Author: News Point Nigeria

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has arrived in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, ahead of the 17th Summit of BRICS countries. The president’s aircraft touched down at the Galeão Air Force Base at 8:45 p.m. on Friday, where he was received by the commander of the base, Brazil’s deputy minister for Africa and the Middle East, Ambassador Carlos Sergio Sobral Duarte, and the deputy minister for trade promotion, science, technology, innovation, and culture. President Tinubu is attending the summit at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, on the strength of Nigeria’s status as a ‘partner country’- a membership…

THE Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, has given conditions based on which the Red Chamber would reinstate suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. Adaramodu who reacted to the ruling of a Federal High Court on the matter, made it clear that the Red Chamber would not immediately reinstate senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, until she apologises as directed by court. Adaramodu said that the court judgment did not override the Senate’s constitutional powers to discipline its members. In March, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months over alleged gross misconduct, following her face-off with the Senate…

OSUN State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has dismissed rumours suggesting his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insisting he remains a loyal member and the party’s leader in the state. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Governor Ademola Adeleke — who defeated APC candidate Gboyega Oyetola in the 2022 Osun governorship election — clarified his political stance amid growing speculation over a possible defection. “Over the last few hours, I have been inundated with calls regarding rumours of a possible defection. I want to assure the good people of Osun State and Nigerians at large; I remain…

THE Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, earlier today, led dignitaries, including Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, to the wedding Fatiha of Farouk Said Alkali, son of the Minister of Transport, Senator Said Ahmed Alkali. The wedding fatiha between Farouk Said Alkali and his bride, Salaha Abdulazeez Mohammed Yola, took place at the Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna. Governor Inuwa Yahaya, alongside his counterparts from Kaduna and Katsina, ministers, National Assembly members, prominent politicians, and traditional rulers, joined in celebrating the joyous occasion which unites the Alkali’s and  Mohammed Yola’s families in matrimony. At…

THE Rivers State Women Association of Nigeria (RIVSWAN) has condemned what it described as an “unwarranted and malicious attack” by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, against former First Lady of Rivers State, Dame Judith Amaechi. The group, through its acting president, Ichechi Welendu, was reacting to a recent claim made by the FCT Minister on a national television programme, where he alleged that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was paying Dame Amaechi ₦4 billion monthly to train Niger Delta women. In a strongly worded statement, RIVSWAN described Wike’s claims as “baseless falsehoods driven by bitterness,…

THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) is ramping up its political maneuvers ahead of the 2027 general elections, with strong indications that it is courting at least five serving governors most of whom belong to the crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Findings by News Point Nigeria suggest that the ADC, now officially adopted as the platform for a growing coalition of opposition leaders, is quietly positioning itself to become the dominant vehicle for anti-APC forces. Multiple sources within the coalition disclosed that some PDP governors had already pledged their allegiance to the coalition but were biding their time, waiting for the…

A NIGERIAN national fighting on the side of Russian forces in Ukraine has been captured by the Freedom of Russia Legion, a group of Russian fighters aligned with Ukraine. The individual, identified as 29-year-old Kehinde Oluwagbemileke, was taken prisoner in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to a report by Ukraine’s “I Want to Live” project. The organisation, which assists Russian soldiers and foreign fighters in surrendering, stated that Kehinde had been living in Russia for four years and was involved in drug-related offences before being arrested. Rather than serve time under Article 228 of the Russian Criminal Code, he reportedly accepted…

A NIGERIAN cyclist, Emmanuel Myam, popularly known as Emmiwuks, has set off on a solo bicycle journey from Lagos to the United States of America (USA). Riding a bicycle from Nigeria to the United States of America is roughly 5,327 miles (8,573 kilometres). There is no continuous land connection between Nigeria and the U.S due to the Atlantic Ocean. He will cycle through regions like the Sahara Desert and conflict zones in Africa. He is also going to ship the bike across the Atlantic (e.g., to South America) and continue north through Central America. Different factors, including inclement weather, shipping…

THE Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has appealed to the Federal Government to release the report of the forensic audit carried out on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Wike made the call during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria, while speaking on the performance of a former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, as a Minister of Transport under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. He claimed the report was shelved to protect those who might be indicted in any form of fraud. Wike also accused the…

THE Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, has led a delegation on a condolence visit to the family of the late business mogul and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, in Kano. Governor Inuwa Yahaya was received by the eldest son of the deceased, Alhaji Tajdeen Aminu Dantata, alongside elder statesman, Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura and other members of the Dantata family at the family residence in Koki, Kano. While delivering his condolences, Governor Inuwa Yahaya described the late iconic businessman and scion of the legendary Dantata dynasty as a deeply…

