Author: Sadiq Abdullateef

A BRITISH Airways (BA) flight from London to Abuja was forced to make an emergency diversion to Barcelona, Spain, in the early hours of Monday after a retired Nigerian Air Vice Marshal from Anambra State reportedly died mid-air. News Point Nigeria reports that the flight, which departed London’s Heathrow Airport at about 11:00pm on Sunday, October 5, was scheduled to arrive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by 5:00am on Monday. However, the journey took a tragic turn when the pilot declared a medical emergency around 1:30 a.m., prompting the aircraft to divert to El Prat Airport, Barcelona, for…

THE United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced sweeping global job cuts that have claimed nearly 5,000 positions across the world, as the organisation struggles with a worsening financial crisis triggered by massive reductions in international humanitarian aid. In Nigeria alone, over 280 staff members have reportedly lost their jobs in recent months, marking one of the largest single-country layoffs in Africa. A senior source within the UNHCR Nigeria office confirmed the development to News Point Nigeria, lamenting that “almost 300 UNHCR colleagues have already lost their jobs this year.” “This is more than half of our Nigeria…

MINISTER of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, is at the center of a storm of controversy following his admission in court documents that the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), the institution he claimed to have attended never issued him a degree certificate. This admission comes after a two-year investigative report by Premium Times, which revealed that the university had no record of ever issuing such a certificate to the minister, contradicting the documents he submitted to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Senate, and other federal agencies during his appointment and screening in 2023. The revelation has triggered…

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has released two female journalists with Jay 101.9 FM, Jos, who were wrongfully arrested by its operatives during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Plateau State on Saturday. The Service also tendered an official apology to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) over the incident, describing it as “regrettable and unacceptable.” The journalists; Miss Ruth Marcus and Miss Keshia Jang were reportedly covering activities related to the President’s condolence visit for the burial of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, the late mother of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe, when they…

WHEN President Bola Ahmed Tinubu touched down in Jos, Plateau State, on Saturday, it was meant to be a moment of solemnity and symbolism, a visit that blended condolences with outreach. The President attended the funeral of Nana Lydia Yilwatda, mother of the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, and met with Northern Christian leaders to reaffirm his commitment to unity, fairness, and peace. But even before the echoes of his message faded, political fault lines had deepened. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar swiftly denounced the visit as a “mockery of leadership,” accusing the President of ignoring victims of insecurity…

FORMER President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has denied media reports suggesting that he accused late former President Muhammadu Buhari of being nominated by Boko Haram as a mediator during the peak of the insurgency crisis. Jonathan, in a statement issued by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze sent to News Point Nigeria, on Saturday, clarified that his remarks at the public presentation of a book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor (rtd), were twisted out of context by some sections of the media. The former president said his intention was to highlight the manipulative and deceitful tactics…

WHEN the Federal Government and Meta Platforms Inc., parent company of Facebook and Instagram, agreed on Friday to settle out of court a staggering $32.8 million sanction for alleged data privacy violations, it was more than the end of a courtroom tussle. It signaled Nigeria’s intensifying battle with data protection failures, regulatory enforcement gaps, and the rising dangers confronting millions of citizens in a digital-first economy. News Point Nigeria takes readers inside the growing crisis of digital privacy. At the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday (Friday), before Justice James Omotosho, lawyers representing both the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC)…

A FORMER presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, has dismissed claims by former President Goodluck Jonathan that Boko Haram terrorists once nominated the late President Muhammadu Buhari as their mediator in proposed talks with the Federal Government. In a statement issued on Friday sent to News Point Nigeria, Shehu described Jonathan’s remark as “false, misleading, and politically motivated,” warning the former president to stop “rewriting history” as part of a potential bid for the 2027 presidency. According to Shehu, neither Boko Haram’s founder, Muhammed Yusuf, nor his successor, Abubakar Shekau, ever nominated Buhari for such a role. On the contrary, he said,…

FORMER President, Goodluck Jonathan has admitted that the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014 remains an “eternal scar” on his government and personal life. News Point Nigeria reports that Jonathan made the remark on Friday during the public presentation of “SCARS: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum”, a memoir written by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (rtd), in Abuja. The ex-president hailed Irabor as “a soldier who stood for truth and never played politics with national security.” Reflecting on his presidency, Jonathan said the kidnap of 276 schoolgirls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State,…

THE United States Department of State has accused the Nigerian government of failing to adequately protect victims of Boko Haram insurgency and human trafficking, despite some progress in recent years. In its 2025 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, published on Thursday and reviewed by News Point Nigeria, the US said Nigeria has not met the minimum global standards required in key areas of combating human trafficking, keeping the country on the Tier 2 Watchlist, a ranking for countries making “significant efforts” but still falling short. The report criticised Nigeria’s weak efforts in identifying and protecting vulnerable groups, including internally displaced…

