Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has declared Friday 21st of April 2023 as the first day of Shawwal 1444AH in Nigeria. The Sultan made the declaration in his palace in Sokoto on Thursday after the Sultanate Council Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs in conjunction with the National Moon Sighting Committee received several reports from various Moon Sighting committees across the country. He said, therefore, Thursday is the 29th day of the month of Ramadan 1444 AH. and Friday is Eid Al Fitr. The Sultan said he has…

EXACTLY one month after the March 18 governorship elections, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has emerged as the winner of what some might describe a drama-filled supplementary election in Adamawa State. In last Saturday’s rerun, Fintiri, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), polled 9,337 votes besting Senator Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 6,513 votes. News Point Nigeria reports that, at the end of the entire exercise, Fintiri polled 430,861 votes, defeating Binani’s 398,788 votes. The announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at 5:49 pm on Tuesday was preceded by a series of…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, resolved to write the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba to probe and prosecute its Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari. News Point Nigeria reports that, the electoral umpire reached the decision when its National Commissioners met at the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday over Adamawa supplementary governorship election. In a string of tweets on its official handle, INEC said, “At its meeting today, 18th April 2023, the Commission discussed matters arising from the Adamawa Governorship election and decided to: “Write to the Inspector-General of Police for…

A 30-YEAR-OLD suspected kidnapper and killer of a three-year-old child has been arrested by police officers in Katsina State. The suspect identified as Abubakar Abdul-Aziz of Sabuwar Santa Quarters in Musawa Local Government Area of the State was arrested on Wednesday, April 12th, 2023 at about 15:00hrs. According to the Katsina Police Spokesman Gambo Isah in a statement on Monday, the suspect had on March 23rd, 2023, at about 01: 00hrs, criminally trespassed into the residence of one Adamu Alhassan, m, of Bacirawa village in Musawa Local Government Area of the State, while he was deep asleep, and kidnapped his…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has shifted its emergency management meeting earlier fixed for Monday to tomorrow News Point Nigeria gathered. National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, told this newspaper on Monday that the meeting would now hold on Tuesday. According to him, this is to enable some of the national commissioners and other officials who are either on field assignments or have distances to cover to arrive today for the Tuesday’s meeting. The commission fixed the meeting over the controversial declaration of winner of the Adamawa State supplementary by the now suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner…

A 30-YEAR-OLD student unionist, Bashir Usman Gorau, has defeated , Musa S Adar, incumbent member representing Gada-Goronyo federal constituency of the House of Representatives. Gorau, who contested under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is the immediate past Commissioner of Youth and Sport in Sokoto. He polled 29,679 votes to defeat Adar of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 25,549 votes. The election was earlier declared inconclusive because of some hitches.

GOVERNOR Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has won the Sokoto South Senatorial election with 4,976 votes. Tambuwal, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defeated the incumbent lawmaker and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ibrahim Danbaba Dambuwa. According to the returning officer, Professor Abubakar Bagudo, Tambuwal scored 100,860 votes while Danbaba polled 95,884 votes. Tambuwal is the third governor to secure victory among the 10 governors who contested senatorial seats.

DR NASIRU Idris of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Aminu Bande, his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival, are running neck and neck in the ongoing supplementary election. Out of the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) where the election held, the results of five have been declared so far. Idris, who is the President of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), has so far polled a total of 4,645 votes while his PDP contender is trailing with 3,885. This leaves a margin of 760 between the two leading candidates. The APC Candidate was leading with 45,278 votes when the March 18…

HOODLUMS have reportedly disrupted the supplementary election taking place in nine political wards in the Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State. News Point Nigeria reports that, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is conducting the state House of Assembly supplementary elections in three state House of Assembly seats which include Kankara, Kurfi, and Kankia. A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Collation Agent in charge of Kankara Constituency, Nuruddeen Sani, made the allegation on Saturday, describing the situation as unbecoming and disappointing. According to the agent, the process hitherto started successfully, but later turned violent as strange faces which he claimed…

AHEAD of Saturday’s supplementary elections in 2,660 polling units across the country, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba has assured voters of their safety at the polls. He also ordered the deployment of policemen to 185 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 24 states of the Federation where supplementary polls will hold on Saturday. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had during the February 25 and March 18 elections declared some governorship, National Assembly and state assemblies’ polls inconclusive and directed a rerun. Widespread violence and voter suppression had marred the February 25 and March 18 polls, especially in states like…

THE Commissioner of Police in Zamfara State, Kolo Yusuf, has commended the resilience of the joint police and military deployed to neutralise bandit attacks and other criminal elements in the state. Yusuf, in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Mohammed Shehu, on Sunday, also called on the public to improve and sustain their partnership with the security agencies in an effort to restore lasting peace and security in the state. “The Commissioner of Police made the commendation, following the feat recorded during a fierce confrontation with suspected bandits in a community under Tsafe LGA, where an…

