Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani

JUSTICE Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja, has threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against the suspended Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, over his failure to appear in court to explain the circumstances surrounding the $53 million judgement debt arising from the Paris Club refund. Justice Ekwo, who ordered Emefiele to appear on the next adjourned date, said he was minded to exercise restraint in the proceeding to give the ex-CBN boss an opportunity to explain himself. The development occurred following an intervention by the counsel to Emefiele, Audu Anuga, who prayed for…

NATIONAL Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Senator Iyiola Omisore has resigned, News Point Nigeria gathered. His resignation followed Sunday night’s resignation of the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu. News Point Nigeria had reported that, some sources within the party hinted that Senator Adamu is said to have resigned along with the National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore last night. This newspaper confirms that Omisore resigned an hour ago after he was shut out of the emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting of the ruling party. Omisore, who was among the early callers at the meeting…

SENATOR Abubakar Kyari, Deputy National Chairman (North) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has emerged as acting National Chairman of the ruling party. This follows the resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the party’s national chairman. In line with the party’s constitution, if a national chairman resigns, the deputy national chairman from the zone would take over in acting capacity. Kyari led some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) into a meeting currently taking place at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja amid tight security. Those who came in with Kyari were: Deputy National Chairman (South), Emma Enukwu;…

SENATOR Abdullahi Adamu was notably absent as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s National Working Committee (NWC) met in Abuja on Monday. News Point Nigeria had reported that, Adamu tendered his resignation last night. Credible sources confirmed to this newspaper that Adamu, who emerged as the national chairman at the party’s national convention held in March 2022, has sent his resignation letter to the Presidential Villa, Abuja ahead of the return of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from the African Union (AU) meeting in Kenya. One of the sources said Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa State, sent the resignation…

A MEMBER of the House of Representatives representing Tangaza/Gudu Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, Sani Yakubu, has raised alarm, saying jihadists from Niger Republic, Mali and Libya and the local bandits operating in Tangaza Local Government of the state have imposed a tax on farmers in the area. Yakubu, who disclosed this while presenting a motion at plenary yesterday, said Tangaza/Gudu Federal Constituency was surrounded by two forests; Tsauna Forest that stretches over to Gwadabawa, Illela and Niger Republic and Kuyan Bana Forest which also stretches to Gudu and Niger Republic. Revealing that the terrorists within the areas had joined…

VICE President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday said the Tinubu-led administration was committed to educating the girl child to position them as key contributors to national development. “President Bola Tinubu is fully and unequivocally committed to the girl-child education and gender empowerment initiatives,” Shettima said when he received a delegation from the United Nations led by the UN Deputy Secretary-General and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, Mrs Amina Mohammed, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The State House Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, Olusola Abiola, revealed this in a statement he signed on Wednesday titled ‘Tinubu…

A TOTAL of six students scored 01 in the 2023: National Common Entrance Examinations conducted by the National Examinations Council, The PUNCH reports. The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Andrew Adejo, made this known while giving a breakdown of scores in Abuja on Wednesday. Adejo said, “A total of (72,865) pupils registered compared to 71,738 for 2022 with Lagos State having the highest number of 18,644 and Taraba with the lowest of 102. With 38,801 female registrants against 34,064 males, we are making progress with bridging the gender parity; Sixty nine thousand, eight hundred and twenty nine…

AS Nigerians await the ministerial list of President Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore has hinted at the possibility of the President merging some ministries. The APC chieftain, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday monitored by News Point Nigeria, said the size of the President’s cabinet will be between 36 and 42. “The Constitution says a minister per state, that is 36 and one per zone making 42, at the prerogative of the President. So it can either make 36 minimum or 42 the highest,” he said. “We are still…

GOVERNORS elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are holding their maiden meeting as a forum at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja. Some of the governors who have already arrived at the venue of the meeting are Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), and Bassey Otu (Cross River). According to the director general of the PDP governors forum, the governors are expected to discuss the state of the nation, especially recent developments in the country, politically, socially, and economically. Former Benue Gov,Samuel Ortom was also present, having…

A FEDERAL High Court, Abuja, on Monday, stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from prosecuting the suspended Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, over his declaration of Aisha Dahiru, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, as governor in the March 18 poll. Justice Donatus Okorowo made the order after Mr Michael Aondoaka, SAN, counsel to Dahiru, moved the ex-parte motion to the effect. In the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/935/2023, the APC candidate in the poll, sued INEC, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and another as respondents. Aondoaka while moving the motion on Monday, argued that until the…

