The Christian Association of Nigeria has endorsed the open letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as “timely”.
The body said Buhari should curb the insecurity in the country.
Responding to questions during a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, CAN President, Rev Supo Ayokunle, urged Buhari to treat the letter “with all sense of responsibility and accountability”.
He said, “CAN is interested in the letter being treated with all sense of responsibility and accountability as a country because of the issues raised in it. I think the aim of the writer is to call the attention of the nation to things that are capable of setting the nation on fire.
“We think that every Nigerian has the right to caution the leaders.”
Citing the security situation in Taraba State, he said his deputy, Rev Caleb Ahima, could not travel out of his parish without military protection, saying the state was under siege.
A group of women on Thursday called on the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, to break his silence on the killings in the country.
The protesters stormed the National Christian Centre, venue of the 11th General Assembly of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Abuja, to register their displeasure with Adeboye’s decision to keep sealed lips over the killings.
They also submitted a protest letter at CAN secretariat.
But CAN said it would investigate their grievances, but exonerated Adeboye, saying its President, Supo Ayokunle, speaks for Christians.
The women were received by CAN Director (National Issues and Social Welfare), Bishop Stephen Adegbite, and Vice-Chairman (Northern Region), Rev Joseph Hayab.
Spokeswoman for the group, Juliet Ibrahim, who claimed to be a member of the RCCG in Nyanya parish of Abuja, said Adeboye should fight for Christians.
She said, “We are here fighting for the survival of our country. We are in pain; we are in sorrow over the killings and devastating things happening to our children.
“We want Adeboye to speak out; we want him to fight for us; we want to hear from him. If we hear from him, we will be calm. We are happy that CAN has spoken and they (0fficials) have encouraged us and we appreciate their encouragement.”
But Adegbite said, “There is no division in CAN; we are one body standing together because united we stand, divided we fall. So we are not going to be divided. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you because what we are doing today (CAN General Assembly) is to the glory of God and you are part of that celebration.”
Asked if CAN would investigate the issues raised about Adeboye, he said, “We are going to do everything. But we cannot suspend Adeboye”.
Hayab said the constitution did not confer on Adeboye the legitimacy to speak for Christians in Nigeria.
He said, “You see, we are trying to avoid the politicisation of the issue of religion. Adeboye is a leader of a denomination. Has he offended the denomination? There is no constitution of Nigeria which says that Adeboye as the leader of a denomination should speak for Christians.
“The constitution of CAN says the President of CAN should speak for CAN and the man, out of respect, has said that when the President of CAN speaks, he can’t speak again.
“If the President of Nigeria speaks, the SGF (Secretary to the Government of the Federation) will not speak again; the Chief of Staff will not speak again.”
Italian police said Thursday they have arrested 19 suspected members of a Nigerian mob, including the leaders of a clan, called MAPHITE, which forged alliances with other mafias and violently punished anyone who rebelled.
In an operation dubbed “Burning Flame”, coordinated by police in Bologna and Turin, over 300 officers carried out arrests and searches in nine cities across northern Italy from Bergamo to Modena, Parma and Ravenna.
A two-year probe — aided significantly by a man on the inside who fed details to investigators — “has allowed us to destroy much of what, within the Nigerian community, is known as the ‘MAPHITE’ cult,” police said in a statement.
It said the acronym stood for Maximum Academic Performance Highly Intellectuals Train Executioner.
She is a proud mother of two. And Chrissy Teigen shared a heartwarming Instagram snap on Wednesday of her one-year-old son Miles having a 'Pizza party!' in a high chair.
The baby of the family held his slice out upside down and beamed for his mother, who proudly posted the photo for her 25 million followers.
How often do you wash your pillows? This is the question one mum really wants to know the answer to, after she learnt that you're meant to clean more than just the pillow cases on a regular basis.
In a very honest post on a parenting forum, the unnamed woman confessed that she'd owned her pillows for roughly 10 years and hadn't washed them once in all that time.
Her partner is "horrified" by the discovery and now she's planning to purchase new pillows to rectify the situation.
Writing on Mumsnet, she said: "In the last couple of years I have been getting spots on my face.
"I bought new creams, drank more water, washed my pillow case more often... but today I realised that I have not washed my pillow once in the 10+ years since I bought it.
"Anyway, I am off to buy a new pillow.
"Partner is horrified and I feel very judged, but surely I am not alone in my slatternly ways?! How often do you wash your pillows?"
Almost 100 people took the time to comment on her post debating the correct answer.
