Author: Sadiq Muhammad

THE Nigeria Police Force has summoned Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II to Abuja as part of an ongoing investigation into a violent incident that marred this year’s Eid-Al-Fitr festivities in Kano. On March 30, 2025, a clash reportedly involving members of Sanusi’s entourage led to the death of a vigilante member and injuries to others. The Kano State Police Command subsequently arrested a 20-year-old suspect, Usman Sagiru, of Sharifai Quarters, in connection with the attack. Authorities also launched an inquiry into the incident and invited Alhaji Wada Isyaku, the Shamakin Kano, for questioning. According to an official correspondence dated April 4,…

A KANO man has told this newspaper how he managed to survive an attack on his hunting party that left 16 of his companions dead, and shocked the nation. The group of young men, mostly in their 20s, was travelling in the back of a truck when they were stopped by vigilantes. “They asked us to alight from the vehicle and without saying much, one of them hit our leader on the shoulder with an axe,” Abubakar Shehu, 20, told this newspaper. “Then they started beating us. I was able to dodge a couple of punches and tackles and ran…

WHEN listeners in northern Nigeria tuned into Voice of America last month, they found music playing in place of their regular broadcast — a telltale sign, historically, that soldiers had seized telecoms offices, and even the government. “Was there a coup in the US?” Babangida Jibrin, a VOA journalist, recalled one worried listener asking, as he and colleagues fielded unending calls after the US-funded station abruptly went off air on Friday. The station started its West African Hausa broadcast in 1979. The dismantling of VOA by President Donald Trump’s administration has left a particular dent in northern Nigeria, where a…

FORMER Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga (rtd), who spent over two months in captivity, has recounted his harrowing experience in the hands of terrorists and kidnappers. Tsiga revealed that he and other abductees were held in a dense forest surrounded by hills, teeming with dangerous animals. He described his survival as nothing short of divine intervention. The 72-year-old said: “We were kept with dangerous animals—hyenas, snakes, and scorpions. A day before I was released, just the day before yesterday, while on the mountain where I was staying, we suddenly noticed a hyena circling…

WEDNESDAY’s overhaul of Nigeria’s state-run oil company NNPCL did not come as a surprise to keen observers who have vociferously pressed for reforms in the upstream and downstream sectors after the epochal birthing of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, and the subsequent commercialisation of the state-run oil company in July 2022. Having given the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) about two years to ramp up performance, President Bola Tinubu sacked all the Board members of the company on April 2, 2025. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga was unequivocal with the reasons for the restructuring, which he said was “crucial…

THE Kano State Police Commissioner, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has inaugurated an eight-member Special Investigation Panel (SIP) to investigate violence that erupted during the procession of the entourage of 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, after Eid-el-Fitr prayers on Sunday, March 30, 2025. According to a press release issued by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the panel was tasked with uncovering the root causes of the violence and determining whether there was defiance of the Command’s ban on all forms of Durbar or horse-riding throughout the Sallah festivities. This newspaper reports that the Police…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited is a state-owned oil company. Still a fully-owned government company, it was transformed from a corporation into a limited liability company in July, 2022. The company boasts of extensive infrastructure and investment in the downstream, midstream and upstream of the Nigerian petroleum industry. NNPC by law manages the joint venture between the Nigerian federal government and a number of foreign multinational corporations, which include Royal Dutch Shell, Agip, ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Chevron, and Texaco (now merged with Chevron). Through collaboration with these companies, the Nigerian government conducts petroleum exploration and production. Following passage of…

PROMINENT Nigerians, including Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, attended the funeral prayers for the late Galadiman Kano, Abbas Sunusi. This newspaper reports that Sunusi, a revered figure in Kano, passed away at the age of 92 after a prolonged illness. The Chief Imam of Kano, Prof. Sani Zahradeen, led the funeral prayers at the Emir’s Palace on Wednesday. Among the attendees were the NNPP Presidential candidates, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Abdullahi Abbas, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano state. Other notable personalities present at the burial held at Gandun Albasa graveyard, included Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II,…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has appointed Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari to replace Mele Kyari as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited group chief executive officer (CEO). The president on Wednesday announced a sweeping reconstitution of the NNPC board, removing the chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure and the group chief executive officer, Mallam Mele Kolo Kyari. Tinubu removed all other board members appointed with Akinyelure and Kyari in November 2023. The new 11-man board has Engineer Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the Group CEO and Ahmadu Musa Kida as non-executive chairman. Adedapo Segun, who replaced Umaru Isa Ajiya as the chief financial officer…

