Author: Sani Nura

AT least five people have been confirmed dead and several others abducted following a coordinated two-day attack by armed bandits on no fewer than 16 villages in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State. According to eyewitness accounts from residents, the attack began on Saturday when the bandits invaded eight villages including Dan İsa, Kyatawa, Tudu, Gidan Haruna, Tsunburburawa, Gidan Juli, Tokarawa, and Gidan Bako. One person was killed in Gidan Haruna and eight women were abducted. On Sunday, the attackers returned and stormed Kwalau village, killing four men identified as Abubakar, Murtala, Aminu, and Bello. Another individual, Ashafa,…

THE Katsina Emirate Council has announced the appointment of six new district heads, including prominent political figures such as former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, and Umar Radda, the son of the current governor of the state, Dikko Umaru Radda. The appointments were made public through an official statement released on Saturday by the Secretary to the Katsina Emirate Council, Alhaji Bello Ifo. According to the announcement, Senator Hadi Sirika has been named Marusan Katsina, and will now serve as the District Head of Shargalle, located in Dutsi Local Government Area. Umar Radda, the son of Governor Radda, has…

THE Senate of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, has approved the expulsion of about 57 students over involvement in various forms of examination malpractice. This is contained in a statement by the management, and issued in Katsina on Saturday, by Hajiya Fatima Sanda, the institution’s Head of Information and Protocol. According to the statement, the decision came during the Senate’s 125th Regular Meeting, following recommendations from the University Central Examination Misconduct Committee. It added that before taking the decision, the committee had earlier investigated infractions across multiple faculties. The statement further revealed that five other students were rusticated for two…

A KATSINA State High Court has sentenced two men to death for their involvement in the brutal murder of former Katsina State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Rabe Nasir. News Point Nigeria reports that the judgment was delivered by Justice I. I. Mashi of High Court 9, nearly three years after the chilling crime that shocked the state. The two convicts, Shamsu Lawal, a former security guard, and Tasi’u Rabi’u, the deceased’s cook, were found guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced to death by hanging. A third individual, Sani Sa’adu, also a former guard, was handed a five-year jail term…

THE Chairman of the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC) is dead. This newspaper gathered that he died n Abuja after a brief illness. In a condolence message, Governor Bala Mohammed expressed deep shock and sorrow over the loss, saying his demise was a profound tragedy to the state and the nation. The governor in a statement signed by his Special Adviser Media and Publicity Mukhtar Gidado, described the late Ahmed Hardawa as a man of wisdom, humility, and exemplary leadership, whose wealth of experience and service orientation will be sorely missed at this critical time “in our democratic journey.”…

GOVERNOR Dauda Lawal of Zamfara state has approved the appointment of Alhaji Abdulkadir Ibrahim Bello as the new Emir and Sarkin Katsina of Gusau Emirate. The appointment was announced by the Secretary to the Zamfara state Government, Malam Abubakar Nakwada, on Tuesday. He stated that the appointment was made based on the traditional recommendation of the Gusau Emirate kingmakers, in accordance with established customs and relevant laws. Governor Lawal, while congratulating the new Emir, urged him to uphold the noble legacy of his forefathers, especially as a direct descendant of Malam Sambo Dan Ashafa. The governor further called on the…

RESIDENTS of Banga village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State have been plunged into mourning and disbelief following the gruesome killing of 38 abducted villagers by suspected bandits despite the payment of over ₦50 million in ransom. The shocking development has once again thrown the spotlight on the deteriorating security situation in parts of northern Nigeria, especially Zamfara, where banditry and mass abductions have become all too common. Confirming the tragic incident, Mannir Haidara Kaura, Chairman of Kaura Namoda LGA, told News Point Nigeria that 56 villagers were initially abducted during an earlier attack on Banga village.…

NO fewer than thirty-five kidnapped victims of Banga village in Kaura-Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State were said to have been slaughtered by bandits for failure to pay N35 million ransom. An indigene of the village, Sani Suleiman, disclosed this in a telephone interview with this newspaper on Sunday, stating that bandits had kidnapped 53 people from the village, where they demanded the sum of one million naira from each of the captives. According to him, the 53 kidnapped victims had been in captivity for several months, but only 18 of them who were able to pay the ransom…

THE Adamawa State Police Command has arrested two suspected kidnappers linked to a threat to kidnap a resident of Song Local Government Area in Adamawa State. In a statement issued on Sunday, the command’s spokesman, SP Suleiman Nguroje, stated, “This is following a complaint received from one Hassan Musa Dabutu of Song LGA, who reported receiving threatening calls from an unknown subscriber, that they are coming to kidnap him unless he pays a certain amount of money. “The complainant also raised concern that his family had earlier suffered a series of kidnappings, where a total sum of N20m was paid…

GOVERNOR Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has expressed sorrow over the death of the Emir of Gusau, Ibrahim Bello, who passed away at the age of 71 on Friday morning in Abuja after a prolonged illness. In a condolence message, Governor Lawal described the passing of the Emir as a personal loss, saying the late monarch was not only a respected traditional ruler but also a pillar of wisdom and guidance for the state. “I received with deep sadness the news of the passing of our father, His Royal Highness, Dr. Ibrahim Bello, the Emir of Gusau,” the governor said.…

