Author: Sadiq Abdullateef

IN a major counterinsurgency success, troops of the Nigerian Army have intercepted Boko Haram terrorists attempting to plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on a critical bridge along the Dikwa–Marte road in Borno State. News Point Nigeria reports that the attempted sabotage, aimed at crippling troop movement and isolating communities, was thwarted after a heavy firefight forced the insurgents to abandon their mission and flee into the surrounding terrain. Two heavy-duty IEDs, alongside assault weapons, were recovered from the scene. The operation was part of a broader offensive by the Northeast Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, which has intensified efforts…

IN what appears to be a historic stretch of generosity unmatched in Nigeria’s political history, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has donated over ₦15 billion to victims of disasters, displaced families, widows, women, and the elderly in just over two years through her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), News Point Nigeria reports. On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, she was once again in the spotlight as she announced a ₦1 billion donation in Benue State, targeted at victims of the Yelewata’s attack, where over 100 lives were lost in June. Speaking at the New Banquet Hall of the Benue…

THE Federal Government has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to securing the release of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls and Leah Sharibu, assuring Nigerians that the girls remain a priority despite the passage of years. News Point Nigeria reports that Eleven years after Boko Haram’s mass abduction of 276 students from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, 87 girls are still believed to be in captivity. Likewise, Leah Sharibu, abducted in February 2018 alongside 109 other schoolgirls from Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi remains in Boko Haram custody after reportedly refusing to renounce her Christian faith. While her classmates…

THE decision by President Bola Tinubu to shower cash rewards and national honours on the Super Falcons following their victory at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) has drawn both praise and criticism, prompting a staunch defence from presidential aide Bayo Onanuga. News Point Nigeria reports that taking to his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, Onanuga, who serves as the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, defended the move, dismissing claims that the rewards were either excessive or politically motivated. He sought to contextualise the gesture by comparing it with the ₦150 million…

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has clarified that the emerging political coalition seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections is not centered around any single individual. Rather, he said, it is a pro-Nigeria movement aimed at rescuing the country’s democracy from creeping authoritarianism and electoral manipulation. Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, made the remarks through his media adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, during an interaction with journalists in Abuja on Monday. His comments come amidst rising speculation about who will emerge as the…

FORMER Borno State Governor and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has sparked political speculation following his revelation that Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, may soon return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to pursue his 2027 presidential ambition. Sheriff made the comment during an appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” on Monday, in a session monitored by News Point Nigeria. According to the former senator, credible information reaching him suggests that Obi, who recently joined a coalition of opposition figures under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) may dump the alliance and stage…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has honoured Nigeria’s Super Falcons with national awards, cash gifts and home allocations in recognition of their historic performance at the just-concluded Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where they lifted their 10th continental title. News Point Nigeria reports that in a grand reception held at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, on Monday, Tinubu conferred the prestigious national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on all 24 members of the victorious squad. The president also announced a cash reward of $100,000 (in naira equivalent) for each of the 24 players, alongside a…

THE United States Mission in Nigeria has issued a clear warning to Nigerians seeking to travel to the U.S. for the purpose of giving birth in order to obtain American citizenship for their children, a practice commonly referred to as “birth tourism.” In a public statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday sighted by News Point Nigeria, the U.S. Mission reiterated that entering the U.S. with the primary intention of delivering a baby to secure citizenship for the child is a misuse of the visa system and would result in a visa denial. “Using your visa…

WITH political alignments and power plays already underway ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Presidency has dismissed speculations surrounding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent meeting with New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, describing it as a normal and expected political engagement. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, made this clarification during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday monitored by News Point Nigeria, insisting that there is nothing illegal or unusual about politicians talking across party lines especially those with longstanding relationships like Tinubu and Kwankwaso. “Politicians…

FORMER Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has publicly distanced himself from ongoing claims by Ghanaian billionaire and businessman, Sir Sam Jonah, that he (Obasanjo) personally allocated 501 hectares of land in Abuja for the development of the now controversial River Park Estate. In a letter dated July 10, 2025, addressed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) obtained by News Point Nigeria, Obasanjo categorically denied any such land allocation, describing Jonah’s claim as “absolutely untrue, fictitious, misleading and libellous.” The IGP’s inquiry, made on July 4, 2025, sought to verify claims made by Jonah, a respected international business figure and Knight…

THE political landscape of Adamawa State continues to witness major shifts as Senator Muhammad Umar Jibrilla Bindow, a former governor and influential grassroots politician, has officially announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and declared for the African Democratic Congress (ADC). In a letter dated 21st July, 2025, and addressed to the PDP Ward Chairman of Kolere Ward, Mubi North Local Government Area, Adamu Iya, Bindow tendered his resignation, effectively ending his two-year relationship with the party. The letter, which was obtained by News Point Nigeria, reads in part: “Please accept this letter as a formal notification of…

