Author: Sadiq Abdullateef

THE Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called on Muslims across Nigeria to participate in the sighting of the new moon of Muharram 1448AH, a crucial exercise that will determine the commencement of the Islamic New Year. The directive was conveyed in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday by Sambo Wali Junaidu, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs of the Sokoto Sultanate Council. According to the statement, Monday, June 15, 2026, corresponding to the 29th day of Zulhijjah 1447AH, has been designated…

IN this Sunday Political Feature, News Point Nigeria, examines the possible political implications of Peter Obi’s latest remarks on the continued detention of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and why the comments have generated renewed debate about the former Anambra State governor’s ability to expand his support base beyond his traditional strongholds. For years, one issue has followed Obi across political platforms, campaign rallies, television interviews, and presidential contests: the question of IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu. It is a subject that has remained one of the most sensitive fault lines in Nigerian politics, particularly in…

THE Muslim Ummah has been informed of the passing of Hajiya Fatima Ladi Binta Musa Musawa, mother of Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa. According to a family announcement sent to News Point Nigeria, the Salatul Janazah (funeral prayer) for the deceased will be held on Saturday, (today), at the National Mosque Abuja immediately after the Zuhr prayer, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The late Hajiya Fatima Ladi Binta Musa Musawa will thereafter be laid to rest at the Gudu Cemetery. Family members, friends, associates, and members of the Muslim community have been urged to…

NIGERIA may be on the verge of one of the most significant security reforms since the return to democratic rule in 1999, following the passage of a constitutional amendment bill by the House of Representatives seeking to establish state police across the federation. The proposal, which has also scaled second reading in the Senate, aims to create a dual policing system made up of the Federal Police and State Police as part of efforts to tackle the worsening security challenges confronting the country. In this Weekend Features, News Point Nigeria examines and dissects the proposed State Police Bill, its key…

MINISTER of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, has paid an emotional tribute to the heroes and martyrs of Nigeria’s democratic struggle, urging citizens to uphold the values of unity, sacrifice and active participation that gave birth to the nation’s democracy. News Point Nigeria reports that in a specially written Democracy Day spoken-word piece titled “Honouring the Heroes of June 12th,” Musawa reflected on the sacrifices of prominent figures who paid dearly for the restoration of democratic governance in Nigeria, including Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Chief Alfred Rewane and numerous other pro-democracy activists.…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday marked Nigeria’s Democracy Day with a stirring tribute to the heroes of the June 12 struggle, honouring late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and dozens of pro-democracy activists, journalists, labour leaders and soldier-democrats whose sacrifices helped secure democratic governance in Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that in a nationwide Democracy Day address, Tinubu also announced a fresh list of national honours for several Nigerians who endured persecution, imprisonment, exile, harassment and other hardships during the struggle against military rule, while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to strengthening…

A FORMER Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has revealed that late former Head of State, Sani Abacha, died of a heart attack and not poisoning as widely speculated over the years. News Point Nigeria reports that Amachree, in his newly released book and during an interview with  TVC News⁠, said evidence gathered during investigations into Abacha’s death pointed to natural causes, contrary to persistent claims that the former military ruler was poisoned. According to the former DSS official, many of the narratives surrounding Abacha’s death were based on speculation rather than established facts, with…

AFTER years of planning, preparations and no shortage of controversy, the FIFA World Cup 2026 is finally here. For the next six weeks, the eyes of the world will be fixed on North America as the United States, Canada and Mexico jointly host the biggest tournament in football history. An expanded competition featuring 48 nations, 104 matches and countless storylines will once again unite billions of fans around the globe in celebration of the beautiful game. As the countdown to kickoff ends, defending champions Argentina return with hopes of retaining their crown, while traditional powerhouses including Brazil, France, England, Spain,…

FORMER Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, has described as “deeply shocking” the decision of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts to issue an arrest warrant against him over its ongoing investigation into the company’s financial records. In a letter sighted by News Point Nigeria and addressed to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts just hours after the arrest order was issued, Kyari explained that he had previously informed the committee of his inability to appear before it because he was undergoing medical treatment abroad. “I refer to the…

