Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani

THE Federal Government has secured the release of 130 kidnapped schoolchildren whisked away by gunmen from the St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Niger State. A presidential spokesman, Sunday Dare, announced this on his official X handle sighted by News Point Nigeria on Sunday. “Another 130 abducted Niger state pupils released, none left in captivity,” Dare said in the post on X. The post was accompanied by a photo of smiling children and a woman. Over 300 children, teachers, and other staff members were kidnapped by the gunmen who stormed the Catholic school in the early hours of November…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Saturday depart Abuja on a three-state visit to Borno, Bauchi, and Lagos States, as part of official engagements and end-of-year activities. According to a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Friday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s first stop will be Borno State, where he is expected to commission several projects executed by the Borno State Government under Governor Babagana Zulum, as well as projects undertaken by the Federal Government. The visit to Borno will also feature a social engagement, as President Tinubu will…

2026 Budget Speech – Budget Of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience And Shared Prosperity Presented by: His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, At the Joint Session of the National Assembly, Abuja, Friday, 19 December 2025 PROTOCOLS Distinguished Senate President, Rt. Honourable Speaker and Honourable Members of the House of Representatives, Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members of the National Assembly, Fellow Nigerians, 1. I am here today to fulfil an essential constitutional obligation by presenting the 2026 Appropriation Bill to this esteemed Joint Session of the National Assembly for your consideration. 2. This budget represents a defining…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has urged governors, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and other governors, to support the proposal for the establishment of state police and implementation of local government autonomy. News Point Nigeria reports that Tinubu made the call at the 14th meeting of the APC National Caucus held in Abuja on Thursday. He asked governors to back the judgment of the Supreme Court on local government autonomy. According to him, it is not enough that the court has passed the judgment; allocations for local government councils must reach them directly. President Tinubu also called for greater inclusion…

A TOTAL sum of ₦1.928 trillion, being November 2025 Federation Account Revenue, has been shared to the Federal Government, States and the Local Government Councils. According to a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), the revenue was shared at the December 2025 Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting held in Abuja. The ₦1.928 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of ₦1.403 trillion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of ₦485.838 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of ₦39.646 billion. A communiqué issued by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) indicated…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared tat his directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers from Very Important Persons (VIPs), Very Very Important Persons (VVIPs), and serving ministers remains firm and irreversible, warning that non-compliance will not be tolerated. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking on Wednesday at the opening of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held in the State House Council Chamber, President Tinubu instructed all ministers and privileged officeholders currently using police escorts to immediately comply with the directive and seek clearance only when strictly necessary. “There is no going back on the directive to redeploy police…

THE Senate has approved President Bola Tinubu’s request to deploy Nigerian troops to the Republic of Benin in support of efforts to restore peace and stability following last weekend’s attempted coup. News Point Nigeria reports that Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced this on Tuesday during plenary after lawmakers considered the request in the Committee of the Whole in line with section 5, Part 11 of the Constitution. The Senators unanimously voted in favour of the deployment, giving legislative backing for the regional security intervention. Akpabio described the decision as a step in the right direction, noting that instability in any…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has applauded Nigeria’s security agencies following the successful rescue of 100 students abducted from Papiri Catholic School in Niger State, while issuing a fresh directive for the immediate recovery of the remaining victims still in captivity. The students were kidnapped on November 21 in one of the most unsettling school abductions recorded this year. Their rescue, confirmed on Monday, brought relief to families and authorities, though 115 students and several teachers are yet to regain freedom. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu…

NEWLY sworn-in Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), has assured citizens that the Federal Government’s renewed security strategies will soon yield visible results across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that Musa gave the assurance on Thursday shortly after President Bola Tinubu formally swore him in at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The minister, who spoke to journalists said his immediate priority is to reposition the defence architecture and strengthen cooperation among all security formations. “My immediate priority is to make sure that defence takes its place fully in the country. The synergy between the armed forces, between the armed…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, received Letters of Credence from 21 new foreign envoys at the State House in Abuja. This was disclosed in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. The envoys, comprising 17 ambassadors and four high commissioners, were received during a ceremony at the Council Chamber, where the President pledged Nigeria’s readiness to strengthen bilateral ties and deepen engagements across key sectors. Speaking after receiving their credentials, President Tinubu said Nigeria remained fully committed to promoting peace, harmony, and prosperity across borders. “On behalf of…