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed reports suggesting that he intends to step down for another presidential aspirant ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that such claims were based on a distortion of his recent BBC Hausa interview. In a statement released on Thursday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe made available to News Point Nigeria, Atiku described the reports as misleading and mischievous, stressing that at no point during the interview did he suggest, imply, or declare that he was stepping down for anyone. According to Ibe, a careful review of both the video footage and transcripts of…

THE Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, has ordered the immediate release of an Abuja-based businesswoman, Mrs. Chineze Ozoadibe, who was wrongfully arrested and detained over alleged involvement in illegal oil bunkering, News Point Nigeria gathered. In addition, Ajayi approved ₦10 million compensation for Ozoadibe, while five other persons who were also arrested in error during the same operation will collectively receive another ₦10 million, bringing the total payout to ₦20 million. According to a credible security source, Ozoadibe was arrested during a joint operation coordinated by another security agency targeting a suspected oil bunkering…

HUNDREDS of Nigerians remain incarcerated in Ethiopia under dire conditions as the long-awaited Transfer of Sentenced Persons Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both countries faces continued delays. News Point Nigeria reports that the agreement, which would allow convicted Nigerians to serve the remainder of their prison terms in Nigeria, has been stalled for months, despite repeated diplomatic engagements and legal directives aimed at fast-tracking the process. Speaking on Wednesday, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, confirmed that Nigeria had completed all necessary formalities but blamed Ethiopia for the prolonged delay. “The ministry has fulfilled its own…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, addressed the nation in a nationwide broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, paying glowing tributes to the nation’s founding fathers while rolling out major achievements of his administration. News Point Nigeria reports that in his third Independence Day broadcast since assuming office in May 2023, Tinubu described the anniversary as a time for sober reflection and renewed hope. He acknowledged the sacrifices of Nigeria’s past heroes including Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa, Margaret Ekpo, and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, whom he said envisioned Nigeria as the leader of Africa…

TODAY, October 1, is your 65th birthday, just as Nigeria celebrates its 65th Independence anniversary. I’ve always hoped and prayed that one day I’ll be able to give you everything you’ve sacrificed to ensure the happiness of me, Jamila, and Aisha and even Waleed. Your constant sacrifice astounds me at times. I’m crying as I type this, not because I’m sad, but because I’m deeply grateful to Allah for keeping you alive, well, and healthy. Thank you, Abba, for everything. You lovingly ensured that the painful vacuum of growing up without a father figure was beautifully filled with your unwavering…

AS Nigeria marked its 65th Independence Anniversary on Wednesday, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, paid tribute to the country’s resilience and unity with a specially composed ode titled “Remember, Remember The 1st Of October.” Describing the lyrical work as her “Word-Rhyming-Flower” to the nation, Musawa wove together history, struggle, faith and hope in her poetic reflection on Nigeria’s journey since 1960. The poem, shared publicly on Tuesday and sent to News Point Nigeria, recalled the significance of Independence Day and the struggles that followed, including the civil war, corruption and ethnic divides that threatened…

THE Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has ordered the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to arrest the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, for contempt of court and disobedience of lawful orders. News Point Nigeria reports that the order was issued on Monday by Justice Funmilola Demi-Ajayi in a suit filed by the Action Alliance (AA) against INEC. Justice Demi-Ajayi ruled that both Professor Yakubu and the electoral commission erred by failing to comply with an earlier judgment directing them to recognize all state chairmen elected under the Adekunle Rufai Omoaje-led…

FIRST Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has revealed how her husband’s decision to run on a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in 2023 left her isolated in her local church and created divisions within her parish. She described the experience as a “bitter pill” that tested her faith and loyalty to her congregation. The disclosure is contained in her new 52-page memoir, The Journey Of Grace: Giving Thanks In All Things, released to mark her 65th birthday sighted by News Point Nigeria. The five-chapter book, covering the years 2021 to 2025, includes a foreword by Dr. Folashade Olukoya of Mountain of Fire and…

THE Presidency has reacted sharply to reports suggesting that former President Goodluck Jonathan is being drafted into the 2027 presidential race by opposition figures, warning that Nigerians will not forget what it described as his “dismal record” in office. The response, issued in a statement on Monday, by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy received by News Point Nigeria, came amid speculation that the former president may emerge as a candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) following remarks by veteran politician Professor Jerry Gana. Gana had reportedly boasted that Jonathan could defeat President Bola…

THE management and staff of ARISE News Channel are mourning the untimely death of one of their brightest talents, Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, who was killed during an armed robbery at her residence in Katampe, Abuja. News Point Nigeria gathered that the tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, September 29, 2025, and is now under investigation by the Nigeria Police Force. Somtochukwu, fondly known as Sommie, was born on December 26, 1995, and at just 29 years old, had already established herself as a dynamic news anchor, reporter, and producer with ARISE News. Known for her professionalism and…