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Christmas: Stop killing, embrace peace, Bishop Onaga urges Nigerians

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The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, the Most Reverend Callistus Onaga, has urged Nigerians to use the occasion of this year’s Christmas to end violence and killings in the country.

Onaga stated this in his Christmas message at his residence at Independence Layout, Enugu.

The bishop said there were need for Nigerians to stop killing and violence but strife to relate well with one another irrespective of their tribe, religion and culture.

He said, “My wish for all of us in Nigeria, is that this Christmas will be a very special one and help us to see the necessity to love one another.

“Let peace reign my dear brothers and sisters, and may the peace of Christ who left everything he had as God came down to lift us up reign in our hearts this Christmas.

“In the New Year, I pray that we use the effect of Christmas to launch into 2023.

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Onaga also urged political leaders to be close to their people so the people can feel their smell, stressing that, “If a good leader is really going to deliver to the people, he has to come down to them.

“They feel them and if they are too far away from them, they won’t know them, smell them or know their needs”.

He explained that God showed good example of leadership by sending his only begotten son to the world for humanity to know he loves them.

The clergyman described as unfortunate a situation whereby some the Local Government Chairmen live in Abuja and they are running a place like in Udi in Enugu, saying there would be no connectivity between them and the people.

Onaga, however, said humanity should appreciate God for sending his only begotten son to save mankind, describing Christmas as light and not darkness.

“Ironically and paradoxically, people do bad things in the name of celebrate Christmas, they get money by all means to celebrate it but it is the wrong understanding of celebrating Christmas.

“We are rejoicing and thanking God that this year with all the difficulties we had in Nigeria, especially in the southeast region, people are still celebrating Christmas,” Onaga said.

On 2023 general election, Onaga said Nigeria had always sitting in a very precarious situation as they preparing for general elections.

He said 2023 was a very decisive year for Nigerians given the economic, political, social and cultural crisis they found themselves in.

“As kings of peace and justice is going to be born, may the celebration of this year help us to see the necessity to bring peace to our people during the 2023 election.

“This is a year that can make or unmake Nigeria but my prayer is the year 2023 will be more brighter and promising, bring our oneness in our diversity,” he prayed.

On Security crisis, Bishop Onaga noted if all Nigerians put hands together in 2023 to seek best way out of the quagmire and difficulty, Nigeria would be better.

Therefore, “May we seek peace by planting justices, love and being tolerant with one another in 2023 beginning from our household to community, state and nation in general,” he said. (NAN)

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Security guard kidnaps employer’s two children, demands ransom

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The abducted children
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A private security guard has escaped with two kids from his employer in Minna, with the police suspecting abduction.

The security guard, named Sani Abdulrahaman, a Fulani by tribe, on Sunday, reportedly took Umaru and Anas, both six years old, on Sallah picnic without the knowledge of their father, Alhaji Danjuma, a businessman, and failed to bring them back home.

The father of the children raised the alarm asking the public and security agencies to help him locate the fleeing security guard and his children.

Danjuma said someone called him on Sunday evening and said he was in Erena forest in Shiroro Local Government Area with the children.

According to him, the caller asked for undisclosed ransom before his children who were in their custody would be released.

When contacted, Niger State Command Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident, which he said occurred about one o’clock on Sunday, May 31.

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Abiodun explained that the security man pretended that he was taking the children for Sallah celebration in the town, but did not return.

He said the police suspected abduction but disclosed that “investigation has commenced and efforts to locate the children are ongoing.”

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Police arrest suspect behind AI-generated Tinubu voice note

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Ifechukwu Dennis, the suspect
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The Nigerian Police Force has arrested Ifechukwu Dennis, the man identified as the originator of an AI-generated voice note that was widely circulated online as a leaked recording of President Bola Tinubu.

Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the arrest on Thursday in a post on his official X account.

“The IGP crack team has arrested Ifechukwu Dennis who originated the fake voice that he passed on to his gullible targets as President Tinubu’s voice,” he said.

The arrest closes a week-long controversy that began on May 27, 2026, when a video of social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, went viral.

In the clip, an AI-generated voice resembling Tinubu’s was heard making inflammatory statements — including that insecurity in the South-East was deliberate, that he had pressured Peter Obi to step down ahead of the 2023 election, and that he was indifferent to Nigerians’ suffering.

Investigations by multiple news organisations, however, established that VDM had not posted the doctored audio.

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An unidentified individual had extracted footage from VDM’s original Instagram video and superimposed the AI-generated voice notes before recirculating the manipulated version online.

Despite this, the Presidency had initially called for VDM’s prosecution.

Onanuga had described the incident as “a clear case of egregious abuse of the social media platform,” drawing criticism after fact-checkers confirmed VDM’s original video contained none of the fabricated audio.

Further details on the circumstances of Dennis’s arrest and the charges he may face were not immediately available at the time of filing this report.

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Five abducted Kwara worshippers killed, one escapes, others still held

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Terrorists have killed five out of the eight worshippers abducted at ECWA Church Omugo in Ifelodun local government area of Kwara state, says one escaped abductees.

Rev Sunday Omole had urged federal government to expedite action on the release of the abductees from the captivity of the terrorists.

The clergyman said government intervention had become necessary after the community paid the terrorists N20 million and provided additional items worth more than N300,000, yet the abductors refused to release the worshippers and instead demanded an additional N300 million ransom.

He added that from the action of the terrorists it was clear that they just wanted to be exploiting the community.

Recall that eight of the worshippers including the Pastor’s wife were kidnapped in the morning of March 22,2026 during a Sunday service.

The death of the five worshippers including the Pastor’s wife was disclosed in a statement issued by the Pastor of the church, Rev Sunday Omole, Wednesday evening.

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The statement reads:

“It is with deep pain in my heart that I inform the church, families and individual concerned in regard to the 8 people that were abducted from ECWA OMUGO on 22nd of March, 2026.

“We received one of our son’s, Mr Sunday Bakare also abducted over a month ago, he escaped and brought the following news that only 3 out of 8 of our people are remaining with the kidnappers. The remaining 5 have gone to be with the Lord.

“They are; Elder Chief David Omopariola,
Chief Joseph Ibitoye Afariogun,
Mrs Iyabo Aniyi,
Elder Joshua Akanbi Adeyemi and
Mrs. Rachel Oluwaremilekun Omole(his wife).

“Brethren, let’s know that God knows why He allows this to happen. The great comforter will comfort us in Jesus name, amen.

“The prayers of the saints in the beginning of the church also worked and answered still they had martyrs. John 16:33 says (NIV) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace . In this world you will have trouble . But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Heaven is our home and Gain. Let’s reason as child of God as we navigate this moment. God bless you, and comfort you all in Jesus name, amen.”concluded the statement.

It was also gathered that the three remaining worshipers are in terrible health condition, while a member of church who escaped from the terrorists captivity is currently receiving an urgent medical attention in a private hospital in OmuAran.

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