Author: Gbenga Mukhtar

THE Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday sentenced four members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group to death by hanging for their involvement in the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, which left more than 40 worshippers dead and over 100 others injured. News Point Nigeria reports that the trial judge, Emeka Nwite, handed down the sentence after convicting Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza, 25; Al Qasim Idris, 20; Jamiu Abdulmalik, 26; and Abdulhaleem Idris, 25, on a nine-count terrorism charge filed by the Department of State Services on behalf of the Federal Government. The court, however, discharged…

AS teachers and pupils recently abducted in Oyo State remain in captivity, protests continued across the country on Tuesday, with the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) staging rallies in several states. News Point Nigeria reports that the demonstrations followed a peaceful protest by civil society groups in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday, during which participants demanded the immediate rescue of the abducted victims. In Ibadan, the nationwide protest by teachers today began on a solemn note. The protesters converged at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) office in the American Quarter area of the city, where union leaders addressed…

VICE President Kashim Shettima has revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu deliberately kept his decision to remove the petrol subsidy a closely guarded secret, excluding it from his written inaugural speech to prevent attempts to dissuade him from implementing the policy. News Point Nigeria reports that Shettima made the disclosure on Friday during a high-profile courtesy visit by state governors to the President’s private residence in Lagos as part of activities marking the Eid el-Kabir celebrations and the third anniversary of the administration. Addressing the gathering, the Vice President said the subsidy removal was not a spontaneous decision but one…

ABISAYO Busari-Akinnadeju, a 2027 presidential aspirant of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), has resigned from the party and demanded a refund of her presidential nomination fee. News Point Nigeria reports that Mrs Busari-Akinnadeju, in a resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party and obtained by News Point Nigeria in Akure on Friday, said her decision to leave the party was based on its inability to conduct a free and fair presidential primary. The DLA chieftain described it as worrisome that the party leadership settled for a consensus candidate, a move she said was contrary to and detrimental…

UKRAINE has flagged the death of another Nigerian reportedly killed while fighting against Ukrainian forces as a Russian mercenary. In a statement sighted by News Point Nigeria on Thursday, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence identified the deceased as Ayebusiwa Olabode Victor, born on April 28, 1992. He was said to originate from Ilutitun in Ondo State. The front page of his Nigerian passport was attached to the statement as part of the identification details. According to Ukrainian authorities, Victor was killed in the Kharkiv region near the settlement of Hrafske. The statement further noted that he signed a mercenary contract in late…

JUSTICE Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of property recovered from Chinese and Nigerians involved in illegal mining in Ogun State to the Federal Government of Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that the forfeited assets include a mining site located behind the Baale’s Palace on Ileposo Street, adjacent to 59 Street, Ode-Remo, Ogun State; a Toyota 4Runner SUV; two trucks laden with substantial quantities of mica and lithium stones; and a 40-foot container containing substantial quantities of mica and lithium stones. The judge on Friday, May 22, 2026,made the order,…

BANDITS launched a coordinated midnight assault on Yashikira in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, targeting both the police divisional headquarters and the palace of the Emir, parts of which were set ablaze during the violent invasion. News Point Nigeria reports that the attack plunged residents into panic and sent shockwaves through the traditional institution, with fears spreading rapidly across the border community. The incident reportedly occurred around 2:00am on Monday when the attackers stormed the area in large numbers, striking simultaneously at the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the Emir of Yashikira’s palace. Eyewitnesses said the armed assailants…

SUSPECTED armed bandits have attacked a remote prayer ground in Kwara State, killing at least three worshippers and abducting 15 others during a night vigil in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state. News Point Nigeria reports that the attack reportedly occurred on Friday night at Ori-Oke Ajaiye, situated on the outskirts of Ikiran Village in the southern part of Kwara State, throwing the quiet agrarian community into panic and confusion. Sources familiar with the incident said the gunmen stormed the prayer gathering at about 8:30pm, opening fire sporadically before whisking several worshippers away into nearby bushes and forests. Residents…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday described the conduct of the 2026 primaries of the All Progressives Congress across the country as a strong demonstration of internal democracy within the ruling party. News Point Nigeria reports that Tinubu made the remarks after participating in the APC Presidential Primaries at Ikoyi-Obalende Ward L2 in Lagos, where he said the exercise had further deepened the democratic process and strengthened grassroots participation in politics. The President arrived at the venue alongside the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, and was received by Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos APC Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, Minister of Industry, Trade and…

