Author: Maimuna Bashir Isa

THE Nigerian High Commission in South Africa has cleared its outstanding electricity bills after municipal authorities disconnected power supply to its premises in Pretoria over unpaid charges. News Point Nigeria reports the disconnection was confirmed earlier by the Mayor of the City of Tshwane, Nasiphi Moya, who said the diplomatic mission was cut off as part of the city’s ongoing debt recovery drive targeting defaulting consumers. According to the mayor, the action fell under the municipality’s #TshwaneYaTima campaign, an enforcement initiative aimed at recovering unpaid utility bills from individuals, businesses, and institutions owing significant arrears. “We’ve disconnected electricity at the…

PROCEEDINGS resume on Monday in London in the corruption and bribery trial of former Nigerian petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke. News Point Nigeria reports that Alison-Madueke denies multiple charges relating to alleged misconduct while overseeing Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. But prosecutors claim she received cash and luxury benefits in exchange for influence over energy contracts. The case has major implications for accountability in the global energy industry.

FORMER Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has raised serious concerns over the fairness of her ongoing corruption trial in the United Kingdom, alleging that actions by both the British and Nigerian authorities have undermined her right to a fair defence. News Point Nigeria reports that Alison-Madueke, who is standing trial at the Southwark Crown Court in London, said she has been denied access to critical documents required to adequately prepare her case, a development her legal team argues compromises the integrity of the proceedings. In a statement issued by her media aide, Bolouere Opukiri, the former minister disclosed that…

AN atmosphere of fear and uncertainty has gripped Nigerian immigrants in the United States as intensified immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration triggers what community leaders describe as a wave of self-deportation, job abandonment, and mass withdrawal from public life. Findings by News Point Nigeria show that many Nigerians particularly undocumented immigrants and those with unresolved immigration status have stopped going to work, gone into hiding, or quietly returned to Nigeria as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) steps up aggressive raids across several states. President Trump re-launched his hardline immigration policy immediately after his inauguration in January 2025, ordering…

THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has applied for a National Industrial Court order to commit the striking workers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to prison over their alleged disobedience of the court order. News Point Nigeria reports that Wike’s alleged disobedience by the workers arose from resumption of their strike despite an order of the court issued on January 27, stopping the strike until the determination of the suit instituted against them by the FCT Minister. The FCT Minister has obtained Form 48, a legal document of the court, which spells out the consequences…

THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says any worker of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) who fails to resume work from Wednesday, January 28 would face disciplinary action. News Point Nigeria reports that Wike stated this on Tuesday while briefing journalists at his office in Abuja shortly after the National Industrial Court in the nation’s capital ordered the workers to suspend their ongoing strike. “From tomorrow if you don’t come to work we are going to apply the big stick and from tomorrow if we see anybody who says he wants to block the gate, we…

NO fewer than 400,000 Nigerians have applied for 50,000 police constable positions across the country, highlighting the scale of unemployment and the growing appeal of public sector jobs amid economic and security challenges. The Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) disclosed this on Monday while announcing a two-week extension of the ongoing recruitment exercise, following uneven participation across several states. The extension was confirmed in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the Head of Protocol and Public Affairs of the PSC, Mr. Torty Kalu, who said the decision was taken after a review of…

THE corruption trial of Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Nigerian oil minister and the first woman president of OPEC, is set to begin in London on Monday. News Point Nigeria reports that the 65-year-old faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, all related to her time as Nigeria’s Minister for Petroleum Resources between 2010 and 2015, when Goodluck Jonathan was Nigeria’s president. Alison-Madueke is accused of accepting “financial or other advantages” from individuals linked to two energy groups between 2011 and 2015. These included the use of, refurbishment work on, and staff costs at…

THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ingrid Benevides, with 30.09 kilograms of heroin. Disclosing this in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the drugs, worth over ₦3 billion in street value, were concealed in factory-sealed coffee packs at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. He said the suspect was intercepted on Friday after arriving in Abuja on a Qatar Airways flight. According to the anti-narcotics agency, Benevides, a private security officer in Brazil, was placed under intelligence-led surveillance before her arrest at the airport. “When…

THE Republic of Türkiye has identified 76 wooden and metal artifacts believed to belong to Nigeria, paving the way for their repatriation and potentially strengthening cultural ties between the two nations. The Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, HE Mehmet Poroy, made this known on Thursday when he paid a courtesy visit to the Hon Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa Esq., in Abuja. Ambassador Poroy stated that discussions for their return will commence immediately the Nigerian government officially identifies and claims ownership of the objects. He also expressed hope that a cultural cooperation agreement between Turkey…

