Author: Sadiq Abdullateef

THE Department of State Services (DSS) has reopened investigations into the 2019 disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, nearly seven years after the Kaduna-based academic and social media commentator was declared missing. A security source confirmed that the agency is set to invite individuals linked to the case as part of renewed efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding his disappearance. Dadiyata, a lecturer at the Federal University Dutsinma in Katsina State, was reportedly abducted on August 2, 2019, by unidentified gunmen as he arrived at his residence in Barnawa, Kaduna. His whereabouts have remained unknown since then, despite…

OPERATIVES of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have searched the Abuja residence of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, intensifying developments surrounding his ongoing investigation by anti-graft authorities. News Point Nigeria reports that the search of his Aso Drive residence reportedly took place late on Thursday, a day after the commission confirmed that the former governor was in its custody. El-Rufai’s latest encounter with the ICPC followed his earlier arrest and subsequent bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He had honoured an invitation by the EFCC on Monday and was granted bail…

THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has firmly dismissed allegations that $2,000 was distributed to some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) as an “attendance fee” during its recent engagement in Maiduguri, describing the claim as baseless and unsupported by any evidence. The controversy, which surfaced shortly after the association’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Borno State, sparked widespread debate within legal and public circles, with insinuations that dollar-denominated payments were made to certain senior members of the Bar. However, in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Thursday by its National Secretariat, the NBA categorically denied receiving or authorising…

THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has confirmed that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, is currently in its custody in connection with an ongoing investigation, deepening an already dramatic series of legal and security developments surrounding the outspoken politician. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria late on Wednesday and signed by the Commission’s Head of Media and Public Communications, Mr. J. Okor Odey, the ICPC disclosed that El-Rufai remained in its custody as of the close of work on February 18, 2026. “The Commission wishes to state that Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, the former…

THE legal and political troubles confronting former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai escalated Wednesday night after operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), also known as the State Security Service (SSS), arrested him shortly after his release from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). News Point Nigeria reports that El-Rufai had been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission since Monday over corruption allegations linked to his tenure as governor. He was granted bail at about 8:40pm on Wednesday. However, sources told News Point Nigeria that armed DSS operatives were waiting at the EFCC…

MINISTERS overseeing critical infrastructure and service-delivery agencies are grappling with a severe funding crisis after new figures revealed that less than N1tn was released for capital projects in the first seven months of 2025. An analysis of data from the Budget Office of the Federation shows that while N18.53tn was appropriated for capital expenditure for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and related entities in 2025, actual releases between January and July amounted to just N834.80bn. The figure represents only 7.72 per cent of the pro-rata benchmark of N10.81tn expected within the seven-month window leaving a staggering shortfall of nearly N9.98tn.…

FORMER Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday spent a second night in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as investigations into an alleged N432 billion corruption probe intensify. His lawyer, A.U. Mustapha (SAN), confirmed that the former governor remained with the anti-graft agency and is seeking his release on bail, describing him as a responsible citizen who voluntarily honoured the commission’s invitation. El-Rufai arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Monday around 10 a.m. for questioning in connection with alleged financial improprieties during his eight-year tenure as governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and…

SAUDI Arabia announced on Tuesday that the holy month of Ramadan will begin on Wednesday, February 18, following the sighting of the Ramadan crescent moon in the Kingdom. News point Nigeria reports that the month of Ramadan is the ninth of the 12 months of the Islamic calendar. Also, countries including Qatar, Oman officially announced that Ramadan would be observed on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Meanwhile, Nigerian Muslims are set to begin the Ramadan fast tomorrow if the President of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs and leader of the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, announces the sighting…

THE Kano State Government has expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for a combined N8 billion donation to victims of the devastating fire that ravaged the popular Singer Market in Kano. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, speaking on behalf of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, described the intervention as timely, compassionate, and deeply reassuring to thousands of affected traders. According to the state government, President Tinubu approved the release of N5…

FORMER Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was detained Monday night at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja after hours of interrogation over an alleged N432 billion corruption probe. Multiple senior sources within the anti-graft agency told News Point Nigeria that El-Rufai, who arrived at the commission’s Jabi headquarters around 10am in response to an invitation, remained in custody late into the night. “He is still in our custody and wouldn’t be released today,” a senior EFCC official disclosed. The former governor, now a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, is being investigated following a 2024…

