Author: Farouk Abbas

NIGERIA Police Force (NPF) has successfully deported a notorious Chinese fugitive, Mr. Dai Qisheng, to the People’s Republic of China after his dramatic arrest in Abuja. The 45-year-old gang leader, wanted in Guizhou Province, China, for orchestrating and leading violent organised crimes, fled his country in 2024 after the Public Security Bureau of Zhijin County issued a warrant for his arrest. He had been on the run for over a year, reportedly evading multiple crackdowns before seeking refuge in Nigeria. However, operatives of the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja, acting on intelligence and international alerts, launched discreet surveillance operations…

THE Presidency has expressed support for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after the anti-graft agency declared Abdullahi Haske, businessman and son-in-law to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, wanted over allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering. News Point Nigeria gathered that Haske, the founder of AA & R Investment Group, was reportedly declared wanted after allegedly breaching the conditions of his administrative bail and refusing to honour invitations by the EFCC. According to an insider at the commission, the businessman had been under investigation for months over alleged corruption but went into hiding after securing bail. “His case…

FORMER Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd.), has proposed a temporary lockdown of Nigeria’s land borders as part of measures to decisively deal with terrorism and cross-border crimes in the country. Buratai, who served as Nigeria’s army chief between 2015 and 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, made the suggestion on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored by News Point Nigeria. The retired general argued that just as the federal government shut down the country’s borders during the outbreak of COVID-19 to prevent further spread, similar drastic steps could be considered…

THE Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that terrorist groups in Nigeria are increasingly turning to gold as a major means of financing their activities. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday monitored by News Point Nigeria, the defence chief said terror financiers exploit sophisticated international networks and financial channels, making it difficult for authorities to immediately trace or prosecute them. When asked to identify the primary sources of funding for insurgent groups, General Musa responded bluntly: “Gold. They try to circulate this money, and that is why it is important for…

THE Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has called on Nigerians to acquire basic combat and survival skills as part of personal safety and national security consciousness. Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday monitored by News Point Nigeria, General Musa stressed that self-defence training is as essential as learning to drive or swim, given the growing threats to personal and collective safety across the country. “That one should be taken as learning driving, learning how to swim. Whether we have war or not, it is a survival instinct,” the Defence Chief said. “In…

THE police in Katsina State on Wednesday said that the death toll from the attack on a mosque located at Unguwar Mantau Community in the Malumfashi Local Government Area of the state has risen to 17. The spokesman of the Katsina State Police Command, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, who confirmed this to our correspondent, said 15 people were earlier fatally shot and seven injured by the attackers. He said two out of the seven earlier injured later succumbed to their injuries while receiving treatment in hospital. “Fifteen people fatally shot, seven injured, later while receiving treatment at the hospital, two out…

FOLLOWING recent unpalatable airport incidents, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has mandated that all passengers must switch off their phones during civil flights. At a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, NCAA Director General, Chris Najomo, said all phones must be switched off during the critical aspects of flight takeoff and landing in all airports in Nigeria. The directive by the civil aviation regulator followed a recent controversial brawl that involved a passenger, Comfort Emmanson, and an Ibom Air flight attendant. The NCAA boss said this would further put a stop to different rules by airlines, which have caused…

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained Commissioner of Policy, Personnel and Finance (PPMF), Aliu Abdulrazak; and that of Planning, Research, Statistics, Information and Library Services (PRSILS), Professor Abubakar A. Yagawal, of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), over alleged fraud. The two commissioners, this newspaper reliably gathered from the anti-graft commission sources, were detained on Monday after honoring the anti-graft agency’s invitation. The PPMF and PRSILS commissioners went to the EFCC headquarters around 11 am on Monday. At the time of filing this report on Tuesday morning, the two top officials are still with the anti-corruption…

A DEBT controversy erupted in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday as local contractors clashed with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, over alleged unpaid contract bills running into ₦5.2 billion. Dozens of protesting contractors stormed the minister’s residence in Abuja, carrying placards and demanding immediate payment for projects they claimed to have executed over the last two years. One of the contractors, Okeke Benardine, alleged that despite Wike settling part of their liabilities when he assumed office, the bulk of their payments had been outstanding for nearly two years. “When the minister came, he paid us some. But most of…

OPERATIVE operatives have arrested eight suspected kidnappers and recsued a kidnap victim in its war against kidnappings and other violent crimes in the country. The operation held in Kaduna and Delta State, Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement late on Sunday. He said firearms, ammunition, and fabricated weapons were also recovered during the exercise executed by tactical units in Kaduna and Delta States. Identiying the kidnap victim as Hussaini Ibrahim from Jagindi Tasha Village, Adejobi said operatives of the Kaduna State Police command launched a coordinated rescue operation which successfully yielded results when the abductors abandoned the victim…

