Author: David Akonuche

THE Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, has expressed optimism that the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, will soon be released from custody, assuring residents that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is open to a political resolution of the long-standing case. News Point Nigeria reports that the Governor Otti gave the assurance on Friday during President Tinubu’s one-day working visit to Abia State, represented by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi. “I can assure you that I am engaging with Mr President. He is favourably disposed to it, and I am sure…

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja has struck down the move by political economist, Professor Pat Utomi, and his associates to establish a shadow government in Nigeria, declaring it unlawful, illegal, and unconstitutional. News Point Nigeria reports that delivering judgment in a case filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), Justice James Omotosho ruled that Utomi’s initiative, the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government (BTCSG) was “null, void, and of no constitutional effect.” The judge held that while Nigerians enjoy rights of association and expression, those rights cannot be stretched to justify activities that undermine constitutional order. He stressed…

AN explosion on Thursday sent shockwaves through Obinwanne Community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, killing one man and injuring two passers-by. News Point Nigeria reports that the tragic incident, which immediately sparked panic across the South-Eastern state, was captured in viral videos showing the victim writhing in pain, his legs mangled by the blast. Eyewitnesses alleged that the deceased, identified as Chinworeke Mmadu, was attempting to plant an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in a nearby market before it detonated prematurely. Some residents claimed he was working for a terror cell allegedly linked to separatist agitators in the…

A WAVE of frustration and confusion has engulfed families in Imo State following the refusal of the Ministry of Education and the National Examinations Council (NECO) to admit successful candidates into Federal Technical Colleges. News Point Nigeria reports that the aggrieved parents have now petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to urgently intervene in what they describe as a grave injustice to their children. The affected children sat for the 2025/2026 Common Entrance Examination, with many selecting the Federal Science Technical College (FSTC), Oguta, Imo State as their first choice. To the shock of parents, the students were denied…

JUSTICE Musa Liman of the Federal High Court Abuja, has sent back to the Chief Judge, a motion filed by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, for reassignment. News Point Nigeria reports that Kanu, in the motion ex parte, is seeking an order of the court transferring him to the National Hospital, Abuja, for urgent medical attention. In a short ruling, Justice Liman ordered the transfer of the case file back to the CJ of the Federal High Court, following an application by Kanu’s counsel, Uchenna Njoku, SAN, considering the fact that the annual…

THE Ebonyi State Government has announced a sweeping ban on house and land agents, effective January 1, 2026, in a move Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru described as a direct response to years of exploitation in Nigeria’s property sector. News Point Nigeria reports that the governor, speaking over the weekend, said the ban was aimed at stopping agents from charging outrageous fees, sometimes as high as ₦500,000 for properties they neither owned nor controlled. “I don’t want to see or hear anything about house or land agents in Ebonyi State from 2026,” Governor Nwifuru declared. “This exploitation must stop. No agent…

A TRAGIC accident involving the convoy of the Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Austin Okezie Meregini, has left two persons dead and several others severely injured along the Obehie axis of the busy Enugu–Umuahia–Aba–Port Harcourt Expressway. The incident, which occurred over the weekend, claimed the lives of two brothers, Ifeanyi Maduako (45) and Onyedi Obasi (35), both natives of Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. The victims were returning to their base abroad after attending their late mother’s burial when tragedy struck. Eyewitnesses at the scene told News Point Nigeria that the…

IMO State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has approved a new minimum wage of ₦104,000 for civil servants in the state, making Imo one of the highest-paying states in Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that the governor announced the upward review late Tuesday during a meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other labour bodies at the Government House in Owerri. This marks a significant jump from the previous ₦76,000 minimum wage. Salaries across various sectors were also reviewed upwards — doctors’ minimum wage rose from ₦215,000 to ₦503,000, while that of lecturers and…

THE Anambra State House of Assembly has suspended the member representing Ayamelum Constituency, Bernard Udemezue, for three months. Udemezue was suspended over a message and content he shared on social media, which the House described as “damaging content”. The lawmaker, elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, had shared on his social media handles, alleging that his constituency, Ayamelum, is marginalised in the area of constituency allowance. But reacting to the post, the House first passed the resolution to summon Udemezue at its plenary last Tuesday, following a matter of urgent public importance moved by the member representing…

THE second day of the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association annual conference in Enugu was on Monday disrupted by protests demanding the release of a Labour Party lawmaker in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Bright Ngene. Ngene, who represents Enugu South Urban Constituency, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence handed down by a magistrate’s court in connection with a community dispute. His supporters, however, insist the conviction was politically motivated. Protesters, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Release Bar. Bright Ngene Now, a Political Prisoner of Conscience” and “NBA, Please Save Our Democracy”, accused the state judiciary of stalling…

