Author: Aliyu H. Mohammed, Minna

A PETROL-LADEN tanker has fallen along the Lambata–Lapai–Agaie Road in Niger State, causing tension among residents and motorists in the area. News Point Nigeria reports that the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday at Takalafiya village, under the Lapai Local Government Area, when the truck, said to have departed Lagos for Kano, overturned and spilled some of its content. A resident of Lapai town, Mallam Mahmud Abubakar, told our correspondent by telephone that the accident scene is barely two kilometres away from the town. He added that the portion of the road where the tanker fell had recently…

THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that the death toll from the petrol tanker explosion that occurred at Essa community along the Bida–Badeggi–Agaie road in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State has risen to 45. It also said that 63 other victims sustained varying degrees of burns. The Head of Operations, NEMA Minna Office, Hussaini Isah, who oversees Niger and Kwara States, disclosed this in a situation update issued to News Point Nigeria on Friday. According to him, the explosion was caused by a bad section of the road, which led to the accident. He identified Essa…

GOVERNOR Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger State has declared that his administration will neither negotiate with bandits nor pay ransom to kidnappers, urging residents to take proactive measures in defending themselves against the escalating wave of attacks across the state. Bago made the declaration during a visit to communities in Rijau and Magama Local Government Areas that recently suffered deadly bandit attacks in the Kontagora axis. The governor, visibly angered by the worsening insecurity, said the era of appeasing criminals through ransom payments must end, insisting that such gestures only embolden them and turn kidnapping into a thriving enterprise. “The…

THE death toll from the tragic petrol tanker explosion in Essa community, Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State, has risen to 42, with over 60 others injured. The incident occurred on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, when the tanker overturned and exploded as residents were reportedly scooping fuel from the fallen vehicle. Grieving residents blamed the poor condition of the Bida–Badeggi–Agaie Road for the accident, urging both federal and state governments to urgently rehabilitate the highway to prevent further loss of lives. According to a report from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) sent to News Point Nigeria, the tanker…

NO fewer than 30 people have reportedly lost their lives, while about 40 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a tragic tanker explosion that occurred on Tuesday in Niger State. News Point Nigeria reports that the incident happened around 11:00am at Essan and Badeggi communities along the Bida–Agaie road in Katcha Local Government Area of the state. Eyewitnesses said the victims were scooping fuel from a fallen tanker when the vehicle suddenly exploded, setting off a massive fire that engulfed several people. Many victims were said to have been burnt beyond recognition, while the injured were evacuated to nearby…

FRESH details have emerged from victims of Tuesday’s deadly bandit attack on Salka community in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State, where several residents were killed, others injured, and over 1,000 cows rustled. News Point Nigeria reports that a survivor from Salka recounted a chilling encounter with the assailants, revealing that the gunmen argued among themselves before opening fire on him. “While they were confronting me, one of the bandits told his colleague not to shoot, but he went ahead and pulled the trigger,” the victim said. “Before I was finally shot, I tried to hold him, but they…

Bandits have abducted Ahmed Mohammed, popularly known as Barrister Ahmed Lawyer, a Commissioner with the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission, along with his driver, former SUBEB Chairman Mohammed Bawa Niworu, and scores of motorists. News Point Nigeria gathered that incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, September 29, along the Zugurma-Ibbi–New Bussa Road near Ibbi National Park in Mashegu Local Government Area. A source disclosed that the victims were returning from Borgu when the gunmen struck. “Their vehicle was later found abandoned by the roadside, with their mobile phones left inside,” the source revealed. It was gathered that the…

A DEVASTATING road accident at Madalla junction in Suleja, Niger State, has left at least seven people dead and five others critically injured after a truck trailer rammed into multiple vehicles and burst into flames on Friday morning. The incident, which occurred around 11:30 am, sparked chaos in the busy town and has once again highlighted the dangers along the Abuja–Kaduna highway corridor, particularly around Madalla and Zuba, where road construction is ongoing. Eyewitnesses told this newspaper that the accident began when the driver of a commercial bus collided with a golf car. The two drivers reportedly stopped to argue…

TENSION escalated on Monday at the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State, as soldiers were reportedly deployed to the institution to secure examination venues amid an indefinite strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP). News Point Nigeria reports that the union, led by Comrade Kolo Joshua, had on September 15 directed its members to boycott semester examinations in protest over 18 months of unpaid excess workload allowances, accusing the management of neglecting its welfare obligations. According to sources on campus, the semester examinations commenced as scheduled on Monday despite the strike. However, the management allegedly brought in soldiers…

AT least 10 children have lost their lives in Niger State following a fresh outbreak of diphtheria in the Agaie and Bida local government areas. The deceased children were reportedly taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Bida, where they succumbed to complications from the disease despite medical efforts. Local sources revealed that more fatalities had also been recorded in rural communities across the two LGAs since the outbreak began, though the exact figures remain unconfirmed. The development has triggered anxiety among residents, who are calling for swift government intervention to prevent the disease from spreading further. A resident of…