TOP leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday formally received Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida, into the ruling party at a massive rally held at the Sani Abacha Stadium, marking a dramatic shift in the political landscape of Kano State. News Point Nigeria reports that the event attracted thousands of supporters, party stalwarts, federal lawmakers, and political stakeholders from across the country, underscoring the significance of the governor’s defection. Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu, described Kano as a politically strategic and cosmopolitan state whose influence transcends geography and…

THE Federal Government has approved a N5 billion intervention fund for victims of the devastating fire that razed large sections of the historic Singer Market in Kano, providing immediate relief to hundreds of affected traders. News Point Nigeria reports that Vice-President Kashim Shettima announced the donation on Monday during a sympathy visit to the market, days after an inferno swept through the commercial hub, destroying goods and property estimated to be worth billions of naira. The fire, which broke out last week, left scores of traders counting heavy losses as shops, warehouses, and merchandise were reduced to ashes. Eyewitnesses described…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria’s BUA Group and UAE-based AD Ports Group and MAIR Group in Abu Dhabi. News Point Nigeria reports that President Tinubu described the MoU as a significant industrial and trade breakthrough arising from renewed Nigeria–UAE engagement under his administration. The President said the agreement represents a tangible dividend of strengthened diplomatic ties and expanding economic cooperation following his recent state visits and high-level engagements with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates, which prioritised trade, investment, infrastructure, and food security. The MoU explores collaboration in…

THE Federal Government has instituted criminal proceedings against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over allegations that he admitted to unlawfully intercepting the phone communications of Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. News Point Nigeria reports that the three-count charge, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja and marked C2/99/2026, lists the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the complainant and El-Rufai as the sole defendant. According to the charge sheet dated February 16, 2026, the prosecution alleges that on February 13, 2026, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme in Abuja, El-Rufai admitted that he…

THE United States government has imposed sanctions on eight Nigerians over alleged links to Boko Haram, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and cybercrime-related offences, freezing their assets and blocking financial dealings within US jurisdiction. News Point Nigeria reports that the sanctions were detailed in a 3,000-page document dated February 10 and released by the United States Department of the Treasury through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The publication, titled the “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List,” identifies individuals and entities whose property and interests in property are blocked as part of US counter-terrorism…

THE National Assembly is set to reconvene in an emergency plenary session on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, amid strong indications that lawmakers will review the date scheduled for the 2027 presidential election and possibly shift it from February 20 to February 13, 2027. In a notice sighted by News Point Nigeria on Sunday and signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, senators and members of the House of Representatives were directed to resume at 11:00 a.m., cutting short their recess. The notice stated that “very crucial decisions” would be taken during the session, urging lawmakers to adjust…

THE Presidency has strongly criticised former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over his allegation that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) planned to procure a highly toxic chemical substance, describing his actions as politically motivated and misleading. News Point Nigeria reports that the controversy began after El-Rufai, in a letter dated January 30, 2026, addressed to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, sought clarification over what he described as information available to opposition figures regarding the alleged procurement of approximately 10 kilograms of thallium sulphate from Poland. He later posted a copy of the letter on his official…

A MASSIVE fire outbreak has swept through the popular Singer Market in Kano metropolis, destroying properties estimated at over N8 billion, crippling more than 1,000 businesses, and leaving seven persons missing. Traders have described the inferno as one of the darkest moments in the market’s history. The Chairman of Singer Market, Junaid Zakari, disclosed the extent of the destruction on Sunday while speaking with News Point Nigeria, describing the incident as a catastrophe that has left hundreds of families devastated. Zakari revealed that the inferno razed four residential buildings within the market area, many of which housed small-scale businesses and…

IN what is shaping up to be one of the most consequential diplomatic flashpoints between Nigeria and US in recent months, News Point Nigeria learned that five United States lawmakers have introduced a sweeping bill seeking sanctions against former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, alongside two prominent Fulani socio-cultural organisations. The proposed legislation, titled “Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026,” has ignited intense political debate, drawn sharp reactions across party lines in Nigeria, and reopened contentious conversations about religious freedom, terrorism, sovereignty, and foreign policy. The bill was introduced in the US House of Representatives by:…

A FRESH controversy has erupted in Nigeria’s political landscape following allegations of illegal wire-tapping made by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, during a televised interview. The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, has called for a thorough investigation into the claims, describing them as a potential admission of unlawful surveillance. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking on ARISE TV Prime Time on Friday, El-Rufai alleged that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, ordered his arrest following what he described as a failed attempt to detain him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on…