Worshippers flock to view body of teenager set to be "first millennial saint" ahead of his canonisation next month

Pilgrims have flocked to Assisi in Italy to view the preserved body of British-born Carlo Acutis ahead of his canonisation as a saint next month. 

Acutis, who died aged 15 from leukaemia in 2006, is to become the Catholic Church's first millennial saint after being credited with miracles since his death. 
 

The London-born teenager was beatified by Pope Francis in 2020, who then granted approval for Acutis' canonisation last year, scheduled for April 27, 2025. 

In keeping with his final wish, Acutis was buried in Assisi, laid to rest at the Sanctuary of the Spoliation in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in April 2019. 

His body has been encased in a wax layer molded to look like his body prior to burial, allowing faithful to see Acutis as he lived in his tomb, according to Aleteia. 
 

The teenager has gathered a global following since his death. 

Acutis is now to be canonised as a saint during the Church's Jubilee of Teenagers, between April 25 and April 27, of this year. 
 

The date was announced after a second miracle attributed to his intercession was confirmed in May 2024. 

The mother of a Costa Rican woman involved in a serious bike accident had prayed at his glass casket and left a note asking for her to be healed in 2022.  

The same day her daughter began to breathe independently and 10 days later she was discharged from intensive care because the haemorrhage in her brain had disappeared. 

The Vatican also said that Acutis interceded from heaven in 2013 to cure a Brazilian boy suffering from a rare pancreatic disease. 

Acutis was beatified in Assisi, the home of his idol Saint Francis, who dedicated his life to the care of the poor. 

His mother said that her son also dedicated himself to supporting struggling classmates, would defend disabled friends who were being bullied and would take meals out to homeless people across the city. 

The 15-year-old died in Monza, Italy in 2006 after moving to Milan as a child.  
 

He has since been called "God's influencer" and "the patron saint of the internet" because of his devotion to promoting his religious beliefs online before he died. 

To become a saint, there is usually first a five-year wait for the process to begin. This allows for a period of reflection. 

The bishop of the diocese where the person has died then investigates whether their life was holy enough to be deemed a "servant of God".  

Before his death, Acutis set up a website named, "The Eucharistic Miracles of the World" and enjoyed researching different miracles for the site.   

His mother told The Times: "He was a computer genius, so this probably makes him very close to the people of nowadays. 

"He was living the same lives as them, he liked to play video games, use the internet, liked football.: 

The teenager also helped the homeless and stood up for bullied classmates at school. 

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints then looks at the case. If they approve it is passed onto the Pope, who declares the subject a person of "heroic virtue". 

In July 2018, Pope Francis named him venerable, which helped him achieve the third of five stages towards becoming a saint. 

For beatification, a miracle needs to happen to a person who has prayed to the person in question. 

The person may then be canonised if a second miracle can be attributed to them.

Six d€ad in Abuja trailer accident

 

The FCT Police command has confirmed a devastating motor vehicle accident that occurred at about 6:58 PM before Nyanya Bridge on Wednesday, March 19, leaving six persons d3ad and fourteen cars destroyed.

The command in a statement signed by its spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, says a distress call was received by Karu Division reporting stating that a trailer, heavily loaded with cement and approaching Nyanya Bridge from AYA, lost control and crashed into stationary vehicles trapped in traffic.

Adeh mentioned that the impact engulfed fourteen vehicles in a raging inferno. 

‘’Panic and chaos followed as bystanders and motorists scrambled for safety. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, battling thick smoke and intense heat to rescue those trapped. Six victims were pulled from the wreckage and rushed to the hospital, but tragically, they were confirmed dead by medical personnel on duty. Their remains have been deposited at Karu General Hospital Morgue.'' she said

Adeh stated that police operatives, in collaboration with fire service personnel, other security agencies, and courageous individuals at the scene, contained the inferno, and normal traffic flow was restored.

‘’The FCT Police Command extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and assures the public that a thorough investigation is underway to determine the cause of this disaster and prevent future occurrences. Members of the public are strongly urged to exercise caution and adhere to speed limits while driving, especially in high-traffic areas. Safe driving habits can prevent tragedies like this and save lives.

Residents are also encouraged to remain vigilant and report emergencies or suspicious activities through the FCT Command emergency numbers: 08032003913, 08028940883, 07057337653. Complaint Response Unit: 08107314192.'' Adeh said

Troops ambush bandits on Kaduna-Abuja highway, neutralise three and recover arms

Troops of the Nigerian Army have ambushed bandits and neutralised three on Kaduna-Abuja highway.

Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations 1 Division Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 said troops also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, including two AK-47 rifles, and eight AK-47 rifle magazines. 

