Author: David Akonuche

JUSTICE Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court Abuja, has adjourned the N1.2 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by a human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and other defendants, to March 10 for a definite hearing. News Point Nigeria reports that Sowore had sued the IGP and others over his arrest, detention, and arraignment by the police in Abuja. At the day’s proceedings, his counsel, Marshal Abubakar, informed the court that the matter was slated for mention and all the defendants, who had been served with hearing notice, were not in court;…

RENOWNED author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and her husband, Dr Ivara Esege, have lost one of their twin sons, Nkanu Nnamdi. According to a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Thursday by Omawumi Ogbe, on behalf of the family, the 21-month-old baby passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, after a brief illness. The statement said the family is devastated by the loss, and requested that their privacy be respected during this difficult time. The statement reads, “We’re deeply saddened to confirm the passing of one of Ms Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Dr Ivara Esege’s twin boys, Nkanu Nnamdi, who…

THE Labour Party’s Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has formally declared his intention to contest the presidency in 2027, adding a new layer to the evolving political realignments within Nigeria’s opposition space. News Point Nigeria reports that Baba-Ahmed made the declaration on Wednesday at a rally held at the Labour Party’s national secretariat in Abuja, where party members, supporters and stakeholders gathered amid heightened uncertainty following recent defections and internal debates. His announcement comes barely one week after the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, announced his departure from the Labour Party for…

A FRESH political storm is brewing within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State following conflicting positions over who truly controls the party’s structure ahead of the 2027 general elections, pitting the party’s national leadership against influential grassroots actors loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. News Point Nigeria reports that the controversy erupted days after Nentawe Yilwatda, National Chairman of the APC, publicly declared Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the leader of the party in Rivers State, a position that has been openly rejected by key APC executives at the local level who insist they will…

THE Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, along with other political leaders from the South-East geopolitical zone, has officially declared for the African Democratic Congress (ADC). News Point Nigeria reports that the leaders gathered in Enugu, the capital of Enugu State, on Wednesday to make the declaration. They stated that after months of consultations, they had decided to join the ADC and collaborate with other opposition leaders from across the country to “rescue Nigeria from the poor governance of the All Progressives Congress (APC)”. Those present at the event included former Deputy Speaker of the House…

THE 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has criticised the House of Representatives for failing to criminalise vote-buying at the level of party primaries, describing the decision as a setback for Nigeria’s democracy. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday sighted by News Point Nigeria, the former Anambra State governor said Nigerians had hoped the lawmakers would take a firm stand against vote-buying. Describing vote-buying as a major problem undermining credible elections in the country, Obi said the expectation was dashed when the House declined to address inducements at the level of party primaries. “Just…

ENUGU State Governor, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, has approved a fresh round of appointments, naming new commissioners, board chairmen, executive secretaries, and other senior officials across key government agencies. The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Wednesday. According to the statement, Osinachi Nnajieze and Dr. C. O. C. Egumgbe was appointed as Commissioners-designate. Their names have been forwarded to the Enugu State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation. Other appointments approved by the governor include Kenechukwu Nnamani as Managing Director of the Enugu State Investment Development…

THE Ebonyi governor, Francis Nwifuru, has announced a Christmas bonus of ₦150,000 to every civil servant in the state for the 2025 festive season. News Point Nigeria reports that Nwifuru made the pronouncement on Sunday during a church service at the Government House Chapel in Abakaliki. According to him, the gesture aligns with his administration’s commitment to improve the welfare of civil servants despite dwindling revenue accruing to the state in the past year. The governor also dispelled rumours of lethargy in Vincent Agwu Nwankwo Flyover, popularly known as VANCO, a monumental infrastructural marvel of his administration. “You cannot find…

THE Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, says some of the names President Bola Tinubu submitted to the Senate for ambassadorial confirmation are “shocking.” News Point Nigeria reports that in a post on X, Peter Obi expressed disappointment with the list, saying several of the names were questionable. “Yes, some of the names being paraded to represent us as ambassadors globally are shocking. But with a leadership that has allowed mediocrity, corruption, and impunity to rise to the top, who else did you expect them to choose?” he asked. The former governor of Anambra also…

THE Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, Julius Bokoru, has raised alarm over what he describes as the unlawful and inhumane detention of four domestic and security aides linked to his principal. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria titled “Detention of Sylva’s Aides: A Call for Reason, Humanity and Due Process,” Bokoru condemned the continued incarceration of the individuals whose families, he said, have been left distressed and traumatised. According to him, the first individual arrested, Mr. Paganengigha Anagha, has remained in custody for an extended period without clarity…

