FocalPoint Reports

FRSC Blames Speeding and Driver Fatigue After 22 Passengers Were Involved in One of the Deadliest Crashes on the Busy Kogi Corridor This Year At least 16 people have been confirmed dead after a commercial bus plunged off a bridge along the Lokoja–Okene highway in Kogi State, in a tragic accident that has once again highlighted the dangers on one of Nigeria’s busiest roads. The fatal crash occurred at about 9:20 a.m. on Friday at Aku village near Osara, along the Lokoja–Okene route, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The vehicle involved was a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus with registration number BUS 17 ZD. The bus, which was travelling from Jos, reportedly lost control at high speed, veered off the road and crashed beneath a bridge. Kogi State FRSC Sector Commander, Lawal Fagge, said 22 passengers were on board the vehicle, comprising 21 male adults and one female adult. According to him, 16 passengers — 15 men and one woman — died at the scene of the c...

President Bola Tinubu’s government is reportedly negotiating a fresh $1.25 billion  loan  facility with the World Bank to support economic reforms, job creation, and investment growth. The proposed facility were contained in a World Bank document titled  “Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration.” According to Channels Television, the document showed that the negotiations have reached an advanced stage, with the proposed facility expected to be presented for approval on June 26, 2026. The development indicates that the loan request has moved beyond the concept and appraisal phases and is now approaching final consideration by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors. If approved, the facility would rank among Nigeria’s largest recent borrowings from the global lender, behind only the $1.5bn Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation Development Policy Financing approved in June 2024. The document identified the borrower...

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio to resign over the recent amendment to the Senate Standing Orders guiding the election of leaders in the Red Chamber.  Oshiomhole made the call while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday. The former Edo State governor said the new rules had created what he described as a moral problem within the Senate. According to him, the amendment has raised questions about fairness and the qualifications needed to occupy top positions in the chamber. The Edo North senator argued that Akpabio should not continue to preside over the Senate if the new requirements are applied strictly. He said the Senate President himself may not meet the condition being discussed under the amended rules. Oshiomhole explained that the new arrangement demanding longer years of service before anyone can contest for Senate President would also affect Akpabio. He noted that Akpabio had not spent up to eight years in the Sen...

The Nigerian Senate has approved fresh amendments to the Electoral Act 2026, repositioning the Court of Appeal as the highest judicial authority for resolving pre-election disputes across governorship, National Assembly, and state Houses of Assembly elections. The upper chamber of the National Assembly also granted the Court of Appeal original jurisdiction to hear pre-election cases tied to presidential elections, with any further appeals channelled straight to the Supreme Court, effectively cutting out intermediate courts from the process. The legislation, which cleared both second and third readings on the floor of the Senate, was sponsored by Senator Simon Bako Lalong, who represents Plateau South. Tackling Conflicting Judgments The amendments push to end the damaging practice of forum shopping, which is described as a tactic where litigants deliberately file cases in courts perceived to be sympathetic to their cause. This has long produced conflicting rulings from court...

Troops of Sector 2, Joint Task Force North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have killed three terrorists during a fighting patrol operation in Zamfara State. The troops also recovered arms and ammunition from terrorists during the operation carried out in Kaura Namoda and Birnin Magaji Local Government Areas of the state. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday, May 7, by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-West Operation FANSAN YAMMA,  Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja. According to the statement, the operation was conducted on May 7 as part of ongoing efforts to deny terrorists freedom of movement in Zamfara and other parts of the North-West. Danja said the troops came in contact with armed terrorists at Doumbourum Village, where they engaged them in a gun battle. The statement said,  “A fierce firefight ensued,”  adding that the troops overpowered the attackers with superior firepower. According to the task force, three terrorists we...

Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has entered the race for the Bauchi South Senatorial District seat under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) ahead of the 2027 general elections. It was reported that he picked up his nomination form in Abuja on Thursday after attending the party’s National Executive Committee meeting. The meeting had the National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, and other party leaders in attendance. During the meeting, the governor spoke about problems in the political system, saying that unfair practices and pressure in politics have made it difficult for some leaders to operate freely. He explained that his move to the APM was based on shared ideas about leadership, fairness in party affairs, justice, inclusion, and respect for the law. He also noted that his decision was not his alone. According to him, several politicians from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) moved with him. These include lawmakers, members of the state assembly, local government leaders, commission...