“In a well-coordinated operation on Tuesday 11th March 2025, troops of Sub-Sector 4, Operation FANSAN YAMMA successfully neutralised three Violent Extremists and Insurgents (VEIs) in an ambush at an area near Ngwagi Hill, Gwagwada Community, off the Kaduna - Abuja highway in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State,” the statement read. 

Acting on credible intelligence regarding sighting the movements of the VEIs near Ngwagi Hill, troops were immediately deployed on long-range fighting patrol to the likely road-crossing point of the insurgents. 

 

The troops got into location at about 5.30 pm on the same date and successfully launched the ambush, which effectively neutralised three armed members of the criminal group.

During the operation, troops also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, including two AK-47 rifles, eight AK-47 rifle magazines, 374 rounds of 7.62mm x 39 special ammunition and 88 rounds of 7.62mm x 54 NATO ammunition. 

 

Other items recovered were one Infinix mobile phone, medical supplies, clothing, and dry rations

 

The success of the operation is a testament to the troops' high fighting morale and combat efficiency. This achievement is also as a result of the effective collaboration between the military and intelligence agencies, which provided credible intelligence that informed the operation.

 

The General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Sector 1 Joint Task Force Operation FANSAN YAMMA Major General Mayirenso Lander David Saraso, applauded and commended the troops for their resilience and successful conduct of the operation. 

 

He charged the troops not to relent on their oars until all criminal elements operating in the Division and the Sector's Area of Operational Responsibility are neutralised.

Security forces hunt down suspected herdsmen behind abduction and k!lling in Imo

Security agencies have launched a large-scale operation to track down herdsmen responsible for last Friday’s deadly attack along the Ihitte/Ngor Okpala road in Imo State.

The assailants allegedly abducted passengers and k!lled a driver, prompting a coordinated response from the police, forest guards, local vigilantes, and other security forces. 

Search operations are ongoing in Avu, Irete, Ihiagwa, and Obinze autonomous communities in Owerri West, as well as parts of Ngor Okpala LGA.

During a security operation on Monday, Imo State Police Commissioner Aboki Danjuma addressed journalists, stating that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its security wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), had previously designated Mondays as “sit-at-home” days.

However, he assured residents that the directive was no longer in effect, as security forces had neutralized threats in the area.

Danjuma disclosed that the latest operation in the Ihiagwa Avu forest led to the arrest of several suspects who are now providing useful intelligence.

The operation was executed in three sectors, each led by a separate commander, including the Brigade commander, another security leader, and Commissioner Danjuma himself.

He urged Imo residents to ignore the “sit-at-home” order and resume their daily activities without fear. 

He also called on the public to report any security-related information to him, the Brigand commander, or the Air Force commander, assuring them of confidentiality.

Man celebrates "double baby shower" for his girlfriend and her mum that he sleeps with

 

A man left many internet users repulsed after he shared photos from the "double baby shower" for his girlfriend and her mother after claiming he impregnated both of them. 

YouTuber Nick Yardy, 29, stunned viewers when he announced 22-year-old content creator Jade and her mom Dani, 44, were both pregnant with his children.  
 

The bombshell announcement, shared across his social media accounts and with his 3.41 million YouTube subscribers, was met with both curiosity and disgust .
 

Yardy has now set the record straight with the Daily Mail.  

"There are no babies," he said in an interview. "It's just, like, a skit. It's not actually real." 

"People that follow me, they're just looking for entertainment and I don't think they really [believe it]," he added. 

However, Yardy insisted he is really in a three-way relationship with the mother and daughter duo and that he's open to turning the internet stunt into a reality one day.  
 

The South Floridian, whose real name is Nicholas Hunter, claims the two women have been his live-in lovers for nearly two years. 

He said he first met Jade about two years ago on a shoot. He claimed the couple turned to her mom Dani for advice about a rough patch they were having, and she suggested inviting another woman into their relationship – claiming she didn't have herself in mind.  

At 29, Yardy is the same age as Dani's eldest child, Jade's brother. 

Addressing the unorthodox three-way arrangement in a video, he said: "There's always that one guy, you introduce him to your mom and he looks at her mom and is like, 'Mom's got back,' and you're like, 'Damn is that what I'm gonna have when the girl gets older?'" 

Although the trio sleep in the same bed together, Yardy explained their boundaries: "We don't have s£x together. We keep it separate." 
 

Yardy said he typically reserves Saturdays for Dani and Sundays for Jade. The trio pool their money in a joint bank account. 

'And then, you know, you, like, fantasize, but you'll never want to say it because it's not, like, natural.' 