FRESH revelations emerged on Wednesday in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Hadi Sirika, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that the aircraft unveiled as Nigeria Air in May 2023 was actually chartered from Ethiopian Airlines for a three-day display. News Point Nigeria reports that according to the anti-graft agency, the aircraft was brought into Nigeria shortly before the end of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari and presented to the public as evidence that the long-awaited national carrier project had materialised. The…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has dispatched a high-level delegation to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in a fresh bid to secure the immediate repatriation of nearly 300 Nigerian nationals currently serving prison sentences in the East African country. News Point Nigeria reports that the delegation, acting on the President’s directive, includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi. Their mission is to conclude and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ethiopian government that would allow the inmates to be transferred to Nigeria to complete their jail terms in Nigerian…

FORMER Kano State Governor and national leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has declared that he remains willing to forgive Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and reconcile with him despite their political differences, insisting that his affection for his former protégé remains intact. News Point Nigeria reports that the relation between the two political allies deteriorated after Yusuf defected from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), under whose platform he won the 2023 Kano governorship election, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The move attracted criticism from members of the Kwankwasiyya movement, many of whom viewed the defection…

BUA Group has dissociated itself from a viral AI-generated video circulating on social media that allegedly promotes an investment scheme and falsely features its Founder and Executive Chairman, Abdulsamad Rabiu. The company said the video, which has been widely shared across various social media platforms, promises “unrealistic investment returns” and appears designed to mislead members of the public into participating in a fraudulent scheme. The disclaimer was contained in a statement published on Monday through the group’s official social media channels. In the statement, BUA Group stressed that it has no connection whatsoever to the content and is not associated…

FORMER Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, has approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order setting aside the bench warrant issued for her arrest in an alleged fraud case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). News Point Nigeria reports that the application comes months after a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja, issued a warrant for her arrest over her alleged involvement in the case. On April 16, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie granted an arrest warrant against the former minister. The court also approved the arrest of…

FORMER Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has reportedly threatened to leave the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following the replacement of several candidates submitted by the Kwankwasiyya faction in Kano State. News Point Nigeria reports that the development is said to be linked to efforts by the party to enforce a pre-existing 60/40 power-sharing arrangement under which the Kwankwasiyya bloc was allocated 60 per cent of party positions and elective tickets, while the original NDC structure retained 40 per cent. According to a document sighted by News Point Nigeria and signed by the Kano State NDC Chairman, Hon. Hussaini Isah…

THE Federal Government has introduced a fresh set of measures aimed at strengthening financial discipline across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), placing new limits on reimbursable imprest, restricting reimbursement frequency and tightening oversight of public funds. News Point Nigeria reports that the new directives are contained in the 2026 Annual General Imprest Warrant signed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and conveyed through a Federal Treasury Circular issued by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. The circular, dated June 3, 2026, was signed by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi.…

ON April 25, what unfolded in Ibadan was widely seen as one of the most consequential political gatherings on the road to the 2027 general election. Opposition figures converged under a shared sense of urgency and a common political concern: that if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress were to be effectively challenged in 2027, then the opposition could no longer afford its long-standing weakness of fragmentation. At the end of the meeting, an ambitious declaration was made. The participants pledged to close ranks, overcome internal divisions, and rally behind a single presidential candidate, an effort…

AS the rainy season intensifies across the country, fears are mounting over flooding, drainage failures, displacement and disease outbreaks in several states. In this weekend feature, News Point Nigeria examines Nigeria’s preparedness for the 2026 rainy season, drawing from government forecasts, state responses, expert warnings and community-level realities. It also revisits painful lessons from previous disasters and identifies the communities most exposed to the recurring threat. Across Nigeria, state governments have begun rolling out preventive measures following the Federal Government’s release of the 2026 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO), which warns of widespread flooding in multiple parts of the country. The…

THE Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has expressed concern over what it described as the growing trend of excessive and unrealistic bail conditions imposed by courts and law enforcement agencies, warning that the practice is effectively turning bail into a tool for pre-trial detention. News Point Nigeria reports that the association said many defendants who have been granted bail remain behind bars because the conditions attached to their release are beyond their financial and social reach. In a statement issued on Friday, NBA President, Afam Osigwe, said the increasing insistence on sureties who are senior civil servants and demands for high-value…

DETECTIVES from the elite Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, have commenced a high-profile investigation into the unauthorised release of a voter record belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with an INEC official already detained and the Senior Special Assistant on Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Lere Olayinka, reportedly questioned extensively. Highly placed security and police sources at the Force Headquarters told News Point Nigeria that intelligence operatives handling the investigation detained a staff member of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) INEC office,…