News
Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Christians Concerned About Their Place In Nigeria – Catholic Bishops Tell Tinubu
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that many Christians remain concerned about their place in the country following the departure from the Christian-Muslim presidential arrangement.
This is even as the bishops urged the President to address those concerns through deliberate government policies that reassure Christians of their rights as equal citizens.
The position was contained in an address presented by the President of the CBCN, Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, during a courtesy visit to President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.
According to the bishops, while they appreciated the cordial relationship between Nigeria and the Holy See, many Christians still have legitimate concerns over inclusion under the current administration.
“This, Mr. President, is a time when many Christians have legitimate concerns about their place in Nigeria, especially regarding the departure from the Christian/Muslim presidency, and we hope that, through deliberate government policies, those concerns will be addressed and Christians will be reassured of their rights as citizens,” the bishops said.
They urged Tinubu to take steps to “soothe frayed nerves” and reassure Christians of their constitutional rights.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Receives Catholic Bishops
Beyond religious inclusion, the bishops expressed concern over what they described as shrinking political space and fears that Nigeria could drift towards a one-party state.
While acknowledging Tinubu’s role in the struggle for the restoration of democracy, they urged him to ensure that elected officials of the ruling party uphold fairness and guarantee a level playing field for all political actors.
The conference also warned that the country risked serious consequences if the 2027 general elections were not transparent and credible.
According to the bishops, there is growing public disenchantment with the electoral process, with many Nigerians believing that their votes no longer count.
They urged the President to ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, conducts free, fair and credible elections, beginning with the easy availability of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and ending with results that reflect the true choice of voters.
“Anything short of transparent, free, fair and credible elections in 2027 would be an invitation to avoidable disaster,” they warned.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Busy paying American lobbyists – US Lawmaker, Ted Cruz Claims
On insecurity, the bishops commended the Federal Government for the recent rescue of kidnapped schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State as well as the arrest of some of the suspected kidnappers.
However, they described such achievements as isolated successes, saying terrorism, banditry and kidnapping continue to threaten lives across the country.
According to them, schools, places of worship, homes, farms and highways remain unsafe, with criminals operating freely in many parts of Nigeria.
The bishops also lamented the worsening economic hardship facing Nigerians, citing the country’s security challenges, poor electricity supply, deteriorating road infrastructure and rising cost of living.
They said many Nigerians were yet to feel the benefits of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Our nation is bleeding. The citizens are suffering and crying,” they said, adding that Nigerians expect concrete action rather than assurances.
READ ALSO: Return Home, Tinubu Pleads With Diaspora Health Workers
The CBCN nevertheless commended the Federal Government for the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund), describing it as a commendable initiative for young Nigerians.
It, however, expressed concern that the National Universities Commission’s moratorium on the establishment of new private universities could limit access to higher education, noting that available university spaces remain inadequate for the country’s growing youth population.
The bishops also appealed to President Tinubu to invite Pope Leo XIV to Nigeria, saying the Holy Father holds the country close to his heart and that his visit would strengthen national prayers and efforts towards peace and unity.
In addition, they renewed their request for the return of mission schools to their original proprietors.
The conference further urged the Federal Government to ensure equal protection of religious freedom across the country.
Referring to the Supreme Court judgment of February 10, 2026, affirming the constitutional right of Muslim students at Rivers State University to freedom of religion and worship, the bishops appealed to the government to guarantee similar constitutional protections for Christians, particularly in northern Nigeria, where they said many still face challenges in acquiring land for churches and freely practising their faith.
News
Man Charged After Fatal Southall Collision
A 20-year-old man has been charged after a fatal road collision in Southall, west London, which claimed the life of a 17-year-old passenger.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called at about 1:04 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, following reports of a collision involving a Ford Mustang on South Road, Southall.
Officers attended the scene alongside paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and firefighters from the London Fire Brigade.
Despite efforts by emergency responders, 17-year-old passenger Ranbir Singh died at the scene.
His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.
READ ALSO: US Boxer Mylik Birdsong Shot, Killed In LA Drive-by Shooting
Another passenger, a 26-year-old man, sustained serious injuries in the collision and remains in hospital, according to police.
The driver of the vehicle, Sukhveer Singh, 20, of Townsend Road, Southall, was arrested at the scene.
He was subsequently charged on Sunday, September 20, with causing death by dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving.
He was also charged with driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and using a vehicle without insurance.
Singh appeared before Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 21, and was remanded in custody.
He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on Monday, October 19.
READ ALSO: Reps Shoot Down Bill Seeking Rotational Presidency
Detective Inspector Fiaz Janjua, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is a truly tragic incident in which a young man has lost his life and another remains in hospital with serious injuries.
“Our deepest sympathies remain with Ranbir’s family and friends, who continue to be supported by specially trained officers. during this extremely difficult time.
“While a man has now been charged in connection with this collision, our investigation remains ongoing and we are continuing to establish the full circumstances leading up to the incident.
