Author: Sadiq Abdullateef

WHEN President Donald Trump threatened military action against Nigeria, few could have predicted that a single social media post would ignite a diplomatic storm reaching across continents, drawing some of the world’s most powerful nations into a tense debate over sovereignty, religion, and security. What began as a stark declaration by the United States President quickly evolved into a high-stakes international drama, with Nigeria suddenly thrust into the global spotlight. In the unfolding crisis, News Point Nigeria has closely analyzed how the situation has drawn not only Washington and Abuja into a tangled web of accusations and counterclaims but also…

AS the debate over alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria lingers, President Bola Tinubu has met with the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. News Point Nigeria reports that the Sultan, who serves as head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, is the spiritual leader of the Muslim community in the country. The President met with the Sultan in his office at the State House. Also in the meeting are the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The crux of the meeting is not…

THE BBC has cast doubt on the credibility of data used to arrive at the conclusion that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria. News Point Nigeria reports that the religious persecution narrative gained traction after the address of Vice President Kashim Shettima at the last United Nations General Assembly. Shettima had said the situation in Gaza was “heart-wrenching” and demanded an immediate ceasefire that would birth Palestinians independence and a home of their own on territories already recognised by the UN and international law. He said a two-state solution remains the most viable path to peace and warned that continued…

THE United States military has reportedly developed operational plans for possible airstrikes in Nigeria, following President Donald Trump’s directive to the Pentagon to “prepare to intervene” over alleged persecution of Christians in the country, The New York Times revealed on Thursday. According to the report, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) submitted a range of military options to the Department of Defense after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth requested actionable strategies in line with Trump’s order. Senior military officials, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, disclosed that the proposed missions were drafted under three operational frameworks: heavy,…

UNITED States lawmakers have called for sweeping punitive measures against individuals and organisations in Nigeria including the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore over alleged involvement in widespread religious persecution and human-rights abuses. The call is contained in a resolution introduced before the US House of Representatives on Wednesday sighted by News Point Nigeria on the Congress official website. The motion, filed as H. Res. 860 in the ongoing 119th Congress, was sponsored by Representative Christopher Smith, with Representative Paul Huizenga as co-sponsor. The lawmakers urged the US Departments of State and Treasury…

FORMER Kano State Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has vowed to remain in politics for the rest of his life, insisting that political participation is both a civic and spiritual duty aimed at delivering credible leadership for the country. News Point Nigeria reports that Shekarau stated this on Wednesday during a media interactive session at his Mundubawa residence in Kano, as part of activities marking his 70th birthday celebration, where he reflected on his political journey, Nigeria’s challenges, and the future of opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general elections. The former Minister of Education said his interest in politics is…

AGAIN, the Federal Government on Wednesday rejected the United States Government’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged violations of religious freedom, insisting that the classification was based on “misinformation and faulty data.” Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, FNIPR, addressed a crowded press briefing at the National Press Centre, Abuja, saying the US stance undermines the enormous progress made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in combating terrorism and securing communities across the country. Idris also dismissed the growing rhetoric of military intervention against Nigeria by US President Donald Trump, noting that…

TENSION has escalated between Nigeria and the United States after President Donald Trump doubled down on his threat to launch a military operation in Nigeria over alleged widespread killings of Christians. News Point Nigeria reports that speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday, Trump said he was considering all military options, including boots on the ground and air strikes as part of a possible US intervention in Nigeria. “Could be. I mean, a lot of things, I envisage a lot of things,” Trump responded when specifically asked if US troops could be deployed in Nigeria. In recent weeks,…

A POTENTIALLY incendiary diplomatic showdown is brewing between Nigeria and the United States as a draft U.S. bill proposes targeted sanctions against a group of Nigerian public officials, including 12 northern governors, senior judges and traditional rulers, over alleged complicity in religious persecution. News Point Nigeria observed that the legislation; the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 backed by Republican Senator Ted Cruz and reported to be circulating on Capitol Hill, would require the U.S. Secretary of State to produce a list of Nigerian officials who, in the view of the bill’s sponsors, have “promoted, enacted, or maintained blasphemy…

THE Presidency has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains firmly ahead of what it describes as “an orchestrated game unfolding in America,” following threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to launch military action in Nigeria over alleged widespread killings of Christians. News Point Nigeria reports that Trump, in a series of statements over the weekend, warned that the United States would cut off aid, label Nigeria a pariah, and could deploy troops “guns-a-blazing” if the Nigerian government fails to halt what he termed “horrible atrocities” against Christians. He ordered the newly renamed Department of War to “prepare for possible action.”…