Yardy claims Dani eventually moved in with him and her daughter to create what they all claim on video is a "common law marriage arrangement."

Mother, 38, and daughter, 10, undergo double gender transition to become father and son

 

A mother and daughter from Brazil have undergone gender transition to become father and son.  

Raphael, 38, and Gustavo Batista, 10, from Sao Paolo, Brazil, were born with female biological characteristics but now both identify as male. 

Raphael, 38, stopped identifying as female last year and asked to be referred to as male. In September 2024, Raphael posted a clip on Instagram in which he discussed gender identity. 
 

 

The clip was captioned, translated from Portuguese: "If I have dysphoria in my body? And the answer is yes." 

Asked if his child Gustavo influenced him, Raphael told G1: "It didn't have any influence, but he [Gustavo] gave me strength and courage to face [the transition]." 

The parent and child shared their inspiring story with their nearly 25,000 Instagram followers and many are supporting them in their journey.  
 

The father and son have previously spoken out against people using their "dead names" - the names they went by when they identified as women. 

"Even though it is our right to have the social name respected in practice, respect rarely happens in fact," the caption reads as translated into English. 

Gustavo, who is a student, also works as an actor and has played both transgender and cisgender characters in films.  

Gustavo is treated at the Transdisciplinary Outpatient Clinic for Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation at the Institute of Psychiatry and the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit at the Children's Institute of the Hospital das Clinicas in Sao Paulo.  

In the UK, puberty blockers were banned indefinitely for children under-18 who think they are transgender in December because of safety concerns.  

The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) published expert advice that there is "currently an unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children". 

The commission recommended indefinite restrictions while work is done to ensure the safety of children and young people.

Prophet sentenced to life imprisonment for r3ping 13-year-old girl in Ekiti

An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, on Monday sentenced a 47-year-old cleric, Prophet Adeleye Akingbaso, to life imprisonment for raping a 13-year-old girl.

The convict was arraigned in September 2022 on a two-count charge bordering on r3pe and coercion.

The charge read, “The Prophet, sometime in July 2022, at Ado-Ekiti, did r3pe a 13-year-old girl. Also, in July 2021, Prophet Adeleye coerced the victim to engage in a sexual act to the detriment of her physical and psychological well-being.

“The offences are contrary to Section 31(2) of the Child’s Rights Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012 and Section 4 of the Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, No.18 of 2019,” the charge stated.

In her testimony before the court, the victim, who described the cleric as a friend to her mother and was sleeping over in their house, said that the man committed the act one night when her mother was on night duty.

“He woke me up at midnight and said I bedwetted, which was strange to me. He brought out a bottle of shea butter and rubbed it on my vagina; that was all I knew. I later discovered I had been r3ped that night. He threatened me that he would curse me and I would die if I told anybody,” she said.

“He came to our house again on the following day when my mother was not around. I was in the kitchen, and he told me he wanted to complete what he started the previous night. He attempted to rough-handle me, but I escaped and shouted for help, following which our neighbours came to my rescue. They called and informed my mother of the incident. She came home and later reported the case to the police."

To proof his case, the prosecutor, Taiwo Ariyo, called four witnesses and tendered the statement of the victim and medical report as exhibits, while the defendant, who spoke in his own defence through his lawyer, Adelanke Akinrata, called no witness.

In the court judgment, Justice Blessing Ajileye found the cleric guilty on the two counts.

Ajikeye said, “In conclusion, this court has found the defendant guilty on the two-count charge of r3pe and coercion and convicted him accordingly. This will serve as a deterrent to others in the class of the defendant who has not been caught up by the nemesis of law.

“On count one (rape), the defendant is sentenced to life imprisonment and on count two (coercion), the defendant is sentenced to three years imprisonment. Justice Ajileye pronounced that both terms are to run concurrently.” 

Bauchi orders closure of all schools for 5 weeks school for Ramadan fast

The Bauchi State government, through the Ministry of Education, has announced the closure of all schools in the state for five weeks in preparation for the 2025 Ramadan fast. 

The announcement is contained in the approved school calendar for the 2024-2025 academic session in the state. 

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Friday, Feb. 28, Mr Jalaludeen Maina, the Information Officer, Ministry of Education, said the holiday had already been incorporated in the calendar long before now. 

He explained that the closure would take effect from March 1 to April 5. 
 

Maina said the closure affected all the institutions of learning, which include all public and private primary, Junior and secondary schools, as well as higher institutions of learning in the state. 

“Yes, we are closing all our schools and this is included in our 2024-2025 approved calendar for the academic session that our students are not going to do the Ramadan fasting while in school. 

