Author: Amina Ibrahim

THE Central Bank of Nigeria has debunked rumours suggesting that Polaris Bank is undergoing liquidation. The apex bank disclosed this in a post on X sighted by News Point Nigeria, assuring the public that the country’s banking system remains stable and secure. The clarification was after a viral post, claiming that Polaris Bank was facing liquidation for failing to meet the Bank’s recapitalisation requirements, and could soon lose its operating licence, with the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation set to take over the process. It further alleged that founder of the Eleganza Group, Razaq Okoya, had made a bid to acquire…

UNITED States President Donald Trump has drawn Nigeria into the global spotlight after alleging that a controversial report on the Iran-US ceasefire originated from a “fake news site” in the country. Trump made the claim while criticising CNN over its coverage of the ceasefire agreement announced late Tuesday, about two hours before a deadline he had earlier set for possible military action against Iran. CNN had reported a statement attributed to Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), which claimed Tehran recorded a major victory in the conflict. According to the report, the council said: “The enemy, in its unfair, unlawful,…

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has urged parents and candidates to speak up if they are confident in their Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scores but are denied admission into their desired institutions. News Point Nigeria reports that the Registrar of JAMB, Ishaq Oloyede, made the call during an interview on Good Morning Nigeria, a programme of the Nigerian Television Authority. In a video shared by the NTA on Tuesday, Oloyede explained that despite improvements in the admission system, many parents still resort to illegal means, largely because they have become accustomed to such practices and believe there are…

THE Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has suspended its indefinite nationwide strike. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking with journalists on Tuesday, Mohammad Usman Suleiman, NARD president said following a meeting of the association’s national executive council (NEC), the doctors have been directed to resume work at 8am on Wednesday. Suleiman said the association has received assurance from the federal government on the reversal of the decision to cease the implementation of the professional allowance table (PAT) starting in April 2026. He said NARD decided to give the federal government an ultimatum of April 21, after which a strike…

THE Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) said three Nigerians who were stranded at a South African airport have been cleared and have departed the country. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday, the Commission noted that they are expected to arrive in Lagos on Monday morning. “While we welcome their safe return”, NIDCOM linked the unfortunate incident to several core issues, including over-reliance on unregulated visa agents. “These agents often collect applicants’ passport data pages and complete sections of the visa application particularly on purpose of visit, itinerary, accommodation, and ties to Nigeria without the full knowledge…

AN early morning explosion involving a compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle has damaged at least two cars at the Mando motor park in Kaduna State. News Point Nigeria reports that a garage worker, Abdulkadir Abdullahi, said the incident occurred at about 4:00am on Sunday. He explained that the explosion originated from a bus powered by CNG, adding that two vehicles were affected by the blast. According to him, the damaged vehicles were luxury buses belonging to a transport company, adding nd they have since been evacuated from the garage. “Fortunately, no life was lost and no one sustained injuries because…

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has dismissed a circulating press release claiming that the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination had been postponed, describing it as malicious and fake. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Saturday, the board warned candidates to disregard the false notice. “Our attention has been drawn to the malicious press release stating that the 2026 UTME has been postponed. The general public, particularly the candidates, are by this notice informed that the press release is fake and did not emanate from us. Kindly disregard it. All activities on the 2026 UTME continue as…

THE Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday declined an ex parte application seeking to bar Senator Ireti Kingibe from participating in the activities of the African Democratic Congress. News Point Nigeria reports that Justice Peter Lifu, in a ruling, refused the request by some ward leaders of the party in Wuse, Federal Capital Territory, who alleged that the senator had been suspended over anti-party activities. Instead, the court directed the plaintiffs to put the lawmaker on notice to enable her to respond to the allegations and join issues with them. The ward leaders, said to be loyal to the…

THE Federal Government has declared Friday, 3rd and Monday, April 6, 2026, as public holidays to mark this year’s Easter celebration. News Point Nigeria reports that Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government through a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Magdalene Ajani. The minister who congratulated all Christians in Nigeria and in the diaspora on the joyous occasion of Easter, urged Nigerians to imbibe the virtues of selflessness, forgiveness, forbearance and love as exemplified by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. He reiterated that the goal of…

THE West African Examinations Council has released the official timetable for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination for school candidates. According to the final international timetable published on WAEC’s official X handle on Monday, the examination will commence on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, and end on Friday, June 19, 2026. The council said the examination will begin with Foods and Nutrition 3 (Practical) Planning Session and Home Management 3 (Practical) Planning Session. See below for the timetable: WASSCE serves as a critical qualification that secondary school students must pass to gain admission into university and other tertiary institutions.…

