Author: Sadiq Abdullateef

IN a high-profile interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, United States President Donald Trump signalled that the United States could undertake multiple military strikes in Nigeria if the ongoing violence and killings continue unabated, a statement that has drawn international attention and sparked debate over foreign intervention in the country. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking about the December 25 US military operation against Islamic State-linked militants in northwest Nigeria, Trump said he hoped that the mission would be a “one-time strike,” but added that further action was likely if attacks if the violence persisted. “I’d love…

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that Nigeria’s labour movement was once deeply entangled in Cold War politics, with rival labour factions allegedly funded by the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Soviet Union’s KGB, a situation he said posed a serious threat to the country’s sovereignty. News Point Nigeria reports that Obasanjo made the disclosure in Abuja while speaking at the 85th birthday celebration and book launch of former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Hassan Sunmonu, an event that drew labour leaders, senior politicians, and civil society figures from across the country. According to the former president,…

BURKINA Faso’s military authorities have announced that they have foiled what they described as a sophisticated plot to assassinate the country’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, in a development that underscores the persistent instability gripping the West African nation. The alleged plot, according to the junta, was masterminded by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Damiba, the former military ruler who was overthrown by Traoré in September 2022. The revelation was made late Saturday night by the Minister of Security, Mahamadou Sana, during a national television broadcast. Sana said intelligence agencies intercepted the operation at a critical stage, just hours before it was…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed all ministers and senior government officials to obtain presidential clearance before requesting police escorts for official assignments, as part of a broader effort to tighten security coordination and prevent gaps in public safety across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the directive was issued on Wednesday during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja, amid heightened security concerns nationwide. Tinubu said the indiscriminate deployment of police personnel to VIP protection duties often weakens frontline policing and exposes communities to security risks when officers are withdrawn without adequate replacement. “I…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday extended warm birthday felicitations to Kano State Governor, Abba Kabiru Yusuf, praising his leadership qualities and developmental strides, in a message that comes amid heightened political tension and growing anticipation over the governor’s imminent defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Governor Yusuf, who turns 63, was originally expected to formally defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) on Monday, January 5, 2026 his birthday, but the move has now been postponed to January 12, following fresh consultations with political stakeholders. In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and…

THE leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has issued a stern warning to Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf, urging him to relinquish the governorship seat if he intends to defect from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). News Point Nigeria reports that Kwankwaso made the declaration while addressing supporters and party stakeholders in Kano amid growing political tension and speculations that the NNPP-led government in the state may align with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking forcefully, the former governor questioned the rationale behind efforts to lure Kano’s governor away from…

A SHARP political confrontation erupted on Thursday as Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, traded strong accusations, further exposing the deepening divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Governor Mohammed, speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored by News Point Nigeria, accused Wike of orchestrating a calculated plot to destroy his political career and personal integrity, alleging that the FCT minister was using political influence and federal institutions to undermine him. According to the Bauchi governor, efforts were being made to associate him with banditry and terrorism, allegations…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has lauded Hadiza Bala-Usman, his Special Adviser on Policy Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), for her outstanding contributions to public service as she marked her 50th birthday. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu described Bala-Usman as a “dedicated patriot” whose nearly three decades of service have exemplified diligence, sacrifice, and commitment to national development. The President highlighted Bala-Usman’s early career at the Bureau of Public Enterprises, where she displayed exceptional clarity of vision and an acute…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that 2026 marks the beginning of a more robust phase of economic growth for Nigeria, expressing confidence that the reforms undertaken by his administration are beginning to yield tangible benefits for ordinary citizens. News Point Nigeria reports that in his New Year message to Nigerians on January 1, 2026, the President said the country closed 2025 on a strong economic footing despite persistent global economic headwinds, adding that his administration would consolidate gains already recorded while pursuing inclusive growth, improved security, and fiscal discipline. Welcoming Nigerians to the new year, Tinubu expressed gratitude to…

NO fewer than 10 Nigerian states are planning to raise about ₦4.287 trillion from loans, bonds, grants, capital receipts, and public-private partnerships to finance capital projects contained in their 2026 budgets, underscoring growing fiscal pressure at the subnational level. News Point Nigeria reports that the states; Lagos, Abia, Ogun, Enugu, Osun, Delta, Sokoto, Edo, Bayelsa, and Gombe have jointly presented ₦14.174 trillion in proposed spending to their respective Houses of Assembly, according to an analysis of budget documents. Findings show that despite continued reliance on statutory allocations from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), value-added tax receipts, and internally generated…

