Connect with us
Maduka University Advert

News

19,100 churches sacked in Nigeria – Intersociety alleges

Published

on

Spread the love

A civil rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, (Intersociety), has alleged that at least 19,100 churches have been sacked in Nigeria by jihadists.

In a report released by the organisation on Sunday, it claimed that at least 100 churches have been sacked on a daily basis for the past 16 years.

It spans the period between July 2009 and 2025.

The report was signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Head, Intersociety, Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Human Rights Lawyer/Head, Dept. of Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, and Chidinma Udegbunam, Human Rights Lawyer/Head, Dept. of Campaign and Publicity.

Intersociety said an estimated 1200 Christian churches had been razed or sacked on yearly basis, “during which 19, 100 churches in all were lost, 100 sacked every month and more than three every day”.

It disclosed that “razing or sacking of an estimated 19,100 Christian churches followed widespread armed religious conflicts.”

Maduka College Advert

The group said apart from estimated 13,000 churches attacked, burnt down or destroyed or violently shut down between July 2009 and December 2014, additional 6,100 others are likely to have been lost to the country’s Islamic Jihadists and Jihad enablers since midyear of 2015 in severely affected States of Taraba, Adamawa, Kebbi, Borno, Kastina, Niger, Kogi, Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Bauchi, Yobe, Southern Kaduna and Gombe.

“It is also statistically found that more than 1000 churches (white clothing churches) belonging to members of Organization of the African Instituted Churches, a branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and allied others have also been attacked, burnt down or sacked.

“Church facilities belonging to such white clothing churches have also been falsely labeled as ‘training camps for IPOB/ESN/Biafra Agitators’, leading to their attack and destruction by security forces, during which members of the traditional religion, especially their herbalist-priests were indiscriminately targeted for instant death or abduction and disappearance by security forces.

“Attacks on Christian churches and threatening and uprooting of their congregational members across Nigeria have severely uprooted and emptied thousands of their parishes and outstations and affected many, if not most parts of the 16 Dioceses of the Catholic Mission in Nigeria, to the extent that Archdiocese of Kaduna, covering Diocese of Sokoto-with Parishes of Zamafara, Kebbi and Katsina presently exists with skeletal parishes and outstations, forced them into in a state of near-empty church buildings.

Benue State’s four Dioceses of Makurdi, Gboko, Okukpo and Katsina-Ala; home to largest Catholics and denominational Christians in Northern Nigeria, followed by Plateau State, have been threatened and almost uprooted, with more than twenty of their parishes and hundreds of outstations threatened and closed by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen.

“In Plateau State, Catholic Archdiocese of Jos (Ecclesiastical Province of Jos), comprising Dioceses of Bauchi, Maiduguri, Jalingo (Taraba State), Pankshin (Plateau State), Shendam (Plateau State), Wukari (Taraba State) and Yola (Adamawa State) are facing serious congregational emptiness and evangelical devastation.

“Same goes to Catholic Dioceses of Minna and Kontagora in Niger State where dominant Christian communities in Shiroro, Munya, Rafi, Paikoro, etc., have been uprooted and placed under siege by combined forces of the Islamic Jihadists led by Jihadist Boko Haram and Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen/Bandits.

“The Catholic Diocese of Lokoja under Archdiocese of Abuja is also facing serious threat, worsened by recent Jihadist activities of “Mahmuda and Lakaruwa Islamic Jihadists and their patrons”, Intersociety further alleged.

News

Another child dumped at Pastor Chibuzor’s gate in Rivers

Published

on

Chibuzo Chinyere
Spread the love

A cleric, Chibuzor Gift Chinyere, has raised alarm after another child was reportedly abandoned at his residence on April 23, 2026.

According to him, the incident occurred earlier in the day when the young boy was discovered at his gate. He stated that he has immediately notified the police and is making arrangements to hand the child over to the appropriate authorities.

The cleric explained that he is unable to take in new children at the moment due to ongoing registration processes with the Ministry of Social Welfare. He stressed that accepting the child would violate existing legal requirements guiding child care and protection.

He further disclosed that his facility is already accommodating over 500 children, making it necessary to strictly adhere to regulations before admitting more.

Chinyere also expressed appreciation to the Federation of International Women Lawyers and the Ministry of Social Welfare for educating him on proper legal procedures.

He reiterated that the child would be transferred to the custody of the Ministry, emphasizing that compliance with the law remains his top priority.

Maduka College Advert

Continue Reading

News

OAU medical student collapses, dies before final exam

Published

on

Spread the love

Adewole Emmanuel, a 400-level medical student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has died after reportedly collapsing moments before his final session examination.

Emmanuel’s death was announced on Thursday in a statement by the Ife University Medical Students Association.

The association lamented the sudden departure, describing Emmanuel as a solid pillar of his class.