THE Nigerian Communications Commission has directed Mobile Network Operators to compensate subscribers in areas where network quality falls below prescribed standards. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday, Head of Public Affairs at the Commission, Nnenna Ukoha, said affected users will receive airtime credits calculated based on their average spending patterns and their presence within local government areas where service failures occur. “Subscribers should not be made to bear the full burden of service disruptions where operators fail to meet prescribed standards of service delivery. “The compensation will be provided in the form of airtime credits, calculated…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for the submission of political parties’ membership registers for the 2027 general elections to May 10, 2026. News Point Nigeria reports that INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, announced in a statement issued on Friday. “The register of party members must be submitted to INEC not later than 21 days before the holding of their respective primaries,” the statement read. According to the commission, the adjustment followed concerns raised by political parties during a meeting held on March 24 regarding the earlier…

THE Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, adjourned for the third time, the fundamental rights suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, challenging the search of his residence. News Point Nigeria reports that the matter, which was previously adjourned on March 3 and 11, was filed through El-Rufai’s lawyers seeking N1 billion in damages against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, a chief magistrate of the Federal Capital Territory, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation – listed as the first to fourth respondents respectively. When the case was called at…

NIGERIA and the United Kingdom have signed three major Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering migration partnership, organised immigration crime, border security, and expanded business visas for UK firms operating in Nigeria. The agreements were announced in a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior on its X handle on Thursday, as part of ongoing engagements during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the UK. Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo was quoted as saying that the deals “reflect Nigeria’s push for a transparent, rules-based migration system that is safe, orderly and mutually beneficial,” adding that they would help tackle “abuse…

THE Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Wednesday announced a series of special train services across major routes nationwide to ease travel pressure during the upcoming Eid-el-Fitr celebrations. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by its Chief Public Relations Officer, Callistus Unyimadu, the agency said the temporary arrangements were aimed at providing “seamless, safe, and efficient” transportation amid the expected surge in passenger traffic. According to the NRC, additional trips would be deployed on key corridors, including Lagos–Ibadan and Abuja–Kaduna, to accommodate increased demand. “For the Lagos–Ibadan corridor, three special trips will operate on March 19, 2026, from both…

THE Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has issued a public health advisory warning that several northern states face a heightened risk of cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) as dry season conditions intensify across parts of Nigeria. In a notice posted on its X handle sighted by News Point Nigeria, the agency explained that the disease is a serious infection that affects the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord and is commonly caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. NiMet also explained that CSM spreads through respiratory droplets, particularly in crowded or poorly ventilated environments. NiMet identified Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa,…

THE naira appreciated further at the official market on Wednesday, trading at N1,376.19 to the United States dollar, according to data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Data on the CBN’s website sighted by News Point Nigeria showed that the naira gained N25.20 against the dollar at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market. The gain represents a 1.8 per cent appreciation compared with Tuesday’s closing rate of N1,401.40 to the dollar at the same market. The Nigerian currency had earlier recorded about two weeks of depreciation before staging a recovery on Tuesday and extending gains on Wednesday. Market analysts…

THE United States Embassy in Nigeria has issued a security alert warning of a possible terrorist threat targeting US facilities and American-affiliated schools in the country. In a notice released by the embassy in Abuja, US citizens were advised to take extra precautions when visiting American diplomatic premises and institutions linked to the United States. The alert specifically mentioned the US Embassy Abuja and the US Consulate General Lagos, urging American nationals to remain vigilant and adopt additional security measures while travelling to these locations. According to the embassy, citizens should vary their travel routes and times, avoid predictable routines,…

THE Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced a total remittance of ₦1,570,671,200 to Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide. The disclosure was contained in the latest bulletin released by the Board obtained by News Point Nigeria, signed by its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin. Payments were made to centres that participated in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration exercise. This comes as the 2026 UTME, scheduled to hold nationwide from April 16 to April 25, 2026, draws near. The payment represents the ₦700 registration charge collected on behalf of CBT centres from candidates during the UTME registration…

FIRST Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has emphasised that empowering women should be seen not as an act of charity but as a strategic investment in the country’s future, urging greater commitment to ensuring that women and girls have equal access to opportunities. Mrs. Tinubu made the remark on Sunday in a message sent to News Point Nigeria marking the 2026 edition of International Women’s Day, celebrated globally on March 8. In her statement, the First Lady highlighted the significance of this year’s theme, “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” describing it as a timely reminder of the urgent need…