Gunmen abduct RCCG pastor in Nasarawa

A pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, or RCCG, named Faturoti Olaniyi, was abducted by gunmen in Karu, Nasarawa State. 

Early on Wednesday, June 24, 2025, the gunmen stormed Olaniyi's home at the Redeemed Christian Church of God property near Bristol Academy, Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in Karu, and kidnapped him. 

Zagazola Makama, a security analyst, stated that the attackers entered the building at around 1:30 in the morning, fired several shots, and then took the victim away to an unidentified location. 

According to source, residents fled for their lives as the gunmen operated for several minutes without encountering any immediate opposition, causing panic in the area. 

A manhunt was initiated in response to the incident by joint teams of police, local vigilantes, hunters, and other security personnel. They blocked suspected escape routes and searched the surrounding hills and bushes for the kidnappers. 

The victim is still in captivity, and search and rescue efforts are still underway as of the time this report was filed.

Davido gifts his PA, Lati, a Range Rover as a birthday present

Davido has gifted his Personal Assistant, Lati, a Range Rover as a birthday present.

Lati who has worked for the singer for years, turned a year older and he was treated to a birthday dinner attended by Davido, Cubana Chief Priest and others in Paris. 

Davido shared a photo of the Range Rover as well the keys on his Instastories as he wished Lati a Happy birthday.

Chelsea striker, Nicolas Jackson hit with two-match ban for Club World Cup red card against Flamengo

FIFA have slapped Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson with a two-game ban for the straight red card he received in Chelsea’s Club World Cup loss to Flamengo on Friday, June 20.

 

The 24-year-old received an automatic one-match suspension, ruling him out of Tuesday's final group-stage clash against Esperance Sportive de Tunis which Chelsea won 3-0.

 

He was sent off for a nasty studs-up challenge on Ayrton Lucas, his second red card in his last four matches in all competitions.

 

 

However, Fifa's disciplinary committee reviewed the incident and deemed it serious foul play, and extended the ban.

 

“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has imposed the following sanction on Chelsea's player Nicolas Jackson who was sent off as a result of a direct red card during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 match between his team and CR Flamengo...” FIFA said in a statement as quoted by ESPN on Tuesday.

“(A) 2-match suspension for breach under article 14 paragraph 1 e) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This decision is final and binding and cannot be appealed.”

 

Jackson apologised for his actions on social media after the match. He will miss Chelsea's round of 16 game against Benfica.

 

Rules say the standard punishment for a red at this tournament in the United States is a one-match suspension. However, FIFA reserves the right to increase it if they see fit.

Gunmen abduct passengers in Benue

Gunmen intercepted a commercial bus along the Eke axis in the Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, abducting an unspecified number of passengers on board.

 

The incident occurred around 6:30 PM on Sunday, June 22, 2025.

According to community sources, the gunmen targeted a vehicle belonging to the Benue State Transport Company, known as Benue Links. They robbed the passengers and subsequently took them away.

 

The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the attack on Monday. He stated that combined security forces are conducting searches in the nearby bush to rescue the kidnapped victims.

“We are investigating a suspected kidnapping where a Hummer bus with registration number 14B-43BN was parked by the road in Ugbokolo, (Okpokwu LGA,” the PPRO stated. 

"On receipt of the information, police tactical teams,military and Benue State Protection Guard arrived at the scene.

"They combed the bush and rescued one Paul Terna who escaped from the hands of the suspected kidnappers.

“Additional reinforcement has been sent to locate other passengers as soon as possible."

Israeli army says it struck weapons research centre in Tehran

Israel's military announced on Friday, June 20, that it carried out extensive overnight airstrikes in Tehran, targeting what it described as critical sites linked to Iran’s nuclear weapons development, marking the eighth consecutive day of direct conflict between the two countries.

In an official statement, the Israeli army said it had “completed a series of strikes in the heart of Tehran,” hitting “dozens of targets,” including military missile production facilities and the headquarters of Iran’s Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), which it accused of leading research and development for Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

According to the military, the SPND facility “is used for research and development of advanced technologies and weapons supporting the Iranian regime’s military capabilities.” The army further stated that more than 60 fighter jets participated in the operation, striking facilities involved in producing missile components and raw materials used in casting missile engines.

During the operation, Israel also intercepted four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) reportedly launched from Iran. In a separate statement, the military said it destroyed “three ready-to-launch missile launchers aimed at Israeli territory.”

