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Easter: Bloodletting Getting Out Of Hand -Cleric …As Gunmen Kidnap Eight Women, One Other In Niger
The Anglican Bishop of Awka Diocese, Rt Rev. Alexander Ibezim, has reminded government, both at the federal and state levels that they owe Nigerians the duty of protecting their lives and properties.
The bishop said this during his Easter sermon, in the Anambra State capital, yesterday.
Ibezim, who was making reference to news of countless killings, both by Boko Haram insurgents and armed bandits masquerading as Fulani herdsmen, said that the level of bloodletting in the country was getting out of hand.
He said urgent steps needed to be taken by both the state governors and President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the reckless killings in Nigeria, insisting that Nigeria leaders would account for every single drop of blood spilled, as God would seek vengeance.
Ibezim said, “Blood of human beings is sacred and was not created by God to be wasted like fowls as done daily in Nigeria”.
However, the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche, and the Archbishop of Lagos, Dr. Isaac Ayobami Olawuyi, in their Easter messages, passionately pleaded with Nigerians and the Christian community, to be extremely tolerant, loving and accommodating in order to alleviate the suffering and the challenges of others in a bid to making life peaceful and constructively better for the society.
Using Jesus Christ as an example, especially His death on the Cross, which they respectively pointed was an extreme sacrifice to mankind, the clerics charged the leaders in authority to be role models through their sacrificial service, rather than lining their pockets with the fruits of corruption, which has resulted in obsolete socio-economic infrastructure and the incessant insecurity that has enveloped the nation.
Also, the Catholic Bishop of Lafia Diocese in Nasarawa State, Most Rev. Matthew Audu, has called on Christians to strive to save lives and not join in destroying them.
The bishop made the call in an interview with newsmen, yesterday, in Lafia, after celebrating the Easter mass.
He said that the call was imperative given the rate at which some Nigerians were taking the lives of fellow human beings.
Audu said that nobody had the right to take the life of another.
According to him, people should make sacrifice for people who are in need just as Jesus Christ did for the salvation of mankind.
The cleric said that there was need for Christians to make sacrifices for people who were in need just as Christ died for the salvation of mankind.
The bishop noted that insecurity in the country called for serious prayers for God’s intervention.
He, therefore, admonished perpetrators of criminality in the country to desist or face the wrath of God.
Similarly, a missionary with the Kuje Zonal Headquarters of Foursquare Gospel Church, Pastor Isaac Tejabo, has said that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a manifestation of the prophecy of God.
Tejabo said this, yesterday in Kuje during a sermon titled “the Stone is Rolled Away” to mark the Easter celebration.
He said that the rolling of stone on the grave was to prevent the body of Christ from being taken away after being buried.
The cleric said the stone was an attempt by man to frustrate the purpose of God after an earlier prophecy that He would rise again after death.
According to him, the stone represents man’s inadequate understanding of the power of God and the fact that God has the final say in the affairs of men.
He, therefore, urged Christians to always seek for the face of God in times of trouble and learn not to rely on self wisdom.
“They rolled the stone on the grave to stop His resurrection, thinking they are wiser than God, but when the time came, it was rolled away and Jesus resurrected.
“The stone was not only rolled away, it was recorded that an angel sat on it, waiting for the manifestation of the prophecy of God.
“The hope of Christians today is that Jesus resurrected. We must learn to trust in God, allow Him to prevail in our situations and stop the use of human strength,” he said.
The cleric said the resurrection of Christ was a clear demonstration of the fact that nobody could stop God when it was time for him to act.
He, therefore, urged Christians to be patient, adding that no time was late for God, as His time is not the time of man.
Meanwhile, gunmen have kidnapped eight women and a man in their residence in Kuchi community in Munya Local Government Area of Niger State.
A community leader, Alhaji Salisu Afakallah, told newsmen, in Minna, yesterday, that the abducted women were nursing mothers and wives of his younger brothers, while the man is a cousin.
According to him, the gunmen, who he said were many, had forced the gate of the family house open at about 11:30pm, and rounded up everyone in the house.
Afakallah said some of the family members had assembled for a wedding nearby, adding that the assailants took advantage of the ceremony to carry out the raid.
He said the gunmen had lined up the women during the attack, while also shooting two male relations who, according to him, were currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the LGA.
The assailants, he also explained, killed a villager they encountered on the way out of the community after the raid.
“They called on Friday to demand for N800million ransom as condition for releasing those abducted,” he told our source in a telephone interview.