THE New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has been plunged into fresh internal turmoil in Kano State following the sack and expulsion of the party’s State Chairman, Hashimu Dungurawa, by executives of Gargari Ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area. News Point Nigeria reports that the decision was reached during the ward’s second executive meeting, held about two weeks after the general election, where 27 ward executives unanimously signed a resolution endorsing Dungurawa’s removal. The meeting was presided over by the Ward Chairman, Shuaibu Hassan, alongside the ward secretary, Yahaya Saidu Dungurawa. According to the resolution sighted by this newspaper, Dungurawa…

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned of an impending constitutional crisis following revelations that the gazetted version of Nigeria’s recently enacted tax laws does not reflect what was actually passed by the National Assembly. Atiku described the development as illegal, unconstitutional, and tantamount to forgery, insisting that any law gazetted in a form different from what lawmakers approved is a nullity and has no legal force. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by Atiku’s Media Aide, Paul Ibe late on Sunday, the former presidential candidate said the confirmation by the Senate that discrepancies exist between the passed…

THE Federal Government has revealed that a total of 16 GPS-guided precision munitions were deployed using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial platforms in a joint Nigeria–United States operation that targeted Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist enclaves in Sokoto State. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed this in a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on Saturday. He noted that during the course of the operation, debris from expended munitions fell in Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, and in Offa, Kwara State, near the premises of a hotel. He, however, added that “No civilian casualties” were…

WHILE Nigerians were marking Christmas with reflection and family gatherings, a startling announcement from the United States injected global power politics into the country’s fragile security landscape. From Washington came word of airstrikes; from Presidency, careful confirmations; and from the North-West, confusion, fear and heated debate. President Donald Trump disclosed that U.S. forces had launched “powerful and deadly” strikes against Islamic State militants in northwestern Nigeria, linking the operation to what he described as ongoing killings, particularly of Christians. The language, the timing and the unilateral tone of the announcement quickly stirred controversy across the nation. In this weekend report,…

THE United States has carried out airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist targets in northwestern Nigeria following authorisation by President Donald Trump, in an operation that Nigerian authorities say was conducted through established security cooperation frameworks between both countries. News Point Nigeria reports that President Trump announced the military action on Thursday, describing the strikes as “powerful and deadly” and warning ISIS militants to halt attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria. According to Trump, the operation was carried out on Christmas Day and resulted in the killing of “multiple ISIS terrorists.” “I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they…

THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and 12 other federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have been rated non-compliant, recording zero scores in the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) assessment conducted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The damning outcome was contained in an official publication released by the anti-corruption agency on Wednesday obtained by News Point Nigeria, detailing the performance of 357 MDAs assessed during the 2025 evaluation exercise. According to the report, NNPC ranked last overall, scoring zero across all four key governance pillars, thereby placing it at the top of…

KIDNAPPING for ransom has become a deeply entrenched and highly organised criminal enterprise in Nigeria, with abductors collecting at least ₦2.57 billion from victims and their families within a 12-month period, a new report by SBM Intelligence has revealed. The findings are contained in SBM Intelligence’s report titled “The Year Ahead at an Inflection Point,” released on December 19, 2025 sighted by News Point Nigeria, which examined key political, economic and security trends shaping Africa in 2025, with a particular focus on Nigeria’s worsening security crisis. According to the report, kidnappers demanded an estimated ₦48 billion in ransom between July…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has firmly declined to recognise the new national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) allegedly elected at the party’s National Convention held between 15 and 16 November 2025, citing subsisting court judgments and ongoing legal processes. INEC’s position was conveyed in an official letter dated 22 December 2025 and signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Dr. Rose Oriaran-Anthony. The letter, obtained by News Point Nigeria, was in response to repeated demands by lawyers representing the PDP, urging the Commission to update its website with the list of National Officers said to have…

THE Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation has flagged a total sum of ₦288.18 billion in expenditures by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), citing widespread procurement breaches, financial irregularities and internal control weaknesses under the leadership of Professor Mahmood Yakubu. The revelations are contained in the Auditor-General’s Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for the 2022 financial year, obtained by News Point Nigeria. According to the report, the queried expenditures relate largely to activities carried out between 2018 and 2019, covering procurement processes, payments to contractors, non-retirement of advances, and…

IN a season when Nigeria’s economic story is often told through statistics, projections and policy statements, a quieter but compelling narrative is unfolding, one that blends ambition, cross-border opportunity and the evolving face of Nigerian entrepreneurship. News Point Nigeria reports that this story leads from the ancient commercial corridors of Kano to the corporate meeting rooms of Riyadh, where a Nigerian firm has just secured a landmark Saudi franchise deal with implications far beyond business headlines. At the centre of the deal is Badamasi Burji, a Kano-based journalist-turned-businessman whose journey from media engagement to international trade reflects a broader shift…