MINISTER of Defence, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, has resigned from office with immediate effect, citing health reasons, according to an official statement released by the Presidency late on Monday. News Point Nigeria reports that Badaru, a former two-term governor of Jigawa State, tendered his resignation in a letter dated December 1 addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The letter, according to the State House, conveyed his decision to step down to focus on what was described as “recurring medical concerns.” President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and formally thanked Badaru for his service to the nation. The president praised the…
Author: Sadiq Abdullateef
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SOUTH Africa, Eswatini, and Zambia were to begin on Monday administering a breakthrough new HIV-prevention injection in the drug’s first public rollouts in Africa, which has the world’s highest HIV burden. Lenacapavir, taken twice a year, has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by more than 99.9 percent, making it functionally akin to a powerful vaccine. In South Africa, where one in five adults lives with HIV, a Wits University research unit oversaw the rollout as part of an initiative funded by Unitaid, the United Nations health agency. “The first individuals have begun using lenacapavir for HIV…
FORMER Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, has strongly refuted allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he duplicated the recovery of a tranche of late Gen. Sani Abacha’s looted funds amounting to $310 million—later accrued to $322.5 million with interest. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by his media aide, Mohammed Doka, Malami dismissed the claims as “baseless, illogical, and devoid of factual foundation,” insisting that the EFCC’s narrative collapses under scrutiny. The EFCC reportedly alleges that Malami duplicated a recovery process that had been concluded by Swiss lawyer,…
FRESH controversy has erupted over the nature of U.S.–Nigeria security cooperation following new claims that American surveillance aircraft have begun flying reconnaissance missions inside Nigerian airspace, just days after reports alleged that the United States is preparing for unmanned drone strikes against terrorist targets in the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the latest claims were made by Brant Philip, a senior Sahel conflict observer who tracks insurgents groups across West and Central Africa. In a series of posts on X, Philip alleged that a manned U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft flew multiple missions this weekend over Islamic…
THE Presidency has fired back at former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his recent criticism of the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity, accusing him of hypocrisy and reminding him that the Boko Haram insurgency began under his administration. In a issued sighted by News Point Nigeria on X, Sunday and titled “Between Tinubu’s Capability and the Ignobility of Pseudo Statesmanship,” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, condemned Obasanjo and other opposition figures for what he termed “ignoble attempts” to discredit the current administration’s security efforts. Dare’s remarks followed comments made by Obasanjo during an…
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded a fresh list of 32 ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation, expanding Nigeria’s proposed diplomatic roster just days after submitting an initial batch of three names. News Point Nigeria reports that the President’s latest request was conveyed in two separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. In the correspondence, Tinubu urged the Senate to “consider and confirm expeditiously” 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees who will represent Nigeria in key embassies and missions across the world. The combined list features 10 women, with four among the career diplomats and…
FOR years, as News Point Nigeria has repeatedly reported, the wail of sirens and the flash of police escorts slicing through gridlocked Nigerian roads stood as a loud reminder of VIP privilege. Anyone with enough influence or money could stroll into a police command, fill out a form, make the required payments, and walk away with their own armed entourage. From politicians to entertainers and even individuals of questionable repute, the Nigeria Police Force had become a status accessory. But on November 23, that long-running ease came to a sudden and historic stop. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued a directive…
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commisson (EFCC) has summoned the immediate past Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. News Point Nigeria reports that the agency’s invite was contained in a letter dated November 24. It fixed Friday, November 28, for the interview. “The Commission is investigating a case which the need to obtain certain information from you becomes imperative,” the letter, signed by Sunday Atiba Ofen-Imu, on behalf of the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, read. Friday’s meeting will be held at the EFCC Headquarters Institution and Research District, Jabi in Abuja, the nation’s capital. “In view of the above,…
PROMINENT Nigerians, including politicians, business leaders, and party executives, are now turning to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for personal protection following the withdrawal of over 11,566 police officers from VIP security duties nationwide. News Point Nigeria reports that the mass recall ordered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu marks one of the most extensive security reforms in years, aimed at redirecting overstretched police manpower to frontline communities battling rising insecurity, including recent kidnapping waves in Kwara, Kebbi, Niger, and parts of the North-West. Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, clarified that the…
THE Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has been indicted for widespread financial, procurement, and project execution breaches amounting to ₦2.69 billion, according to the newly released Auditor-General’s Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses in MDAs for 2022. News Point Nigeria reports that the comprehensive audit, which reviewed spending patterns, contract processes, and asset management practices across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) flagged the Police Force Headquarters for abandoned projects, irregular contract awards, questionable payments, and disbursement of funds for unexecuted works. One of the most damning findings involved 14 projects valued at ₦1,938,299,452.00, all listed as ongoing in the…