READ ALSO: Heated Rhetoric As Republicans Blame Biden For Trump Shooting
“I would ask anyone who witnessed the collision, the manner of driving beforehand, or the movements of the Ford Mustang in the Southall area during the early hours of Saturday, 19 September, to come forward.”
Police are particularly appealing to anyone who may have CCTV footage, doorbell recordings, mobile phone footage or dashcam recordings that could assist the investigation.
The Met urged anyone with information to contact police on 101, quoting reference 01/8080469/26.
The force said the investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision.
(MetPolice)
News
Return Of Fuel Subsidy: Atiku Plotting To Plunder Nigeria’s External Reserves, APC Alleges
All Progressives Congress (APC) has again kicked against the declaration by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to return the fuel subsidy regime if elected into office.
National Publicity Secretary of the governing party, Felix Morka, in a statement on Thursday alleged that the proposal to return fuel subsidy as being canvassed by the former vice-president was not informed by any altruistic motive but to plunder the country’s foreign reserves, which he noted, has risen to over $54 billion.
“Atiku’s sudden u-turn from his 2023 policy position in favour of fuel subsidy removal to his new promise to restore the fuel subsidy regime, if elected, must be understood as his latest device to lay his hands on, and squander, the country’s 18-year foreign reserve high of over $54 billion built up from $3 billion by President Bola Tinubu in less than 4 years through bold and prudent economic reforms.
“The National Treasury that President Tinubu has built strong is what Atiku desires to scatter and plunder under the cover of his fake and unrealistic promise to restore the ruinous fuel subsidy regime.
READ ALSO: 2027: ADC’s Imansuagbon Rejects Zoning, Backs Atiku
“In his book, My Watch, President Olusegun Obasanjo characterized Atiku as possessing a propensity for corruption, a tendency toward disloyalty, poor judgment, and a readiness to sacrifice the national interest for selfish gains. In August 2026, Obasanjo described his decision to select Atiku as his running mate in 1999 as the biggest mistake of his presidency.”
He stated, “The man I picked as my running mate, my number two, if I had known him as I came to know him later, I would not have picked him.” That is an open-and-shut reference by the former President, Atiku’s principal, to his unfitness for public office.
“Atiku was an accidental Vice President, and categorically unfit for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The APC further alleged that “as a former public official, Atiku’s record is an executive summary of some of Nigeria’s vilest episodes of corruption and cronyism that pulverized our economy and decimated public trust.”
READ ALSO: Why Peter Obi Will Defeat Tinubu, Atiku In 2027 – Sam Amadi
The party urged the electorate to reject the ADC presidential candidate in the forthcoming general elections.
“Nigeria’s upcoming presidential election presents the electorate the opportunity to deal a final blow to Atiku’s desperate quest for presidential power, and save the country from his ravenous plunder.
“From the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project and the Siemens bribery scandal to the William Jefferson case, the PTDF funds controversy, and the US Senate investigation into suspicious financial transactions, Atiku’s name is engraved ingloriously on files and dossiers of onshore and offshore financial scandals and atrocities.
“These are not mere allegations. They are matters that are well documented in official records, tribunal proceedings, government investigations, national and foreign legislative reports, and international financial inquiries. Together, they raise legitimate questions about the fitness for probity and accountability of this serial presidential contender.”
News
Man Charged After Fatal Southall Collision
A 20-year-old man has been charged after a fatal road collision in Southall, west London, which claimed the life of a 17-year-old passenger.
The Metropolitan Police said officers were called at about 1:04 a.m. on Saturday, September 19, following reports of a collision involving a Ford Mustang on South Road, Southall.
Officers attended the scene alongside paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and firefighters from the London Fire Brigade.
Despite efforts by emergency responders, 17-year-old passenger Ranbir Singh died at the scene.
His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.
READ ALSO:
Another passenger, a 26-year-old man, sustained serious injuries in the collision and remains in hospital, according to police.
The driver of the vehicle, Sukhveer Singh, 20, of Townsend Road, Southall, was arrested at the scene.
He was subsequently charged on Sunday, September 20, with causing death by dangerous driving, aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving.
He was also charged with driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and using a vehicle without insurance.
Singh appeared before Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 21, and was remanded in custody.
He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on Monday, October 19.
READ ALSO:
Detective Inspector Fiaz Janjua, from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is a truly tragic incident in which a young man has lost his life and another remains in hospital with serious injuries.
“Our deepest sympathies remain with Ranbir’s family and friends, who continue to be supported by specially trained officers. during this extremely difficult time.
“While a man has now been charged in connection with this collision, our investigation remains ongoing and we are continuing to establish the full circumstances leading up to the incident.
READ ALSO:
“I would ask anyone who witnessed the collision, the manner of driving beforehand, or the movements of the Ford Mustang in the Southall area during the early hours of Saturday, 19 September, to come forward.”
Police are particularly appealing to anyone who may have CCTV footage, doorbell recordings, mobile phone footage or dashcam recordings that could assist the investigation.
The Met urged anyone with information to contact police on 101, quoting reference 01/8080469/26.
The force said the investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision.
(MetPolice)
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