“The five-week holiday is for Ramadan fasting and immediately after the fasting, they will resume and continue with their academics,” he said. 

Some parents in the state have complained that the development would affect their children’s educational progress.

Three siblings m$rdered and stuffed in deep freezer to be buried March 8

The three siblings k!lled and their bodies stuffed inside a deep freezer in Nnewichi, in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State, will be laid to rest on Saturday, March 8.  

It was reported that the three siblings- a boy aged 5, and two girls aged 7 and 9 – were m#rd£red in their home and their bodies were stored in a deep freezer in Nnewichi, Nnewi, Anambra state, by yet-to-be-identified assailants.

The eldest of the siblings, a girl, Ejezie Chikaima Daviana, with the second daughter, Ejezie Chimziterem Dominica and the only son, Ejezie Chimdilim David, were in the house when their mother, Mrs Chikazor Ejezie, said to be a lecturer and a nurse, left home to partake in an examination on the fateful day. 

According to a burial announcement signed by the father of the deceased, Mr Udochukwu Ejezie, on Sunday, February 23, the burial mass vigil will be held simultaneously on Thursday, March 6, at St. Anslem’s Catholic Parish, Irrua, Edo State and at St. Luke’s Catholic Chaplaincy in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi from 5pm. And on Friday, March 7, 2025, there will be a vigil mass at the Ejezie’s compound in Umueze Uga, Agusta Local Government Area of Anambra State by 4pm.

The burial poster reads in part

“The Ejezie’s family of Umuokwara Umucheke Umueze Uga in Aguata LGA of Anambra State and the entire Catholic community of St. Michael’s Parish Umueze Uga, St. Luke’s Cath. Chaplaincy, NAUTH, Nnewi, St. Anslem’s Catholic Parish, Irrua Edo State, wish to announce the gruesome murder/burial of their three iblings and Martyrs who were murdered and stacked inside a deep freezer by a yet-to-be identified person.

“On Thursday, March 6, 2025, mass for the dead at St. Anslem’s Catholic Parish, Irrua Edo State. On the same day, there will be a vigil mass at St. Luke’s Catholic Chaplaincy NAUTH Nnewi by 5pm.

On Friday, March 7, 2025, there will be a vigil mass at Ejezie’s compound Umueze Uga, Anambra State by 4pm.

On Saturday, March 8, 2025, at about 7am, bodies leave Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital’s Morgue, Nnewi to their hometown, Uga. Burial mass starts by 10am at Ejezie’s Compound Umueze Uga.

On Sunday, March 9, Thanksgiving mass at St Michael’s Catholic Church, Umueze, Uga. May their immaculate souls rest in perfect peace. We invite all lovers of children to be with us in this trial moment.”

The father of the kids, Udochukwu Ejezie, further said the burial announcement was made public “to correct every speculation and misinformation already making the rounds in the social media claiming that the children have been buried”.

“We requested for the permission for us to bury the children and the police have given the family the go ahead to do so, just as the result of the autopsy is been awaited. But sadly, reports have been making the rounds in the social media that they were already buried. That is not true.

We want to urge all those spreading this misinformation in the social media to restrain caution and respect the wishes of the family as we mourn our de@d,” Ejezie added

No arrest has been made so far in connection with the killing. The police have however conducted an autopsy and a result is being awaited.

Abia community discovers 30 bodies of suspected ritu@l k!lling victims

 

Over 30 bodies of victims of suspected ritu@l k!llings have been found in the past year in the Imo River in the Oriendu autonomous community, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State. 

The traditional ruler of the community, HRH Eze Philip Ajomiwe, disclosed this to journalists in his palace after the body of another woman was found. 

Eze Ajomiwe said: “The bodies, like the recent one, are either completely naked and without their private parts or in a bag. There have also been cases of two decomposing bodies seen beside the NNPC pipeline. 

“The victims are mostly young girls. The ritualists from Imo usually come at night to dump the bodies of their victims inside the Imo River, and in the morning, we wake to see them.” 

The monarch expressed concern that the situation was getting out of hand and had created fear in and around the community. He added that no arrests have been made yet. 

He stated that efforts by the community’s vigilante group to arrest the suspects had failed, too, because the group was not as equipped as the suspects were said to be. 

“So, we’re appealing to the state government to empower the vigilante group with the necessary logistics and the wherewithal to enable it to match the suspects,” he said. 

He said that his complaints about the situation to security agents had been unsuccessful, noting that the latest was a letter to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly on February 7. 

“We have reported even to the DSS, and they came here and held a meeting with us. We need the Government’s intervention to apprehend those behind this atrocity.”