Afakallah said the family has no means of raising the amount demanded by the abductors, noting that “all our efforts to beat down the amount have proved abortive”.
According to him, the concern of the family members and the entire community was the little children in captivity.
“Some of the children are barely two months old, we don’t know the situation which they are in, and we are very worried,” he lamented.
Afakallah said although the combined team of military and police personnel were deployed to the area, last Friday, no appreciable progress has been made in the rescue mission so far.
He appealed to the Niger State Government to intervene by ensuring the release of those in captivity as there was no way the family members can raise the ransom money demanded by the gunmen.
The Acting Chairman of the council, Mr Joshua Musa, confirmed the development but said security operatives were on top of the situation.
He said from the security reports available to him, all the abducted persons were women, while one person was shot during the attack.
The state Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Dan-Inna, said he was yet to be briefed of the development, while promising to reach out when he gets the details.
However, a yet to be ascertained number of persons travelling in five different vehicles are feared missing after they were reportedly abducted by gunmen along the Birnin Gwari – Kaduna Road at about 5:00pm, last Saturday.
The gunmen were said to have stopped the vehicles at different times between 4pm and 5pm, at a point near Ladi village, and led all the passengers and drivers into the bush.
A resident of Birnin Gwari, who gave his name as Salihu, said the five vehicles, two Golf cars, two Toyota Salon and a Sienna van, were parked by the road around Ladi village.
“We are not certain how many people were in the cars but since they are mainly commercial vehicles, we assume they must contain no less than four people each,” he said.
The Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo, when contacted, said the police were yet to receive the report but added that he “will find out if it is true.”
It would be recalled that the Birnin Gwari – Kaduna road has been terrorised by armed bandits for long but criminal activities on the route went down for some time only for it to resume in the last one week.
Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, says Nigeria needs God-fearing leaders for the nation to move in the right direction and make meaningful progress.
The Governor stated this yesterday when he received in audience, the World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler; his wife, Andriene Marques Kohler; daughter Mariana Marques Kohler and a retinue of ministers of the church at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara who hailed the Seventh Day Adventist Church for its contributions to education and the grooming of future leaders in Nigeria, expressed delight that the Church had over the years, been investing in education at various levels and currently runs two universities in the country.
He commended the church for not only using its institutions to spread the gospel of Christianity but to groom future leaders for the country.
According to him, religion should not be just about defending one’s faith, but also making meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
He said that by floating these educational institutions, the church has demonstrated capacity to support Nigeria in the task of producing not only educated people but a breed of God-fearing leaders.
“Our country is where it is today because we lack the fear of God. If you have the fear of God, there should be a limit to what you can do because you understand the supremacy of God. But when God is not in your equation, you’ll go beyond the line and that is what has brought us to where we are today.
“So, I feel very happy that you are contributing to the development of our future leaders in this country. We need the right people being in the right place; prepared properly with good minds; that is what we need, not just in Nigeria but round the whole world.,” he said.
Governor Fubara further observed that the absence of God-fearing people in high places to take the right decisions that could impact positively on the society, has also given rise to other problems such as social inequality, poverty, corruption and criminality. According to him, Nigeria needs a system where the average parent could afford quality education for their children and a guarantee that upon graduation, the average child will have the capacity to compete favourably with anybody, anywhere in the world.
“If we have a situation where the little money that you’re being paid as wage can also afford you quality healthcare and after working at least for 15-20 years, you have a roof over your head, tell me why you should be involved in any kind of crime? At that point, you’ll feel secured and this attitude of insecurity about the future that leads to all the social vices we have today won’t be there,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed appreciation to the delegation for the visit and for their prayers for Rivers State, assuring them of his continued support for their programmes in the state.
Leader of the delegation and World President of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Pastor Erton Kohler said he was in Nigeria for a special conference of the church during which thousands of the church’s ministers will be undergoing an empowerment programme to further equip them for the task of herding their flocks and serving the society.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for the warm reception accorded his entourage, saying the memory of the visit will linger in his mind for a lifetime.
Kohler disclosed that the Church has over twenty -four million (24,000,000) members and more than 182,000 places of worship, spread across 212 countries of the world.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has approved the 2026–2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
This reaffirms the lawmakers’ commitment to enacting laws and taking legislative actions geared towards the overall development of the State.
The Assembly gave the approval during its Second Legislative Sitting of the Fourth Session held last Friday.
