, was reported at two different locations within Offa, heightening anxiety among residents already on edge following news of the US military action in Sokoto State. Eyewitnesses told News Point Nigeria that the first explosion struck buildings around the Eid praying ground area, a densely populated…

THE Ojibara of Bayagan Ile, Kamilu Salami, who was abducted 25 days ago by bandits, has been released. News Point Nigeria report that the monarch, who was abducted on his farm, fateful Saturday morning, was released on Tuesday night. Residents of the community have been thrown into a frenzy of joy and happiness following the monarch’s release. The palace was bombarded with jubilant residents, who crowded to catch a glimpse of their monarch, and more importantly, congratulate him and the family for their safe return to the palace. Spokesperson of the community, Ayinla Lawal, confirmed the releaseon  Wednesday. Ayinla said…

THE Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of two large parcels of land designated for the proposed Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate, following allegations of financial impropriety surrounding the project. News Point Nigeria reports that Justice Mohammed Umar made the order while delivering a ruling on a motion on notice filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The application was moved by ICPC counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, and was unchallenged by the defence. Counsel to the defence, Hassan Liman, SAN, raised no objection to the forfeiture request, prompting the court to…

SECURITY agencies have arrested two men suspected of being fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Lagos, raising renewed concerns about the expansion of terrorist networks beyond Nigeria’s conflict-ravaged north-east. News Point Nigeria reports that the suspects, identified as Modu Gana and Ibrahim Dugge, were reportedly taken into custody on Sunday morning by operatives of the Department Of State Security (DSS) in the Apapa area of Lagos State. According to security sources, the arrests were carried out at about 8:45am, after which the suspects were immediately taken in for interrogation. The circumstances leading to their arrest were…

HEIRS Energies Limited, Nigeria’s leading indigenous integrated energy company, has executed a USD 750 million financing with the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank). The transaction was concluded at a signing ceremony in Abuja on Saturday 20th December 2025, attended by Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, Chairman of Heirs Energies, and Dr. George Elombi, President and Chairman of Afreximbank. The transaction represents one of the largest financings secured by an indigenous African energy company and demonstrates lender confidence in Heirs Energies’ operating performance, governance standards, proprietary brownfield excellence capability, and long-term growth trajectory. Since assuming operatorship of OML 17, Heirs Energies has…

THE Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Theophilus Akeredolu is dead. Akeredolu died on December 9, 2025. A statement issued on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP, Benjamin Hundeyin sent to News Point Nigeria said, “The Nigeria Police Force announces with deep sorrow the passing of a distinguished senior retired police officer and elder statesman, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Chief Theophillus Adetunji Akeredolu, who passed to glory on 9th December, 2025 “Born on 25th October, 1942, the late DIG Akeredolu devoted several decades of his life to the service of the Nigeria Police Force and the nation at large.…

THE Ekiti State Government has sacked a surgeon, who was accused of removing the kidney of a patient without their prior consent at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH). This was contained in a statement signed and made available to News Point Nigeria by the Commissioner for Health, Oyebanji Filani. It also recommended that all members of the surgical team present in the theatre on the day of the operation are to be suspended from duty for a period of one month, pending further administrative review. This decision followed the detailed report submitted by the seven-member panel of enquiry,…

THE Lagos State Police Command has arrested and detained popular TikTok streamer Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, following a viral video showing him driving and threatening to crash his car while livestreaming. His action resulted in a road crash on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday and signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, the force said the arrest followed the circulation of a video recorded on Sunday, in which the 20-year-old content creator was seen driving while visibly distressed, eventually crashing his vehicle. According to the police,…

THE Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, on Thursday said poor telecommunications connectivity remains the commission’s toughest challenge in achieving real-time upload of election results from polling units across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that Amupitan revealed this on Thursday at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room’s Stakeholders’ Forum on Elections in Abuja. He said that despite technological gains, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), weak network coverage continues to limit full real-time transparency, especially in remote areas. He noted that the commission’s strategic response to…

FORMER presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Publisher, Dele Momodu, says a last-minute disruption to his planned road trip to Cotonou may have saved him from being caught in the failed coup attempt in Benin Republic. Momodu stated this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday monitored by News Point Nigeria, explaining that he was originally scheduled to be inside Benin Republic at the exact period the coup scare was unfolding. He said the unexpected setback that stopped his 5 a.m. departure “was what saved us.” Momodu narrated that the entire episode felt unreal, noting that he…

TENSIONS between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) have deepened as the refinery halted monthly salary payments to engineers affected by the dispute that erupted in September. News Point Nigeria reports that the salary suspension, confirmed by multiple officials and documents obtained by The PUNCH, affects engineers whose appointments were terminated but who were later offered redeployment to various Dangote Group projects across the country—offers many of them rejected. Investigations revealed that the workers’ salaries were first reduced in October before being completely halted in November. Company officials said the…

NIGERIA is set for a challenging fiscal year in 2026 as the Federal Government on Wednesday unveiled a proposed N54.43tn spending plan under the newly approved Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP), with debt servicing alone projected to gulp N15.91tn representing 29.2 per cent of the entire budget. The deficit, estimated at N20.10tn, is now N2.78tn larger than the country’s entire 2022 national budget, marking a historic surge that analysts say could push Africa’s largest economy into deeper fiscal distress if not managed prudently. This year’s proposed deficit is also more than double that of 2025, rising by…

CHAIRMAN of the United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu, has cancelled his annual TOE All-White Party in honour of the six staff members who died in the September fire at Afriland Towers, Lagos. The fire, which broke out in the high-rise building on Broad Street, claimed the lives of workers and left the business community shaken. In a message shared via his Instagram story on Tuesday sighted by News Point Nigeria, Elumelu said he and his wife, Awele, made the “difficult decision” to suspend this year’s edition of the much-anticipated December 23 celebration. He explained that the moment calls for…