The Imo State Police Command on Tuesday said its men arrested the chief priest of the Eastern Security Network linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra. The command’s spokesperson, Micheal Abattam, in a statement, said the suspect was arrested in the Orlu area of the state. According to Abattam, exhibits recovered from the suspects included one pump-action gun with five rounds of live cartridges, one Improvised Explosive Device, knockouts, gunpowder, a Biafran flag and other items. The statement read, “Sequel to the ceaseless raids on the proscribed IPOB/ESN camps and the successful neutralisation and decimation of the terror groups in the state under the watch of the indefatigable Commissioner of Police, CP Abutu Yaro, it is on record that the remnants of IPOB/ESN terror groups now patronise spiritual churches for fortifications. “This was confirmed on August 4, 2021, around 6.20pm, while interrogating suspects arrested from Okporo, in the Orlu LGA of Imo State. One of the suspects revealed that they now patronise spiritual homes for attacking police stations and led the ever-active Imo command’s tactical teams to the home of one Ikechukeu Umaefulem, the chief priest and spiritual leader of Life Sabbath Synagogue, Amii, Akabo in Ikeduru LGA, Imo State, where he was arrested. “In like manner, it will be recalled that on July 25, 2021, around 7.20pm, IPOB/ESN terror groups killed their juju priest, Paschal Okeke, of Umudim Ukwu Orji Awomama in the Oru East LGA of Imo State. They excised the head, burned the body and his house for the futile efficacy of the charms he gave the group over time and the colossal failure of the charms to protect them from police bullets.”

Following the controversy trailing the demolition of some worship centres in Maiduguri, Borno State, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has said its findings revealed that mosques and churches were actually demolished by the state government. Daily Trust reports that there has been a controversy in the state over the demolition. A former Aviation Minister, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, equally joined the fray, accusing the state government of targeting churches in its demolition exercise. But the Islamic human rights advocacy group, MURIC, revealed that the Borno State Government actually demolished 11 mosques and four churches. This, it said, is contrary to claims that only churches were demolished in the state. MURIC Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said, “Contrary to a coordinated propaganda over the demolition of an EYN church in Maiduguri, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) can authoritatively report that the Borno State Geographic Information Systems (BOGIS) created by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, actually demolished 11 mosques and four churches, in the metropolis. The exercise began from 29th May, 2019 up till last week. “A team of investigators working with MURIC visited each of the sites where the mosques were demolished, interviewed residents and gathered photographs and data that showed locations of each of the 11 mosques and dates of their demolition by officials of Borno State Government for violation of purpose approved in residential titles, which was in compliance with a 2010 Government White paper in response to the 2009 Boko Haram insurgency, which strictly prohibited the conversion of any residential house to a place of worship, in all parts of Borno State. “Findings showed that two mosques were demolished by BOGIS on 11th March, 2020, around Fato Sandi, behind works department in Maiduguri, not far from the Shehu of Borno’s palace, who is next to the Sultan in the hierarchy of Nigeria’s leadership of the Muslim community. The Shehu is the Vice President of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) “Two mosques were again demolished by BOGIS on the same day (March 11, 2020), at old Musami complex along Jos road in Maiduguri. Again, a mosque was demolished on the same day opposite former NITEL. Another mosque was demolished on April 15, 2020 along Kano Road, adjoining Bulumkutu, Yola Electricity Distribution Company, YEDC. Two mosques were again demolished, one near a hotel in Galadima and another near behind Timber shade, in Baga Road. “Our investigators further discovered that five other mosques conspicuously located at the Customs round-about in the western part of Maiduguri-Bama road were also demolished by BOGIS on 23rd January, 2020, for what the government called ‘overriding public interest’. “All the 11 mosques were demolished either for violating residential purposes in their allocation titles or for overriding public interest. Of the 11 mosques demolished, five were for overriding public interest and six for violations of residential titles whereas all the four churches demolished (including the EYN) were strictly demolished for converting residential houses to churches, the same way six mosques were demolished. The measures were in compliance with a 2010 white paper which is against illegal places of worship as measures of regulation. “We are nonplussed by the immense false propaganda flying around on this issue and we invite anyone who is genuinely in search of the truth to also do his or her findings. We advise armchair critics to be more enterprising. A single phone call to a friend or acquaintance in Maiduguri will debunk all the noise.”