FORMER President, Goodluck Jonathan is among hundreds of foreign election observers currently stranded in Guinea Bissau following a dramatic military takeover that unfolded just hours before official presidential election results were expected to be announced. Jonathan, who arrived in the West African nation as head of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF) Election Observation Mission, has been unable to leave the country after the military seized power, shut down borders, and imposed a nationwide curfew. News Point Nigeria gathered that shortly after the coup announcement, panic-gripped observers and diplomats raced to the Osvaldo Vieira International Airport in an attempt to…
FEDERAL Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday suspended the Mandate Secretary for Education, Danlami Hayyo, after a controversial memo ordering the shutdown of government schools in Abuja circulated widely without approval from the minister. News Point Nigeria reports that the memo, signed by Aishatu Sani Alhassan, Director of School Services directed all public senior secondary schools in the FCT to close “on or before Friday, November 28, 2025,” citing unspecified security concerns. Principals were instructed to end academic activities immediately and dismiss students “in an orderly and safe manner.” The directive triggered anxiety among parents, teachers and students…
THE Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is facing serious scrutiny after the Auditor-General of the Federation reported that the agency spent N118.75 million in 2022 without providing mandatory supporting documents, raising fresh concerns about transparency, accountability, and adherence to public finance regulations. The revelations were contained in an 808-page federal audit report covering January to December 2022 obtained by News Point Nigeria, submitted to the National Assembly in September. The report flagged multiple irregularities within the CAC, ranging from undocumented expenditures to unaccounted-for government vehicles and improper legal payments. News Point Nigeria reports that part of the undocumented N118.75 million was…
THE Military High Command has opened an internal investigation into allegations that troops were redeployed shortly before bandits abducted 25 female students from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State. The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) announced the probe on Sunday following heightened public concern over the circumstances leading to the attack, which occurred days after intelligence warnings reportedly flagged the school as a possible target. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, the DHQ said the review would scrutinize troop deployment patterns, operational decisions, and intelligence handling…
A WAVE of criticism has trailed the absence of Northern governors at the 25th Anniversary celebration of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) held on Saturday in Kaduna, prompting the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF) to issue clarifications on what many had described as an unprecedented boycott. The event, which assembled some of the most influential figures in Northern Nigeria including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, representatives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, business moguls Aliko Dangote and Abdul Samad Rabiu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai, billionaire…
US President Donald Trump reignited political controversy on Friday after launching a harsh verbal attack on Nigeria, calling the country “a disgrace” and accusing its government of failing to protect Christian communities from extremist violence. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking during a conservative radio broadcast, Trump repeated allegations that Christians in Nigeria are facing “genocide” and warned that the United States could withdraw financial support if Abuja does not “do more” to curb attacks attributed to Islamist militants. “Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace,” Trump said on air. “They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s…
POPE Leo XIV has dismissed claims that Christians alone are being targeted in Nigeria’s security crisis, insisting that the country’s violence affects Christians, Muslims, and various communities across different regions. News Point Nigeria reports that the Pope made the remarks on Thursday while speaking with journalists as he departed his Castel Gandolfo residence in the Vatican. He was responding to a question from EWTN News about concerns in the West regarding the safety of Nigerian Christians. Addressing the issue, the pontiff said Nigeria’s complex insecurity challenges are driven by a combination of terrorism, economic stress, and deep-rooted struggles over land…
THE Federal Government has inaugurated Dr. Musa Babayo as the new Chairman of the Governing Board of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), signaling what officials described as a fresh phase of innovation, transparency, and accelerated road maintenance across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the inauguration, held Wednesday at the Conference Hall of the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja, was performed by the Minister of State for Works and Supervising Minister of FERMA, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, who described Babayo as a seasoned technocrat with a distinguished record in public service. Goronyo said Babayo’s leadership at the former…
A POWERFUL Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, met with U.S. Congressman Riley M. Moore in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to address escalating allegations of religious persecution and terrorism in Nigeria, a narrative that has gained significant traction in recent weeks within American political circles. News Point Nigeria reports that Congressman Moore, one of the U.S. lawmakers tasked by President Donald Trump to investigate alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria, described the engagement as “frank, honest, and productive.” He said the meeting focused heavily on religious violence, counterterrorism operations, security assistance, and the protection of vulnerable…
THE scheduled trial of two alleged senior Ansaru commanders, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, was stalled on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja following a dispute between the defence team and the Department of State Services (DSS) over access to the defendants. News Point Nigeria reports that the pair, considered high-ranking figures within Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), an Al-Qaeda-linked militant group were expected to face trial on a 32-count terrorism charge. But the proceedings were halted almost immediately after their defence counsel, Bala Dakum, informed the court that he had not been given the necessary documents…