ALHAJI Abbas Muhammadu Sanusi, the Galadiman Kano, a kingmaker in the Kano Emirate has died. According to a family source who spoke to News Point Nigeria, Sanusi died late Tuesday in his residence of Sagagi Quarters in the metropolitan after a prolonged illness. Sanusi aged 92 left behind three wives, many children and many more grand children. Galadima was father of Kano APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas and an uncle of Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II. Sanusi was born in Bichi local government area of Kano state in 1933 and was one of the contenders for the stool of Kano Emir when…

AVIATION industry stakeholders, including airline operators have in recent times raised alarm over the increasing rate of theft on domestic flights, involving passengers. News Point Nigeria reports that passengers in recent times have complained and reported that items kept on the overhead bin and their hand luggage got missing. As airlines increase their fees for checked baggage, passengers have started using larger bags as carry-ons and packing more valuables in them. This has led to reports of theft from carry-on baggage stored in the overhead compartments and under the seats of aircraft during flights and the theft of the carry-on…

MULTICHOICE, Africa’s leading entertainment platform, has told its shareholders to brace for more difficult times ahead, as it is operating in a challenging consumer environment. MultiChoice, which operates DStv, has seen its subscribers decline from over 23 million to 19.3 million in less than two years. Inside sources told News Point Nigeria that a huge portion of the subscriber loss happened outside its home of South Africa and over 84% of which are DStv customers. In an earlier statement the tv operator said “the loss in the rest of Africa has been primarily due to the significant consumer pressure in…

THE running verbal exchange between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike over the former’s choice of a running mate as PDP candidate in the 2023 presidential election continued yesterday. The two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party had fallen apart after the presidential primaries of the PDP in the build-up to the 2023 elections, following which Atiku chose former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate ahead of Wike, the then governor of Rivers State, who came second to Atiku at the primaries. Atiku had explained his choice of…

TODAY, Muslim faithful in Nigeria will join two billion other Muslims throughout the world to celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr, known as Ramadan Sallah. Eid al-Fitr, also known as the Festival of Breaking the Fast, is a joyous occasion celebrated by Muslims around the world. It marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, and signifies a time of spiritual renewal, gratitude, and community. Understanding the importance of Eid al-Fitr requires delving into its spiritual, cultural, and historical significance and its roots in the teachings of Islam. Eid al-Fitr holds deep spiritual significance for Muslims. It serves…

THE Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has declared Sunday 30th of March 2025 as the first day of Shawwal 1446AH in Nigeria. The Sultan made the declaration in his palace in Sokoto on Saturday after the Sultanate Council Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs in conjunction with the National Moon Sighting Committee received several reports from various Moon Sighting committees across the country. He said, therefore, Saturday is the 29th is the last day of the month of Ramadan 1446 AH and Sunday is Eid Al Fitr. The Sultan…

THE Shawwal crescent moon is sighted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on Saturday, March 29. Therefore, today (Saturday) would be the last day of the holy month of Ramadan in the holy cities and Sunday, March 30th will be the first day of Shawwal – Eid Al Fitr. It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court on Friday called on all Muslims in all parts of the Kingdom to sight the crescent of the month of Shawwal 1446AH, on Saturday evening, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. While the exact date varies based on lunar sightings, Nigeria is expected…

THE Kano State Police Command has placed a ban on all Durbar activities during the 2025 Eid-El-Fitr Sallah festivities, citing security concerns and the need to maintain public order. The announcement was made by the Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, during a press briefing at the Bompai Police Headquarters, on Friday. CP Bakori who emphasized the importance of ensuring a peaceful and secure environment during the festivities. According to him, security assessments revealed growing tensions and potential threats associated with the Durbar, which could lead to unrest. “Following credible intelligence reports of orchestrated plans by miscreants and their…

THE Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has defended its decision to remain silent on recent political events, emphasizing its role as a neutral policy body. In a statement issued on Saturday, titled “NGF Clarifies Silence on Political Matters,” the forum explained that taking positions on partisan issues could divide its members, who belong to different political platforms. The clarification follows President Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, which led to the six-month suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and elected members of the State House of Assembly. Although the NGF did not directly reference…

THE office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 1, Kano has invited a Kano Upper Sharia Court judge to appear before the Zonal Intelligence Department of the zone in connection with a civil case he presided over in his court. The judge was invited after the restraining order he issued against the police was flagrantly disregarded by them. This development has irked some lawyers in the state who said it amounts to undermining the judiciary for the police to invite a judge to come and explain a civil case he presided over. Our investigation reveals that after…

THE Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has revoked the land of the Peoples Democratic Party’s national secretariat, which is situated in Abuja. Wike issued the revocation notice in a letter dated March 13, 2025, titled, “Notice of right of occupancy with file no: MISC 81346 in respect of plot no: 243 within central area district, Abuja,” on Tuesday. It was signed by the Director, Land Administration (FTC), Chijioke Nwankwoeze. According to him, the opposition party has failed to pay the annual ground rents due on the property for twenty (20) years, from January 1, 2006, to January 1,…