Author: Sadiq Abdullateef

NIGERIAN troops have killed more than 100 armed bandits in a coordinated air and ground offensive in Zamfara State, according to a United Nations conflict monitoring report sighted by News Point Nigeria on Monday. The deadly operation was carried out in the early hours of Sunday in Bukkuyum Local Government Area, targeting a notorious gathering of more than 400 bandits in their Makakkari Forest stronghold. Fighter jets, working in close coordination with ground forces, bombarded the camp before troops moved in to eliminate fleeing gunmen. The UN-linked report suggested the raid may have been launched in direct response to a…

THE Presidency has firmly denied swirling rumours about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s health, following a media report alleging that the Nigerian leader had been bedridden for several days and might be flown abroad for urgent medical care. News Point Nigeria reports that the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) had cited unnamed sources within the presidency claiming preparations were underway for the president’s medical team to arrange an overseas trip for treatment. The outlet reported that Tinubu had not been seen in public for days, with Vice President Kashim Shettima stepping in to represent him at multiple high-profile engagements. ICIR…

IT was a weekend the internet could barely keep up with, two of Nigeria’s most glamorous celebrity couples, Davido & Chioma Adeleke and Temi Otedola & Mr Eazi, tied the knot in weddings that redefined star power, opulence, and romance. For Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke (Davido) and his longtime love Chioma, love has been a decade in the making and Miami became the stage for their grandest act yet. Davido revealed preparations for the white wedding had already gulped $3.7 million in cash, promising a spectacle that would be “crazy” and unforgettable. The couple’s arrival earlier in the week was…

THE late former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had spoken candidly about why he believed he was dropped from President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet in 2019, just days before his death. In a viral interview published by Trust TV on Saturday viewed by News Point Nigeria, the same day he passed away, Ogbeh recalled how his proposal to introduce improved grass seeds for cattle grazing was met with fierce public criticism and personal attacks, despite its potential to resolve recurring farmer–herder clashes and boost dairy production. “When I was minister, I saw the problem of cattle rearing…

FORMER Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has declared his readiness to take on President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, saying he is confident of victory if the African Democratic Congress (ADC) nominates him as its flagbearer. News Point Nigeria reports that, speaking on Saturday during an X Spaces conversation, Amaechi said he knows Tinubu’s political strengths and weaknesses and is convinced he can defeat him in a free and fair contest. “I tell you, I’ve not had an election against Tinubu. I know Tinubu very well. I know his strengths. I know his weaknesses. And I know…

FOR years, northern Nigeria has been gripped by a wave of armed violence that has left hundreds dead, thousands displaced, and entire communities in fear. In Zamfara state, one name has stood out among the most notorious perpetrators; Bello Turji, a 31-year-old former herder turned criminal kingpin. Turji, accused of mass killings, kidnappings, cattle theft, and extortion, has now entered into yet another peace agreement with the government. The deal, reached last month, is intended to bring calm to Shinkafi district, a region long plagued by bandit attacks. According to a conflict monitoring report for the United Nations sighted by…

A FEW months after the NCC gave the green light for a 50% increase in telecom tariffs, complaints have surged from users across Nigeria, who say data costs more, works less effectively, and drains at an alarming rate. News Point Nigeria explores the situation. The tariff adjustment, announced by NCC spokesman Reuben Muoka in a statement, was justified as a necessary step to bridge the gap between rising operational costs and static rates that had remained unchanged since 2013. While the regulator said the increase was aimed at sustaining service delivery and supporting infrastructure investment, many Nigerians say they now…

FORMER Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has described former President Goodluck Jonathan as the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) strongest option for the 2027 presidential election, urging the party to make concerted efforts to bring him back. “I think for PDP now they should try to woo him [Jonathan]; he is their best bet. To me, he is their best bet. Anybody put forth by the PDP, Nigerians will support him,” the ex-governor said on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today monitored by News Point Nigeria. Lamido described Jonathan as one who has led the country before, understands governance, and…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has signaled readiness to implement voting rights for eligible inmates in Nigeria’s correctional centres, following sustained advocacy, legal backing, and collaboration with the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS). The development came as the Comptroller General of the NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche, visited the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Friday, calling on the electoral body to extend voting rights to prison inmates, especially those yet to be convicted. According to Nwakuche, there are over 81,000 inmates across Nigeria’s correctional facilities, out of which 53,460, representing about 66% are awaiting trial and technically still presumed innocent under the…

BARELY a week after a News Point Nigeria’s exclusive report spotlighted the prolonged suspension of the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), the Federal Government has resumed its social welfare interventions, with the school feeding scheme set for resumption and a disbursement of ₦493 billion to over five million households. News Point Nigeria gathered that this progress follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive lifting the freeze on accounts belonging to the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), which had been under suspension since January 2024 over an alleged corruption probe. This development was further confirmed on Thursday by the Minister…

