Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani

THE military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced Sunday their immediate withdrawal from the West African bloc ECOWAS. The leaders of the three Sahel nations issued a statement saying it was a “sovereign decision” to leave the Economic Community of West African States “without delay”. Struggling with insurgency and poverty, the regimes have had tense ties with ECOWAS since coups took place in Niger last July, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Mali in 2020. All three were suspended from ECOWAS with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions. They have hardened their positions in recent months and joined forces…

AN ex-beauty queen, Ms. Aderinoye Queen Christmas also known as Ms. Queen Oluwadamilola Aderinoye has been declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). She was declared wanted after escaping from her Lekki, Lagos residence when operatives raided her apartment at Oral estate, Lekki on Wednesday 24th January. According to a statement by the NDLEA, The raid came following credible intelligence that the ex-beauty queen deals in illicit substances. The suspect was Miss Commonwealth Nigeria Culture 2015/2016 and founder of Queen Christmas Foundation. Recovered from her home during the search witnessed by the estate officials include 606 grams…

THE Supreme Court has upheld the five years sentence of former House of Representatives member, Farouk Lawan, for receiving a bribe of $500,000 from businessman Femi Otedola. His appeal sought to set aside the February 24, 2022 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which sentenced him to a five-year jail term and discharged him on two out of the three counts on the corruption charge brought against him by the Federal Government. In the lead judgment prepared by Justice John Okoro but read by Justice Tijjani Abubakar, the apex court held that Lawan’s appeal was without merit and…

THE Supreme Court will on Friday pass verdict on an appeal by a former member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan against the judgments of the lower court which imprisoned him. News Point Nigeria had reported that A five-member panel led by Justice John Okoro chose the date after lawyers to parties made their final submissions and adopted their written briefs in November A cause list of the court sighted Friday by our correspondent showed the matter will be sorted today. A Federal Capital Territory High Court had sentenced Lawan to seven years imprisonment for receiving a $500,000 bribe…

THE Federal Government has intensified efforts to secure the nation’s natural resources as the presidential inter-ministerial committee held an expanded meeting with service chiefs. The inter-ministerial committee chaired by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake met with the Security Chiefs on Thursday in Abuja. It will be recalled that President Bola Tinubu at last week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC), established an inter-ministerial committee to draw up a blueprint for securing the country’s natural resources, including solid minerals, forests, and marine economy. The committee held its maiden meeting last Friday. Giving highlights of the expanded meeting, Dr. Alake…

THE Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Agbu Kefas as governor of Taraba State. The apex court in a unanimous decision on Thursday, dismissed the appeal by Professor Yahaya Sani of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) for grossly lacking in merit. Professor Sani had asked the apex court to set aside the victory of governor Kefas Agbu in the March 18, 2023 governorship election. He had alleged non compliance with the Electoral Act, irregularities and other malpractices. He is asked the court to pronounce him winner of the election on ground of scoring majority of the lawful votes…

CONTRARY to speculation in some quarters, President Bola Tinubu has no plan to move the Federal Capital to Lagos, the Presidency has said. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy stated this in a statement on Wednesday,  following a rumour that surfaced on social media that the President plans to move the FCT to Lagos State after a department under the Ministry of Aviation, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, moved some of its departments to Lagos. He said administrative decisions should not be politicised, warning that those pushing this campaign of falsehood were “dangerous politics to…

THE FCT Police Command has reacted to reports of an explosion in the Maitama area of the Federal Capital Territory. In a series of tweets via X on Wednesday, some residents attributed the incident to bomb. But the FCT police command in a statement by its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said the incident was as a result of an overheated metal refuse bin. “The FCT Police Command hereby wishes to update the public on an alleged explosion on 24/01/2024 at about 1145 hrs, near a refuse dump outside the Bureau of Public Enterprise premises in Maitama, Abuja.”…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu is expected to depart Abuja on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, for a two-week private visit to Paris, France. According to a release issued on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu is due back in the country in the first week of February, 2024. See full statement below: PRESS RELEASE PRESIDENT TINUBU TRAVELS TO FRANCE PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu departs Abuja for Paris, France, on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, for a private visit. He will return to the country in the first week of February, 2024. Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President, (Media & Publicity),…

THE immediate-past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, has pleaded not guilty to the nine charges of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The alleged money laundering is to the tune of N4,008,573,350. He was said to have moved the amount from security votes into different accounts. The offences were said to have been committed between March 2014 and March 2022. When the charges were read to him upon his arraignment on Wednesday, the former governor pleaded not guilty to all the nine counts. Some of the counts read, “That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi…

