Author: Sadiq Abdullateef

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a new campus of the Nigeria Police Academy in Erinja, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, alongside a N15 billion take-off grant to support its development. According to a statement sent to News Point Nigeria by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s approval, announced on Monday also coincided with the reconstitution of the 16-member governing council of the Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State, with the Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, appointed as chairman. The approval for the new…

A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday admitted nine documentary exhibits against a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, his wife, Hajiya Bashir Asabe, and his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, in an ongoing alleged money laundering trial. News Point Nigeria reports that the presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, admitted the documents after they were tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its fourth prosecution witness. The anti-graft agency is prosecuting the defendants on an amended 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, procuring, disguising, concealing, and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities totalling…

THE far-reaching implications of a landmark court ruling in France against Lafarge come sharply into focus, raising pressing and unavoidable questions for Nigeria, where the cement giant continues to maintain a significant industrial footprint despite the country’s prolonged and costly battle with terrorism. The development has stirred debate around corporate accountability, national security sensitivities, and regulatory oversight, as News Point Nigeria examines the facts and the emerging concerns surrounding the issue. A French court has found Lafarge guilty of financing “terrorism” through its Syrian subsidiary, imposing fines on the company and sentencing its former top executives to prison terms. The…

ON the ever-changing chessboard of Kano politics, few moves in recent weeks have carried as much weight and strategic significance as the return of Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, a former governor, former minister, and former senator to the All Progressives Congress (APC). For hundreds of thousands of politically conscious Kano residents and long-time observers, this development goes far beyond a routine defection. It signals a recalibration of political strength, a reordering of influence, and a defining moment that could shape the trajectory of Kano’s politics as the 2027 elections draw closer. The groundwork for this pivotal shift had been quietly unfolding…

NIGERIA’s deepening subnational debt crisis came into sharp focus in recent days, as rising borrowings, uneven fiscal discipline, and mounting economic pressures continue to reshape the financial outlook of the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Fresh data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) shows that the domestic debt stock of Nigeria’s states and the FCT increased by a significant N392.41 billion between December 2024 and December 2025, highlighting a steady upward trajectory in subnational borrowing despite ongoing economic challenges and repeated calls for fiscal prudence. A detailed analysis by News Point Nigeria reveals that total…

AFTER a damning report by News Point Nigeria exposed how billions of naira in Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds were left unutilised by state governments, Kaduna, Osun and nine other states have now moved to access the intervention funds, with the commission disbursing a total of N44.24 billion as matching grants. The development, which followed sustained scrutiny triggered by the News Point Nigeria story on abandoned UBEC funds, signals a shift from inaction to partial compliance, as some state governments begin to tap into resources meant to address Nigeria’s deepening education crisis. According to the UBEC disbursement schedule documents…

A FEDERAL Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday, April 16, 2026, issued a decisive warrant of arrest against former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, and former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, over their repeated failure to appear in court for arraignment in an alleged high-profile financial misconduct case. News Point Nigeria reports that the ruling, delivered by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accused the defendants of deliberately evading arraignment despite being duly served with charges and court…

A LEAKED internal memo has raised fresh concerns over security in the Federal Capital Territory, with indications that Boko Haram insurgents may be planning coordinated attacks on critical infrastructure in Abuja and neighbouring Niger State. The document, reportedly issued by the Nigeria Customs Service and obtained by News Point Nigeria, identified key potential targets including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and a correctional facility within Abuja. The report also referenced a military detention centre in nearby Niger State as part of the suspected plot. According to a reliable source at the Customs headquarter, who spoke to News Point Nigeria on…

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 elections will emerge through a consensus arrangement, as he reaffirmed that the next election cycle will mark the final chapter of his political career. Speaking during an interview on ARISE TV on Wednesday monitored by News Point Nigeria, the ADC chieftain explained that consensus remains the preferred pathway for selecting the party’s flagbearer, although primary elections remain an alternative if consensus fails. “The first option will be to work out a consensus. If that doesn’t work out, then we will go…

AFRICA’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has been named in TIME Magazine’s prestigious list of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2026, standing out as the only Nigerian to make the global ranking this year. News Point Nigeria reports that the recognition marks Dangote’s second appearance on the TIME100 list, following his first inclusion in 2014, when Bill Gates wrote a profile celebrating his industrial impact. The 2026 list, released on Wednesday, highlights individuals shaping global conversations across business, politics, culture, religion, and technology. Other notable figures featured on this year’s list include Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Benjamin…