One person also confessed they'd never washed their pillows: "I've never washed a pillow either. We use pillow cases and thick pillow protectors which both get washed regularly."
However many were of the opinion that pillows should be washed once a year.
"All our pillows have protectors, which I was every week/every other week - sniff test," posted someone else. "The pillows get washed at least every year or in between. The key to washing pillows and duvets is packing them tightly in the drum, then they don't lose their shape.
"I can't imagine sleeping on an unwashed pillow for 10 years. It's a bit grim in my book."
"I wash the actual pillow once a year in the summer," agreed a different mum.
A third added: "About once a year, as it gets warm enough for them to dry."
Others thought pillows should be washed more frequently.
A third responded: "Buy new pillows - non feathered - frequently - much more frequently than every six months. It's basic hygiene."
One other mum said: "Every six months? Mine are years old and look new."
So how often should you actually wash your pillows?
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has submitted the particulars of individuals on its watch list to the Nigerian Immigration Service in Ilorin.
The commission added that those individuals were under its investigation.
Prominent on the list is immediate past Secretary to the State Government Isiaka Gold; former Commissioner for Finance Ademola Banu; former Senior Special Assistant to former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on Media and Communications, Dr Muideen Akorede and former General Manager of Radio Kwara, Adedeji Abdulateef.
Acting Chairman, EFCC Ibrahim Magu, stated this on Wednesday.
Magu stated it is necessary to familiarise the NIS with particulars of such personalities under EFCC’s investigation.
He added that this became necessary following intelligence at the disposal of the commission that some highly placed individuals undergoing corruption probe and on the commission’s watch list in the state had procured forged police reports with which they plan to apply for another international passports to escape from the country.
According to him: “Information at the disposal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Ilorin reveals that these highly placed individuals are planning to use forged police reports to re-apply for another international passports to flee the country in other to escape prosecution and justice.
“The commission urges you to use your good office to place these individuals under strict surveillance.”
The EFCC boss, who expressed joy with the visit, said: “Your coming today is a welcome development. As stipulated in EFCC Establishment Act, the Nigerian Immigration Service is a member of the Commission. We can’t do anything without you. If we don’t collaborate with your office, we can’t get it right.”
His much younger girlfriend Sofia Richie has been flaunting her bikini body while on a Caribbean vacation with Kylie Jenner.
And for 36-year-old Scott Disick, the growing closeness between Sofia, 20, and Kylie, 21, is all good, according to a report in UsWeekly on Wednesday.
'Scott is really happy that Sofia and Kylie have become so close again because it means that Sofia has been further accepted in the family,' a source told the publication.
UsWeekly's source even claims that the growing closeness between the two has helped make Scott's relationship with Sofia 'stronger'.
Kylie, of course, is the younger half-sister of Scott's former flame Kourtney Kardashian, the mother of his three children.
He hooked up with the daughter of hitmaker Lionel Richie a little over two years ago after his on/off relationship with Kourtney, 40, ended for good.
Doctors reportedly removed 33 objects including razors, knives and a screwdriver from a man's stomach after he complained of severe pain.
Yogesh Thakur was also reportedly found to have plastic items in his abdomen after he was admitted to hospital for X-rays.
The 30-year-old's mum told medics at MPN Khare Surgical and Maternity Nursing Home in Chhatarpur, India, he would 'grab anything and eat it'.
His mum reportedly said: "He grabs anything and eats it. But we were surprised when we came to know that he could eat such dangerous things too."
Mr Thakur had to have an operation yesterday following the shock discovery and will also receive psychiatric help, reports say.
Doctors believe it's likely he's suffering with acuphagia, an eating disorder that causes sufferers to consume sharp objects.
It is a form of pica, an eating disorder which involves eating things that are not food do not contain significant nutritional value such as hair, dirt, and paint chips.
Doctors also reportedly said Mr Thakur suffered from altered mental status - general changes in brain function, defects in judgement or thought.
Mr Thakur's mother, Kusma Thakur, said her son had shown symptoms of strange behavioural patterns since he was little but she assumed he would grow out of it.
The surgeon who performed the operation reportedly said they were shocked to find the sharp objects in his abdomen.
The viral FaceApp photo filter allows you to digitally age yourself by a few decades, but experts are warning that the app poses several security risks for the millions who use it.
The "old age filter," which celebrities including Kim Kardashian, the Jonas Brothers and Carrie Underwood have used to post their aged faces online using the #faceappchallenge tag, could give the Russian developers of the app access to your personal information and identity.