The statement read in part, “Under the cover of dark clouds, we write to you with the heaviest of hearts to inform you of the passing of one of our own, an integral part of the association and a solid pillar of his class.

While describing the deceased as “a colleague, friend, roommate, and a Part 4 medical student with an undeniably bright future until the time of his passing”, the association added that “This incident is not only sad, but crucially painful as we lost a rising star and a loving member of the IFUMSA family.”

“In honoring his dearest memories, we kindly ask the general public to do without speculations and respect the privacy of the family during this vulnerable period.”

Maduka College Advert

Speaking under condition of anonymity, a senior member of the association said the student died on Wednesday without an underlying ailment.

“He died yesterday. But he hadn’t been sick. He just collapsed and couldn’t be resuscitated,” the source said.

“We were about to write our final exam for the session. And during the process of waiting for the exam, he suddenly collapsed in the college and died.

“It’s just unfortunate as he didn’t have any underlying medical condition. We have contacted his family already.”

Continue Reading

News

Misdemeanor: Senator Jim Nwobodo’s wife, Patricia loses at Enugu Magistrate Court

Published

on

Father remanded in prison for alleged sexual assault of 7-year-old daughter
Spread the love

..As court srikes out charges against CEO, Energy FM Enugu, Pastor Ogbuanu, 3 others, Awards N1m cost against her

An Enugu State Magistrate Court has struck out a four-count criminal charge brought against a Lagos-based cleric and Chief Executive Officer, Energy FM Enugu, Pastor Basil Ogbuanu, and three of his workers.
.
The court also awarded a N1m cost against Mrs. Patricia Nwobodo, the wife of a former governor of Old Anambra State, Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, for her failure to prosecute the case.
.
The ruling, delivered by His Worship D.K. Ekoh at the Enugu South Magisterial District, followed the persistent absence of the complainants since the inception of the matter in January 2026.
.
The defendants, Ezeh Patrick Muoneke, 46; Arinze Onoja, 26; Sedro Theodore, 28; and Basil Ogbuanu, 56, were arraigned on January 20, 2026, on charges bordering on conspiracy, deprivation of liberty, and assault.
.
The four- count charge levelled against them read:
.
“That you Eze Patrick Muoneke ‘m’, Arinze Only a ‘m’, on the 16th day of January, 2026 at about 1300hours at Patin-Son Estate, Ozubulu Street, Independence Layout, Enugu within Enugu Magisterial District did conspire among themselves to commit misdemeanor to wit: Deprivation of Liberty and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 496(a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. 11 the Revise Laws of Enugu State, 2004.
.
Count 11: That you Ede Patrick Muoneke ‘m’, Arinze Onoja ‘m’, Sedro Theodore ‘m’ and Ogbuanu Basil ‘m’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did unlawfully confine the movement and detain Mrs Patricia M. Nwobodo ‘f’ against her will from 11hours to 13hours and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 316 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. 11 the Revise Laws of Enugu State 2004.
.
Count 111: That you Ede Patrick Muoneke ‘m’, Arinze Onoja ‘m’, Sedro Theodore ‘m’ and Ogbuanu Basil ‘m’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did unlawfully confine the movement and detain Police Constable Ugwu Emmanuel ‘m’ against his will from 1100hours to 1300hours and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 316 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. 11 the Revise Laws of Enugu State, 2004.
.
Count IV: That you Ede Patrick Muoneke ‘m’ Arinze Onoja ‘m’, Sedro Theodore and Ogbuanu Basil ‘m’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did unlawfully assault Police Constable Ugwu Emmanuel ‘m’ by beating him all over his body and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 252 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. 11 the Revise Laws of Enugu State, 2004.
.
However, during the proceedings on April 15, 2026, the police prosecutor, B.C. Nnadozie, admitted that he had not seen the complainants since the matter started.
.
Nnadozie told the court that he could not “manufacture oath” or serve witness statements on the defence as he had no contact with the nominal complainants.
.
Counsel for the defendants, Emeka Oko, urged the court to dismiss the charge, noting that his clients, who are busy artisans and a Lagos resident, had suffered by traveling to Enugu for a case the complainants were not interested in pursuing.
.
Delivering his ruling, Magistrate Ekoh lambasted the conduct of the complainants, describing it as a clear indication of their lack of desire to prosecute the matter.
.
“A complainant whose complaint was investigated and to her knowledge is aware of the charge proffered against the defendants decides to stay in her luxury home without prosecuting her complaint, should as well pay damages to the person(s) she wrongfully complained against”, he said
.
The court subsequently struck out the charge and ordered that the defendants must not be re-arrested on the strength of the same complaint.
.
The trial Magistrate also granted the application for N1m cost against the complainant to be paid to the defendants.

Continue Reading

Trending

Maduka College Advert