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out the appeal by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, who has been convicted of terrorism, on the grounds that it lacked merit and had become academic, following his conviction for terrorism offences by a Federal High Court in a judgment on November 20. News Point Nigeria reports that delivering judgment, a three-member panel of the appellate court found that Kanu’s claim that his fundamental rights to human dignity, right to quality health care and religion, were being breached by his continued detention in the facility of the…

A FORMER Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, has formally written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), requesting that the anti-graft agency fix a mutually agreed date for him to appear before investigators over an alleged $14.8 million fraud. In a letter obtained by News Point Nigeria personally signed by him and dated November 24, but acknowledged by the EFCC on November 26, Sylva expressed displeasure over the commission’s public declaration naming him “wanted,” insisting that he has never refused any lawful invitation. The EFCC had, on Monday, November 10,…

ALOY Ejimakor, Former counsel to the proscribed leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, says no number of lawyers could have altered the court’s decision convicting him of terrorism. Ejimakor spoke on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Monday monitored by News Point Nigeria, where he dismissed suggestions that stronger legal representation might have changed the verdict. “I don’t believe one million lawyers standing behind Nnamdi Kanu would have changed the outcome of the case,” he said. The lawyer said he disagreed with the judgment but acknowledged the court’s authority, arguing that the evidence did not clearly…

THE 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu’s case, insisting that dialogue remains the only viable path to peace. News Point Nigeria reports that Obi stated this in an X post on Saturday, warning that Kanu’s conviction could worsen national tension. The former Anambra governor lamented that the development came at a time when Nigerians faced “severe economic hardship, insecurity, and the consequences of poor governance.” Obi stated that the government mishandled the case from the outset and failed to explore peaceful…

A DRAMATIC chain of events unfolded on Thursday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, as the trial of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, took an unexpected turn forcing a temporary halt in proceedings and ultimately prompting the trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, to rule that judgment would be delivered in the defendant’s absence. News Point Nigeria reports that the courtroom, packed with journalists, lawyers, security operatives and television crews from NTA, Channels TV, AIT, TVC and other broadcast stations, had been set for the long-awaited judgment in Kanu’s terrorism trial, which was…

THE detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has asked the Court of Appeal, Abuja, to stay further proceedings in his trial by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja. News Point Nigeria reports that according to the court documents filed, Kanu is praying the appeal court to stop Justice Omotosho from delivering judgment on his case on November 20, 2025, as scheduled, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal against the high court’s decision in the case. Kanu premised his application on the grounds that, in spite of the jurisdictional questions raised…

GOVERNOR Chukwuma Soludo has secured a second term in office until 2030 after he was declared the winner of the November 8 Anambra State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) According to the results announced by INEC in the early hours of Sunday, Soludo won by a landslide in the 21 local government areas of the South-East state. News Point Nigeria reports that the State Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Omoregie Edoba, declared Soludo as the winner of the exercise after the collation of results from the local government areas of the…

THE All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate and incumbent governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has taken a commanding early lead in the Anambra State governorship election held on Saturday, amid reports of vote-buying, security breaches, and logistical concerns across several local government areas. News Point Nigeria reports that as of 1am Sunday morning, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had uploaded 99.14 per cent of polling unit results on its INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal, covering most of the 5,718 polling units spread across 21 local government areas. INEC confirmed that 2,802,790 voters were registered for the poll…

INTERNATIONAL observers and civil society organisations have lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the transparent, efficient, and peaceful conduct of the ongoing Anambra State Governorship Election, describing it as very orderly and credible polls. News Point Nigeria gathered that reports from accredited observer groups, monitored in the INEC Situation Room by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Dayo Oketola, indicated smooth operations, improved voter turnout compared to 2021, and a calm atmosphere across polling units. Both local and international monitors commended INEC’s logistical coordination and effective deployment of technology under the leadership of its Chairman,…

ALL is now set for the Anambra State Governorship Election scheduled for Saturday (today), with 2,802,790 registered voters expected to head to the polls across the 21 local government areas of the state. News Point Nigeria reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed that accreditation and voting would commence simultaneously at 8:30am and end at 2:30pm across 5,718 polling units, while movement restriction will be enforced statewide from 6am to 6pm The South-East state, considered Nigeria’s major commercial and industrial hub, is witnessing strong political interest as 16 candidates secured clearance from INEC to contest the strategic election.…