THE death toll from the boat mishap which occurred at Malale riverfront in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State has risen to 60. This is as the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has expressed deep concern over the persistent disregard for safety guidelines in water transportation following the recent boat accident in Niger State that claimed at least 27 lives. Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday monitored by News point Nigeria, NIWA’s General Manager for Business Development, Olawale Adetola, said the tragedy underscores the urgent need for residents and operators to comply with established safety regulations.…

AT least 29 people have been confirmed dead and two others declared missing after a boat carrying 90 passengers capsized in Niger State on Tuesday. News Point Nigeria reports that the tragic accident occurred around 11:30 a.m. in Gausawa community, Borgu Local Government Area, as passengers were en route to Dugga community for a condolence visit. The ill-fated boat had taken off from Tugan Sule in Shagunu ward. According to eyewitness accounts and emergency officials, the accident was caused by overloading and a collision with a submerged tree stump in the river. A source from the Niger State Ministry of…

NIGER State Governor, Umaru Bago, has dissolved his cabinet. The governor announced the decision during the State Executive Council meeting at the Council Chamber, Minna. Bago appreciated them for the services they had so far rendered towards the development of the state and wished them the best in their future endeavours. The governor, however, said he had retained his Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, and other principal officers in his office.

A POPULAR restaurant owner in Kasuwan-Garba town, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State, has been burnt alive by an angry mob following allegations of blasphemy. News Point Nigeria gathered that the victim, widely identified simply as Amaye, was said to have made offensive comments during a casual exchange with a customer at her restaurant. According to witnesses, the customer had jokingly proposed marriage to her, referencing the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Amaye allegedly responded in a manner offensive and disrespectful to the Islamic faith. Alarmed by her remarks, locals dragged the woman to the palace of the…

IN what is being hailed as one of the most decisive victories against banditry in Niger State, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army neutralised over 50 armed bandits and rescued several kidnapped victims in Kumbashi village, Mariga Local Government Area, on Tuesday, August 26, 2025. News Point Nigeria gathered that the joint operation, which unfolded after bandits numbering about 300 launched an assault on a DSS service asset camp, ended in a resounding defeat for the assailants despite their overwhelming numbers and sophisticated weapons. Eyewitnesses recounted that the bandits stormed Kumbashi around 3pm, aiming…

A STRING of mining tragedies across Niger and Plateau States has left communities in grief as dozens of lives were lost in separate incidents of site collapses and explosions linked to illegal mining activities. The most recent disaster struck Budu village in Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State, where at least five women, including a pregnant woman, were confirmed dead after an illegal mining pit caved in around 6:30pm on Tuesday, News Point Nigeria gathered. Victims identified as Tani Abubakar (pregnant), Farida Mustapha, Farida Sule, Khadijat Abdullahi, and Zainab Usman, all residents of Budu and Panbi villages, were trapped…

FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan has described the Minna Hilltop residence of former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) (Rtd.), as a “Mecca of sorts” for Nigerians, owing to what he termed Babangida’s enduring leadership qualities and unifying spirit. Jonathan made the remarks on Sunday, in Minna, when he led a delegation of well-wishers to pay homage to the elder statesman on the occasion of his 84th birthday. According to Jonathan, Babangida remains one of the few leaders who have consistently prioritized the unity of Nigeria, regardless of regional or sectional affiliations. “Nigeria has produced leaders since independence, but Gen.…

THE Niger House of Assembly has called on Governor Umaru Bago to issue an executive order banning the celebration of Markers’ Day and sign-out activities in all public and private secondary and tertiary institutions across the state. The resolution followed a motion by the member representing Tafa Constituency, Muhammad Idris, who decried the negative consequences associated with such celebrations. Idris noted that what was initially meant to be a harmless farewell gesture by graduating students has degenerated into unruly behaviour, rising incidents of misconduct, and immoral activities. He warned that the trend threatens the moral and intellectual development that the…

AMNESTY International has criticised the closure of Badeggi 90.1 FM Radio in Minna, describing the move by Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, as an abuse of power and an attack on press freedom. Governor Bago had on Thursday ordered the shutdown of the radio station during an expanded meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus at the Government House, alleging that the station’s broadcasts were inciting violence and unethical in nature. Responding on Saturday, the Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said the directive lacked legal justification and reflected a pattern of media repression. “Amnesty International strongly condemns…

IN a significant joint security operation, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Army neutralised at least 45 terrorists during a coordinated raid on Iburu village, located in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, News Point Nigeria gathered. The deadly encounter, which occurred on Friday, followed actionable intelligence provided by the DSS, which uncovered imminent threats of terrorist attacks targeting the vulnerable border communities. The operation came in the wake of earlier warnings by the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, who in April raised alarm over persistent attacks on Customs officers around…