Speaking on the MTEF document during plenary, the House Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, noted that by the provision of Section 10(1)(b) of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law No. 8 of 2010, the MTEF ought to have been laid before the House in September 2025.
Amaewhule explained that traditionally, the document is expected to be presented four months before the commencement of the next financial year and immediately after the expiration of every three-year fiscal cycle.
He, however, stated that in the interest of the State and its people, the House considered it necessary to deliberate on the document, describing it as a precursor to the 2026 Budget Estimates.
The Speaker expressed concern that the year had already progressed significantly before the presentation of the framework.
During deliberations on the document, members examined the assumptions and projections contained in the MTEF and observed that strict adherence to the outlined fiscal parameters would ultimately serve the interest of Rivers people.
The lawmakers maintained that effective implementation of the framework would promote prudent financial management and enhance developmental planning across the State.
Following the debate and positive consideration by members, the Speaker put the question to the House and members voted overwhelmingly in support of the approval of the MTEF.
Meanwhile, during the same sitting last Friday, the House also received a petition from the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Dr. Gift Worlu.
The petition was presented by the member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, Hon. Emilia Amadi.
According to the petition, concerns were raised over an imminent security breach, threats to lives, destruction of property and alleged forceful takeover of property by some lawless persons within parts of the Local Government Area.
Presenting the petition before the House, Hon. Amadi appealed to the lawmakers to revisit the matter and take necessary steps aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the affected communities.
The House is expected to further deliberate on the petition and consider measures to address the concerns raised in order to sustain peace and security in the area.
King Onunwor
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JUNE 12: Democracy Remains Nigeria’s Strongest Path To Unity, Progress, Says Fubara ….Extols Abiola, Wife
Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reaffirmed that democracy remains the most effective system of government for Nigeria, given the country’s rich diversity of ethnic, religious, and cultural identities.
In a goodwill message to Nigerians on the occasion of the 2026 Democracy Day celebration, Governor Fubara said June 12 represents far more than a historic date; as it embodies the enduring struggle, sacrifice, and collective aspiration of Nigerians for freedom, justice, and representative governance.
The Governor extended warm felicitations to Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora, paying tribute to the heroes and heroines of the democratic struggle, particularly Chief MKO Abiola, his wife, Kudirat Abiola, and countless others whose courage and sacrifices helped secure the democratic freedoms Nigerians enjoy today.
According to him, “June 12 is a reminder of the price paid for the democracy we enjoy today. The sacrifices made by Chief MKO Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, and many other patriots who laid the foundation for the democratic journey we continue to enjoy today. Their commitment to the principle that power must ultimately reside with the people remains a source of inspiration for every generation of Nigerians.”
Governor Fubara noted that thirty-three years after the historic June 12, 1993 election, Nigeria’s democratic experiment has continued to evolve despite challenges and setbacks.
“Our democratic journey has not been without difficulties, but the resilience of our institutions and the determination of our people have kept the nation moving forward. The ability to express differing opinions, engage in constructive debate, and peacefully choose leaders through the ballot remains one of the greatest achievements of our nation,” he said.
Governor Fubara stressed that democracy provides the best framework for managing Nigeria’s diversity and transforming it into a source of national strength.
“Nigeria’s diversity should never be seen as a weakness. Properly harnessed, it is our greatest asset. Democracy offers us the opportunity to build consensus, promote inclusion, strengthen national unity, and create the conditions for sustainable development and shared prosperity,” he said.
Governor Fubara commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda and ongoing efforts aimed at economic revitalization, strengthening security, and deepening democratic institutions across the country.
He reiterated the readiness of Rivers State to continue partnering with the Federal Government in advancing policies and programmes that improve the lives of citizens through infrastructure development, job creation, enhanced security, quality education, healthcare delivery, and good governance.
The Governor further called on Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation, ethnic background, or religious belief, to use the occasion of Democracy Day to renew their commitment to the Nigerian project and the ideals that underpin democratic governance.
“Democracy must not be viewed merely as a periodic electoral exercise. It must be reflected in our daily commitment to accountability, transparency, tolerance, justice, respect for the rule of law, and responsible leadership. As citizens and leaders, we all share a collective responsibility to strengthen our democracy and build a nation that future generations will be proud to inherit,” he said.
Governor Fubara expressed optimism about Nigeria’s future, urging citizens to remain united, hopeful, and committed to the values of peace, dialogue, and national development.
“Together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive, and more prosperous Nigeria where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to national progress,” he said.