According to the app's Terms and Conditions, it has the right to modify, reproduce and publish any of the images you process through its AI, the New York Post reports.
You grant FaceApp a perpetual, irrevocable… royalty-free… license to use, adapt, publish, distribute your user content… in all media formats… when you post or otherwise share,” British digital strategist James Whatley said on Twitter.
The Post reports that they can therefore use your real name, your username or “any likeness provided” in any format without notifying, much less paying you.
They can also reportedly retain that material as long as they want, even after you delete the app, and you won’t be able to stop them.
A security expert told The Daily Mail that hackers, who could be tied to Russia's government, could log into websites you've visited and potentially see the "activities" performed in those websites.
On Wednesday, Muslim Advocates released the following statement from Madihha Ahussain, special counsel for anti-Muslim bigotry, in response to President Trump’s attacks on Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib at a campaign rally in Greenville, NC, which incited the crown to chant “send her back”:
“Recently, a single tweet from the president caused Congresswoman Omar to receive death threats. Today, the president of the United States continued to endanger her life, Rashida Tlaib's life and the lives of all American Muslims when he rattled off a list of racist, anti-Muslim smears about Omar and Tlaib to a crowd of thousands that chanted ‘send her back.’
American Muslims need true allyship now more than ever. Since Trump’s first campaign, Muslims have been banned, discriminated against, profiled and targeted at home, at school, at work, in the streets and at houses of worship.
The Constitution makes clear that America is a land of religious freedom for all yet President Trump wants to deny that freedom to American Muslims and is putting this already imperiled community in even more danger.
The president’s open, calculated, anti-Muslim bigotry is something we expect to see much more of throughout the 2020 campaign. All Americans, including all Democrats and Republicans, should unequivocally and immediately disavow this hatred.”
Finding someone you feel like you could spend the rest of your life with isn't an easy feat.
But one woman thought she'd managed to accomplish just that, after being with her boyfriend for five years and branding him the "most amazing partner".
However one comment from him changed everything for the couple and now she's unsure of what the future really holds for them.
So what exactly did he say to ruin the relationship? According to a viral tweet, the man confessed to his partner that he doesn't actually believe women should be able to vote - and she was not impressed.
The Twitter account @Redditships shared a screenshot of a post the woman originally put up on Reddit's Relationship_Advice forum seeking help with her situation.
She wrote: "My boyfriend of five years just disclosed to me that he does not believe women should be allowed to vote.
"He believes women have ruined the country (we are American) and that they should not be allowed to vote. He says he didn't feel comfortable telling me about this sooner because he thought he would lose me.
"I'm upset and I can't tell if I'm wrong to be upset about this because I know that everyone is entitled to have their own views, but now I just feel as though he doesn't even value my own input/views. He has assured me that he still thinks that I should be allowed to vote, but that women in general should not."
In the post, the woman goes on to explain how the pair had been together for so long and she can't imagine her life without him now.
"In all other aspects, he is the perfect, most amazing partner and I can't imagine my life without him. But this suddenly has me rethinking a lot," she adds.
She goes on to ask for some advice on how to proceed: "Am I wrong to be questioning our relationship over his new beliefs? As his girlfriend am I supposed to be tolerant and respectful of his views even though I may (strongly) disagree. I can't tell if I'm overreacting to this or not. The whole situation has made me feel terrible and I'm so confused."
More than 7,000 people liked the screenshot on Twitter, with over 1,000 retweeting it.
Thousands also replied, offering the woman some words of wisdom and sharing their concern for her.
One person said: "Start imagining your life without him."
Another commented; "The only thing to do is dump him. He's an adult, he needs to take responsibility for his bulls***, childish and dangerous views."
An evil uncle who r*ped and then strangled his seven-year-old niece has been given a triple life sentence behind bars.
The man, known only as Rajesh, was found guilty of murder on Monday and will now never be released.
The cold-blooded killer is said to have even helped search for the schoolgirl when she was initially reported 'missing'.
The 27-year-old was spared the death penalty because of his age, according to local reports from the city of Kollam in India where the offence occurred.
He was sentenced under charges of r*pe, murder, abduction, unnatural s*x, showing disrespect to body and destroying evidence.
In September of 2017 Rajesh told the girl's grandmother that he would walk her to school.
But instead of taking her to school, the prosecution said, he took the girl to a rubber plantation in his auto-rickshaw.
After r*ping her, he strangulated her, according to the prosecution. Her body was recovered two days after she was reported missing.
