Author: Amina Ibrahim

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Kaduna has adjourned its ruling on the bail applications filed by former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and his co-defendant, Jimi Lawal, until July 1, 2026, in an alleged corruption case brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The ruling was deferred on Wednesday by Justice Hauwa’u Buhari after hearing submissions from both the prosecution and defence teams. El-Rufai, Lawal, and five corporate entities were arraigned before the court on an amended 11-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office, financial impropriety, and money laundering. During the proceedings, El-Rufai…

THE average retail price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, rose by 55.31% year-on-year to N1,596.25 per litre in May 2026, up from N1,027.76 recorded in May 2025. News Point Nigeria reports that the figure was contained in the latest report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which showed a significant upward pressure on fuel prices across the country. The latest petrol price increase comes amid renewed strain on global commodity markets, driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to global energy supply chains. On a month-on-month basis, the average price increased…

LASSA fever has claimed 214 lives in Nigeria, with the case fatality rate rising to 25 per cent, according to the latest data released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC). News Point Nigeria reports that the development highlights the continued public health challenge posed by the disease, which has spread across multiple states despite ongoing response efforts. News Point Nigeria reports that the latest figures show a significant increase in the fatality rate when compared with the same period last year. According to the NCDC’s Lassa Fever Situation Report for Week 23, covering June 1 to…

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has formally ended admissions into affiliated degree programmes run by Colleges of Education, marking a significant shift in Nigeria’s teacher education system and effectively making the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) the sole entry route into the institutions beginning from the 2026/2027 academic session. News Point Nigeria reports that the decision was contained in JAMB’s newly released NCE/ND Agric Registration Guidelines, issued by the Office of the Registrar in June 2026, and signals the end of a long-standing arrangement that enabled Colleges of Education to award university degrees through partnerships with conventional universities.…

THE Kano State Police Command has arrested and detained popular TikTok personality, Fati Cele, following the death of her boyfriend, Isma’il Makaye, at her residence in Kano. The command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the development on Saturday, saying the social media personality is currently in police custody while investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the incident. News Point Nigeria reports that Haruna, who spoke via a WhatsApp message, confirmed the detention but declined to provide additional details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. “Yes, it’s true, the TikToker is currently being detained over the death of…

FRANCO-BRITISH International University (FBIU), Kaduna, on Wednesday recorded a major milestone in its history as it held its maiden matriculation ceremony, formally admitting 362 students into the institution for the 2025/2026 academic session. NEWS POINT NIGERIA reports that the historic event attracted parents, guardians, government officials, academics, invited guests and well-wishers from different parts of the country who gathered to witness the official induction of the students into the university community. The ceremony marked the beginning of academic activities for the institution’s pioneer students and underscored the university’s commitment to expanding access to quality higher education in Nigeria. The newly…

THE Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has distributed a total of N2.3 trillion to the Federal Government, state governments and local government councils as revenue allocation for May 2026. News Point Nigeria reports that the allocation was announced following the June 2026 meeting of FAAC held in Abuja, with the committee revealing that the distributable revenue was shared among the three tiers of government despite a significant decline in Value Added Tax (VAT) collections during the period. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the announcement was made on Wednesday by Bawa Mokwa, Director of Press and Public Relations…

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out another attempt by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to overturn a Federal High Court judgment barring it from imposing fines on radio and television stations. News Point Nigeria reports that in a unanimous ruling delivered on Wednesday, the appellate court dismissed the NBC’s appeal, declaring its notice of appeal “fundamentally defective” and legally incompetent. Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Jane Inyang identified a critical discrepancy in the identity of the parties involved. While the case at the Federal High Court was between the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda and the…

THE Federal Government has auctioned a Lagos hotel and three other properties seized from drug kingpins for the sum of N6.148 billion. The properties were seized through court processes by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and forfeited to the agency. Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Tuesday, said: “This was the outcome of a competitive bid process for the sale of eight assets forfeited by drug barons in parts of the country. “While bidders, who offered above the reserved prices, emerged as winners…

THE first batch of Nigerian nationals being evacuated from South Africa following rising xenophobic attacks is expected to arrive in the country on Thursday, as the Federal Government begins the repatriation of affected citizens. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, disclosed that the evacuees would depart South Africa on Wednesday night and arrive in Lagos early Thursday morning. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that the first batch of Nigerian nationals that will be evacuated from the Republic of South Africa due to Xenophobic…

THE Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alongside national commissioners, is meeting with chairmen and secretaries of political parties as preparations intensify for the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election. News Point Nigeria reports that the Tuesday’s engagement forms part of a series of consultative meetings scheduled by the electoral body to review its level of preparedness and address outstanding issues ahead of the poll. The meeting is taking place exactly 11 days before the governorship election slated for June 20, 2026. According to the commission, the consultation is intended to provide both political parties and the electoral umpire…

THE Federal Government has expressed strong displeasure over the continued attacks, harassment and intimidation of Nigerians residing in South Africa, revealing that the administration is considering possible retaliatory measures in response to the developments. Addressing State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa on Monday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said while the option of retaliation is being considered, any final decision would require deliberation and approval at the highest levels of government, including the National Assembly. According to the minister, Nigeria’s dissatisfaction stems partly from the country’s historic role in supporting South Africa’s struggle against apartheid and its…

TARABA, Yobe and Adamawa states recorded the lowest participation rates in the 2026 National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE), according to figures released by the National Examinations Council (NECO) following the conduct of the examination on Saturday. News Point Nigeria reports that the examination, which serves as the gateway for admission into Federal Government Colleges, popularly known as Unity Schools, attracted a total of 58,187 candidates across the country. Of the total number of candidates who sat for the examination, 31,877 were female, while 26,310 were male, continuing a trend that saw female candidates outnumber their male counterparts. Data released by…

THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU), University of Jos branch, has warned of a looming industrial crisis in Nigeria’s public universities over what it described as the Federal Government’s slow and inconsistent implementation of the 2025 FGN/ASUU agreement. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking during a press conference at the union’s secretariat in the University of Jos on Monday, the branch leadership said frustration was growing among academics, warning that the fragile peace within the university system could soon collapse if urgent steps were not taken. The union said its National Executive Council (NEC), which met at Modibbo Adama…

THE Federal Government has warned Nigerians against leaving the country without valid travel documents. News Point Nigeria reports that in a public alert posted on X on Monday, DCI AS Akinlabi, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), stressed that such actions are illegal and expose individuals to serious risks. It cautioned that all international travel must be carried out with a valid passport, visa (where required), and other approved immigration documents. It noted that any attempt to bypass official procedures or use unauthorised border routes constitutes a violation of Nigerian law. A file photo of the…

THE Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has directed its directorates to suspend services to 11 domestic airlines after placing them on its updated “No-Pay-No-Service” list over unpaid statutory charges owed to the regulator. News Point Nigeria reports that the directive was contained in an internal memo dated May 22, 2026, obtained by our correspondent on Sunday. According to the memo, all departments of the aviation authority have been instructed to withhold regulatory and administrative services from the affected airlines until they settle their outstanding debts or reach agreements on repayment plans. At the centre of the dispute are the five per…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (Independent National Electoral Commission) says it will study a Federal High Court ruling that voided its general election timetable ahead of the 2027 elections. News Point Nigeria reports that on Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the timelines issued by INEC for the conduct of party primaries and the nomination of candidates. Under the revised timetable earlier released by the commission, all political parties were expected to submit their membership registers by May 10, conduct primaries to select candidates, and also apply for withdrawals and submit replacements for the 2027 general election before…

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.…

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…