NIGERIA’s Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, on Thursday decried the alarming cancer burden in the country, stating that cancers account for 127,000 cases annually, with about 80,000 deaths each year. The minister disclosed this while commissioning a cancer centre at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina. According to him, non-communicable diseases like cancer are among the fastest-growing components of Nigeria’s disease burden, and as a result, the country is expected to see a rise in cancer cases. Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate commissioning the cancer centre in Katsina on Thursday, July 24, 2025. He expressed confidence that…

THE Bashir Aliyu Gummi-led Speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly has accused Governor Dauda Lawal of neglecting citizens amidst what it described as worsening insecurity across the state. At a sitting on Thursday, Gummi faulted the governor for failing to commiserate with victims of recent attacks, instead proceeding on vacation while communities were under siege. He cited several attacks within one week in Jangebe (Talata-Mafara), Damri (Bakura), Kyambarawa (Kaura Namoda), and Bungudu, where hundreds of residents were reportedly killed or abducted. The lawmakers expressed dismay that no relief or condolence came from the state government, despite the violence…

RESIDENTS of Fegin Mahe community, located in Ruwan-Bore ward under Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, have staged a peaceful protest at the Government House in Gusau, decrying the worsening security situation in their area. The visibly aggrieved residents, who turned out in large numbers, carried placards, demanding urgent action from the state government to address the incessant attacks by armed bandits, which have left their community in fear and despair. They lamented that no single security operative is currently stationed in Fegin Mahe, leaving the entire community vulnerable to repeated attacks and criminal activities. The protesters said their…

GOVERNOR of Katsina State, Dr. Dikko Radda, has been discharged from the hospital following a recent road accident along the Katsina-Daura highway. According to a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Mohammed, medical experts have certified Governor Radda fit to resume his official duties immediately. “The Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has been discharged from the hospital where he received medical attention following a road accident on his journey from Katsina to Daura,” Mohammed said. Mohammed added that the governor expressed deep appreciation to citizens of Katsina State, colleagues, friends, and well-wishers across the country for their…

THE Kebbi State Government has strongly dismissed speculations surrounding the 2027 governorship ambition of former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, describing it as a futile attempt to rewrite history and mislead the people. In a statement issued on Monday made available to News Point Nigeria, Special Adviser to the Governor on Communication and Strategy, Abdullahi Idris Zuru, said Malami is chasing shadows, noting that Kebbi voters are now too politically aware to be swayed by rhetoric and last-minute gimmicks. “In Kebbi today, the people are no longer impressed by empty promises or political gymnastics,” Zuru…

A CRIMINAL gang killed nine farmers on Friday in Zamfara state, an official and two residents said. Motorcycle-riding “bandits” rounded up a group of farmers working their fields outside Jangebe village in Talata Mafara district, kidnapping around 15 others, the sources said. Armed gangs across Nigeria have taken root across its rural hinterlands amid poverty and government neglect. They raid, loot and burn villages, exact taxes, and conduct kidnappings for ransom. “Bandits attacked the farmers and killed nine of them,” Yahaya Yari Abubakar, political administrator of Talata Mafara district, said. “The attackers kidnapped around 15 other farmers, and they are…

FORMER Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, on Friday, made his first courtroom appearance as a lawyer, stepping into legal practice after years in politics and public life. Dressed in a full wig and gown, Melaye appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite at Court 8 of the Federal High Court, Abuja, marking his debut since being called to the Nigerian Bar. “Senator Dino Melaye at the Federal High Court Abuja today. Appeared before Justice Emeka Nwite of Court 8,” Melaye shared on his verified Facebook page on Friday. The former lawmaker was among over 5,000 new lawyers called to the Bar in…

TWO officials of the Adamawa State government have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Yola for allegedly diverting funds provided by the World Bank for the rehabilitation of primary schools devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency. The accused, Popoona Samuel and Arama Davies Gyandi were arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday, July 10, 2025, before Justice Tijjani G. Ringin, facing a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering, and unlawful conversion of public funds. In a statement released on Friday, ICPC spokesperson Demola Bakare explained that the accused had served…

TROOPS of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army (NA)/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have foiled plans by terrorists and apprehended two suspected terrorists in separate operations within the Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State. Acting on credible intelligence, troops deployed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Wukari arrested a 45-year-old suspected terrorist, Felix Myina, a native of the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is a high-ranking member of a notorious bandit and kidnapping syndicate operating under a wanted criminal kingpin identified as Mcianan, also known as Yellow. The group, according to a…

GOMBE State Government has commenced the distribution of subsidized fertilizer across all 114 wards in the state, as part of efforts to support farmers during the 2025 wet season farming. This development is in line with the directive of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, to ensure that agricultural inputs reach genuine farmers directly at the grassroots, right down to the polling unit level without weighing them down with transportation or logistical burden. Trucks have already been transporting the inputs to various Local Government Areas (LGAs) for onward distribution, following the Governor’s recent flag-off of the 2025 wet season farming activities. Recall…