Religion

The Catholic church has banned Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka, Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministries Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), from commenting on partisan politics. In a letter to Fr. Mbaka,  Callistus Onaga, Catholic bishop of Enugu Diocese, also converted the adoration ministry to chaplaincy. Unlike in the past where  Father Mbaka solely oversees the activities of the ministry as its spiritual director, making it chaplaincy brings it under the control of the Enugu Diocese and gives the bishop the power to appoint a chaplain to oversee its operations. Although the Bishop said Mbaka still leads the chaplaincy, he added that he (Bishop)…

Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has faulted the refusal of the federal government to declare bandits a terrorist group. Bishop Kukah said this on Wednesday in his homily at the burial of late Rev Fr. Alphosus Yasshim Bello at Our Lady of Apostles Catholic Church, Independence Way, Kaduna. Fr. Alphonsus Yashim Bello was kidnapped and murdered by suspected bandits on 21st May 2021 in Katsina. Bello was kidnapped alongside Rev Fr Joseph Keke. “Those who govern us are allowing this killing of citizens in their innocence because they have no blood in their hearts,” Kukah said. Kukah argued that…

Renowned Islamic Scholar, Sheik Dahiru Usman Bauchi, conducted Eid prayers on Wednesday. This is against the directive of Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, who asked Muslims in the country to continue with fasting on Wednesday. Sultan, the spiritual head of Muslims in the country, had declared Thursday, May 13, 2021, as the day of Salat and the first day of Shawwal. But Eid prayers held at the Bauchi residence of Sheik Bauchi on Wednesday. According to Daily Trust, One of the cleric’s children, Tijjani Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, led the congregation with the cleric in attendance. Similarly, the Chief…

The Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has declared that the Ramadan fast will continue on Wednesday while the Eid-el-Fitr will be on Thursday. The NSCIA, headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, said this in a statement Tuesday evening signed by Wazirin Sokoto Sambo Junaidu. “The Sultanate Council Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs in conjunction with the National Moonsighting Committee did not receive any report from the moon sighting committees across the country confirming the sighting of the new moon of Shawwal 1442AH. ”Therefore, Wednesday 12th May 2021 is the 30th day of the month of Ramadan…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, has banned eid prayers at the National Eid prayer ground along the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway. According to a statement by the Minister’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Anthony Ogunleye, the decision was arrived at a meeting of the FCTA and a delegation from the FCT League of Imams Initiative. Ogunleye said the delegation led by its Chairman, Imam (Dr) Tajudeen M.B Adigun, met Bello to discuss the modalities for holding eid prayers for the upcoming Eid el-Fitr celebrations. “All worshippers are enjoined to hold eid prayers outdoors within the…

Catholic Priest and Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka has announced a shutdown of the Adoration Ministry for a period of one month. This may not be unconnected to the earlier directive given to him by the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Bishop Calistus Onaga. According to Daily Post, The ministry sent out a notice early Tuesday morning informing members that Fr. Mbaka was proceeding on a one-month private prayer retreat. It was, however, silent on whether it was in obedience to the Bishop’s order. A message to that effect obtained by DAILY POST read: “Our Spiritual…

Property worth millions of naira were on Sunday destroyed by an early morning fire which razed down the headquarters of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Lagos Province 28, Lagos expressway by China Town. The actual cause of the fire said to have started around 5am on Sunday is still unknown. The Lagos State police spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the fire outbreak, said on hearing of the fire, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Oguru, alerted men of the state fire service. “The fire was successfully put out. No life was lost to the inferno, only the property of…

Father Ejike Mbaka, spiritual director of Adoration Ministries Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), has apologised to the Catholic church over his mistakes in recent times. While delivering his sermon on Sunday, Mbaka asked Callistus Onaga, bishop of the diocese, to forgive him and his followers for his comments and theirs which have rubbed off negatively on the church. He also cautioned his followers against violence, after some of them broke into the diocesan cathedral on Wednesday when his whereabouts was unknown for some hours. “I can’t disobey them church — who am I? How can somebody who has been serving the church…

The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, on Friday night broke his silence after the demise of his son, Dare Adeboye. Dare had died in his sleep on Tuesday, May 4, in Eket, Akwa-Ibom, where he was pastoring the RCCG church. Adeboye, who preached at the May 2021 edition of the church’s Holy Ghost service, urged everyone to thank God and say, ‘It is well even in the face of crises rather than ‘blame and question God’. He said, “Whatever we have is given to us by God, be it wealth, wife, husband, children…

Adeboye, in his sermon, said, “The bread multiplied in the hands of the disciples, as you receive the bread, it will multiply in your hands.” The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, on Thursday evening, made his first public appearance after the death of his 42-year-old son, Pastor Dare Adeboye. The general overseer featured on Thursday at the Holy Communion Service of the May Edition of the church’s Holy Ghost Service. THE WHISPERER  had earlier reported that the younger Adeboye died in his sleep on Wednesday in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, where he was…