Author: Sadiq Abdullateef

THE Federal Government of Nigeria has officially commenced Phase 7 of the Kainji Mass Trials, a judicial exercise focused on prosecuting hundreds of individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist activities across the country. In a statement issued on Wednesday by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the trials are described as a critical pillar of Nigeria’s multi-pronged effort to combat terrorism through the rule of law and institutional accountability. “These trials represent Nigeria’s unwavering pursuit of justice and reaffirm our national resolve to confront terrorism through lawful and transparent means,” said…

CHAIRMAN of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has described the scale of corruption uncovered at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) as “mind-boggling,” revealing that a sweeping investigation into Nigeria’s oil and gas sector has already exposed significant financial misconduct despite being in its early stages. Speaking on the third day of the National Conference on Public Accounts and Fiscal Governance, organized by the Senate and House of Representatives Public Accounts Committees, Olukoyede said the EFCC’s recent deep-dive into the extractive industries has only scratched the surface, yet already reveals a troubling picture. “In the…

FORMER Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, has rejected the widely circulated belief that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu singlehandedly made Muhammadu Buhari president in 2015, asserting instead that Buhari already had a massive voter base long before the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Mustapha made this remark during the public unveiling of “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience,” a memoir written by Garba Shehu, the former presidential spokesperson to Buhari. The event, which gathered an array of past and present top government functionaries, sparked renewed debate over political history and…

THE Federal Government of Nigeria has formally expressed its dissatisfaction with the recent changes to the United States’ visa policy affecting Nigerian citizens, urging Washington to reconsider a directive that reduces the duration and flexibility of U.S. non-immigrant visas for Nigerians. In a statement issued on Wednesday by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian government described the U.S. action as “misaligned with the principles of reciprocity, equity, and mutual respect” that have historically defined diplomatic relations between the two nations. The policy, which took effect immediately on Tuesday, July 8, restricts most U.S. non-diplomatic,…

FORMER Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has firmly denied allegations suggesting he had ties with the regime of General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s late military Head of State. In a detailed statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday, Obi addressed mounting criticism regarding his alleged collaboration with the Abacha-led regime, which governed Nigeria from 1993 to 1998. To support his position and dispel speculation, Obi released a federal appointment letter from 1996, showing that he was co-opted into a government Task Force on Port Decongestion, an initiative intended to…

THE United Arab Emirates has announced a sweeping change to its immigration policy concerning Nigerian travellers, including the outright suspension of transit visa applications and the imposition of tougher eligibility requirements for tourist visas. News Point Nigeria gathered that the updated rules, confirmed by multiple travel agents on Tuesday, are expected to drastically cut down the number of Nigerian nationals travelling to Dubai, a city that has long served as a major hub for Nigerian tourists, shoppers, and small business operators. According to a directive issued by Dubai immigration authorities, Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 45 are no…

DESPITE a court ruling in her favor, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, was conspicuously absent from Tuesday’s Senate plenary, contrary to her public declaration that she would return to her legislative duties that day. The senator had, over the weekend, celebrated a Federal High Court judgment that voided her six-month suspension by the Senate, calling it unconstitutional and excessive. She had vowed to resume plenary on Tuesday, July 8, insisting that the ruling reinstated her rights as a legislator. However, multiple sources have confirmed to News Point Nigeria that an alleged discreet but serious plan was…

IN a major change that will affect thousands of Nigerian travelers, the United States Department of State has announced a new non-immigrant visa policy that drastically reduces the validity and flexibility of most US visas issued to Nigerian citizens. News Point Nigeria gathered that effective July 8, 2025, nearly all non-diplomatic, non-immigrant visas issued to Nigerians will now be valid for only three months and permit only a single entry into the United States, according to a statement released by the US Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday. While the changes are already in effect, the embassy clarified that Nigerian citizens…

IN what appears to be a major escalation in the political manoeuvrings ahead of the 2027 general elections, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has announced that it has mobilised a legal team comprising 97 lawyers to defend its interim leadership, including prominent political figures Senator David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, and Bolaji Abdullahi, in an ongoing legal battle. The party made the announcement through a statement released by its media unit on Tuesday, amid rising tensions surrounding its newly reconstituted interim leadership, a group central to a growing opposition coalition expected to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the…

A PARLIAMENTARY political face-off appears imminent in the Nigerian Senate today as suspended lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, insists she will return to plenary following a court ruling that voided her six-month suspension. Despite her declaration, the Senate leadership says it will take no official action regarding her reinstatement until it obtains and reviews the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment delivered by a Federal High Court in Abuja. The development has set the stage for a potentially volatile confrontation on the floor of the Red Chamber. Last Friday, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal…

