MOHAMMED Bello, son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, has accused operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of denying his father access to medical care and family support while in detention. The allegation was contained in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by Mohammed Bello on Saturday, where he described the actions of the anti-graft agency as a “serious attack” on his father’s fundamental rights. El-Rufai has remained in ICPC custody since February 19 over allegations of financial impropriety linked to his tenure as governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023.…
Author: Amina Ibrahim
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NATIONAL Emergency Management Agency has alerted the public to an unauthorised breach of its official website by suspected hackers. News Point Nigeria reports that the agency, responsible for disaster management in Nigeria, disclosed the development in a statement posted on its X handle on Friday and signed by the management of NEMA. According to the statement, “The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has been alerted to an unauthorized breach of its official website by suspected hackers.” “The Agency is currently taking necessary technical measures to rectify the breach, secure the platform, and restore normal operations,” the statement added. NEMA advised…
NIGERIA’s headline inflation now stands at 15.69 per cent as of April 2026, according to the latest consumer price index (CPI) released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). According to the CPI published on Friday sighted by News Point Nigeria, the latest figure moved up from the 15.38 per cent recorded in March 2026. “In April 2026, the headline inflation rate rose to 15.69%, up from 15.38% in March 2026 and stood at 26.82% in the same month of the preceding year (April 2025),” the report read in part. “Looking at the movement, the April 2026 headline inflation rate…
PROFESSOR Abiodun Adeniyi has been appointed as Vice-Chancellor of Baze University with effect from 6 May 2026. A statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the institution on Wednesday said Adeniyi was appointed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and Founder of Baze University, Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, following a rigorous and competitive selection process. The institution also appointed Ahmad Mahmoud Lawi as Registrar of the University. Professor Adeniyi, a distinguished scholar of Communication and Media Epistemology, steps into the role after serving as Registrar of the University. He is succeeded in that position by Alhaji Lawi, who…
JOINT Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will convene its 2026 Policy Meeting on Admissions on Monday, May 11, where key decisions regarding the 2026/2027 academic session, including the minimum cut-off marks for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), are expected to be taken. News Point Nigeria reports that the disclosure was made in a statement issued on Sunday by the board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin. According to the statement, the meeting will hold at the Body of Benchers Auditorium, located at Plot 688, Institute and Research District, FCC Phase III, Jabi, Abuja. Benjamin explained that the annual…
NIGERIA cannot achieve sustainable economic growth without a functional, inclusive and culturally responsive financial system, Wilfred N.J. Ugwuanyi, a Professor of Banking and Finance, has said. News Point Nigeria reports that he made this assertion while delivering the 39th Inaugural Lecture of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) on April 30, 2026, at the university’s headquarters in Abuja. The scholar emphasised that informal financial structures remain the “backbone of financial survival” for millions of Nigerians, particularly in rural communities. In the paper, titled “Technological Innovations and Informal Financial Institutions: Implications for Economic Development Amidst Cultural Diversity in Nigeria,” he…
THE average cost of refilling cooking gas cylinders in Nigeria recorded a sharp increase in March 2026, with the price of a 5kg cylinder rising to N7,655.73, while a 12.5kg cylinder climbed to N19,652.83, according to the latest Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Price Watch released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). News Point Nigeria reports that the latest figures come amid growing global economic uncertainty triggered by geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, which continue to fuel concerns over rising energy costs and inflationary pressures worldwide. According to the NBS report, the average price for refilling a 5kg…
THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has dismissed as fake a widely circulated result slip purporting to show a candidate from Cross River State scored 394 in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. News Point Nigeria reports that the result, shared by social media user @Onsogbu on X, claimed the female candidate, Okon Winniefred Sampson, scored 394 out of 400. “Okon Winnifred Sampson, a young girl from Cross River State, delivered a remarkable performance in her UTME examinations, scoring an outstanding 394 out of 400. “Her results were as follows: 96 in Use of English; 99 in Biology; 98 in…
MTN Nigeria has announced plans to compensate subscribers affected by poor service delivery, in compliance with a directive from the telecom regulator, while also committing to fresh investments aimed at improving network quality across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the development follows an order from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which directed mobile network operators to compensate customers in areas where quality-of-service benchmarks were not met during the months of November, December, and January. In a statement issued on Thursday, the country’s largest telecom operator said the directive underscores the regulator’s commitment to consumer protection and places customers…
SOME retirees of the Nigeria Police Force under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF) have staged a protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to demand that President Bola Tinubu sign the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly in December 2025. News Point Nigeria reports that the bill seeks to withdraw the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme. The protesters, under the scorching sun, walked from the Three Arms Zone in Abuja through the street in front of the Police Headquarters. They carried placards with various inscriptions, in addition to the…
