Author: Sadiq Abdullateef

THE Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is facing serious scrutiny after the Auditor-General of the Federation reported that the agency spent N118.75 million in 2022 without providing mandatory supporting documents, raising fresh concerns about transparency, accountability, and adherence to public finance regulations. The revelations were contained in an 808-page federal audit report covering January to December 2022 obtained by News Point Nigeria, submitted to the National Assembly in September. The report flagged multiple irregularities within the CAC, ranging from undocumented expenditures to unaccounted-for government vehicles and improper legal payments. News Point Nigeria reports that part of the undocumented N118.75 million was…

THE Military High Command has opened an internal investigation into allegations that troops were redeployed shortly before bandits abducted 25 female students from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State. The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) announced the probe on Sunday following heightened public concern over the circumstances leading to the attack, which occurred days after intelligence warnings reportedly flagged the school as a possible target. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, the DHQ said the review would scrutinize troop deployment patterns, operational decisions, and intelligence handling…

A WAVE of criticism has trailed the absence of Northern governors at the 25th Anniversary celebration of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) held on Saturday in Kaduna, prompting the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF) to issue clarifications on what many had described as an unprecedented boycott. The event, which assembled some of the most influential figures in Northern Nigeria including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, representatives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, business moguls Aliko Dangote and Abdul Samad Rabiu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai, billionaire…

US President Donald Trump reignited political controversy on Friday after launching a harsh verbal attack on Nigeria, calling the country “a disgrace” and accusing its government of failing to protect Christian communities from extremist violence. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking during a conservative radio broadcast, Trump repeated allegations that Christians in Nigeria are facing “genocide” and warned that the United States could withdraw financial support if Abuja does not “do more” to curb attacks attributed to Islamist militants. “Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace,” Trump said on air. “They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s…

POPE Leo XIV has dismissed claims that Christians alone are being targeted in Nigeria’s security crisis, insisting that the country’s violence affects Christians, Muslims, and various communities across different regions. News Point Nigeria reports that the Pope made the remarks on Thursday while speaking with journalists as he departed his Castel Gandolfo residence in the Vatican. He was responding to a question from EWTN News about concerns in the West regarding the safety of Nigerian Christians. Addressing the issue, the pontiff said Nigeria’s complex insecurity challenges are driven by a combination of terrorism, economic stress, and deep-rooted struggles over land…

THE Federal Government has inaugurated Dr. Musa Babayo as the new Chairman of the Governing Board of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), signaling what officials described as a fresh phase of innovation, transparency, and accelerated road maintenance across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the inauguration, held Wednesday at the Conference Hall of the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja, was performed by the Minister of State for Works and Supervising Minister of FERMA, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, who described Babayo as a seasoned technocrat with a distinguished record in public service. Goronyo said Babayo’s leadership at the former…

A POWERFUL Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, met with U.S. Congressman Riley M. Moore in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to address escalating allegations of religious persecution and terrorism in Nigeria, a narrative that has gained significant traction in recent weeks within American political circles. News Point Nigeria reports that Congressman Moore, one of the U.S. lawmakers tasked by President Donald Trump to investigate alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria, described the engagement as “frank, honest, and productive.” He said the meeting focused heavily on religious violence, counterterrorism operations, security assistance, and the protection of vulnerable…

THE scheduled trial of two alleged senior Ansaru commanders, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, was stalled on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja following a dispute between the defence team and the Department of State Services (DSS) over access to the defendants. News Point Nigeria reports that the pair, considered high-ranking figures within Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), an Al-Qaeda-linked militant group were expected to face trial on a 32-count terrorism charge. But the proceedings were halted almost immediately after their defence counsel, Bala Dakum, informed the court that he had not been given the necessary documents…

A MAJOR crisis erupted at the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja on Monday as rival factions engaged in a violent confrontation, forcing security operatives to fire gunshots into the air and release teargas to disperse supporters scrambling for control of the deeply divided opposition party. News Point Nigeria reports that the chaos stemmed from an attempt by the two feuding factions, the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led NWC, elected at the recent Ibadan convention, and the pro-Wike Samuel Anyanwu-led faction to hold parallel meetings at Wadata Plaza. Tension peaked shortly after the arrival of members of the…

THE Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has claimed that it executed Brigadier-General Musa Uba, Commander of the 25 Task Force Brigade, after a deadly ambush on a Nigerian military convoy in Borno State, a claim that directly contradicts the Nigerian Army’s earlier dismissal of reports that the senior officer had been abducted. News Point Nigeria reports that the terrorists made the claim on Monday through a statement released on their Amaq propaganda channel, alleging that the senior officer was captured alive and executed after interrogation. The attack occurred late Friday near Sabon Gari along the volatile Damboa–Biu highway, one…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday declared open the 2025 All Nigerian Judges’ Conference of the Superior Courts, urging judicial officers across the country to recommit themselves to transparency, courage, discipline and public trust as pillars of Nigeria’s democracy. News Point Nigeria reports that the event, held at the Andrews Otutu Obaseki Auditorium of the National Judicial Institute (NJI) in Abuja, drew senior jurists, heads of courts, judicial administrators, and policymakers from across the federation. Delivering a keynote address, President Tinubu described the annual gathering as “an extraordinary convocation of the men and women upon whose wisdom, courage, and integrity…

