THE Court of Appeal in Ilorin, Kwara State, has upheld the death sentences imposed on five men convicted over the 2018 Offa bank robbery, dismissing their appeals as lacking merit. News Point Nigeria reports that the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in the state, Mohammed Akande, who witnessed the proceedings virtually, said that the three Appeal Court judges unanimously agreed on the judgment and affirmed the verdict of the High Court condemning the five persons to death by hanging. He said, ”The Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, comprising Hon. Justice Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi JCA, Hon. Justice Gabriel Kolawole…
Author: Gbenga Mukhtar
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Says Obinna, Osesua, Others Facing Criminal Charges THE National secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG) has dismissed media reports of leadership tussle in the Union, particularly in its Petroleum Tankers Drivers Branch. The NUPENG clarification was on the heels of media reports attributed to a former chairman of its PTD Branch SOBAZ Unit Calabar, Comrade Humble Obinna Power who alleged that Comrades Williams Akporeha, Afolabi Olawale, President and General Secretary of the Union, respectively were planning to create industrial crisis in the oil sector through what he called “illegal attempt to conduct PTD Branch…
THE Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has officially opened 50 oil and gas blocks for bidding in the 2025 licensing round, warning that only technically competent and financially strong companies will be allowed to participate in the process. News Point Nigeria reports that the Commission said the licensing exercise is aimed at eliminating speculative participation and repositioning Nigeria’s upstream sector as a transparent, rules-based destination for long-term investment. The Chief Executive Officer of NUPRC, Engr. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this on Wednesday during the 2025 Licensing Round pre-bid webinar, where the regulator unveiled the framework, evaluation criteria, commercial terms, and…
THE Nigerian Naira has hit a record high of ₦1, 400 against the US dollar at the official market during the midweek trading session. News Point Nigeria reports that the currency maintained the appreciation trend seen since the start of the week in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM). Data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) showed that the local currency appreciated by 1.26% on Tuesday, as the dollar was quoted at ₦1,401.22, representing a gain of ₦17.73 compared with ₦ 1,418.95 recorded on Monday at the NFEM. It had already made significant gains in the previous session,…
THE National Grid on Tuesday recorded its second collapse in 2026. News Point Nigeria reports that as of the time of filing this report, data showed zero megawatts of power supply to the 11 electricity distribution companies. The Grid had recorded its first collapse in the year last Friday, barely weeks after a similar incident on December 29, 2025, which had caused widespread power outages across the country. Grid collapses have been attributed to a combination of technical faults, inadequate maintenance of transmission lines, and fluctuations in generation capacity. Electricity generation dropped sharply from over 4,500 megawatts to as low…
THE Dangote refinery has increased the gantry price of petrol from N699 per litre to N799 per litre. As a result, the refinery said MRS filling stations will now sell petrol at N839 per litre. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Monday, the refinery said, “With the festive period concluded, PMS prices have been modestly realigned to sustainable levels to support long-term market stability and affordability. Under the current alignment, the PMS gantry price is N799 per litre, while MRS retail outlets are selling at N839 per litre.” The refinery reaffirms its commitment to market stability and…
GOVERNOR of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has demanded the immediate release of over ₦130 billion in statutory allocations he said were withheld from the state’s local governments. He says that the continued blockade is crippling grassroots governance and inflicting hardship on workers and residents. In a statewide broadcast on Monday on the illegal occupation of local government secretariats and the defence of democratic order, Adeleke said court-sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmen and councillors had unlawfully occupied council offices across the state for nearly a year, despite judgments of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, in November 2022 and affirmations by…
THE long-awaited status of Ogun State as an oil-producing state is set to materialise following the approval by President Bola Tinubu for the commencement of commercial oil drilling at Eba, Ogun Waterside News Point Nigeria reports that Governor Dapo Abiodun disclosed this on Thursday while receiving the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, alongside senior officers of the command, during a courtesy visit to his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta. The governor also revealed that President Tinubu has approved the immediate take off of the Olokola Deep Seaport project located in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area,…
THE Kwara State Government has ordered the immediate closure of the Kwara State College of Education, Oro, over worsening security concerns in the area. The directive was contained in an internal memo dated January 20, 2026, obtained by News Point Nigeria issued by the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology . “You are hereby instructed to take immediate steps to direct the Management of the College to temporarily close the institution forthwith,” the memo, signed by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu, read in part. Modibbo-Kawu said the move is in line with the instruction of Governor…
THE son of the Oniwo of Afin in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Oba Simeon Olanipekun, has regained his freedom after abductors collected a ransom of N20 million, days after he was kidnapped alongside his father and other residents. News Point Nigeria reports that the victim, identified as Olaolu Olanipekun, a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), was released on Monday following prolonged negotiations between his family and the kidnappers. However, the traditional ruler and other abductees are still being held in captivity. A family source, who spoke on Tuesday on condition of anonymity, confirmed…