THE Kwara State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olusegun Olushola Adewara, was on Thursday remanded at the Oke-Kura Correctional Centre after a State High Court sitting in Ilorin declined to grant him bail in a case involving alleged defamation of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. News Point Nigeria reports that Adewara was arraigned before Justice T.S. Umar on a two-count charge bordering on alleged defamation of the governor and statements said to have caused public disturbance. According to the prosecution, the opposition spokesperson made remarks considered offensive and uncomfortable to the state government. Although Adewara’s counsel filed a bail…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu Thursday, appointed Professor Segun Aina as the new Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). His appointment was announced by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Aina succeeds Professor Ishaq Oloyede, whose second term will expire on July 31, 2026. According to the Presidency, Aina’s relationship with JAMB began during his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme, where he gained early experience in national admissions processes and data management systems. The exposure reportedly influenced his later work in examination reforms and systems optimisation. With more than 15 years of post-graduation experience,…

A FORMER Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bawa Kaltungo, on Tuesday told a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, that investigators did not trace any part of the alleged ₦76 billion and $31.5 million fraud to the personal accounts of former Managing Director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Kuru, or the third defendant, Capt Roy Ilegbodu. News Point Nigeria reports that Kaltungo made the disclosure during cross-examination by counsel to Kuru and Ilegbodu, Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), before Justice Mojisola Dada. Kuru is standing trial…

BANDITS have reportedly beheaded one of the abducted teachers of Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Michael Oyedokun, in a disturbing live video that surfaced online, throwing the community into mourning and raising fresh fears over the safety of other victims still in captivity. News Point Nigeria reports that Oyedokun was killed in a live video streamed from an unknown Telegram channel on Sunday, days after gunmen invaded the school and abducted several teachers and students. A recording of the video obtained by our correspondent on Telegram on Monday showed the teacher tied up…

OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of cocaine and opioids concealed in cartons bound for the United Kingdom and Australia. It also destroyed 65,000 kilograms of skunk in major anti-narcotics operations across the country. The agency disclosed this in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi. According to the statement, the illicit consignments were intercepted at a courier company in Lagos during the examination of shipments destined for the UK and Australia. “A total of 170grams of cocaine sealed in cellophane parcels and…

THE political landscape in Nigeria is taking a new shape as Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has officially declared his intention to run for the office of president in 2027. News Point Nigeria reports that Makinde made the official declaration at the unity rally jointly organised by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All People’s Movement (APM) to formalise the alliance between the two parties. The event was held at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday. The governor called on opposition leaders to unite against what he described as a deliberate effort by the ruling All Progressives Congress…

FORMER Kayode Fayemi has paid glowing tribute to elder statesman and Afenifere leader, Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, on the occasion of his 100th birthday, describing him as an extraordinary patriot whose life embodies sacrifice, courage, integrity and unwavering commitment to democracy and justice. In a tribute made available to News Point Nigeria on May 10, 2026, Fayemi joined family members, associates, admirers and well-wishers across Nigeria and beyond in celebrating Fasoranti’s centenary anniversary, describing the milestone as both a rare divine blessing and a remarkable testament to enduring relevance in national life. “It is with profound gratitude to God and deep…

THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested three persons living with disabilities for alleged drug trafficking in separate operations across Anambra State and Kwara State. This was revealed on Sunday in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, where he said operatives acting on intelligence tracked 60-year-old Romanus Nwabara to Akpaka Forest in Onitsha, Anambra State. The suspect was arrested with 250 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets. In a separate raid in Ogbunike, also in Anambra, officers arrested 25-year-old Amos Kenneth, another suspect living with disability, with 160.3 grams…

NIGERIAN Meteorological Agency has warned that 19 states across the country may experience flash flooding as heavy early rains intensify in several parts of Nigeria. In an advisory sent to News Point Nigeria on Thursday, NiMet explained that increased surface runoff and flash flooding could occur during heavy rainfall because dry and hardened soils may prevent water from properly soaking into the ground. The agency identified the states likely to be affected as Zamfara, Nasarawa, Kwara, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Delta, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Edo, Ondo and Bayelsa. According to NiMet, the anticipated impacts…

THE Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has sanctioned 147 of its personnel over various acts of misconduct, including complicity in contraband trafficking within custodial centres across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the destruction of contraband items recovered from correctional facilities nationwide. As part of the crackdown, the NCoS also destroyed 1,167 mobile phones, including iPhones, Android devices, button phones, and other prohibited gadgets smuggled into custodial centres. The destruction exercise took place at the service headquarters in Abuja, where Nwakuche personally supervised the burning of the…

AT least three police officers have been killed while two others sustained injuries after suspected terrorists attacked a Police Mobile Force (PMF) camp in Tenebo community, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State. News Point Nigeria reports that the deadly attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday, throwing the agrarian community into panic as terrified residents fled their homes amid heavy gunfire. Sources said the attackers arrived in large numbers and launched a surprise assault on the PMF camp, overpowering officers on duty before killing three policemen and injuring two others. A resident of the area, Suleiman Issa, recounted…