THE United States President, Donald Trump, has issued a stark warning to Nigeria to stop the alleged killing of Christians or face potential U.S. military intervention. Trump, in a statement posted late Saturday on his Truth Social platform sighted by News Point Nigeria, ordered the U.S. Department of War to begin preparations for what he called “possible action” if attacks on Christians continue. He also threatened to cut all forms of aid to Nigeria. “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has strongly countered United States President Donald Trump’s claim that Nigeria is facing widespread religious persecution, insisting that the country remains committed to protecting freedom of worship for all citizens. Trump, in a social media post on Friday, redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and alleged that Christians in the country were being systematically targeted and killed. He wrote: “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed.” However, in a firm response issued via his official social media account sighted by News Point Nigeria on Saturday, President Tinubu…

NIGERIA’s intelligence community has expanded its investigation into alleged subversive activities aimed at undermining the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with four influential former militant leaders and a retired top amnesty official now placed under close surveillance. According to credible intelligence sources, who spoke to News Point Nigeria, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) are jointly monitoring these individuals, who have been classified as “Persons of Specific Concern” (PSC) due to their suspected links with detained senior military officers currently under interrogation. Security insiders revealed that: three of the ex-militant commanders were once…

FRESH revelations have emerged regarding a group of 16 military officers detained over their alleged roles in a rumored plot to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Security and military sources confirmed that 14 of the detainees are personnel of the Nigerian Army, including a brigadier general, a colonel, four lieutenant colonels, five majors, two captains, and one lieutenant. Additionally, a Lieutenant Commander from the Nigerian Navy and a Squadron Leader from the Nigerian Air Force both equivalent to the rank of major were apprehended. Most of the arrested Army officers are from the Infantry Corps, the military’s strategic combat…

FRESH revelations have emerged in the ongoing military investigation into an alleged plot to remove President Bola Tinubu from office, as intelligence operatives reportedly uncovered suspicious cash flows amounting to N45 billion traced to accounts linked to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The funds were allegedly disbursed to politically exposed persons and some of the military officers currently detained over the purported conspiracy, multiple security sources confirmed on Wednesday. This development comes weeks after an online platform reported that 16 military officers; spanning the ranks of Captain to Brigadier General were arrested for planning a coup. The online platform…

THIS is a catalogue of lies spewed by the embattled Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, recently during media interviews, particularly that of BBC Hausa broadcast on October 3, 2025. The fact-check was conducted through reviews of records, correspondence, reports, discreet interviews, among others.  CLAIM 1: Secured N19 billion reduction (N200,000 per pilgrim) for 2026 Hajj negotiations.                                                                  …

THERE was drama at the National Assembly on Wednesday after officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) stormed out of an investigative hearing, prompting the House of Representatives to order their arrest. News Point Nigeria reports that the incident occurred during a session held by the House Committee on Basic Education and Examination Bodies, convened to investigate issues surrounding accountability and operational practices in the examination body. Matters escalated when JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who had been invited multiple times again failed to appear in person. Instead, he sent a Director, Mufutau Bello, to represent him. Soon…

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reversed the controversial presidential pardon earlier granted to Maryam Sanda, the woman convicted for killing her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, in their Abuja home in 2017. The President has now commuted her death sentence to 12 years imprisonment, a decision that will see her spend about six additional years in custody. News Point Nigeria earlier reported that Sanda, 37, has been dropped from the list of beneficiaries of presidential pardon after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved an amended version of the Clemency and Prerogative of Mercy list earlier forwarded for implementation. But according to an updated…

CONVICTED husband-killer, Maryam Sanda, has been dropped from the list of beneficiaries of presidential pardon after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved an amended version of the Clemency and Prerogative of Mercy list earlier forwarded for implementation. Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for the murder of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, had reportedly appeared on an earlier draft of the list, sparking widespread public outrage. Her exclusion confirms that the Federal Government has now bowed to intense public pressure and security considerations. According to a statement on Wednesday sent to News Point Nigeria, Special Adviser to the President on…

THE Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) has intensified its investigation into an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, with military operatives reportedly interrogating a Managing Director of a Federal Government agency over suspicious financial transactions allegedly linked to the planned coup. Two top intelligence officials confirmed to this newspaper that the unnamed MD from the South-South region was arrested after transferring a “huge sum of money” to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Bayelsa Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, who is now being probed as one of the alleged financiers of the coup plot. Investigators are said to be…