ARMED bandits have abducted about 60 persons, mostly children, in the border communities of Zamfara and Katsina states. The affected victims are from the Kucheri, Wanzamai, and Danwuri communities of Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, and Yankara town in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State. The incidents happened early hours of Friday when the terrorists were moving from Sububu Forest in Zamfara State to neighbouring Birnin-Gwari Forest in Kaduna State. Although police authorities in the state are yet to confirm the incident, News Point Nigeria gathered that the terrorists were fleeing Zamfara territory due to heavy military…

THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has pegged the hajj fare of each intending pilgrim for 2023 at N2.89m. The Chairman of NAHCON, Zikrullah Hassan, made the disclosure on Friday, attributing the increment to inflation in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. Hassan said the price is of 8 categories, with Borno and Yobe States as the lowest price while the highest is Lagos and Ogun States, N2.99m. News Point Nigeria reports that the increase is over N300,000 compared to what was paid during the 2022 hajj. “Hajj fare has 8 different costs, pilgrims from Maiduguri and Yola, will pay 2.89m…

JOSE Mourinho has reportedly been offered a deal to become the coach of the Saudi Arabia national team in a deal that would make him the highest-paid manager ever. Mourinho’s contract with Roma expires in 2024 however there have been disputes over performances on the pitch as well as a lack of investment in the playing squad, leading to doubts over his future. Corriere dello Sport have claimed that King Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud colloquially known by his initials MBS, a big fan of Jose, has offered the former Chelsea boss an escape route out of Rome to take…

ARMED bandits have abducted two female students at the Federal University Gusau (FUGUS) in Zamfara State. News Point Nigeria reports that, the incident happened in the early hours of Sunday when the kidnappers stormed the hostel located at Sabon-Gida, a community opposite the main campus of the university and succeeded in locking up security guards. The two kidnapped victims were identified as Maryam and Zainab. Confirming the incident to News Point Nigeria in a telephone conversation, the spokesperson of the command, Mohammed Shehu, said the bandits invaded the rented female hostel located at Sabon Gida village in Bungudu Local Government…

SUSPECTED bandits have killed five people and injured dozens during Taraweeh prayer at Unguwar Barebari village, Dukke Ward of Funtu Local Government Area, Katsina State. A resident of the community, who lost a cousin and a nephew in the attack, told our reporter that the attackers came around 8:30pm during the Taraweeh prayers, dressed like normal persons. “When they came they stationed themselves at different parts of the village and some close to the mosque during the Taraweeh prayer, they were dressed in such a way that one would assume they were normal residents of the village. “Suddenly, they started…

THE Emir of Katsina, HRH Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, has lamented Nigeria’s myriad of challenges, saying the development is worrying. “Nigeria’s problems are among what has been disturbing me in person to the extent that I find it difficult to sleep for 3-7 days,” the monarch said at the launch of his Peace Foundation in Katsina on Thursday. “In fact, I’m not wrong to say that Nigeria’s problems are responsible for my current health predicament”. At the event, at least 17,000 people in the state benefited from the distribution of the items. The beneficiaries, mostly victims of insurgency, orphans, and women…

THE Katsina State Governor-Elect, Dikko Umaru Radda, has vowed to deploy technology to address terrorism as well as make deserted farmlands accessible for cultivation when he assumes office. He made this pledge in a chat with state house correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday to present his Certificate of return issued to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Katsina Governor-elect also promised to restore farming activities as the mainstay of the state’s economy. Led to the president’s office by incumbent Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, Radda further disclosed that he has already commenced a…

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reversed its suspension of former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose; and former Senate President, Pius Anyim. Other party chieftains whose suspension were reversed also are Ibrahim Shema, Dennis Ityavyar and Aslam Aliyu. The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in statement on Thursday also said the party’s National Working Committee reversed the referral of the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom to the National Disciplinary Committee. The PDP, Nigeria’s main opposition party, had a week ago suspended the party stalwarts over “anti-party activities”, even as the party continues to grapple with a myriad…

BANDITS have reportedly demanded N200 million ransom to release the 56 farmers abducted in Adunu, Kwagana and adjoining communities in Paikoro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State. Our source gathered that the abductees, among them women and children, have spent three weeks in captivity. Residents said bandits called on Tuesday to inform them that one of the abductees had been killed, threatening to kill more people if ransom was not paid in time. A resident, Joshua Bawa, said “The people of Adunu and environs have over the years been left to their fate in terms of infrastructural development and…