A COALITION of prominent Rivers State stakeholders has raised the alarm over the planned conduct of local government elections in the state, describing the process as unconstitutional, illegal, and a direct threat to Nigeria’s democratic framework. In a strongly worded open letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made available to News Point Nigeria, the group under the banner of Major Stakeholders called for urgent intervention to halt the election, which is slated for August 30, 2025. The letter, titled “Rivers LG Election: A Serious Threat To Democracy And Repeated Violations Of The Constitution – Urgent Warning From Major Stakeholders,”…

THE National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced a tentative fare of ₦8.5 million for the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage, subject to final negotiations on service contracts with relevant stakeholders in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that the announcement was made during a post-Hajj meeting between the Commission and Chairmen and Secretaries of State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, aimed at reviewing the just-concluded 2025 Hajj operations and preparing for next year’s pilgrimage. In a statement issued by NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Information and Publication, Fatima Sanda Usara, the Commission disclosed that the fare was proposed to guide early…

THE Presidency has issued a strongly worded rebuttal to a recent editorial by Daily Trust newspaper, accusing the publication of peddling exaggerations and misleading narratives that undermine the federal government’s efforts to address Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges. In a statement released on Thursday and signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare made available to News Point Nigeria, the Tinubu administration said the newspaper painted a “distorted picture” of a nation “overwhelmed by hunger, hardship, and helplessness,” while ignoring verifiable facts and ongoing interventions. “We were not surprised by the newspaper’s opinion, as the…

IN a major disciplinary sweep, the Federal Government has dismissed 15 personnel and demoted 59 others in the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) over various acts of misconduct, violation of service rules, and unprofessional conduct. This was revealed by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), which reviewed 224 disciplinary cases involving officers across the country, under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior. According to a statement released by the Public Relations Officer of the NCoS, Umar Abubakar made available to News Point Nigeria on Thursday, the actions followed comprehensive investigations and recommendations by the Board’s Disciplinary…

THE West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is under intense scrutiny once again following the unexpected shutdown of its online result-checking portal, compounding public anger already inflamed by the historically poor performance recorded in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). News Point Nigeria reports that the portal, hosted at www.waecdirect.org, went offline on Wednesday evening, just days after the release of the WASSCE results, which revealed that only 38.32% of the over 1.9 million candidates obtained credits in at least five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, the worst national result in over a decade. In a brief…

A SIGNIFICANT number of convicts on death row in Niger and Kogi States remain alive due to ongoing appeals, fear of judicial errors, and ethical considerations, according to top government officials and legal experts. This was revealed during a special survey conducted on Wednesday, which examined the growing backlog of death row cases in the two North-Central states. Speaking on the matter, Malam Nasiru Mua’zu, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State, disclosed that over 85 percent of inmates sentenced to death in the state are currently pursuing appeals at higher courts. “In Niger, 85 per cent…

IN a move that has reignited political speculation, former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Wednesday, attended the public presentation of two political books in Abuja, one of which focused extensively on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its internal workings. News Point Nigeria reports that Obi’s appearance at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, where PDP stalwarts gathered for the literary unveiling, comes on the heels of confirmed efforts by the PDP to woo the former Vice-Presidential candidate back into the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. The event showcased the launch of…

JUST less than 48 hours after News Point Nigeria exclusively reported that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was wooing former President Goodluck Jonathan for a potential return to Aso Rock in 2027, the opposition party has officially confirmed the development. In a BBC Hausa interview monitored by this newspaper on Tuesday, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, validated News Point Nigeria’s earlier story, affirming that discussions were underway to persuade Jonathan to fly the party’s flag in the 2027 presidential election. “We are indeed reaching out to him, just as many Nigerians are calling for his return,”…

KANO State Commissioner for Transportation, Alhaji Ibrahim Ali Namadi, has resigned from office following the submission of an investigative report on his role in the controversial bail of a suspected drug trafficker, Sulaiman Aminu Danwawu. His resignation came just hours after Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf received the findings of the high-level panel that examined the circumstances surrounding the commissioner’s decision to act as surety for the accused. In a statement issued on Wednesday night by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Namadi said his decision was made in the overriding public interest, acknowledging the sensitivity of the matter and…

FORMER Governor of Jigawa State and elder statesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sule Lamido, has issued a strong advisory to presidential aspirants in the newly launched African Democratic Congress (ADC), warning them against what he described as a “sprinter’s approach” to the 2027 presidential race. Speaking Tuesday night during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time monitored by News Point Nigeria, Lamido expressed concern over the flurry of declarations and political manoeuvres within the ADC, less than a month after its coalition-backed launch. While reaffirming his commitment to the PDP, Lamido said he attended the ADC unveiling…