TWELVE days after the funeral of Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, his widow, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, and their children have officially returned to Kaduna State, where they were warmly received by government officials in a show of solidarity and continued respect for the late statesman. News Point Nigeria former First Lady, accompanied by her son, Yusuf Buhari, daughter, Zahra Buhari and other family members, arrived at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Kaduna, on Sunday, July 27, 2025, from Daura, their hometown in Katsina State where President Buhari was laid to rest. Their return marks the end of the immediate mourning…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, bestow the prestigious Presidential NYSC Honours Award on 210 former members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in recognition of their outstanding service during their national assignments between 2020 and 2023. According to a statement released by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the NYSC, Emeka Rems Mgbemena made availlable to News Point Nigeria, the awardees comprise 200 ex-Corps members who excelled across the NYSC’s four core programmes: Orientation Course, Primary Assignment, Community Development Service (CDS), and Winding-Up/Passing-Out. In addition, ten ex-Corps members who sustained permanent disabilities…

TWELVE states have collectively earmarked over N102 billion in their 2025 budgets to renovate official residences, purchase fleets of luxury vehicles, and upgrade VIP government facilities, an investigation by News Point Nigeria has revealed. The allocations, which appear in the capital expenditure breakdowns of the states’ Q1 budget performance reports, cover lavish spending on Toyota Prado SUVs, Jeep models, Hilux pickups, and high-end sedans like Toyota Camry and Corolla. Also included are substantial amounts for lodge construction, guest house refurbishments, and official quarters. Leading the chart is Lagos State, which budgeted about N33 billion, with N20.67 billion going to vehicle…

ONCE seen as Nigeria’s gold standard for credible and professional statistics, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is increasingly under public scrutiny,. News Point Nigeria reports that Nigerians across economic classes are voicing doubts over recent NBS figures on inflation, employment, and crime claiming they no longer reflect the reality on the ground. This erosion of trust has been particularly evident since early 2025, when the NBS introduced a rebased Consumer Price Index (CPI) that showed inflation plummeting from 34.8% in December 2024 to 24.48% in January. While the announcement suggested a welcome drop, Nigerians at the markets saw no…

THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) has claimed that intimidation from the Federal Government is preventing sitting governors from joining its growing political coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. Speaking at the third plenary session of the Northern Political Consultative Group (NPCG) in Abuja on Saturday, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, said fear and pressure were discouraging governors from aligning with the opposition movement. “No serving governor would be willing to cross over because of the intimidation they are facing,” Abdullahi stated. He said some governors who could not formally defect were resorting to…

MINISTER of Works, David Umahi, has called on former Kano State governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to apologise to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for accusing the administration of favouring the South in its infrastructural projects. In a strongly worded statement shared on Saturday via the X handle of Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Umahi described Kwankwaso’s comments as divisive, misleading, and unfounded. “To my brother, Senator Kwankwaso, you owe our President Tinubu an apology and a duty to withdraw your statement using the information I have provided herein for the benefit of Nigerians…

A WAVE of panic has swept through the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom following the UK government’s drastic overhaul of its immigration policies, which includes the removal of over 100 job roles from the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) eligibility list for Skilled Worker visas. News Point Nigeria reports that the new regulations, which took effect on July 22, 2025, are part of the UK’s broader strategy to curb legal migration. They include raising the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visas from approximately £26,000 to £41,700, and delisting several roles previously available to foreign workers. Among the removed occupations are…

THE House of Representatives Joint Committees on Public Accounts and Public Assets have issued a stern warning to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Michael Cardoso, over his repeated failure to honour their invitations and comply with statutory financial directives. In a joint statement released Friday made available to News Point Nigeria, Hon. Bamidele Salam (Chairman, Public Accounts Committee) and Hon. Ademorin Kuye (Chairman, Public Assets Committee) revealed that the National Assembly may resort to invoking its constitutional powers to issue a warrant of arrest against the apex bank chief. “The continued disregard for lawful invitations…

THE Presidency has firmly rejected claims by Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), that Northern Nigeria is being sidelined under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. In a statement issued on Friday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare made available to News Point Nigeria, said the allegations were baseless and inaccurate, asserting that the North remains a top priority for the federal government. “The claim that Northern Nigeria has been left behind is incorrect,” Dare stated. “The Tinubu administration has initiated and is continuing several landmark…