THE Federal Government has re-arraigned human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, on a two- count amended charge of alleged cyberstalking against President Bola Tinubu. News Point Nigeria reports that Sowore, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, had on X, and Facebook tagged Tinubu as a “criminal”. At the resumed hearing of the case at the Federal High Court, counsel for the Department of State Service (DSS), Akinlolu Kehinde, notified Justice Mohammed Umar of the new amended charge, which removes X and Facebook from the list of defendants, leaving Sowore as the sole defendant. Whereas counsel for the government expressed…
OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a long-wanted drug kingpin, Lekan Jimoh, also known as “Kanmo-Kanmo,” 12 years after his alleged involvement in the killing of three NDLEA officers. Jimoh was arrested on Friday, January 16, 2026, in Owode town, Ogun State, following intelligence-led operations by tactical teams of the agency. A search of his hideout led to the recovery of 69 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis. A statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the suspect has been on the NDLEA wanted list since June…
THE Federal Government has directed all banks and financial technology companies operating in Nigeria to begin collecting and remitting a 7.5 per cent value-added tax (VAT) on selected electronic banking services, effective Monday, January 19, 2026. News Point Nigeria reports that the directive was communicated to customers through email notices issued by payment platforms, including Moniepoint, on Wednesday. According to the notice, the VAT will apply strictly to electronic banking service charges and not to the principal amount of money transferred. Affected services include mobile money transfer fees, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) transaction charges, and card issuance fees. For…
IN a coordinated intelligence-led operation, the South-West Zonal Office of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, working alongside the Department of State Services (DSS), Kwara State Command, has intercepted seven trucks suspected of illegally transporting lithium ore within the region. News Point Nigeria reports that the Zonal Mine Officer for the South-West, Engineer Ganiyu Ajibade, revealed that the crackdown followed credible intelligence received on Thursday, 8th January 2026, indicating that a convoy of 12 trucks had been mobilised to remove lithium ore from an active mining site in Saki, Oyo State. Acting swiftly, Ajibade said the Ministry then engaged the…
THE price war in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has intensified, with several filling stations now selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, at prices below the N739 per litre benchmark set by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. Findings by News Point Nigeria show that the aggressive competition follows the refinery’s dramatic decision in December to slash pump prices from about N900 to N739 per litre, a move that has disrupted the market and forced importers and depot owners into survival mode. A survey conducted over the weekend revealed that some retail outlets are now undercutting even MRS Oil Nigeria…
THE Federal Government has earmarked ₦1.7 trillion in the proposed 2026 Appropriation Bill to settle outstanding debts owed to contractors for capital projects executed during the 2024 fiscal year, signalling an official move to address lingering payment backlogs that have triggered protests and public criticism. News Point Nigeria reports that a breakdown of the 2026 national budget shows that the amount is captured under a specific line item titled “Provision for 2024 Outstanding Contractor’s Liabilities,” indicating formal acknowledgment of delayed payments to contractors despite earlier assurances that most arrears had been cleared. The provision comes amid sustained pressure from indigenous…
FORMER world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua paid a moving tribute on Thursday to the two close friends killed in a car crash in Nigeria, labelling them “brothers” and “great men”. News Point Nigeria reports that Joshua suffered minor injuries in the December 29 crash, and after being discharged from the hospital, he returned to England before attending the funerals of Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami last Sunday. “Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers. I didn’t even realise how special they are. I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not…
A KWARA State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Thursday adjourned proceedings in the alleged ₦5.78 billion diversion case involving a former governor of the state, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, to February 16, 2026, following a dispute over documentary evidence. News Point Nigeria reports that the defendants are standing trial before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar on charges of financial misconduct brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), arising from transactions carried out during Ahmed’s tenure as governor. At the resumed hearing, the sixth prosecution witness, identified as Ujilibo, told the court…
A FORMER presidential aspirant and media entrepreneur, Chief Dele Momodu, has identified former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; ex-Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi as the leading contenders for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election. Momodu made the disclosure on Thursday while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored by News Point Nigeria, where he discussed the evolving opposition coalition and the growing influence of the ADC as a platform for challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). According to Momodu, Atiku Abubakar currently tops the list of…
THE lawmaker representing the Federal Capital Territory at the National Assembly, Senator Ireti Kingibe, has dismissed the speculation that her political career is under threat by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike. She said Wike had “no say” whether she would return to the Senate or not in the 2027 general elections. “Absolutely no,” she said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday monitored by News Point Nigeria when asked whether she felt politically threatened by Wike. According to her, the former Rivers State governor can neither make her win nor lose, as the fate of candidates in elections…