A man, Bright Ben, has accused his pastor and General Overseer of the World Bank Assembly in Eneka, in the Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Moses Adeeyo, of snatching his wife, Tina. Bright claimed that trouble started after his wife of 12 years was made an assistant choir mistress in the church and she moved out of the house with their two children. The aggrieved husband said he had been searching for her and called the pastor to seek advice on the matter. He stated that he knew his wife’s whereabouts on Sunday when he saw pictures of her remarriage. Bright, in a Facebook post with photos of the alleged marriage of his wife to the cleric, wrote, “As shameful as it sounds, it is a true-life story. My pastor married my wife. I’ve been married to Mrs Tina Bright for over 12 years with two children. I introduced her to my General Overseer of the World Bank Assembly in Eneka, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State. We started attending the church and became full financial members. “My wife was given an immediate appointment (assistant choir mistress) seven months ago. She moved out of the house with our children before I got back from work. I searched everywhere and called everyone, even the general overseer. Unknown to me, the G.O. was the architect of my problems. “After some time, he stopped picking my calls and blocked my number. I’ve been looking for her until I saw these pictures yesterday online. He claimed that the Holy Spirit told him that she is his wife. Is the Holy Spirit an author of confusion? My wife of 12 years is now his.” In her reaction, Tina, who also took to social media, said she left her husband over alleged assault and maltreatment. She said, “Bright wants to make me a bad woman on social media. When we were together, he made me incur a lot of debts that I am still paying. He accuses me of infidelity and even disallowed me from pursuing my music career. He once told me that there is no marriage between us and that I am just here to take care of his children. He promised to make my life miserable, including putting acid in my cream. Now, he’s coming on social media to destroy another man’s name. It is my time to shine. “He is lying that he doesn’t know my whereabouts. I left his house after he locked me inside the house and kept the keys in his pocket. It was then I packed my things and told him it was over. He even told me to leave and that I was only useful for the children. My children got the spare keys, gave them to me and told me to escape at night. On the morning of November 28, 2020, I came to the house with a taxi, packed my load and took my children away. I put my children at my mother’s place and went to Lagos to start my life afresh. “I was never residing with the pastor. He lived on the church premises and I lived in Lagos. Ben kept calling me while I was in Lagos before I blocked his number. He threatened me not to ever marry another person.” Tina’s mother, Christiana Everest, said Bright did not pay her daughter’s bride price. “When Bright came to my house to ask for my daughter’s hand in marriage, I saw him as a son and asked if he was a Christian. I took him to the village according to the tradition. He gave everyone their rights both men and women except the bride’s parents. When they told him to come and see us he said he’ll see us later,” she stated. Bright, in a video clip, denied assaulting his wife. He also refuted accusations by her mother that he did not pay her bride price, saying he did during their traditional wedding. He insisted that he had not been divorced from his wife and wondered why if she wanted to re-marry, it would be to the cleric, whom he always shared his marital problems with. The pastor’s son, Peter Adeeyo, told PUNCH Metro that his father had yet to divorce his mother. He said he was as shocked as everyone when pictures of the wedding surfaced on the Internet. “He said he doesn’t want my mother again. The case over the settlement of my mother has been in court for over one year. My mum was in Abuja when she saw the wedding pictures. Someone called my attention to the pictures when we closed from church on Sunday. My father didn’t inform any family members of the wedding. My dad is telling the world that he has divorced her and that is a lie,” he added. The pastor did not pick his calls, as his phone rang out and text messages sent to his phone number were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

Ali Inname, the Sokoto commissioner for health, says 24 family members have died in the state after eating some poisonous food. The commissioner said the incident occurred on Monday in Danzanke village of Bargaja ward, Isa LGA of the state. The 24 victims are said to be members of an extended family living together in a compound. Ali said a fertiliser popularly called ‘Gishirin Lalle’ in Hausa was used as food seasoning. He said the fertiliser was thought to be salt. “Regrettably, the entire family who ate the meal lost their lives, except two female members, who merely tasted the food and are currently responding to treatment, with very good chances of survival,” the commissioner told NAN on Tuesday. “Attempts to save the lives of all the affected people by providing the needed medical care proved abortive.” The commissioner advised the public to keep away poisonous chemicals from easy reach. He advised residents of the state to always separate storage sites for food items from other agricultural and cosmetic items, and to carefully check all ingredients and foodstuff before use. “Wells should have covers to prevent contamination from faces of surface water after rainfall, the water should be boiled before use, especially in rural areas,” Ali added. “Report to health facility or isolation camp in your area early when you observe any unusual symptoms or unusual condition,” Inname appealed to residents.”