FORMER Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has declared that his anticipated bid for the presidency in 2027 will mark his final attempt to lead Nigeria, signalling what could be the closing chapter of a long-standing political ambition. News Point Nigeria reports that Atiku, who has contested for the nation’s highest office multiple times, made the disclosure during an exclusive interview with ARISE TV, where he reflected on his political future and the stakes ahead. Responding to a question on whether turning 80 by 2027 would heighten the significance of the race for him, the former vice-president said it would likely be his…

FORMER Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to a five-count amended charge bordering on alleged illegal possession of firearms filed against them by the Federal Government. News Point Nigeria reports that the Department of State Services (DSS) had earlier, on February 3, 2026, arraigned the defendants on a five-count charge involving allegations of terrorism financing, aiding terrorism, and illegal possession of firearms. Malami was also accused of failing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers during his time in office, in addition to allegations of unlawful possession of…

NIGERIA recorded no fewer than 3,381,228 internally displaced persons (IDPs) across 14 states in 2023, with Borno and Benue states accounting for the largest share, according to the latest Demographic Bulletin released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The report, unveiled in Abuja, paints a broad picture of displacement, population distribution, health indicators, and migration trends, offering critical data to guide policy formulation and national planning. News Point Nigeria reports that according to the bulletin, Borno State alone accounted for 1,711,481 displaced persons, representing 50.62 per cent of the total IDP population in the country. Benue followed with 394,567…

IT has been twelve years since the mass abduction that shocked Nigeria and the world, when Boko Haram insurgents stormed a secondary school in Chibok on April 14, 2014, and seized more than 200 schoolgirls in a single night. The incident not only redefined Nigeria’s security crisis but also ignited a global movement for justice and accountability. More than a decade later, the scars remain deeply etched. Out of the girls taken that night, dozens are still in captivity, a grim reminder that the crisis remains unresolved. For many families, time has not healed wounds; it has only deepened uncertainty.…

THE planned national convention of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been thrown into uncertainty just hours before its scheduled commencement, following allegations by the party that there are moves to deny it access to its venue despite a valid agreement and full payment. In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria on the eve of the convention, the ADC alleged that the owner of the proposed venue had come under intense pressure to withdraw from the arrangement. According to the party, the management of Rainbow Event Centre informed it that it was being pressured by the Federal Capital Development…

TROOPS of the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation Hadin Kai, have arrested a 15-year-old suspect over his alleged involvement in a deadly attack in Borno State, News Point Nigeria has gathered. The suspect, identified simply as Tijjani Madu, was apprehended on Sunday while reportedly on his way to purchase food for members of his group. A reliable military source told News Point Nigeria that Tijjani is linked to the attack that resulted in the killing of Oseni Braimah, a brigadier general, along with several other soldiers. Braimah, who was the commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade under Operation Hadin…

THE Nigerian Army troops under Operation Hadin Kai have defended their decision to strike a suspected terrorist location in Jilli Village, Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State, even as controversy continues to trail reports of civilian casualties. News Point Nigeria had earlier reported that no fewer than 50 people were feared killed after a military airstrike hit a weekly market at Jilli village, located along the border between Borno and Yobe states, on Saturday evening. The incident, which occurred at the popular Jilli Market between the Gubio and Geidam areas, reportedly threw traders and residents into panic as multiple…

US President, Donald Trump has ordered the United States Navy to begin a takeover and blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following a breakdown in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme. In a  statement released on Sunday, Trump said that while talks had made progress on several issues, they ultimately failed to resolve what he described as the “only point that really mattered”—Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “Effective immediately, the United States Navy… will begin the process of taking over and blockading any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump declared, describing the move as…

A PROMINENT chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ibrahim Ali Amin, popularly known as Ibrahim Little, has unveiled a sweeping political and governance vision ahead of the 2027 Kano governorship race, promising a youth-driven administration anchored on human capital development, social welfare expansion, and economic inclusion. Speaking with select journalists in Kano, Ali Amin, who is positioning himself as one of the leading aspirants for the ADC governorship ticket, presented himself as a seasoned politician whose decades in public life have shaped his conviction that the future of governance must be firmly rooted in youth inclusion and empowerment. On…

THE Federal Government has published a list of 48 individuals and organisations allegedly linked to terrorism financing in Nigeria, as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle financial networks supporting insecurity across the country. News Point Nigeria reports that the list, released on Saturday, April 11, 2026, by the Nigeria Sanctions Committee (NiGSAC), was also uploaded on the committee’s official website, nigsac.gov.ng. It names persons and entities suspected of involvement in terrorism-related activities, including affiliations with proscribed groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ansarul Sudan, and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Among those listed is Simon…