Author: Farouk Abbas

SOME ex-soldiers of the Nigerian Army who voluntarily disengaged in the third and fourth quarters of 2023 staged a peaceful protest on Monday in front of the Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters in Abuja, demanding the immediate payment of their outstanding entitlements. The aggrieved ex-servicemen, who officially left the military on July 1, 2024, carried banners listing their demands, which include: complete payment of gratuity and Salary Deductions Allowance (SDA) based on the new national minimum wage, payment of housing scheme contributions, payment of NAWIS/BenFund, and settlement of their packing allowance. The protesters, many of whom said they had served…

THE federal government has extended by one week the recruitment applications to paramilitary agencies. The agencies are the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) and the Federal Fire Service (FFS). The Board of the Services gave the notification for extension in a statement signed by its Secretary, Maj. Gen. Abdulmalik Jibril (rtd) in Abuja. It said, “The closing date for application for its ongoing recruitment exercise has been extended by one week.” “The recruitment portal, which was initially set to close on Monday, 4th August 2025, will now remain…

IN a significant boost to Nigeria’s infrastructure development efforts, the Honourable Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, Esq., has described the commissioning of construction equipment donated by the Government of Japan to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) as a strategic milestone in the nation’s pursuit of sustainable infrastructure renewal. The commissioning ceremony on 1st August 2025 brought together key stakeholders and distinguished figures from both the public and private sectors. Those in attendance included the Chairman, Senate Committee on FERMA, Senator Sahabi Yau; the Chairman, House Committee on FERMA, Engr. Remi Oseni; the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria,…

AS part of efforts to combat drug abuse and protect youth development, the Federal Government and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) are set to roll out mandatory drug testing for students in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions, starting with the 2025/2026 academic session. A top NDLEA official confirmed to News Point Nigeria that the policy will target newly admitted and returning students in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. The initiative, he said, will likely begin in September, aligning with the academic calendar of many institutions. This follows a high-level meeting held in Abuja between the Minister of Education, Dr.…

US President Donald Trump has officially imposed a new 15% import tariff on Nigeria and several other African countries, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique, Mauritius, Ghana, Malawi, Lesotho, and Madagascar. This development was announced in an Executive Order issued by the White House on Thursday, titled “Further modifying the reciprocal tariff rates.” According to the order: “These modifications shall be effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m.” The Executive Order also included varied tariff rates for other countries. South Africa, Libya, and Tunisia were each hit with higher…

THE management of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, has identified Abdulaziz Yusuf Okadigbo as the mastermind behind a fraudulent fundraising scheme that targeted major corporations including Dangote Cement and government agencies, both in Nigeria and abroad. In an official statement issued by the Polytechnic’s Director of Public Relations and Protocol, Uredo Omale, made available to News Point Nigeria, the institution confirmed that the suspect was recently arrested by security operatives in Lokoja. According to the statement, Okadigbo, who is not an employee of the Polytechnic, illegally used the name, logo, and official identity of the institution to establish a fake outfit…

A DIRECTOR at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, Mr Yusuf Usman, said the company has drilled four oil wells in the Kolmani area of Bauchi State. He also restated commitment of the company to the exploration and development of oil and gas resources in the northern region of the country. Usman said this on Wednesday in Kaduna at the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation’s two-day interactive Session on Government-Citizens Engagement. Usman stated, “So far, the NNPCL has drilled four wells in the Kolmani area of Bauchi State, and is currently evaluating the appropriate technology to be deployed for the…

A TOTAL of 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory have accessed ₦78.6 billion in Universal Basic Education (UBE) matching grants by mid‑2025, the Federal Government has revealed. In an update on Tuesday through the official X account of the Federal Ministry of Education, the amount represented a 65% surge compared to January. According to the statement, the improved performance followed the implementation of the UBEC 2025–2030 Strategic Blueprint, which introduced a revised matching grant formula that prioritises equity, quality, accountability, and state‑specific service delivery in basic education funding. “FG records major success as N78.6 billion in UBE Matching Grants…

THE Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has categorically rejected a proposed clause in the National Council for Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to designate the Sultan of Sokoto and the Ooni of Ife as permanent co-chairmen of the council. In a strongly worded statement issued in Abuja on Monday, and signed by its national spokesman, Luka Binniyat, the Forum described the move as a distortion of history, an affront to the dignity of other monarchs, and a violation of Nigeria’s secular and federal character. The bill, sponsored by Senator Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau South) himself a son…