THE Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, in a landmark judgment, has ordered the disclosure of the spending details of about USD$5 billion Abacha recovered funds by the governments of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari.” The court ordered the government of President Bola Tinubu to “disclose the exact amount of money ‘stolen’ by General Sani Abacha from Nigeria, and the total amount of Abacha money recovered and all agreements signed on same by the governments of former presidents Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari.” The judgment was delivered last week by Justice James Kolawole…

A FORMER governor of Zamfara State and senator representing Zamfara West, Abdulaziz Yari, is being grilled by operatives of the Department of State Services. The reason for his detention and interrogation is not clear yet. According to a source close to the lawmaker, Yari reported at the office of the secret police after plenary on Thursday. The source claimed that he escorted the lawmaker to the DSS office to honour its invitation. “Senator Yari is still in the DSS custody, but he should be out soon in sha ’Allah. He went to their office himself after the plenary. I escorted…

THE Presidency, on Thursday, said President Bola Tinubu’s ministerial list is not ready. The Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, made this known during a briefing with journalists at the State House in Abuja. Alake urged Nigerians to disregard the rumours surrounding the awaited ministerial list. “About the ministerial list, there is no iota of truth in all of those things,” Alake said. “When the President is good and ready, you will be the first to know about his intentions.” “I can tell you all of those things you’ve been reading in the…

GOVERNOR Agbu Kefas of Taraba State on Wednesday announced the reduction of university school fees by 50 per cent to cushion the current hardship in the country. A statement by his Spokesperson, Emmanuel Bello, said the governor made the decision known at the Taraba State University where he said quality education remained his main priority. Kefas said he had since declared a state of emergency in the education sector. According to him, I am committed to free education at the primary and secondary school levels. Many of the University students expressed joy at the development, saying the reduction in fees…

ACTING Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun has ordered the deployment of 35 Commissioners of Police to various state commands and formations across the country. The deployment followed the approval of his recommendation by the Police Service Commission, Force Spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi said in a statement on Tuesday. The IGP, therefore, assured Nigerians that the postings are in line with the commitment of the police leadership to ensuring effective policing, security, and the maintenance of law and order in Nigeria. Amongst the newly posted Commissioners of Police are CP Adelesi E. Oluwarotimi to Kwara State Command; CP Adebola Ayinde Hamzat, fdc,…

THREE Chinese military ships are in Nigeria on a historic visit which officials say is aimed at improving maritime security. The arrival of the fleet – which is led by a destroyer – comes six months after a new billion-dollar deep sea port was opened in Lagos. It was Chinese-built and China has retained a majority shareholding in the company that runs the facility. News Point Nigeria gathered that the port and naval visit are further signs of China’s growing presence in Africa. Nigeria is a major oil supplier to China. In a statement, China’s ambassador in Nigeria Cui Jianchun…

TROOPS of the Nigerian Army have raided a baby-making factory in Adamawa State, arresting seven suspects. News Point Nigeria reports that the suspects were apprehended during the operation on June 23, with the parade done at the military headquarters on Saturday. Also rescued were 17 teenage girls as well as two babies. See photos below:

CHAIRMAN/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has disclosed that the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking has yielded significant results in the last 29 months with the arrest of 31,675 drug offenders, 5,147 of them prosecuted and convicted while over 6.3million kilograms of assorted drugs were seized within the same period. Marwa stated this in Abuja on Monday 19th June at a joint press briefing with the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, Mr. Oliver Stolpe, to flag off weeklong activities…

THE Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has announced that Monday, June 19, will be the first day of Dhul-Hijja 1444AH. News Point Nigeria reports that, this was contained in a statement on Sunday signed by Prof. Sambo Wali Junaidu, Chairman, Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, Sultanate Council, Sokoto. “The Sultanate Council Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs in conjunction with the National Moon Sighting Committee on Sunday received reports on the sighting of the crescent of Dhul-Hijja 1444AH. “The Sultan accepted the report and accordingly declared Sunday, June 19, as…

THE Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has approved the redeployment of the Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs) Hafiz Inuwa, Bala Ciroma, and Frank Mba. This comes less than 24 hours after Ciroma and Mba’s promotion from Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGs) to DIG by the Police Service Commission). The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Saturday, disclosed that Inuwa was deployed to head the Department of Logistics and Supply. The recently promoted Ciroma and Mba were also said to have been posted to head the Department of Training and Development and…