THE eighth witness called by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Hamma-Adama Bello, at the Federal High Court, on Tuesday, said former Head of Service, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita, and others awarded contracts to companies they incorporated or had stakes in. Oyo-Ita and others are standing trial on the allegations of fraud regarding duty tour allowance, estacodes, conference fees, and receiving kickbacks on contracts to the tune of N3bn. Oyo-Ita was in March 2020 arraigned by the EFCC alongside her Special Assistant, Ubong Effiok, Frontline Ace Global Services Limited, Asanaya Projects Ltd, Garba Umar and his companies, Slopes International Ltd and…

THE US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has assured of the country’s companies’ readiness to partner with and invest in the Nigerian economy. Blinken, who is on an African tour, made the remark in Abuja during his visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa. “American entrepreneurs and companies are ready to partner and invest in Nigeria, particularly in the tech sector,” he said while briefing the press after he met with Tinubu at the State House in Abuja “We have tech giants that have teamed up with Nigerian partners to help meet President Bola Tinubu’s one million digital…

THE Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has raised alarm over plans to disrupt the February 3 re-run and bye-elections in parts of the country. Yakubu raised the alarm on Tuesday in Abuja at the first quarterly meeting of the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). “From experience, the conduct of isolated elections such as bye-elections and re-run elections can be very challenging. We must pay attention to the potentials for disruptive behaviour by some candidates and their supporters.” “A re-run election conducted in one Polling Unit (PU) or a handful of Polling Units…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed the management of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to expand its focus area by extending interest-free loans to Nigerian students interested in skill-development programmes. The President issued this directive at the State House on Monday after a briefing from Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, Executive Secretary of NELFUND, on the build-up to the launch of the programme later in the month. The President said it is important for the scheme to accommodate those who may not want to pursue university education, noting that skill acquisition is as important as obtaining undergraduate and graduate academic qualifications. “This…

BAYO Omoboriowo, the ex-official photographer of former President Muhammadu Buhari, has narrated how he got an appointment to be his cameraman without knowing any bigwig in his political circle. Omoboriowo, who is also the founder of MadHouse by Tikera, made this known in an interview with Channels Television on Monday monitored by News Point Nigeria. He noted that his talent as a creative and freelance documentary photographer gave him the platform to work with the former President while adding that he created his MadHouse for creative talents to explore limitless opportunities abound in the creative world so as to maximise…

THE Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has commended Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for declaring null and void some provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, authorising the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to impose fines on broadcast stations for alleged breaches of the Code. In a similar attack on the independent press, the NGE has strongly criticised the reported invasion of ABN TV by a team of the Nigeria Police Force to arrest a guest during a Live-Programme in Umuahia, Abia State, recently. Delivering judgment in a suit instituted by a pro-media rights group, the Media Rights…

ABDULSAMAD Rabiu, the Nigerian billionaire and CEO/Chairman of BUA Group, has surpassed Mike Adenuga to claim the position of the second-richest person in Nigeria. This shift in rankings is attributed to the significant surge in Rabiu’s fortune, now estimated at $7.2 billion, according to Forbes’ list of global billionaires, where he ranks 343rd. The remarkable increase in Rabiu’s net worth, with an addition of nearly $1.9 billion in the past week, is primarily associated with the valuation of BUA Foods. BUA Foods’ shares witnessed substantial growth, soaring over 10% from N40 ($0.0968) to N44 ($0.1065) in early January 2024, contributing…

THE Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals, is waiting for the outcome of the forensic investigation ordered to ascertain the actual cause of the tragic explosion that rocked Ibadan, Oyo State capital last week. President Bola Tinubu, it would be recalled, placed a telephone call to Oyo State Governor, immediately after the tragic incident, in the presence of the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Dele Alake to commiserate with  Governor Seyi Makinde, victims, and the good people of Oyo state. Thereafter, the Minister issued a statement of condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, and…

THE four remaining siblings of late Nabeeha Al-Kadriyah have regained freedom, this newspaper can report. The sisters were abducted alongside their father early January. Their abductors had given a deadline for the payment of ransom, and failure of the family to meet their demand led to the killing of Nabeeha. After killing the victim, the bandits raised the ransom from N60 million to N100 million, threatening to kill the remaining sisters. But as of the time of filing this report (6:30 am on Sunday), the girls had regained freedom and arrived their Abuja residence where they were abducted. This newspaper…

KIDNAPPERS who attacked the Nigerian Army estate in Kurudu, Abuja, have demanded a ransom of over N30 million for the release of Barrister Cyril Adikwu’s wife and two of his in-laws. This newspaper reports that the abduction took place on Thursday around 10:00 pm. Adikwu, who managed to escape during the invasion at his residence on the estate, revealed that he is in direct communication with the kidnappers, who have set a specific timeframe for the payment of the ransom. Recounting how it happened, Adikwu said, “It all happened on Thursday at about 10:00 pm when a vehicle containing those…