THE Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has formally petitioned the United States Congress, seeking the removal of its name from a proposed sanctions list even as US lawmakers move ahead with a full-scale investigation into allegations of religious persecution and targeted killings in Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that MACBAN’s reaction comes amid growing international scrutiny following President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), a classification that opens the door to sanctions, visa bans and potential restrictions on US–Nigeria relations. At a press conference on Sunday in Abuja, MACBAN President,…

FORMER presidential aide and convener of the Grassroots Initiative Concept, Alwan Hassan, has regained his freedom after spending over 40 hours in police custody at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja. A family source confirmed to News Point Nigeria that Hassan was released just after midnight on Saturday, following intense anticipation from associates and supporters who had gathered information all day without clarity on his fate. Hassan’s detention came barely 24 hours after he honoured a police invitation at the FCID on Friday. Sources said he arrived at the complex in the afternoon but remained in custody through…

THE Nigerian Army has confirmed that troops of the 25 Task Force Brigade were ambushed by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Borno State while returning from a successful mission in the Sambisa Forest, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF). The incident occurred on Friday around 5pm near Sabon Gari along the volatile Damboa–Biu highway, a route frequently targeted by insurgents. In a statement made available to News Point Nigeria, Appolonia Anele, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, said the troops were on a routine patrol to secure…

FIGHTERS of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Friday staged a deadly ambush on a Nigerian military convoy in Borno State, killing soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and temporarily leaving a serving military General missing in action. News Point Nigeria reports that the attack, which occurred around 5pm near Sabon Gari along the Damboa–Biu highway, targeted a mixed security convoy made up of troops and CJTF operatives escorting personnel and equipment through one of the most volatile routes in the northeast. Multiple security and local sources confirmed to HumAngle and News Point Nigeria…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has successfully re-arrested Abdulazeez Obadaki, a top-ranking member of the Ansaru terrorist organisation and the alleged mastermind of the 2022 Uromi bank robberies in Edo State, bringing an end to his two-year flight from justice. News Point Nigeria reports that Obadaki, who escaped custody during the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre jailbreak in July 2022, had been on the run alongside dozens of other high-risk inmates. His recapture marks a significant victory for Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts, especially as he is linked to multiple violent attacks across the country. Security sources told News Point Nigeria…

SIX senior directors of the Federal Ministry of Defence have been abducted by gunmen along the Kabba–Lokoja highway in Kogi State, in what is described as one of the most daring kidnappings targeting top government officials in recent times. The victims identified as Ngozi Ibeziakor, C.A. Emeribe, C. Helen Ezeakor, C.A. Ladoye, J.A. Onwuzurike, and Catherine O. Essien were reportedly travelling from Lagos to Abuja on Monday to attend a promotion examination when their convoy was ambushed. According to eyewitnesses, the assailants, believed to be part of a well-armed kidnapping syndicate operating in the area, forced the officials out of…

MINISTER of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says that President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to press freedom is critical to his vision of a prosperous Nigeria. He stated this in Abuja on Wednesday at the All Nigeria Editors Conference, stressing that no media organisation has been gagged or shut down under Tinubu’s administration. “Central to this vision of a prosperous Nigeria is an environment where free speech and a dynamic media can thrive. I stand before you today to affirm that under President Tinubu’s leadership, we have nurtured an unprecedentedly egalitarian media ecosystem,” Idris said. “With over 1,000 licensed radio…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday charged Nigerian editors to uphold fairness, integrity, and a deep sense of national responsibility in their reportage, urging them to use their platforms to strengthen democracy and foster national unity. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking while declaring open the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) Annual Conference at the State House, Abuja, the President emphasised that the media remains central to national development and the consolidation of democratic governance. The conference, themed “Democratic Governance and National Cohesion: The Role of Editors,” attracted leading media executives, senior journalists, policymakers, and communication scholars from across the…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, state governors, ministers, and other dignitaries are expected to attend the 21st All Nigeria Editors Conference scheduled to hold in Abuja from Wednesday, November 12, 2025. The two-day conference, organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors, will take place at the State House Conference Centre, Aso Villa, where President Tinubu is billed to declare the event open. According to a Tuesday statement jointly signed by the NGE President, Eze Anaba, and the General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, the conference will attract over 500 editors from across the country, alongside media executives, members of the diplomatic corps, academics, and…