When relatives started searching for the missing girl, Rajesh helped and he led a protest against the school saying she was missing from there.
Later, CCTV visuals from a nearby house revealed that the victim was travelling with Rajesh.
He confessed to the crime and led the police to the spot where he abandoned the body of the victim.
The case triggered shock and outrage in the state in 2017.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu has restricted all forms of protests within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to the Unity Fountain.
He explained that the order was part of efforts by the police to ensure safety and security of life and property, the free flow of traffic and protection of commerce and other economic activities.
It also said the order will assist personnel of the Force to coordinate and handle peaceful protests.
A statement yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, by the Force spokesman Frank Mba, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), urged intending protesters to steer clear of all critical national infrastructure, especially the Three Arms Zone and other sensitive security areas.
The statement said intending protesters are at liberty to assemble and conduct peaceful protests within the Unity Fountain, the authorised protest zone.
Instagram is hiding the number of likes on posts in several countries, including Australia and Japan, in order to "remove pressure" on users.
The trial which begins Thursday, means users will see a user name "and others" below posts, instead of the number, on their feed.
Instagrammers can still view the number of likes their own posts receive.
There is concern social media platforms can contribute to low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy in young people.
Instagram launched a similar trial in Canada in May and the new test is rolling out in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Japan and Brazil, the company told the BBC.
"We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love," Mia Garlick, Facebook Australia and New Zealand director of policy, said in a statement.
The goal, she adds, is that users feel less judged and to see "whether this change can help people focus less on likes and more on telling their story".
Instagram said the test would not affect measurement tools for businesses. And users can still see the list of people who liked other people's content by clicking into it.
A bid to launch impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump has been blocked in the US House of Representatives.
Texas Democrat Al Green filed the resolution after the House voted to denounce Mr Trump's attacks aimed at four US congresswomen as racist.
But the measure failed to win enough support, with his fellow Democrats voting overwhelmingly against.
Mr Trump said the "ridiculous" attempts to impeach him were now "over".
"This should never be allowed to happen to another President of the United States again!" he tweeted.
This week's attempt came on the heels of Mr Trump's repeated attacks against four congresswomen, which began with a series of tweets telling the unnamed politicians to "go back" to their countries.
At least 13 people are dead and dozens injured after a suspected arson attack at an animation studio in Kyoto, Japan, local emergency officials have said.
Local media quoted police as saying a man broke into the Kyoto Animation Co studio on Thursday morning and sprayed an unidentified liquid around.
Some 30 people still remain unaccounted for.
The suspect, an unidentified man, has been detained and was taken to hospital with injuries.
The fire broke out at the three-storey building at around 10:30 local time on Thursday. Rescue operations are still ongoing.
The man had been heard saying "drop dead" as he set fire to the building.
It is not clear what relationship the suspect may have had to the company.
Twenty-six prison inmates in Ogun, has been granted amnesty on Wednesday by the Ogun State Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu.
The amnesty came while they were awaiting trials by the prerogative power of the state’s Chief Judge during a three day tour to the five prison formations across the three Senatorial Districts of the state.
Justice Dipeolu said that the second quarter’s prisons jail delivery was aimed to decongest prison formations of inmates after reviewing their cases while inmates with no case files, medical factors amongst others reasons were discharged to go and sin no more.
“The inmates were released with a view to decongest the prisons and the exercise is in accordance with the service of the law under the custody act. I want to appeal to the released inmates to be of good behaviour, so that they do not return to the prison,” Dipeolu said.
Billionaire Femi Otedola and his daughters are currently in Monaco on holiday. He jetted to the beautiful country with his daughters, Tolani, DJ Cuppy and Temi, More photos below…
A new official portrait of President Buhari has been released by the Presidency.
In a statement by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Olusegun Adekunle, he said the President has approved the portrait for public offices, buildings and for other legitimate purposes. The statement reads;
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a new official portrait for display in all Public Offices, buildings and for other legitimate purposes.
In this regard, all Ministries, Departments, Agencies of Government, Sub-National Entities, Businesses and the Public are enjoined to obtain soft copy of the portrait from either of the following two Offices:
• Office of the Permanent Secretary
Federal Ministry of Information and Culture
Radio House,
Garki,
Abuja
• Office of the Director (Information)
Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,
Shehu Shagari Complex,
Three Arms Zone
Abuja.
Also, sample copy of the new official portrait can be viewed and downloaded on the official website of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on www.osgf.gov.ng .
