Author: Aliyu H. Mohammed, Minna

THE Federal Government has secured 44 convictions out of 54 individuals arraigned for terrorism financing during Phase 7 of the ongoing Kainji Detention Facility Terrorism Trials. According to a statement released by Michael Abu, Head of the Department of Strategic Communication at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the trials were conducted across four courts, with ten cases adjourned for further hearing. The convictions, the statement noted, mark a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to dismantle extremist funding networks and uphold accountability through the rule of law. The convicted individuals received prison…

NO fewer than 17 Nigerian soldiers have been killed in a fierce gun duel with suspected bandits in the Bangi community, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State. The violent confrontation was said to have occurred on Tuesday night at about 11 pm, following intelligence reports that armed bandits were advancing towards Bangi, a notorious corridor for criminal activity, including kidnappings and cattle rustling. Sources in the community told News Point Nigeria that the soldiers laid an ambush for the bandits as they attempted to infiltrate the area using their usual route, triggering a heavy exchange of gunfire that lasted…

STUDENTS of the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida(IBB) University, Lapai took to the streets of Lapai on Monday morning to protest the killing of one of them by armed robbers. It was learnt that robbers invaded a student lodge close to the school gate in the early hours of Monday and in the process killed a 200-level student who resumed for the session on Sunday. The robbers also carted away several valuables belonging to the students without any resistance from security agents from the institution. The students began protesting at the front of the school gate blocking the road and burning tires…

THE Mokwa Flood Relief Support Group has appealed for a concerted effort to end flood disaster and the attendant loss of lives and property in Mokwa Town. The appeal by the Group came in the wake of the flood disaster that occurred in the Town whichclaimed many lives and destroyed property worth billions of naira and rendered many homeless. The Group’s Chairman, Rtd Assistant Controller-General of Customs Alhaji Ahmed Nasir, noted that the flood disaster highlighted the urgency to address key concerns, adding that beyond the immediate relief measure, the Federal Government and Niger State Government should institute proactive action…

AT least 10 persons were killed when a suicide bomber hit a popular food joint in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, on Friday. Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, said investigation was ongoing. “Yesterday, around 22:00 in Konduga, just unfortunately, somebody invaded a gathering with a bomb, killing over 10 persons,” he said. “We have deployed our EOD experts, together with the military and other security agencies, to the town. “Investigation is ongoing to ascertain what actually or really happened. The detail is still scanty.” But counterinsurgency expert,…

MAJOR Hamza Al-Mustapha, a former Chief Security Officer to late General Sani Abacha, has announced that he will run for president in 2027. Al-Mustapha said he will run under the Social Democratic Party. He made the declaration on Tuesday in Minna, Niger State capital during a meeting with the party’s state leaders and his supporters. Speaking at the event, Al-Mustapha expressed readiness to lead Nigeria with honesty and a clear plan to fix the country. “I am pained and deeply concerned about the current state of the nation. However, with the right direction and commitment, Nigeria can rise again. “Though…

BARELY few weeks after the devastating Mokwa flood in Niger State, another flood has occurred in Bida, capital of Bida Local Government Area of the state, where 11 houses were submerged, property lost, bridge and culvert also swept away. However, no life was lost. The incident happened on Saturday with the torrential rain lasting about five hours from 3 a.m., to 8 a.m. Areas greatly affected include Kodogi/Nasarafatu road, Bida; Federal Polytechnic and G.R.A road, Bida. The state government led by the Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Mohammed Kolo has led a delegation for an on-the-spot assessment. He expressed…

BORNO State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has donated the sum of ₦300 million to victims of the recent flood disaster in the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State. Zulum announced the donation on Tuesday when he led a delegation from Borno State on a condolence visit to Government House, Minna, to commiserate with the government and people of Niger State over the devastating flood that killed over 200 persons and displaced thousands in the North-Central state. He said the donation was to support and complement the efforts of the Niger State Government in response to the disaster, which claimed lives…

IN response to the devastating flood disaster in the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, Governor Umaru Bago has announced a package of interventions aimed at restoring hope and rebuilding lives. During his visit to the temporary camp at Tiffin Madza Primary School, where hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are currently being hosted, the governor disclosed that the state government has donated ₦1 billion and fifty trucks of assorted grains to support victims of the flood. A woman stands next to debris from damaged buildings in Mokwa on June 1, 2025. (Photo by Tonye BAKARE / AFP) In…

FORMER Nigerian Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, has described the Mokwa flood that led to the death of over 200 people as “unfortunate but an act of God”. Babangida said this when he received a state government delegation led by the Deputy Governor, Yakubu Garba, on a Sallah homage at his Uphill Residence, Minna. While commiserating with the people of Mokwa and the entire Niger State over the recent flood disaster in Mokwa Local Government Area, Babangida enjoined the residents of the state to continue to pray for the souls of the deceased. IBB said, ”What happened in Mokwa is…