THE Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, has sounded a stern warning that justice in Nigeria is fast losing its moral compass, describing it as an increasingly “purchasable commodity” that favours the wealthy while leaving the poor perpetually disadvantaged. News Point Nigeria reports that the revered monarch made the remarks on Sunday while delivering a keynote address at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Enugu, where legal practitioners, jurists, and thought leaders gathered under the theme “Stand Out and Stand Tall.” According to him, corruption and systemic inequality have deeply eroded the credibility of the judicial…

ENUGU, the capital of old Eastern region, is a beehive of activities as former President Olusegun Obasanjo, South African politician, Julius Malema, and over 20,000 lawyers converge for the 2025 Annual General Conference, AGC, of the Nigerian Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, which formerly opens today. Earlier on Saturday, NBA President, Afam Osigwe, led thousands of lawyers in a health walk session across major roads in the capital city, as more lawyers and guests continue to pour into the historic city. This was even as the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, assured participants of a memorable experience, noting…

FIVE Premier League heavyweights have entered the race to sign Nigerian international Ademola Lookman following the collapse of his much-anticipated transfer to Inter Milan. According to reports by TBR Football, Lookman’s representatives have held advanced talks with Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, and Aston Villa over a potential return to England’s top flight. The 27-year-old winger, who was crowned African Player of the Year in 2024, has been seeking an exit from Serie A side Atalanta after a career-defining season in Italy. He was on the verge of sealing a £52 million switch to Inter Milan, but the Nerazzurri…

FORMER Super Eagles defender Taribo West has lashed out at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Lagos State Football Association (LSFA) for allegedly abandoning the family of late Nigerian goalkeeper Peter Rufai, describing the neglect as shameful and unacceptable. News Point Nigeria Sport reports that speaking during Rufai’s service of songs in Lagos on Thursday, West expressed frustration at what he called the authorities’ recurring failure to properly honour national heroes, both in life and in death. “Could you imagine that the family would be crying to solicit within our groups, just to ask for money? “It is madness,”…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared a prison inmate, Bright Ngene of the Labour Party (LP), winner of the Enugu South 1 State Constituency rerun election held on Saturday, August 16, 2025. News Point Nigeria reports that Ngene, a legal practitioner by profession, is currently serving a jail term at the Enugu Custodial Centre, but that did not stop him from securing victory in the hotly contested legislative rerun. The declaration of Ngene brings to an end months of political tension, court battles, and repeated attempts to conduct the rerun, which was ordered by the Election Petition Appeal…

OPERATIVES of the Ebonyi State Police Command have rescued two kidnapped students from captivity in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state, following an intelligence-led operation. News Point Nigeria reports that the Commissioner of Police, CP Anthonia Uche-Anya, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the Command’s headquarters in Abakaliki. According to her, the students were found inside an uncompleted building where they were being held hostage by suspected kidnappers. She confirmed that the victims were rescued unhurt, while three suspects were apprehended and are currently in police custody as investigations continue. CP Uche-Anya used the briefing to highlight…

THE Imo State Government has announced a ban on graduation parties for nursery, kindergarten, and Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) students, citing concerns over the financial pressure such events place on parents and guardians. The directive was issued by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Bernard Ikegwuoha, in a memo dated August 15, 2025, with reference number MOEPS/COMMR/2025/VOL. 1/155, and circulated to parents, guardians, school proprietors, and education stakeholders across the state. According to the commissioner, only Primary 6 and Senior Secondary School (SSS 3) students are permitted to hold graduation ceremonies in line with the 6-3-3-4 education policy, which stipulates…

AMNESTY International says it possesses concrete evidence including names and addresses of individuals allegedly killed extrajudicially by the Nigerian military in the South-East geopolitical zone of the country. “We have our evidence and we are very glad to present those evidence. We are always in touch with families of victims and believe there is a need to do a soul-searching. “Let us sit down, look at those cases, find out who did what and when, and make sure that the full weight of the law comes in to ensure justice for the victims,” said the Country Director for Amnesty International…

NO fewer than eight persons have been killed in a flood disaster in Kpoghirikpo, an ancient kingdom of Itim community in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The incident, which occurred following heavy rainfall, affected over 800 farmlands and 3,000 households, creating a major displacement crisis within the community. A mother and her four children died in the devastating flood. Residents said the flood disaster resulted in the loss of a mother and her four children, as a search and rescue team from the community was able to rescue four other children alive. Meanwhile, four bodies have been recovered…

ARMED hoodlums wielding cutlasses have attacked a truck driver, Dallami Yunusa, at Ogi Junction in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State, inflicting serious injuries before setting his vehicle on fire. Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Heavy Truck Unit in Okigwe, Dahiru Musa Raza, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust on Sunday. The attack happened on Tuesday, barely two months after two truck drivers were killed and a vehicle loaded with garri was burnt in a similar incident at the same location. Raza said Yunusa’s truck developed a mechanical fault, prompting him to go into…