THE federal government has released an updated schedule of prohibited trade items, signalling a firm stance on protecting domestic industries and managing foreign exchange. News Point Nigeria reports that the revised import prohibition list, dated April 1, 2026, details seventeen major categories of goods strictly barred from entering the country through any port of entry. This latest directive from the Federal Ministry of Finance carries significant implications for importers, clearing agents, and the general public, as it covers a vast range of products from basic food staples to essential life-saving medications. Among the most sensitive inclusions is the extensive list…
THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Friday announced the arrest of two candidates and a parent for allegedly using Artificial Intelligence and other electronic tools in falsifying the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination results. JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria, said the suspects were apprehended for manipulating official SMS result notifications to fabricate or alter scores with the intent to deceive others, including parents and guardians. “Currently, two candidates and one parent are in custody for engaging in result falsification using AI and other electronic means,” the statement read. The 2026 UTME…
THE Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has clarified that there is no ban on airtime borrowing or data advance services in Nigeria, insisting that reports suggesting a shutdown of such telecom offerings are inaccurate and misleading. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria addressing growing public concern, the Commission said it has not issued any directive prohibiting consumers from accessing lawful telecom value-added services, including airtime and data advances. The clarification was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, who emphasised that the Commission remains committed to ensuring consumer protection without…
MTN Nigeria has suspended its airtime and data advance service, popularly known as Xtratime, following the introduction of fresh regulatory requirements by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), in a move that underscores tightening oversight in the country’s digital lending space. News Point Nigeria reports that the telecommunications giant disclosed the development in a filing submitted to the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Thursday, explaining that the temporary suspension was necessary to ensure full compliance with the FCCPC’s Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025. The Xtratime service, widely used by prepaid subscribers across Nigeria, allows customers…
NO fewer than 2.2 million candidates are expected to sit the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, which commenced nationwide on Thursday. News Point Nigeria reports that the examination, organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, will run from April 16 to April 22 across accredited centres in the country. JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, urged examination officials to demonstrate professionalism and commitment, noting that the success of the exercise depends largely on their performance. Oloyede gave the charge during a virtual briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination. He commended staff and service providers for their roles in…
THE Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has disclosed that it is currently reviewing a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorised access to certain parts of its information systems, raising fresh concerns over data protection and digital security. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria late on Wednesday, the commission clarified that the breach affected only “limited aspects” of its systems, stressing that immediate steps were taken upon discovery of the intrusion. “The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is currently reviewing a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorised access to limited aspects of its information systems,” the statement read. The commission further explained that it promptly…
THE Nigeria Police Force has intensified security arrangements across examination centres nationwide ahead of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), assuring candidates of their safety throughout the exercise. This comes as the police dismissed circulating rumours suggesting threats to candidates’ safety, describing such claims as unfounded and without any factual basis. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Tuesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, said the police were aware of “recent unfounded rumours” concerning the safety of some examination centres in a North Central state, but…
THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has announced a slight adjustment to the arrival time for candidates sitting the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, particularly those scheduled for the first session. In a notice issued via its official X handle on Monday sighted by News Point Nigeria, the board stated that candidates for the first session are now expected to arrive at their examination centres by 7:00am, instead of the earlier scheduled 6:30am JAMB added that the examination will commence at 8:30am and end at 10:30am “Attention 2026 UTME Candidates: This is to notify you of a slight adjustment to…
THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has delisted 23 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across Nigeria over technical deficiencies recorded during the 2026 mock Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). News Point Nigeria reports that disclosure was contained in the latest bulletin released by the Board and signed by its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, as the 2026 UTME, scheduled to hold nationwide from April 16 to April 25, 2026, draws near. According to the Board, the mock UTME provides an opportunity to identify centres that fall short of the required operational and technical standards “Following the conduct of the 2026…
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed its planned nationwide voter revalidation exercise until after the 2027 general election. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Friday, Mohammed Haruna, INEC’s national commissioner and chairman of the information and voter education committee, said the decision was made at a meeting between the commission and resident electoral commissioners (RECs). “Following deliberations, the commission resolved to postpone the exercise until after the 2027 General Election,” the statement reads. Haruna said the voter revalidation exercise is aimed at strengthening the credibility of the country’s voter register by verifying and updating existing…