A QATAR Airways flight conveying 248 passengers and 12 crew on Friday night was forced to make an emergency air return to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, following a technical fault shortly after takeoff. Airport sources told our correspondent on Saturday that the pilot alerted Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) of a mechanical problem a few minutes after departure and requested an emergency landing, which was promptly granted. Confirming the incident in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, stated that the aircraft suffered a technical fault…
Author: Abimbola Daniels
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PUBLIC outrage has erupted in Lagos following the death of nine-month-old identical twins less than 24 hours after they were administered routine immunisation at a government-owned primary healthcare facility in Ojo Local Government Area of the state. News Point Nigeria reports that the twins, identified as Testimony and Timothy, reportedly received their vaccines at the Ajangbadi Primary Health Centre on the morning of December 24, 2025, but died the following day, Christmas morning, under circumstances that have sparked intense public scrutiny and demands for accountability. Their father, Samuel Alozie, popularly known on social media as Promise Samuel, alleged that the…
ON Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, Wola Joseph-Condotti stepped into a leadership role as interim Chief Executive of Eko Electricity Distribution Plc (Eko Disco). News Point Nigeria reports that before her appointment, the seasoned corporate lawyer and energy executive was the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive of the parent company of Eko Disco, West Power & Gas Limited, and has spent much of her professional life shaping the governance and operational framework of the utility. She was Eko Disco’s pioneer Chief Legal and Company Secretary, a role that placed her at the center of the company’s post-privatisation evolution. Her career…
THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), aimed at regulating courier companies operating under the Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) Incoterm. Disclosing this in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria, NCS Spokesman Abdullahi Maiwada, said the initiative was designed to establish a unified framework for various operational aspects, including registration, manifest submission, declaration, valuation, clearance, delivery, and compliance monitoring, aligning with global best practices. He said the DDP initiative is grounded in international legal standards and in line with global best practices. “This procedure draws its legal foundation from the International Chamber of Commerce…
THE Federal Government has inaugurated a ₦40 billion closed-circuit television (CCTV) control centre for the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking at the inauguration on Sunday, Minister of Works David Umahi said the project followed extensive rehabilitation works carried out on the bridge after the current administration took office in 2023. Umahi said the CCTV system, first announced in 2025, was designed to curb dangerous driving, prevent suicide attempts, and strengthen security. He added that security personnel would monitor live footage from the control centre and enforce speed limits on the bridge. “When we came…
SOLICITORS representing globally acclaimed Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and her partner, Dr Ivara Esege, have written a formal legal notice to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital, Lagos, over the death of their 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, as the Lagos State Government confirmed the suspension of the doctor involved in the child’s care. The development comes amid mounting public outrage and an ongoing investigation by state health authorities into the circumstances surrounding the toddler’s death in the early hours of Wednesday, January 7, 2026. In a legal notice dated January 10, 2026 sighted by News Point Nigeria, the family’s solicitors, PINHEIRO LP,…
THE Lagos State Government has ordered an investigation into the alleged medical negligence that led to the death of Nkanu Nnamdi, the 21-month-old son of renowned Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie, at a private hospital in Lagos. The toddler, one of Adichie’s twin sons, died last Thursday after a brief illness. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, described the death of a child as a profound tragedy. Ogunyemi said that Governor Sanwo-Olu had directed the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency to immediately commence a thorough, independent…
RENOWNED Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has alleged medical negligence in the circumstances surrounding the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, who died on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. News Point Nigeria reached out to Adichie’s media team, who confirmed she authored the statement detailing the incident. According to her representatives, the message was originally sent privately to family members and a few close friends. In the statement, Adichie said her son was taken to Euracare Hospital for an MRI scan and the insertion of a central line, during which he was sedated but was not properly monitored after being…
THE Oxford English Dictionary has updated its glossary with some Nigerian-originated words, including “mammy market,” “nyash,” and “amala.” News Point Nigeria reports that the December 2025 update, released on the OED website on Wednesday, features more than 500 new words, phrases, and tenses. The latest update reflects the growing global influence of the nation’s language, culture, and cuisine. Other Nigerian-originated words added to its wordbook include “moi moi,” “abeg,” “biko,” and “Ghana Must Go.” Internet slang such as “DM”, “brainfart” and “chug” were also included. Over 1,000 existing entries were also revised, while editors explored the histories of words such…
HEIRS Energies Limited has acquired the 20.07% equity stake in Seplat Energy Plc previously held by Maurel & Prom (M&P), a transaction valued at approximately $500 million. News Point Nigeria reports that the stake, comprising 120.4 million ordinary shares, was purchased at GBP3.05 per share. Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Energies, said the acquisition “reflects our strong belief in Africa’s ability to own, develop, and responsibly manage its strategic resources. It is a long-term investment in Nigeria’s and Africa’s energy future and aligns with our mission to drive energy security, industrialisation, and shared prosperity. “Seplat Energy has built a resilient,…
