News

JUST IN: Tension Over Alleged Blasphemy In Bauchi, Pastor Injured, Houses Burnt

Published

2 years ago

May 21, 2022

A pastor has allegedly been injured and many houses burnt by irate youths who went on the rampage over alleged blasphemy in the Katangan area of Warji Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

Details of the incident were still sketchy as of the time of filing this report.

The PUNCH correspondent learnt that trouble started when a message was allegedly circulated on social media that a Christian girl in the town allegedly engaged in blasphemy of Islam.

A source, who spoke to our correspondent confirmed the incident, saying, “Yes, the incident is true. It is an aftermath of the incident of the alleged blasphemy that happened in Sokoto last week.

“What I learnt was that a Christian girl allegedly posted and commented on something on social media which has to do with the incident in Sokoto and that was how it started.

“The situation there is more than tension since many houses have been burnt down. But no life that was lost, to the best of my knowledge.

“A shop which belongs to an ECWA Church in the area was also burnt down. And I learnt that the District Head of the area and the leaders are on top of the situation. The police have also been informed about it.”

Another source said, “We were at home this evening when we heard shouts from some muslim youths in their numbers who went on the rampage and besieged an ECWA Church in the area.

“But Christian youths and others resisted and repelled them but that was after they had burnt down a shop attached to the church. Many houses were burnt down by the rampaging youths.

“In the process, one of the pastors of the ECWA church was seriously wounded; as I speak to you now, efforts are on to save his life.”

One of the leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the state also confirmed the incident to journalists in a telephone interview.

He said that the Commissioner of Police in the state and the Senior Special Assistant to the Bauchi State Governor on Christian Religious Affairs are aware.

He called on the Christian community in the state not to allow the situation to degenarate.

Efforts to get a confirmation on the incident from the Bauchi State Police Command proved abortive.

Several calls put through to the Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, were neither picked nor returned as of the time of filing this report.

News

VIDEO: Villagers Give Nigerian Soldiers Heroic Welcome After Successful Operation

Published

3 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Editor

A heartwarming video of some villagers giving a heroic welcome to soldiers returning from a successful operation in the North East has been shared online.

The Nigerian Army shared the video online as the soldiers returning from their military operation were met with cheers and celebrations from local residents recently.

The Army wrote: “Heartwarming welcome accorded to Nigerian Army heroic troops in the Northeast region after a successful operation in Sambisa and Timbuktu Triangle during Operation Desert Sanity III. This video clip captures the genuine and heartfelt welcome extended by the local communities to the valiant troops in appreciation of their successful operation.”

Watch the video below…

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A post shared by Lindaikejiblog (@lindaikejiblogofficial)

News

JUST IN: Court Clears Ex-AGF Adoke Of Money Laundering Charges

Published

5 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Editor

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday discharged and acquitted former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) of the money laundering charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, while delivering a ruling on a no-case submission filed by the former AGF, held that the EFCC failed to establish a prima facie (sufficient evidence) case against him.

“I find that there is no evidence to prove the alleged offences against the first defendant (Adoke),” the judge said.

However, Justice Ekwo ruled that Aliyu Abubakar, the second defendant, has to open his defence because he has a case to answer.

EFCC had preferred a 14 counts charge against Adoke and an oil mogul, Aliyu Abubakar.

In the charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that Adoke sometime in August 2013 in Abuja accepted a cash payment of the dollar equivalent of N300 million from Abubakar and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 16(2)(b) of the money laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended.

Details later…

News

Police Seal Off Benue APC Factional Secretariat

Published

5 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Editor

Armed policemen have sealed off the secretariat of the All Progressive Congress,APC, in Makurdi, the capital city of Benue State.

The party secretariat belongs to the Austin Agada-led APC Working Committee located along JS Tarka Way opposite the Railway Market in Makurdi.

There are two party secretariats in the capital city.

The other one belongs to Benjamin Omakolo’s team which is located along Kashim Ibrahim Way.

The Publicity Secretary of the Agada faction, Daniel Ihomun, said that the sealing off of their secretariat may not be unconnected with the inauguration of members of the zoning committee for the forthcoming local government election.

“We are to inaugurate members of the zoning committee for the coming local government election today at our secretariat only for the government to send policemen and their thugs to seal off the secretariat,” Ihomun said.

It was learnt that policemen and Armour Personnel Vehicle were deployed to the Agada-led office as early as 6am on Friday.

Efforts to get the reaction of the state Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, to ascertain the reason for the sealing off of the party secretariat were not successful as her phone rang out at the time of filing this report.

The Agada-led faction had constituted a 21-men zoning committee drawn from the three senatorial districts of the state and was expected to be inaugurated on Friday.

But in a swift response, the Omakolo-led team had in a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Terseer Agber, called on all party members and the general public to disregard the zoning committee constituted by the Agada-led committee.