VICE PRESIDENT, Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to the global ban on nuclear weapons testing, declaring that the country remains firmly on the side of peace, stability, and socio-economic development. Speaking during a high-level courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Shettima hosted a delegation from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), led by its Executive Secretary, Dr Robert Floyd. The meeting was held to further strengthen Nigeria’s partnership with the Vienna-based agency, which oversees compliance with the international ban on nuclear testing. In his remarks, Shettima emphasized that Nigeria has no interest in the nuclear arms…

IN what analysts are describing as a significant sign of political momentum, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) website crashed three times in just 48 hours, overwhelmed by a surge of Nigerians seeking information and membership following the recent opposition coalition. The development is being hailed as a barometer of public interest in the emerging alliance between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and a few other Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures. The political pact, which was formally unveiled on July 3, aims to forge a common front capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives…

NIGERIA’s already struggling economy may be headed for a deeper crisis if former U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on his latest threat to impose an additional 10% tariff on countries aligning with the BRICS bloc, a coalition that Nigeria formally joined as a partner earlier this year. The term BRICS originally referred to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, a group of major emerging economies that have worked to build an alternative to Western-dominated global institutions. In 2024, the bloc expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Nigeria was officially admitted…

TENSIONS are rising within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as several state chairmen of the party have openly rejected the recent dissolution of party structures in favor of a new coalition effort spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, News Point Nigeria reports. The coalition, which aims to mount a formidable challenge to President Bola Tinubu’s expected bid for a second term in 2027, is already facing strong resistance from grassroots leaders within the ADC. The controversy was triggered by the dramatic announcement by former ADC National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, who declared the collapse of all existing party structures, citing…

THE federal government, has officially placed the country’s Boeing 737-700 Business Jet (BBJ) up for sale in Switzerland, marking the end of nearly two decades of service for the aircraft that has long served as the presidential jet. The decision follows the recent induction of a more modern Airbus A330 into the presidential fleet, News Point Nigeria reports. According to aircraft listing platform; The Controller, the Boeing BBJ is currently stationed at AMAC Aerospace in Basel, Switzerland, undergoing inspection and sale preparations. AMAC, a private aviation maintenance and completion firm, is also reported to have facilitated the acquisition and retrofitting…

A PLANNED unveiling of the African Democratic Congress as a unifying political platform for Nigeria’s opposition suffered a setback on Wednesday after the event venue abruptly cancelled a fully paid reservation just hours before the programme. News Point Nigeria reports that the event, scheduled to hold at the Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments in Asokoro, Abuja, was expected to formally introduce the ADC as the platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections. However, organisers were informed Wednesday morning that the hotel would no longer host the event due to an unspecified “internal compliance matter.”…

IN life, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, the revered billionaire businessman and philanthropist, built bridges – between people, between generations, between wealth and humanity. And in death, his final journey to Baqiyya Cemetery in Madina, Saudi Arabia, has proven just as symbolic. News Point Nigeria reports that on a solemn Tuesday evenning, under the sacred skies of Madina al-Munawwarah, Dantata was laid to rest in one of Islam’s holiest grounds. The emotional ceremony brought together not only the spiritual heads and powerful businessmen who shared his philanthropic ideals but also some of Kano’s most bitter political and royal adversaries – Emir Aminu…

A FORMER Senate President, Senator David Mark, and ex-Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, have been appointed as the interim Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of the African Democratic Congress, the coalition platform being positioned against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections. According to multiple reliable sources who to News Point Nigeria and were present at the just-concluded meeting on Tuesday night in Abuja but requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak, leaders of the opposition coalition unanimously agreed on Mark and Aregbesola for the roles. The sources further disclosed that a former Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, has…

NIGERIA’s foremost business icon and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, was laid to rest on Tuesday at the revered Baqiyya Cemetery in Madina, Saudi Arabia, in a deeply moving ceremony attended by top Nigerian dignitaries, religious leaders, and members of the Nigerian community in the Kingdom. News Point Nigeria reports that a high-level delegation led by the Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, and his Jigawa State counterpart, Governor Umar Namadi, joined thousands of mourners for the Janaza (funeral prayer) held at the Holy Mosque. Also present were the Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Deputy Governor of Katsina…

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President David Mark, former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, and other key figures within the Peoples Democratic Party have called on party members and Nigerians at large to support the emerging coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. This call was made in a communiqué signed by Mark issued following a PDP coalition meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja. The communique read in part, “The meeting encourages all well-meaning PDP members and other patriotic Nigerians to join the coalition. “All coalition partners must be united on the issues of…