GOVERNOR of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf has openly confronted his estranged political benefactor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, over what he described as “frequent attacks” against him, warning that his silence should not be interpreted as fear. News Point Nigeria reports that the governor made the remarks on Monday while addressing party supporters during the official affirmation of Sulaiman Kawu Sumaila as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Kano South at an event held in Rano. Governor Yusuf stated that he would soon begin “talking” if pushed further, marking the first time he has publicly responded to the leader…
Author: Sadiq Abdullateef
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THE faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Turaki is set to screen former President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole presidential aspirant on Tuesday ahead of the party’s forthcoming primaries. The PDP faction disclosed this in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Monday, announcing that the screening exercise for all aspirants would commence by 10am as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections. According to the statement, a total of 2,122 state house of assembly aspirants, 748 house of representatives hopefuls, 198 senatorial aspirants, 112 governorship contenders and one presidential aspirant are expected to…
THE Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has denied allegations that former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, was denied access to medical and family care while in detention at the agency’s facility. News Point Nigeria reports that El-Rufai has remained in the custody of the ICPC since February 19 over allegations of financial impropriety during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2023. On April 13, the anti-graft agency arraigned the former governor before the Kaduna High Court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office. The controversy intensified…
THE political battle over the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Kano Central Senatorial District has once again exposed one undeniable reality in Kano politics: despite the emergence of younger and ambitious politicians, former Kano State governor, ex-Minister of Education, and former senator, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, remains one of the most influential political figures not only in Kano State but in Nigeria’s northern political landscape. The unfolding controversy, closely monitored by News Point Nigeria, has become more than an ordinary party contest. It is now a referendum on political relevance, experience, grassroots connection, loyalty, and who truly possesses the political…
HEIRS Holdings Founder tells Presidents Ruto and Macron that Africa wants partners of substance, based on equality, and that power and infrastructure must come first. At the 2026 Africa Forward Summit, convened by Kenyan President H.E. William Ruto and French President H.E. Emmanuel Macron, Heirs Holdings Founder and Group Chair, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, delivered a direct message to a room of heads of state, investors, and global business leaders: Africa is open for partnership, not patronage. “We welcome true partnership partnerships of substance and based on equity where Africans and African solutions catalyse Africa’s future”, he remarked. Elumelu argued…
HIS Eminence, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), has officially declared Monday, May 18, 2026, as the first day of Dhul Hijjah 1447 After Hijrah (AH). The announcement was contained in a press statement issued by Sambo Wali Junaidu, the Wazirin Sokoto and Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs of the Sultanate Council, and sent to News Point Nigeria on Sunday. According to the statement, the declaration followed the successful sighting of the crescent moon, signalling the commencement of the 12th and final month of the…
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday conducted House of Representatives primary elections across several states ahead of the 2027 general elections, producing a mix of elected and consensus candidates in different federal constituencies. News Point Nigeria Sunday Politics reports that the primaries, which were initially scheduled for Friday but later postponed to Saturday by the party, witnessed a blend of consensus arrangements, competitive contests and protests in some constituencies. Ahead of the exercise, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cautioned party members against infighting and “do-or-die” politics, urging aspirants, delegates and party leaders to conduct themselves peacefully while upholding the principles…
LITTLE is publicly known about Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the ISIL commander who had been under United States sanctions since 2023 and was recently killed in a joint operation involving Nigerian and American forces. Before pledging allegiance to ISIL in 2015, al-Minuki was a prominent Boko Haram leader, according to the Nigerian Army. The military described him as a “key” operational and strategic figure who provided guidance to ISIL entities outside Nigeria on media operations, economic warfare and weapons manufacturing. “His death removes a critical node through which ISIS coordinated and directed operations across different regions of the world,” the army stated.…
THE Presidency has defended the reported killing of Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok or Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, described as a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), insisting that the latest Nigerian-American counterterrorism operation was credible, intelligence-driven and thoroughly verified. In a State House press statement sent to News Points Nigeria by Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the controversy surrounding the operation exposed what it described as a disconnect between public scepticism and the realities of modern counterterrorism operations. The statement noted that doubters had questioned the authenticity of the operation that reportedly neutralised the ISWAP leader,…
COCHARIS Motors is facing fresh legal trouble after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to shut down the automobile company over a dispute involving the sale of a “defective” Range Rover Sport to a customer, Florence Ozor. News Point Nigeria reports that the ruling was delivered on Wednesday by Justice Emeka Nwite, who presided over the matter arising from a motion for judicial review filed by Ozor against the FCCPC and Coscharis Motors over the controversial vehicle transaction. Court documents showed that in September 2024, Ozor purchased a 2024 Range Rover…