THE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, popularly known as Pakistan, has defied the Vice President Kashim Shettima’s directives against engaging retired or external civil servants. This occurred after the vice president, in February, directed the NAHCON boss to cancel the engagement of retired staff of the commission and external civil servants. On March 22, 2025, Sahara Reporters reported that the Association of Senior Civil Servants warned that if these issues are not addressed urgently, they could undermine the morale of dedicated NAHCON staff and hinder the commission’s effectiveness…

THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has raised alarm over what he described as the deplorable living conditions of retired police officers, particularly those affected by the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), warning that the current state of affairs is severely undermining the morale of serving personnel. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday during a high-level strategy session with senior officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above, Egbetokun painted a grim picture of life after service for Nigerian police retirees. He disclosed that the widespread perception among officers that…

DANGOTE Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has withdrawn its lawsuit against the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and five other petroleum companies. The case, filed at the Federal High Court Abuja, was formally withdrawn by the plaintiff’s legal team. According to a notice of discontinuance filed before the court sighted by News Point Nigeria, Dangote Refinery resolved to end the proceedings against all seven defendants, including AYM Shafa Limited, A. A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited. In the notice, no official reason…

CONTROVERSY continues to trail German airline Lufthansa over its decision to offload 45 Nigerian passengers and all checked-in baggage from a scheduled Abuja-Frankfurt flight on July 23, 2025. News Point Nigeria reports that the incident, which occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, has triggered questions over the airline’s handling of the situation, with conflicting accounts from airport officials and the carrier’s management. According to sources, Lufthansa’s flight was fully booked with approximately 200 passengers. However, 45 travelers were abruptly removed, along with all their checked-in luggage, allegedly to reduce the aircraft’s weight for takeoff. The reason cited…

THE Social Democratic Party (SDP) has expelled former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and imposed a 30-year ban on his political association with the party, citing serious infractions including forgery, impersonation, and attempts to destabilize the party’s internal structure. The dramatic expulsion, announced via a strongly-worded statement on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Aiyenigba, accused El-Rufai of falsely parading himself as a member of the SDP without fulfilling the legal requirement of registration at his ward level. “El-Rufai never registered with the SDP at his ward level as required by the party’s constitution, yet falsely…

THE Senate on Thursday adjourned plenary until September 23, 2025, marking the start of its annual recess and effectively ensuring that suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan serves out her six-month suspension in full. News Point Nigeria reports that the embattled lawmaker from Kogi Central, who was suspended on March 6, 2025, over allegations of misconduct, had attempted to return to the chamber earlier this week, citing a court order. However, she was denied entry, with Senate authorities insisting the suspension still stands. With the recess now in effect, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s return to plenary will only be possible after the break ends, coinciding…

THE new Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, on Thursday, downplayed the relevance and strength of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC). “There is no opposition for now,” he said dismissively on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme shortly after he emerged as the ruling party’s chairman on Thursday in Abuja monitored by News Point Nigeria. “Zero fears,” he said of the opposition coalition champion on the ADC platform. The new APC chair also boasted that his party would win the next presidential election. “Why is it that all…

THE new Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has vowed to take tough decisions in his position as the leader of the ruling party. Yilwatda stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme hours after he emerged as APC chair in Abuja monitored by News Point Nigeria. Yilwatda, who likened his gentle mien to that of President Bola Tinubu, said he would consult broadly across the party’s organs and take tough decisions for the collective interest of the party. “Of course, I will because that is what the president asked me to do and the members are…

THERE was a brief moment of tension at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Thursday morning, when officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) stopped suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from boarding a flight to London and seized her international passport. News Point Nigeria reports that incident, which occurred in the early hours of July 24, 2025, reportedly created a stir among international travellers. Eyewitnesses said Senator Natasha arrived at the airport terminal accompanied by her husband, Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, to board a British Airways flight. However, just before boarding, immigration officers flagged her travel documents and informed her that…

THE Yobe state government, in partnership with the security agencies in the state, has reopened the Kukareta and Buniyadi markets, which were shut down recently due to insecurity in the areas. The markets located in Gujba and Damaturu local government areas were shut down to cut suspected food supply chains to the insurgents who have been terrorizing the residents in recent times. Dahiru Abdulsalam, the Security Adviser to Governor Mai Mala Buni, disclosed this while briefing newsmen immediately after the Yobe State Security Meeting chaired by the Deputy Governor, Idi Barde-Gubana, at Government House, Damaturu. “After the review of the…

THE Senate has reaffirmed its position on the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, stating unequivocally that the Kogi Central lawmaker remains suspended until the National Assembly reconvenes from its ongoing recess in two months’ time. This was made known by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, monitored by News Point Nigeria. His remarks came just hours after the embattled senator was barred from entering the National Assembly complex, despite citing a court judgment in her favour. Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing…