Author: Sani Nura

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Bauchi State during the 2023 election, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (rtd.), might have resigned his membership from the party, just as he was seen at the inaugural meeting of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Abuja on Wednesday. A source close to Sadique told our correspondent that he is yet to make a public announcement but, “Certainly, he was at the ADC meeting today in Abuja. He would not have been at the gathering if he was not joining the coalition.” Also, in a video clip obtained by our correspondent, the retired…

ABOUT eight weekly markets in Yobe East Senatorial District have reportedly been shut down following renewed attacks by suspected Boko Haram insurgents across parts of the region. Findings by Channels Television revealed that commercial activities were halted last week at Bumsa Market in Gulani Local Government Area, as well as Goniri, Gujba, and Katarko markets in Gujba Local Government Area. Similarly, trading did not take place at Katarko Thursday Market and Kukareta Tuesday Market in Damaturu LGA, along with the popular Geidam Wednesday Market in Geidam LGA. However, the Yobe State Government, in a statement issued through the Security Adviser…

GOMBE State has once again affirmed its status as one of Nigeria’s most reform-driven subnational governments by emerging 4th nationwide in the latest national assessment of digital maturity in tax administration. The ranking was unveiled during a high-level Validation Workshop on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Intelligence Revenue Authority (IRA) Index Tools, organized by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in Abuja. According to the report, Gombe State earned an impressive score of 80.6%, receiving outstanding ratings across all parameters used to evaluate the digital capabilities of the 36 states and the…

THE National Coordinator for Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, on Tuesday, disclosed that the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has submitted his single-tenure proposal to the opposition coalition for consideration. Tanko made the revelation during the conferment of a chieftaincy title of ‘Sarki Maskan’ (War Hero) on the former Anambra State governor and a commendation letter in recognition of his selfless service and dedication to the Pantami community in Gombe. The former media aide to Obi was also decorated with the title of ‘Dan Maje Babba Pantanmi’ and a commendation letter signed by the…

DETAILS have emerged on how notorious bandit kingpin Kachalla Yellow Danbokolo died over the weekend in Zamfara State after an earlier gun battle with Shinkafi Volunteer Forces in the state. Kachalla Yellow’s death was wildly celebrated in Zamfara State and many parts of the North-West states as many locales know him as one of the most dreaded bandits in the zone, even more dangerous than his cousin, Bello Turji, whom they describe as a mere spokesperson. Security sources told News Point Nigeria that Kachalla Yellow and more than 173 bandits were killed after the blistering surprise attack by the volunteer…

THE Kebbi State Government has confirmed that a group of armed bandits attacked a Mobile Police Post in Makuku in the Zuru Local Government Area of the state, and made away with some rifles. The Director of Security at the Cabinet Office, Abdulrahman Zagga, disclosed this to journalists on Saturday. According to Zagga, the mobile police post, which was manned by visiting officers, came under heavy attack from a large group of bandits. Despite engaging the attackers in a gun battle, the officers were overpowered. “The bandits burned a Toyota Hilux patrol vehicle belonging to the unit and escaped with…

NORTHERN Governors have expressed deep sorrow over the demise of renowned business magnate and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, who died at the age of 94. The Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum and Governor of Gombe State,  Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON,  in a condolence message on behalf of his colleagues, described the death of the Kano-born industrialist as a monumental national loss and the end of a remarkable era. He noted that the deceased was one of Africa’s wealthiest and most respected private sector figures. “It is with profound sorrow and a deep sense of national loss that…

A FIERCE gun battle between the Civilian Joint Task Force and bandits led by the notorious kingpin, Bello Turji, has reportedly left scores of people dead in the Chida community, in the Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. According to security sources, the confrontation occurred when a combined team of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) operatives and an ex-bandit, Bashir Maniya, on Monday, launched a counter-banditry operation into Fakai general area, a known stronghold of the bandits’ kingpin in the state. The source disclosed that in response, Bello Turji mobilised a large number of heavily armed fighters to confront…

FOLLOWING renewed attacks by armed bandits in parts of Kebbi, the state government has announced plans to review existing laws to impose the death penalty or life imprisonment on convicted informants aiding the criminals. Governor Nasiru Idris made this known on Tuesday during condolence visits to Tadurga village in Zuru and Kyebu in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Areas, both recently targeted by bandits in attacks that claimed 30 lives. Describing informants as “deadly to society,” Governor Idris reaffirmed his administration’s zero-tolerance stance on insecurity and promised to treat the issue with utmost seriousness. To bolster security, the governor revealed that arrangements…

THE Gombe State Government has approved the sum of 21.2 billion Naira for the construction of the long-anticipated Northern Bypass Road, aimed at decongesting traffic, enhancing interconnectivity, and unlocking economic opportunities across the state. This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Ethical Orientation, Hon. Mijinyawa Ardo Tilde, during a media briefing shortly after the 48th State Executive Council (SEC) meeting, presided over by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, at the Council Chamber of the Government House. Providing further insight into the project, the Commissioner for Works, Housing, and Transport, Engr. Usman Maijama’a Kallamu, revealed that the newly…

THE Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has held a sub-national stakeholders’ engagement session and a statewide Town Hall Meeting in Gombe, aimed at assessing the state’s performance on business enabling reforms and strengthening alignment with national economic initiatives. The session, which brought together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, was designed to deepen the implementation of the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) and promote inclusive growth through improved regulatory environments at the state level. Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, represented by the Commissioner for Finance, Muhammad Gambo Magaji, described the engagement as both timely and strategic.…

THE Taraba State government has described as misleading the claim by unspecified persons that it has nominated the incumbent deputy speaker of the state Assembly, Hamman-Adama Adamu, as the new deputy governor of the state. In a press briefing by the state commissioner for information, Zainab Jalingo, the state government insisted that there is no vacancy in the office of the deputy governor and that the current deputy governor, Aminu Alkali, remains the duly elected deputy governor of Taraba State. The government urged the public to remain calm and to rely on verified information from official government communication channels. “The…

ZAMFARA State Government has denied claims that Governor Dauda Lawal secured a ₦34 billion loan, describing the report as a deliberate act of misinformation. In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the administration said the story, published by Sahara Reporters, was a misrepresentation of budgetary facts and a misunderstanding of the state’s current financial obligations. He clarified that the 2023 budget, which made provision for debt servicing, was passed under the previous administration of Bello Matawalle, who now serves as Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence. “Governor Lawal has not taken any loans, whether…

THE senator representing Sokoto North Senatorial District, Aliyu Wamakko, has distanced himself from reports linking him to a purported 2027 vice-presidential ambition. In a press statement made available to this newspaper Monday morning, the former governor of Sokoto State and Sarkin Yamman Sokoto, described the claims as false, unauthorised, and politically mischievous. The rebuttal comes in response to a recent statement attributed to the Chairman of Kebbe Local Government Area, Abdullahi Yerima, and published by a newspaper (not News Point Nigeria). In the statement signed by his spokesperson, Abdallah el-Kurebe, Wamakko denied ever expressing interest, either publicly or privately, in…

A WINDSTORM that struck parts of Sokoto State on Tuesday has left five people dead, dozens injured, and widespread destruction across Gwadabawa and Kware Local Government Areas. Officials from the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who conducted a joint assessment of the affected areas on Saturday, confirmed the fatalities and damage. According to the assessment, the storm damaged more than 1,400 houses and several public buildings, including schools. In Gwadabawa LGA alone, 878 houses were destroyed, affecting 1,306 households and displacing an estimated 7,836 people. “Eleven people sustained varying degrees of injuries.…

IN a sustained effort to eliminate criminal elements undermining the peace and security of communities in Taraba State, the Commander 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, led troops of the newly established Forward Operating Base (FOB) Wukari in a robust two-day clearance operation across parts of Southern Taraba. The intensive operation, conducted between 19th and 20th June 2025, targeted identified bandit enclaves and suspected criminal hideouts in Wukari and Takum Local Government Areas. On 19 June 2025, troops advanced along the High Tension route through Chonku to Gor Road, sweeping through villages…

THE Kebbi State Government has confirmed the loss of 30 lives in the recent banditry attacks on the Zuru communities. Chairmen of Zuru and Danko Wasagu Local Government Areas, Muhammad Gajere and Hussaini Bena, reported that 16 people were killed in Tadurga, while 14 others lost their lives in Kyebu and Yar-Kuka in the Waje District. While speaking during a visit by the State Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Tafida, to Tadurga on Friday, Gajere and Bena added that several others were injured. The attackers also made away with livestock and other valuables. Tafida conveyed the government’s sympathy during a visit.…

THE Nigeria Police Force has announced the rescue of a kidnapped four-year-old girl, the arrest of a fake kidnapping gang, and the recovery of counterfeit currency from suspected fraudsters. According to a statement released on Saturday on X by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the developments were part of ongoing efforts to bolster internal security and dismantle criminal networks through intelligence-led policing. “In Katsina State, operatives of the Command acting on a complaint received on February 20, 2025, from one Alhaji Badamasi Bala of Madaci Yan Nono Quarters have cracked a disturbing case of kidnapping involving a…

THE Bauchi State government and other shareholders have initiated plans to revive the Bauchi Publishing and Printing Company Limited, publishers of The Trumpeter and Kakaki Newspapers, after two decades of inactivity. The state commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Shehu Usman Shehu, who also serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, announced this development during the company’s 5th Annual General Meeting held yesterday at its office in Bauchi. According to Shehu, the board has recommended increasing the company’s share capital from N30 million to N250 million to support equipment refurbishment and working capital needs. He further…

ZAMFARA State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has said that the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) goes far beyond its 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and is largely rooted in ego battles among party members. Governor Lawal, who spoke during a media parley with journalists on Wednesday in Zamfara, stated that the problem is not limited to any single individual. “Everybody has their own issue; it’s not just about Atiku Abubakar; it’s beyond him,” he said. “It’s an internal problem within the PDP, and we are making a conscious effort. I think it’s about people’s egos — everybody, no exception.”…