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Redeemed Christian Church of God set ablaze in Niger

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The burnt church building
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Suspected hoodlums in the early hours of Saturday set ablaze the Redeemed Christian Church of God (Champion Zonal Headquarters) situated along Federal College of Education (FCE) road in Kontagora, Niger state.

An Assistant Pastor in the church, Pastor Samson Ogbebor who confirmed the incident, said the church came under attack at about 3am on Saturday by unknown hoodlums.

It was gathered that a similar faith befell the church 10 years ago when some hoodlums took advantage of a crisis in the area and burnt down the worship center and the church management was later warned not to rebuild the church back.

According to Ogbebor, who narrated how the incident occured said “I got a distress call that our Church was on fire and on getting there I met a church that has been in existence for the past 20 years being burnt down and properties looted by hoodlums.

“This Church has faced lots of challenges, sometimes in about 10 years ago, hoodlums came and burnt it down completely and with self efforts we were able to erect it again.

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“We have made several unsuccessful attempts but they have refused us the permission to roof it properly and we decided to be using it like that for worship but look at what they have done today again.”

While appealing to Governor Umaru Bago, the Emir of Kontagora, Alhaji Muhammadu Bari Mu’azu II and all relevant security agencies to treat the incident with all seriousness it deserved, he disclosed that the incident has been reported to the ‘A’ Division Police station in Kontagora for investigation and to bring the perpetrators to book.

In his reaction, the Coordinator of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kontagora, Very Rev. Fr. Musa John Ghado appreciated God and commended the efforts of Governor Bago and the State CAN Chairman, Most Rev (Dr) Bulus Dauwa Yohanna and all other actors who did not support the #EndBadGovernance Protests, saying that will have provided a good opportunity for churches in the area to come under attack

“By now, we would have been counting our losses because these hoodlums would have seized the opportunity to cause havoc on innocent lives and properties”.

He however encouraging the parishioners and all Christians in the state to follow the way of Jesus Christ and remain calm, peaceful and seek the face of God as they continue with their worship, promising that the issue will be forwarded to the state CAN for further action.

An Elder in the church, Mr John Aboje, also disclosed that they have no cause to be deterred by the incident but to continue to be good Christians and citizens of the country.

Accordingly, he said “we just want the government and the emirate to look into this very issue to allow freedom of worship in Kontagora and the state in general”.

Meanwhile the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Niger state chapter, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna has condemned the incident by the unidentified arsonists.

The State CAN Chairman in a statement in Minna, described the incident as barbaric and uncalled for, saying that “it was a painful thing to the Christian community, the government needs to take proper action by ensuring the culprits are brought to book”.

According to him “there is freedom of worship in Niger state, I am sure by the time the government and security agencies take action, it will go a long way to address any form of tension that may want to escalate beyond control.

“We are hoping that the law will take its course. To be frank, issues like this must be tamed and people who have done this should be fished out and made to face the law”.

No statement yet from the state police command on the incident as at the time of filing this report.

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2027: Atiku’s Son Pledges 10 Buses for Tinubu’s Re-election Campaign

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Abba Atiku Abubakar speaks during a visit to the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, where he pledged 10 buses for President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign. Photo: Hon Yusi Buba/Facebook
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Abba Atiku Abubakar, son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has pledged 10 buses to support mobilisation for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Abba made the pledge during a visit to the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretariat in Abuja on Friday, according to a statement issued by Yusi Buba, Senior Special Assistant on Youth Mobilisation to the party’s Deputy National Chairman.

He was received by the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Bukar Dalori.

Buba said Abba commended the party’s leadership and Tinubu’s administration, expressing support for the President’s continued stay in office.

“In a demonstration of his commitment to the political engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections, Hon. Abba Atiku Abubakar announced the donation of ten buses to support activities aimed at mobilising support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in 2027,” the statement said.

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The APC aide said Dalori welcomed Abba and acknowledged his pledge, describing it as support for the party’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the elections.

The development followed Abba’s announcement of a nationwide mobilisation campaign for Tinubu’s re-election and the unveiling of the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation, a political support group established to advance the President’s second-term ambition.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Abba said the organisation would commence activities in the Federal Capital Territory before expanding to other parts of the country.

He also announced plans for a two-million-man mobilisation march across the six geopolitical zones, with the exercise scheduled to begin in Abuja.

Abba defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in January, declaring his support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.

His father, Atiku Abubakar, is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election.

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NCDC Identifies Two Suspected Ebola Cases In North-East

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Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in the North-East region of the country.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed this in a post via its official X handle on Saturday, adding that both individuals had been isolated.
It also said contact identification and listing are ongoing, and laboratory testing is underway.