THE Defence Headquarters on Saturday confirmed the killing of top ISIS leader Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, describing him as a “global terrorist” and a major operational figure within the Islamic State network. The confirmation was contained in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, following an earlier announcement by Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform that the terrorist commander had been eliminated in a joint operation carried out by United States and Nigerian forces. According to Trump, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as the Islamic State group’s second-in-command globally, was killed during what he called a…
UNITED States President Donald Trump has announced that American and Nigerian forces killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom he described as the “second in command” global leader of the Islamic State group, during a joint counterterrorism operation in Africa. News Point Nigeria Weekend reports that in a statement posted Friday on his Truth Social platform and signed by Trump, himself, the US president said the operation was carried out successfully by American troops working alongside the Nigerian Armed Forces. “Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to…
THE Federal Government has intensified efforts to modernise Nigeria’s defence architecture through the integration of artificial intelligence and advanced anti-drone technology aimed at combating emerging security threats across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, disclosed this while leading a high-level Nigerian delegation to Monaco to conclude discussions on the multi-domain Hybrid Intelligence Shield (HIS) project. The initiative is designed to strengthen border security, safeguard urban centres, and improve the nation’s capacity to respond swiftly to evolving security challenges. Under the proposed framework, Nigeria is expected to deploy AI-powered surveillance systems capable of rapidly…
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on members of the All Progressives Congress to embrace peace, unity, fairness, and sportsmanship as the party commences its nationwide primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement personally signed on Thursday by President Tinubu, the Nigerian leader described the commencement of the primaries as a historic moment for the ruling party as it prepares for its fourth election cycle since its formation. The President said the party was founded on the principles of progressive politics, consensus democracy, personal devotion, and sacrifice, stressing that the ideals had helped the APC emerge…
FORMER Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Presidency on Thursday clashed over his declaration that he would serve only one term of four years if elected president in 2027, with the Presidency dismissing the pledge as unreliable and inconsistent with his political history. News Point Nigeria reports that Obi made the declaration in a clip from an interview scheduled to air on News Central TV on Thursday, where he insisted he would not remain in office beyond four years under any circumstance. “I want to be a one-term president because of stability. I would not stay a day,…
A COMPLIANCE officer with Zenith Bank Plc, Mashelia Bata, on Wednesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the bank filed a suspicious transaction report (STR) over transactions linked to an account associated with former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. News Point Nigeria reports that Bata appeared before the court in the ongoing trial involving Malami, his wife, and son over alleged money laundering amounting to N8.7 billion. The defendants are facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and had all pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to a statement released…
OPERATIVES of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, over alleged money laundering offences involving an estimated N500bn. A source within the anti-graft agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, disclosed on Wednesday that Abdullahi was arrested in Abuja and is currently being held in the custody of the commission. According to the source, investigators are probing alleged financial transactions linked to funds said to amount to about N500bn. “We have arrested the Director-General of the Energy…
THE family of the 15th Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, has been thrown into mourning following the death of his mother-in-law, Hajiya Karima Lawal, popularly known as Yayar Gandu. The deceased died at a hospital in Kano after a brief illness, according to family sources. Hajiya Karima Lawal was the mother of Hajiya Hadiza Aminu Ado Bayero, wife of Emir Aminu Ado Bayero. Her death has attracted condolences from family members, associates, and sympathisers within and outside the Kano Emirate. She was described as a respected matriarch who dedicated her life to family and community service. The late Hajiya…
THE Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday convicted and sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to a total of 75 years’ imprisonment over a ₦33.8 billion fraud linked to the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects. News Point Nigeria reports that the trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, handed down the sentence after finding Mamman guilty on all 12 counts bordering on conspiracy and money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Omotosho ordered that the various prison terms imposed on each count should run consecutively, bringing the total sentence to 75 years.…
A PROSECUTION witness in the ongoing trial-within-trial involving suspects charged over an alleged coup plot to topple the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has told a federal high court in Abuja that the defendants made their confessional statements voluntarily and without coercion. News Point Nigeria reports that the witness, an officer of the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police, gave the testimony on Tuesday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who is presiding over the matter. The trial-within-trial was ordered after defence lawyers challenged the federal government’s attempt to tender video recordings of the defendants’ statements, arguing that the confessional statements…