THE Senate has confirmed the nomination of a former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, as Minister of Defence after a five-hour grilling by the lawmakers on Wednesday. News Point Nigeria reports that tension rose earlier in the Senate as lawmakers objected to attempts to conclude the screening General Musa, as the new Minister and allow him to take a bow. Senator Sani Musa of Niger East Senatorial District had urged the Senate to allow the former service chief to take a bow and leave after responding to a few questions. But those opposed to the idea insisted…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday received former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa after the latter’s safe return from Guinea Bissau. According to a brief statement shared on his social media platforms, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the meeting was on Jonathan’s return to Nigeria from Guinea Bissau where he led a delegation on an election monitoring mission. News Point Nigeria had reported how Jonathan, alongside other foreign observers, were trapped in Guinea Bissau after a group of military officers claimed “total control” of the country, a day after two leading candidates…

NIGERIA has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) after 14 years of absence. News Point Nigeria reports that the development was announced by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, on Saturday. According to him, Nigeria’s re-election into Category C of the IMO Council for the 2026–2027 biennium came at the election that took place during the organisation’s General Assembly in London, on Friday, November 28. President Tinubu has described the re-election to the Council as a strong affirmation of the country’s growing maritime influence and its constructive role in global shipping…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the constitution of the Nigerian side of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group as part of measures to strengthen collaboration with the United States in addressing security challenges in the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the formation of the team followed a recent visit to Washington DC by a high-level Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Ribadu will lead the multi-agency team, which includes senior officials drawn from key security and foreign policy institutions. Members of the working group, as contained in a statement signed by the President’s aide, Bayo Onanuga,…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a strong directive to herders across the country, urging them to end open grazing, surrender illegal firearms, and transition fully to modern ranching systems as part of the administration’s renewed strategy to tackle insecurity and resolve decades-long farmer–herder conflicts. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday, the President said the Federal Government is “prioritising long-term, sustainable solutions” to violent clashes between farming communities and herders—crises that have devastated parts of the North Central region and contributed to the nation’s broader insecurity challenges. Tinubu described ranching as the only viable path for…

AMID rising attacks and abductions by gunmen and suspected terrorists, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared a nationwide security emergency. News Point Nigeria reports that Tinubu also ordered additional recruitment into the Nigerian Armed Forces and the police force. “Today, in view of the emerging security situation, I have decided to declare a nationwide security emergency and order additional recruitment into the Armed Forces. “By this declaration, the police and the army are authorised to recruit more personnel. The police will recruit an additional 20,000 officers, bringing the total to 50,000,” he said in a statement her personally signed. Tinubu,…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has appointed non-career ambassadors, ending the logjam of over two years. News Point Nigeria reports that the appointees are Kayode Are from Ogun State, Aminu Dalhatu from Jigawa and Ayodele Oke from Oyo State. The president sent the list to the Senate for confirmation, on Wednesday. “The list contains three names for now, I am sure others will follow,” Senate President Godswill Akpabio said after reading the letter from President Bola Tinubu. After President Donald Trump of the United States blacklisted Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, many blamed this on the non-appointment of ambassadors. In…

THE 24 schoolgirls abducted in Maga, Kebbi State, have regained their freedom, the Presidency has disclosed. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu welcomed the release of the 24 schoolgirls. According to him, Tinubu applauded the security agencies for the efforts made to secure the freedom of all the victims taken away by the terrorists. He tasked the security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the remaining students still being held captive. “I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for.…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State as the Renewed Hope Ambassador. This is ahead of the national launch of the Federal Government’s Ward Development Programme, According to Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, who announced this in a statement, on Monday, in his role as ambassador, he will double as the Director-General for Party Outreach, Engagement and Mobilisation. “With the appointment, which takes immediate effect, Governor Uzodimma will be responsible, in collaboration with the All Progressives Congress leadership and the governors, for evangelising the Tinubu administration’s programme. “As Renewed Hope Ambassador, Governor Uzodimma, who also chairs…

THE Presidency says the United States Government has affirmed its readiness to deepen security cooperation with Nigeria, including the provision of enhanced intelligence support, defence equipment, and articles to reinforce ongoing operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups in the country. News Point Nigeria reports that this follows discussions and engagements held last week between a high-level Nigerian delegation and US officials, aimed at strengthening security partnerships between the two countries and opening new avenues for cooperation. The delegation, led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, had met with senior officials across the US Congress, the White House Faith…