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged victorious in the keenly contested Ganye State Constituency by-election in Adamawa State, with Hon. Misa Musa Jauro declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Returning Officer, Prof. Tukur Ahmed, announced that Jauro polled 15,923 votes, narrowly defeating his closest rival from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 15,794 votes. The slim margin of 129 votes highlighted the tense and highly competitive nature of the race. In a congratulatory message, prominent APC chieftain Umar D. Duhu hailed the victory as “a testament to the unwavering support of the people” while…

A FORMER governorship candidate in Zamfara State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, on Friday, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja. The attack reportedly occurred shortly after Juma’at prayers as he was returning home. According to Shinkafi, heavily armed, masked men dressed in black ambushed his vehicle and opened fire before fleeing the scene in an unmarked black Prado Jeep. The incident has triggered widespread concern over the safety of prominent political figures and outspoken critics of insecurity in northern Nigeria. In a strongly worded statement issued through the Patriots for the Advancement…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the release of ₦16.7 billion for the immediate reconstruction of the Mokwa Bridge in Niger State, which was destroyed by flooding in May, 2025. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced this in Abakaliki on Saturday after a meeting with the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi. Idris, who is leading a Federal Government delegation on a three-day tour of projects and citizen engagements in the South-East, said the approval underscores the administration’s responsiveness to urgent infrastructure needs. “We want to thank Mr. President, and we want to thank the Minister of…

SECURITY operatives in Kaduna State have arrested a man in possession of nearly ₦26 million in cash, allegedly earmarked for vote buying ahead of Saturday’s bye-elections in the state. The suspect, identified as Shehu Patangi, was apprehended in the early hours of Saturday at a popular hotel along Turunku Road in Kaduna metropolis, where he was reportedly coordinating the distribution of funds to influence voters in the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency bye-election. Spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Mansir Hassan, confirmed the arrest in a statement, disclosing that operatives recovered ₦25,963,000 cash from the suspect. According to the statement,…

THE Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has issued a stern warning to its officers, vowing to impose sanctions on personnel whose negligence has contributed to the wave of jailbreaks undermining national security. Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, sounded the note of warning on Friday during the decoration ceremony of 30 newly promoted Assistant Controllers-General of Corrections in Abuja. He said the service could no longer tolerate the “lackadaisical attitude” of officers at custodial centres, which has allowed repeated security breaches across the country. “It is obvious that our Zonal Coordinators, State Controllers, and Officers-in-Charge of Custodial Centres have abdicated their duties.…

AHEAD of the by-elections in some parts of the country on Saturday, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has directed the deployment of senior officers to ensure a hitch-free exercise. The senior officers deployed are of the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police and Commissioners of Police, and are expected to assist the Commissioners of police in the affected states. Officers and men of the Police Mobile Force, Special Intervention Squad, Force Intelligence Department, and other tactical units have also been deployed. The affected states are Jigawa, Edo, Ogun, Oyo, Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna, Kano, Taraba, Kogi, Niger, Enugu,…

BRITISH Airways (BA) on Friday morning denied 58 passengers boarding its Abuja–London flight after a technical fault was detected in one of the aircraft’s doors. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed that the airline took the precautionary measure to leave several seats unoccupied for safety reasons. Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection at NCAA, Mr. Michael Achimugu, disclosed the development in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, explaining that the fault necessitated a reduction in passenger numbers. “As a result of the faulty door, they had to deny 58 passengers boarding this morning,” Achimugu wrote. According…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the completion of all arrangements for Saturday’s bye-elections across 12 states, confirming that sensitive materials have been delivered and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices fully configured. In a statement issued by National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the electoral body disclosed that the elections—scheduled for August 16, 2025—will take place in 16 constituencies nationwide. These include two senatorial districts in Anambra and Edo States; five federal constituencies in Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo States; and nine state constituencies in Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna…

SECURITY Operatives in Sokoto State have arrested Sirajo Ahmad Dan Liman, the Deputy Chief Imam of the Central Jumu’ah Mosque in Kangiye, Atakwanyo Ward, Gwadabawa Local Government Area, over alleged collaboration with armed bandits operating along the Tangaza–Niger Republic border axis. Sources told News Point Nigeria that intelligence-led investigations linked Sirajo to the supply of motorcycles and other essential items to criminal gangs notorious for kidnappings, cattle rustling, and cross-border smuggling in the region. According to security officials, operatives uncovered ₦47 million in the suspect’s bank account, money believed to be proceeds from his dealings with the bandits. Beyond his…

THE Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has directed the Nigeria Police Force Command situated at the airport to probe the ace Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, over his faceoff with some airport officials. The music star engaged in what was described as an unruly conduct last week when he allegedly obstructed the safe operation of an aircraft, in violation of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations. The spokesman of the Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the police boss had ordered that the investigation commences into the matter immediately. Adejobi, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said the IGP wants the officers to unravel the…