THE most trending topic in the political space in the last 10 days is the resignation of the All Progressive Congress chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje and the adoption of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by the opposition coalition. When I first heard of the resignation of Ganduje I thought it was fake news because we are in the era of fake news. You have to double check to confirm that a news is real. Immediately I saw it I knew the 2027 chess game has begun. My thoughts on this? I think we’re witnessing the same old politicians playing musical chairs…

SUPER Eagles captain Ahmed Musa has been appointed as the general manager of Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) side Kano Pillars. The appointment was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday by the spokesperson to Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa. According to the statement, Musa’s appointment follows a series of consultations with key football stakeholders as part of broader efforts to reposition the club ahead of the 2025/2026 NPFL season. Musa, Nigeria’s most capped international with 111 appearances for the Super Eagles, returns to a club where he previously enjoyed success as a player. His…

MARCUS Rashford, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia, and Jadon Sancho have informed Manchester United that they want no part in the clubside in the coming season. The players had fallen down the pecking order with the arrival of Ruben Amorim in November last year. The news of their planned departure was announced by sports journalist Fabrizio Romano on his official X platform on Friday. ”BREAKING: Marcus Rashford, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia, and Jadon Sancho have all informed Manchester United they wish to leave.” ”Man Utd have delayed their return date until later in July to allow them time to…

THE United Nations human rights office has said it recorded at least 613 killings of Palestinians, both at controversial aid points run by the Israeli and United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and near humanitarian convoys. “This is a figure as of June 27. Since then … there have been further incidents,” Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters in Geneva on Friday. The OHCHR said 509 of the 613 people were killed near GHF distribution points. The Gaza Health Ministry has put the number of deaths at more…

A HUGE explosion at a petrol station in a Rome suburb on Friday left 45 people hurt, two of them seriously, and rattled windows across the Italian capital. The blast around 8:20 am (0620 GMT) was preceded by a fire caused by a gas leak during refueling, according to Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Gualtieri visited the charred and smoking remains of the petrol and liquified natural gas (LNG) station and an adjacent sports centre in the Prenestino neighbourhood of eastern Rome. The explosion sent a fireball and thick black smoke into the air, and was heard on the other side…

BURKINA Faso has withdrawn the licences of four foreign NGOs to operate in the junta-led country and suspended two other associations, according to decrees seen by AFP on Friday. The decrees dated mid-June cited a government minister as saying the decision against the four NGOs was due to formality breaches. Burkina’s military junta, which seized power in a September 2022 coup, has made the return of national sovereignty one of its priorities. Authorities regularly repress dissent, notably within civil society and the media, claiming it as part of the battle against jihadist violence that has plagued the west African country…

THE Namibian government has announced a temporary ban on state funerals amid criticism over the rising costs of these burials. Only President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has the power to exempt funerals from the moratorium, the government said. Minister of Information and Communication Technology Emma Theofelus made the announcement following a Cabinet meeting earlier this week. She said the moratorium would last until April 2026, while a review committee looks into the “criteria and processes associated with bestowing official funerals”. Ms Theofelus told the BBC that a committee consisting of “no more than seven members” would be established to lead the review.…

THREE years after Nigerian financial institutions restricted international transactions on naira-denominated debit cards, a gradual but notable shift is underway. At least three major banks; United Bank for Africa (UBA), Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), and Wema Bank have reactivated international transaction capabilities on their naira cards, allowing customers to once again make foreign payments from their local accounts. The decision marks a turning point in Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with foreign exchange liquidity, which had prompted banks to suspend dollar-denominated transactions using naira cards since mid-2022. Between July 2022 and January 2023, several commercial banks and fintech platforms halted…

THE Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has admitted that he truly owns a Rolls-Royce car and that nobody gave him the luxury vehicle. Wike said this while replying to the former Governor of Rivers, Rotimi Amaechi, that he had a luxury car and the minister was corrupt on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria. He also claimed that he is not from a poor background like Amaechi while explaining that he used a Mercedes-Benz when he was a student. “I have a Rolls-Royce; nobody gave it to me; I bought it for…

THE Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has suspended one of its members, Mr. Steve Osuji, for violating the “off the record” provision in the Code of Ethics for journalists in Nigeria. In a press statement by Mr. Eze Anaba (President) and Mr. Onuoha Ukeh (General Secretary), the Guild stated that there was an agreement that the keynote address delivered by the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, at its 25th Biennial National Convention in Enugu, was off-the-record and not for publication. The Guild said that despite anouncement of this agreement, “a senior journalist and member…