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Pope Leo Condemns Benue Massacre, Prays For Victims Pope Leo XIV has condemned the recent killings in Benue State, describing the incident as a “terrible massacre” in which mostly displaced civilians were murdered with “extreme cruelty”. Delivering his remarks before the Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican, the pontiff expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence in Nigeria and the suffering of affected communities. The Pope prayed for “security, justice, and peace” to prevail in the country and offered special intercession for the rural Christian communities in Benue, whom he described as “relentless victims of violence.” The attack occurred in…

STATEHOUSE PRESS STATEMENT BENUE CRISIS: PRESIDENT TINUBU DIRECTS SECURITY CHIEFS TO IMPLEMENT EARLIER DIRECTIVE, TASKS GOVERNOR ALIA ON RECONCILIATION President Bola Tinubu has directed security chiefs to implement his earlier directive to bring lasting peace and security to Benue State. President Tinubu renewed his order in the wake of the latest round of reprisal attacks that led to the death of many people. On the president's directive, intelligence chiefs, the police and the military have arrived in the state to direct security operations and restore sanity. President Tinubu has equally charged the governor of Benue State with convening reconciliation meetings…

Ambassador Osita Offor Hails Rep Amobi Ogah On Birthday   The Undisputed and Undefeated World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion of the Champions, Ambassador Osita Offor, popularly known as De Ultimate Commander, has extended warm birthday wishes to the Honourable Member representing Isuikwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Hon. Amobi Ogah, who's also a founding member of UAAPF, as he marks his birthday on June 16.   Ambassador Offor, who is the President of United Abia Artistes and Patriots (UAAP) Forum, in a statement made available to journalists, in Abuja praised Rep. Ogah’s commitment to the development of his constituency and his impactful contributions at…

Ebonyi Federal Lawmaker Defects To APC I am happy to join the APC. My decision stems from a desire to support Governor Francis Nwifuru and his administration fully. A Member of the House of Representatives, Joseph Nwobasi of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Ebonyi, has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).   Mr Nwobasi, who represents Ezza-North/Ishielu Federal Constituency, announced his defection at the Ezza-North council headquarters on Sunday. He said the decision to move to the APC with his supporters was to strengthen support for President Bola Tinubu and Governor Francis Nwifuru. Mr Nwobasi was…

JUST IN: APC North-East Stakeholders’ Meeting Turns Violent After Omission Of Shettima In Tinubu Endorsement A political storm has hit the North-East following a controversial endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term without any mention of Vice President Kashim Shettima. At Sunday’s APC stakeholders’ meeting in Gombe, National Vice Chairman (North-East) Mustapha Salihu sparked fury when he threw support behind Tinubu as an unopposed candidate, but conspicuously left out Shettima, who hails from Borno State. Delegates erupted in anger, with some threatening physical assault, forcing Salihu to be whisked away by security operatives. An attempt to douse the…

Drama As Security Operatives Storm Abia PDP Meeting Over Alleged Unapproved Gathering There was palpable drama in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State on Friday, as a meeting organised by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was suddenly interrupted and forced to relocate following the unexpected arrival of security operatives. The meeting, initially held at a community square, was disrupted when personnel from Operation Crush — a combined security task force in Abia State — stormed the venue. Although the operatives did not make any arrests or physically confront the attendees, their silent and strategic presence created confusion,…

Ebonyi Celebrates Landing Of First Commercial Flight   The Ebonyi State government has welcomed its first commercial flight at Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo Airport, located in Onueke, Ezza-South Local Government Area of the state. The aircraft arrived from Abuja on Friday at 11:15 a.m. with passengers aboard. The flight was operated by United Nigeria Airlines with registration number 5N-8WV. One of the passengers and ex-deputy governor, Prof. Chigozie Ogbu, described the flight as a major milestone for the state. He said, “This is the first flight, and I am fortunate to be among those who landed here.’’ He praised the runway,…

Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, has said he would have taken legal action against President Bola Tinubu had it been he was named among those he recently conferred with national honours. President Tinubu on Thursday conferred late Kudirat Abiola with a posthumous honour of Commander of the Federal Republic, while Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka was named Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger. The President also honoured Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, Niger Delta environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and other members of the Ogoni Nine. Others on the list included many who fought against…

Nigeria's Agric Ministry Goes Spiritual, Declares 3-Day Fasting, Prayer Against Hunger The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has declared a three-day fasting and prayer exercise in response to Nigeria’s food security crisis. The ministry, in an internal circular directed its staff to observe fasting on June 16, 23, and 30, 2025, as well as “solemn prayer session for God’s guidance” to confront the country’s growing challenges around food affordability and supply. In the circular dated June 11, 2025, and signed by the Director of Human Resource Management, Mrs. Adedayo Modupe, the ministry scheduled the 30-minute prayer sessions to…

Constituents Now Rely On Lawmakers For Rent, Naming Ceremony Funds Because Others Are Inaccessible — Senate Spokesman  Senate Spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, has said that the responsibilities of Nigerian lawmakers extend far beyond their constitutional mandate of legislation and oversight, as constituents now depend heavily on them for personal financial support — including money for housing and naming ceremonies. Speaking on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Adaramodu warned that Nigeria’s democracy could be jeopardised if any attempt is made to reduce the National Assembly to a part-time institution. “If the parliament is on part-time, then it means…