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday attended the Grand Finale of the week-long 2025 Eyo Festival, in a white robe, a damask sash slung over his shoulder, and a distinctive hat emblazoned with bold, decorative stars. Like other revellers, the President also carried a long staff called an opambata. The colourful event, held at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, began with paying homage and presenting the festival staff to the President at his Lagos residence on Sunday, December 21. The Eyo Festival, which dates back to 1854, was held this year for the first time in eight years. The 2025…
A DUAL US-Nigerian citizen, Izunna Okonkwo, has been indicted alongside five other individuals of different nationalities over an alleged $41m stock market fraud in the United States. A statement obtained by News Point Nigeria from the United States Department of Justice website on Sunday that Okonkwo and the other defendants allegedly engaged in insider trading between June 2020 and February 2024. The statement added that the six suspects were charged on Friday for their participation in a years-long scheme to trade securities based on material non-public information. The statement identified the other defendants as Muhammad Saad Shoukat, 33; his brothers,…
AFRICA’s richest man and Chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has released further details backing his allegation that the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, spent millions of dollars on the overseas education of his children. News Point Nigeria reports that in a paid advertorial published in some national dailies, Dangote claimed that Ahmed expended an estimated $5 million on the secondary school education of four of his children in Switzerland over a six-year period. The billionaire industrialist had earlier alleged that the NMDPRA boss paid about $5 million to…
FOUNDER and President/Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has accused the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, of corruption, alleging that he spent $5 million on secondary school education for his children in Switzerland. News Point Nigeria reports that Dangote made the allegation on Sunday during a media briefing at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant, Lekki, Lagos, describing the alleged expenditure as inconsistent with a public servant’s income and a threat to public trust in regulatory institutions. Dangote said the alleged payment covered six years of secondary…
NIGERIA’s energy infrastructure suffered a major setback on Thursday following an explosion along the Escravos–Lagos Gas Pipeline (ELGP), one of the country’s most critical gas transmission routes. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) confirmed the incident in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria late Friday, noting that the blast disrupted gas supply and triggered a large-scale emergency response. According to NNPC, the explosion occurred near the Tebijor, Okpele, and Ikpopo communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. Engineers monitoring the system detected a sudden pressure drop on the pipeline, consistent with a breach or…
THE Dangote Petroleum Refinery has again reduced its petrol gantry price, slashing the ex-depot rate from N828 to N699 per litre. News Point Nigeria reports that Rral-time market data published on Petroleumprice.ng on Friday showed that the refinery implemented another major downward review, cutting the Premium Motor Spirit benchmark price by N129 per litre, a 15.58 per cent reduction. An official of the refinery, who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, also confirmed the adjustment. He said, “The refinery has reduced petrol gantry price to N699 per litre.” The new…
OFFICIALS of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) on Thursday sealed the premises of the Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) in the Alausa area of Lagos, for alleged violation of consumer rights. News Point Nigeria reports that FCCPC’s Director of Surveillance and Investigation, Bola Adeyinka, said the move was in line with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 after repeated attempts to resolve the matter. “Sealing this facility is a proportionate enforcement measure taken only after repeated engagement and several opportunities for voluntary compliance,” Adeyinka said in a statement. “The seal will remain in place…
AFRICA’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has once again, reaffirmed its leadership as one of the continent’s most innovative and resilient financial institutions, as the bank has, for the third time in five years, been named the African Bank of the year 2025 by the Banker.com. UBA also won the Best Bank of the Year awards in nine of its 20 African subsidiaries, bringing its total awards this year to ten as UBA Benin, UBA Chad, UBA Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), UBA Liberia, UBA Mali, UBA Mozambique, UBA Senegal, UBA Sierra Leone, and UBA Zambia, all came…
THE Central Bank of Nigeria has ordered banks and other financial institutions to reimburse victims of Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud within 48 hours, marking one of the strongest regulatory moves yet to protect customers from rising electronic fraud in the country. APP fraud occurs when customers are manipulated, persuaded or misled into voluntarily sending money to fraudsters who may impersonate legitimate entities or refuse to fulfil obligations. This type of fraud often relies on social engineering and exploits customer vulnerabilities. News Point Nigeria reports that the directive, which was issued through a circular addressed to all banks, other financial…
THE Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has presented a budget estimate of ₦4.237 trillion for the year 2026. News Point Nigeria reports that submitting the 2026 budget on Tuesday to the Lagos State House of Assembly for approval, Sanwo-Olu described it as a “bold and forward-looking financial plan” aimed at consolidating his administration’s legacy in its final full year. “The Year 2026 Appropriation Bill, ‘Budget of Shared Prosperity,’ is a reaffirmation of our collective belief that Lagos can continue to rise, continue to lead, and continue to create opportunities for every resident of Africa’s preferred megacity,” he said, unveiling the…