Author: David Akonuche

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…

ANAMBRA State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has strongly criticised political figures who make campaign promises to serve for only one term in elected office, saying such statements are not only misleading but suggest the need for mental health evaluation. Speaking on Friday during a mega endorsement rally for his second term bid in Anambra South Senatorial Zone, Governor Soludo described the idea of offering to serve just one term as irrational and an insult to the intelligence of the electorate. Without directly naming anyone, Soludo’s comments appeared to be a thinly veiled response to former Anambra State Governor and…

IN a significant legal victory for road users across Nigeria, the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri, Imo State, has declared that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has no legal authority to confiscate a driver’s licence, vehicle, or any related document without due legal process. News Point Nigeria reports that the appellate court also affirmed the violation of fundamental rights of a Nigerian motorist, Dr. Emmanuel Ugochukwu Shebbs, by FRSC officials during an encounter in 2020, awarding him ₦10 million in damages for the unlawful seizure and harassment. The court delivered its ruling in Appeal No: CA/OW/199/2022 between FRSC,…

THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) is facing an internal crisis barely two years before the 2027 general election, as key political actors within the coalition party are reportedly threatening to withdraw over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s insistence on clinching the presidential ticket. News Point Nigeria gathered from reliable sources that top stakeholders including former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential flagbearer in 2023 are becoming increasingly uneasy with what they perceive as Atiku’s “personalised agenda” within the coalition. While Atiku has not formally declared his candidacy, his strategic positioning within the ADC and…

YUSUF Datti Baba-Ahmed, who ran alongside Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party (LP), has publicly acknowledged Julius Abure as the party’s National Chairman, a move that distances him from Obi’s current faction. News Point Nigeria report that appearing on a national television programme on Wednesday, Baba-Ahmed cited the Supreme Court ruling and the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) recognition of Abure as the basis for his stance. His comments followed his attendance at the Abure-led LP National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Monday. Although he previously participated in the factional NEC meeting held…

PRESSURE is mounting in Akwa Ibom State as public sector workers, including university lecturers, teachers, and civil servants, have embarked on a strike to protest the nonpayment of their salaries for the months of May and June. News Point Nigeria reports that the backlash comes just one month after Governor Umo Eno defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a widely publicised event in Uyo. His political switch was justified at the time as a strategic move to “unite the state” and “secure federal support” for key developmental projects, such as the long-delayed…

THE Labour Party has disclosed plans to expel its former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his involvement in an opposition coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, during a live appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday monitored by News Point Nigeria, said Obi’s continued engagement with the coalition while still identifying as a Labour Party member was “unconstitutional” and “unacceptable.” “Let me make it very clear: we are convening a NEC [National Executive Council] meeting where he [Obi] will be expelled. It is unconstitutional for you to belong to two political…

OPPOSITION arrowhead Peter Obi says he will contest for the office of the President in 2027, dismissing rumours that he will be running mate for Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “I’m going to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and I believe I am qualified for it,” Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, said on Sunday Politics programme monitored by News Point Nigeria. When asked whether he was considering becoming the running mate to Atiku, in the 2027 election, Obi said, “This is not in play; nobody has ever discussed that. People…

A HIGH Court of Kenya sitting in Nairobi, the East African country, has declared the detention and transfer of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021 as unlawful and illegal. The court also awarded compensatory damages of 10 million Kenyan shillings against the Kenyan Government for gross violations of Kanu’s fundamental rights. Delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Justice E. Mwita, faulted both the Nigerian and Kenyan governments for a rendition of Kanu in gross violations of his rights as guaranteed by the constitutions of the respective countries. Justice Nwita…