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has urged international investors to look beyond the security challenges facing Nigeria, saying that the reported geopolitical risks were exaggerated, eroding foreign investors’ confidence in the country. Speaking when he featured on CNN on Tuesday at the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, monitored by News Point Nigeria, Tuggar noted that incidents of insecurity being recorded across the country are “isolated cases” and not the reality across the country. According to him, instability in the Sahel had spilled into Nigeria. “We are urging investors to treat us the same way they treat other…

THE Niger State Government has initiated discussions with the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy to transform the historic Bida Bariki Festival into a nationally and internationally recognised cultural event. News Point Nigeria reports that the proposal was presented in Abuja on Tuesday by Hon. Saidu Musa Abdullahi, Member of the House of Representatives for Bida/Katcha/Gbako Federal Constituency, during a meeting with the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, Esq. Hon. Abdullahi, who also serves on the House Committee on Culture and Tourism, described Bida as the cultural nerve centre of the…

THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled plans to deploy satellite-to-phone connectivity as part of a broader strategy to expand mobile network coverage to an estimated 23.3 million Nigerians who remain underserved or completely unconnected by conventional terrestrial networks. The initiative, also known as direct-to-device (D2D) or direct-to-cell connectivity, allows ordinary smartphones to connect directly to satellites for voice calls, text messages and limited data services without relying on mobile base stations. The NCC says the technology offers a practical solution to long-standing connectivity challenges in remote, rural and hard-to-reach areas. In a consultation paper published on its website sighted…

PREPARATIONS have reached an advanced stage for the wedding ceremony of nine children of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, who are set to get married on the same day in Abuja. The unusual but grand event, which has generated widespread public interest, came to light following the circulation of an official wedding invitation card on social media. The invitation, sighted by News Point Nigeria on Saturday, features the photograph of the minister and details of the multiple marriage ceremonies scheduled to take place at the Abuja Central Mosque. According to the invitation, the weddings will be held…

TWO Nigerian nationals residing in India have been arrested for allegedly beating their compatriot to death following a dispute over a woman in Pune, India. The suspects, identified as Chukwudi Okafor, 31, and Samuel Eze, 34, were taken into custody by Indian police in connection with the death of Emeka Christian, a 40-year-old Nigerian garment trader who was legally residing in India on a visa valid until 2027. News Point Nigeria gathered from India Today that the incident occurred in the Pisoli–Phursungi area of Pune in the early hours of Monday. According to police reports, the victim had visited the…

JUSTICE Chizoba Orji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has struck out the defamation case against the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Udughan, filed by the Federal Government. News Point Nigeria reports that Justice Orji struck out the suit following an application by the prosecution lawyer, Aderonke Imana, to discontinue the case. Counsel to Natasha, West Idahosa, subsequently moved for the matter to be struck out following the prosecution’s application for discontinuance. He also urged the court to release all documents belonging to the defendant and her sureties. The prosecution counsel did not oppose the application made…

THE United States said Wednesday it was suspending the processing of immigrant visas from Nigeria and 74 countries, President Donald Trump’s latest move against foreigners seeking to come to America. The United States has long rejected visas from people who appear likely to end up needing government welfare, but the State Department said it would now use the same authority for a blanket suspension of immigrant visas based on nationality. “The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.…

THE National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) at the University of Port Harcourt has joined its national body in demanding the full implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Federal Government, threatening to resume nationwide strike despite a court order. News Point Nigeria reports tah the MoU, based on NARD’s nineteen-point demands, addresses critical welfare, remuneration, and professional practice issues affecting resident doctors across Nigeria. Justice Emmanuel Subilim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja, on Friday, issued an order restraining NARD and its members from embarking on the strike scheduled to commence on January 12.…

JUSTICE Emmanuel Subilim of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Abuja, has issued an order restraining the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and its members from embarking on the strike scheduled to commence on January 12. News Point Nigeria reports that Justice Subilim made the order on Friday while ruling on a motion ex parte filed by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF). The ruling followed submissions by the Director of Civil Litigation at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Maimuna Lami Shiru, who led a team of ministry lawyers in moving the…

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has reaffirmed Spain’s role as a strategic partner and a vital bridge between Africa and Europe. Tuggar disclosed this during an engagement with the leadership of CEOE, Spain’s foremost business confederation, where he assured Spanish investors that Nigeria’s economy was steadily stabilising through ongoing structural reforms, diversification efforts, and strengthened macroeconomic coordination. Currently in Spain to lead Nigeria’s delegation in talks with Spanish investors, the minister encouraged them to explore opportunities in the Nigerian market. A statement to News Point Nigeria by the minister’s media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir, outlined several priority sectors identified as…