According to the agency, confirmation is subject to laboratory results.
Two suspected cases of Ebola disease have been identified in Nigeria’s North-East region. Both individuals have been isolated, contact identification and listing is ongoing, and laboratory testing is being conducted,” the NCDC said.

“Being classified as suspected cases does not mean they are confirmed Ebola cases; confirmation is subject to laboratory results.

“The public is advised to maintain good hand hygiene, practise enhanced sanitation and follow guidance from public health authorities. Further updates will be provided as verified information becomes available.”

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The latest update by the NCDC came days after it said it identified another contact, an e-hailing driver, linked to the confirmed case of the recent Ebola outbreak in Nigeria, increasing the number of primary contacts to 54.

The NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, told Channels Television on October 26 that efforts were ongoing to identify the secondary contacts.

“So we are not out of the woods yet until we are sure that we have all the contacts, and they have been followed up. So we are still not out of the woods; because the index case is out doesn’t mean that we don’t have that,” he said.

The Federal Government had announced Nigeria’s first confirmed case of the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja on October 20, 2026, identifying the patient as a woman with a recent travel history to Uganda, who returned to Nigeria with symptoms on October 7, but the Ugandan authorities denied reports of an Ebola outbreak in the East African country.

The index patient was later flown to Switzerland along with her husband.

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Troops kill 71 terrorists in Borno, Yobe offensive

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Soldiers kill 964 terrorists in February- DHQ
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Nigerian troops have neutralised no fewer than 71 terrorists in coordinated ground and air operations across Borno and Yobe, while recovering weapons and ammunition and disrupting terrorist logistics networks.

The operations include a five-hour counter-offensive at Buni Yadi, Yobe, which reportedly accounted for 48 ISWAP fighters, as well as separate air and maritime strikes that neutralised 23 terrorists.

An operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, said the Buni Yadi operation followed an attack on troops at the North-East Theatre Training School in Gujba Local Government Area.

The report said the troops repelled the assault and neutralised 48 terrorists during the ensuing counter-offensives, recovering 42 AK-47 rifles, five PKT machine guns, four general-purpose machine guns and one 60mm mortar.

It added that other recovered items include 105 AK-47 magazines, two video cameras and thousands of rounds of ammunition of different calibres.

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The report said one soldier was killed during the engagements, while two others sustained minor injuries.

According to the report, the maritime component, supported by an armed unmanned aerial vehicle, had in another operation on Oct. 28, struck terrorist targets across Lake Chad.

“Preliminary battle damage assessment indicates that eight terrorists were neutralised, while 10 others sustained injuries.

“Similarly, an air operation near Ngirmishi settlement, north of Kerenoa, reportedly neutralised about 15 terrorists.

“The operation followed the sighting of suspected terrorists around a structure believed to be a logistics base, which was subsequently struck in a precision attack.”

The report said that in Borno, army troops of 5 Brigade arrested seven suspected terrorist collaborators, informants and logistics suppliers at Damasak, Mobbar Local Government Area, on Oct. 28.

Items recovered, according to the report include mobile phones, food supplies, drinks, blankets, cooking oil and other household materials, alongside N483,550.

It added that troops of 112 Task Force Battalion, working with Hybrid Forces, also ambushed suspected terrorists attempting to cross the Mafa-Ajiri road at Kassasewa, Mafa Local Government Area, on Oct. 27.

The report revealed that the suspected terrorists fled, abandoning five rocket-propelled grenade bombs and 175 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

The report added that in another development, troops of 202 Battalion apprehended a suspected terrorist informant and logistics supplier attempting to infiltrate Bama town.

“The troops also intercepted a suspected member of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) who reportedly escaped from a terrorist enclave in Bama and was on his way to surrender.

“Meanwhile, troops of 403 Amphibious Brigade, working with the Multinational Joint Task Force and Civilian Joint Task Force, discovered an improvised explosive device along the Baga-Cross road in Kukawa Local Government Area on Oct. 29,” it said.

In Plateau, the report said troops of Operation Enduring Peace foiled a kidnapping attempt at the ECWA Staff Quarters in Jos North Local Government Area in the early hours of Friday.

It said that the troops responded to a distress call and forced the suspected kidnappers to abandon their operation and flee.

According to the report, troops also arrested a suspected kidnapper at Akwaba, Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa, during a joint operation with the Department of State Services.

“The suspect and N200,000 recovered during the operation were handed over to the DSS for further investigation.

“In Ondo, troops of 322 Artillery Regiment, working with the Nigeria Police, raided a suspected criminal and ritualists’ hideout at Kajola Camp.

“Three suspects were arrested, while counterfeit United States dollars and other foreign currencies were recovered.

“The suspects and recovered items were handed over to the police in Ore for further action,” it also said. (NAN)

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