THE Gaba Development Association in Lavun Local Council of Niger State has expressed strong dissatisfaction over the recent state pardon granted to eleven individuals sentenced to death by Justice Maimuna A. Abubakar of the Niger State High Court for the culpable homicide of seven unarmed members of the Gaba community. Speaking at a press conference in Minna, the Chairman of the Gaba Development Association, Mr. Paul Gana, appealed to Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to withdraw the amnesty, insisting that the decision has deeply hurt the families of the victims. Gana recounted that in 2018, the victims were brutally attacked on…

THE Honourable Minister of State for works, Hon. Goronyo Bello carried out an urgent inspection of the collapsed culvert in Mokwa, Niger State, a tragic site that has claimed numerous lives and disrupted transportation and economic activity in the region. During the inspection, the Minister expressed deep concern over the devastating impact of the collapse on residents and commuters. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives as a result of the incident. In line with the directive of His Excellency, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Honourable Minister, issued an immediate order for…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate release of ₦2 billion for the reconstruction of all houses affected by the flood in Mokwa, Niger State. Vice President, Kashim Shettima, disclosed this during a visit to Mokwa, following the devastating flood that destroyed lives and property, and left hundreds displaced. The Vice President also said the President authorised the immediate release of 20 trucks of rice to be delivered to the victims. Assuring that President Tinubu’s heart is with the people, Shettima said that all the issues affecting the people would be addressed. According to him, the President has also directed…

THE Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs in Niger State, Ahmad Suleiman, says more than 200 corpses of victims have been recovered after devastating floods hit the Mokwa Local Government Area of the state. “We have more than 200 casualties or corpses but we are still looking for more,” the commissioner said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief show on Tuesday. “We are still recovering corpses up till now.” “Nobody can tell you the number of casualties in Niger State right now because up till now, we are still looking for some corpses.” Suleiman said the Umar Bago administration in the north-central…

THREE days after floods devastated several communities in the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, victims at makeshift camps continue to voice deep dissatisfaction over the handling of relief efforts. A visit to the affected communities by our correspondent revealed the frustration and disappointment of flood victims, especially over the lack of adequate food supplies and poor camp conditions. Many displaced residents lamented that although they were photographed with food items by authorities and relief personnel, they were not given the supplies. One of the victims, Mama Isah, expressed her pain, saying: “We are 17 people in my household,…

FLASH floods that ripped through parts of Niger State have killed more than 100 people, an emergency services official said on Friday, with the toll expected to rise further. Teams of rescuers continued to search for missing residents after torrential rains late on Wednesday washed away and submerged dozens of homes in and around the city of Mokwa, in Niger State. “We have so far recovered 115 bodies and more are expected to be recovered because the flood came from far distance and washed people into the River Niger,” Ibrahim Audu Husseini, a spokesman for the Niger State Emergency Management…

A DEVASTATING flash flood has claimed 21 lives and left more than 10 persons missing in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, following a torrential downpour that struck overnight. According to a statement issued by the Acting Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Ibrahim Hussaini, the disaster struck the communities of Tiffin Maza and Anguwan Hausawa in Mokwa town during heavy rainfall of high intensity that lasted for several hours. The floodwaters submerged and washed away over 50 residential houses along with their occupants, resulting in significant casualties and property loss. In response, NSEMA, in…

IN a decisive move to clamp down on rising criminal activities and youth restiveness in Minna, the capital of Niger State, Governor Umaru Bago, has issued a sweeping Executive Order targeting thuggery, drug abuse, and associated crimes. One of the orders is the ban on dreadlocks among the youths. individuals keeping dreadlock hairstyles are to be arrested and forcibly shaved. This, according to the governor, is part of an effort to dismantle the identity and networks of known street gangs. The Executive Order, which takes immediate effect, outlines a series of stringent measures aimed at restoring peace, order, and public…

THE Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, Minna, has been declared as the alternative airport to the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport. Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo declared this at the inaugural flight commencement of Overland Airways from Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport in Minna. Keyamo said the airport has the face, runway, ambience, and location that fits any other international airport across the world. Highlighting the airport’s capacity and strategic relevance, Keyamo praised the facility’s infrastructure and its potential to serve as a major aviation hub. “The runway is an international runway; a 747 and a tripple 7 can use this…

ANOTHER petroleum tanker containing PMS exploded in Karamin Rami village of Mashegu Local Council, Niger State, on Thursday, March 4, 2025, at about 6:30 p.m., claiming seven (7) lives. According to a statement issued to newsmen in Minna by the Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Alhaji Abdullahi Baba Arah, the incident occurred as a tanker truck attempted to maneuver its way due to bad roads without shoulders and fell down, causing its content (PMS) to flow into a nearby stream where dry-season farmers were working on their rice fields. The statement added that the tanker’s content…