The latest escalation follows Israel’s initial wave of airstrikes on Iran a week ago, which officials said were in response to intelligence suggesting that Iran was nearing the development of a nuclear weapon. Tehran has consistently denied that its nuclear program is aimed at developing weapons, insisting it is for peaceful purposes.

The conflict has sparked international concern and calls for de-escalation. European foreign ministers are set to meet with their Iranian counterpart on Friday, June 20, in a bid to mediate a diplomatic resolution. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is considering whether to involve the United States militarily, following days of speculation and warnings from the White House.

Tensions have been compounded by recent missile attacks from Iran on Israeli territory, with Israeli cities such as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem experiencing multiple alerts and explosions in recent days.

As the possibility of wider regional involvement looms, global leaders continue to urge restraint amid fears of a broader Middle East war.

TikToker remanded in prison for bathing on street in Kano

A magistrate court sitting in the Nomansland area of Kano has ordered the remand of a young man identified as, Umar Hisham Fagge, popularly known on TikTok as Tsulange for alleged public indecency and actions deemed contrary to moral and religious values.

The court which was presided over by Magistrate Hadiza Muhammad Hassan, held that the accused be held in custody at a correctional facility until July 3, 2025, pending further investigation.

Tsulange was arraigned by the Kano State Censorship Board following his arrest for filming a comedy skit in which he was seen bathing on a public road while wearing a woman’s innerwear.

According to a statement issued by its spokesperson, Abdullahi Sani Sulaiman, the board deemed the viral video as not only offensive to public decency, but also violated the cultural and Islamic norms upheld in the state.

The Censorship board described the act as part of a growing trend of indecent behavior among social media users in Kano.

The statement further emphasised that the board will continue to monitor and take legal actions against any individual or content creator who promotes what it called “disruptive entertainment under the guise of humor.”

Hypcrisy everywhere" - APC chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, accuses Igbos of keeping mute on k!llings in South East while shedding tears for Plateau and Benue victims

APC chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, has accused Nigerians from the South East of being hypocritical in their demand for justice for people being killed in Plateau, Jos and other parts of the country. 

In a post shared on Facebook, Igbokwe said that since 2015 to date, Igbos have been killing other Igbos in Igboland, but that people from the South East region would rather cry for victims in other regions instead of victims in their own region.

Benue k!llings: If your life or community is being attacked, avoid preachers telling you to rely on God for protection - Nigerian Catholic priest says

 

Amid growing waves of insecurity across the country, a Nigerian Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Angelo Chidi Unegbu, has advised residents of communities facing attacks to ignore pastors and preachers telling them to rely on God for protection.

 

The priest gave the advice in a Facebook post on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, while reacting to the attacks on communities in Benue State. 

 

It's believed that more than 200 people were k!lled in a two-day rampage by suspected herdsmen.

 

“I have seen some posts where preachers are assuring those whose lives and property are being attacked to rely on God for protection,” he wrote. 

 

"According to them, the people should fold their hands and wait for God to miraculously fight for them.

 

"Of course, your aggressors love such preachers because they are knowingly or unknowingly helping them to achieve their agenda.

 

"If your life or community is under threat, avoid such posts and preachers.

 

"Times of insecurity of lives is time to get united irrespective of your religious, denominational or ideologies differences. This is the law of common sense.

 

"It is the time to strategize and consult. Anyone who advises you otherwise belongs to the camp of the enemy. There is strength in unity.

 

"In times of insecurity of lives and property, never rely on the "messiah" that does not live in you.

 

“Does God no longer answer prayers or what is the essence of religious beliefs? We shall answer this question when I return from my break next month. For now protect your life. Ndụ bụ isi.”

 

Nigeria needs a leader with competence, capacity, character, and compassion. - Peter Obi

2023 Labour party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has slammed the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration for “lack of empathy” towards victims of recent tragedies in the nation.

He wrote on X;

What cannot be hidden in Leadership

Leadership of a nation is such that it's either succeeding or failing, none can be hidden. There are critical areas of leadership that must exist for a nation to move forward, and these are summed up in four Cs: Competence, Capacity, Character and Compassion. Where these four are non-existent, there is no magic you can do.
It's in this line that I have always maintained that we must move away from voting based on tribe and religion, and begin to vote for people with competence, capacity, character, and compassion, because we have all seen, painfully, what leadership without these qualities has done to our country.

Competence because Nigeria today needs a leader who understands the issues, who has the knowledge, experience, and clear ideas to solve them. Capacity because it is not a ceremonial position; it requires strength, stamina, and the mental energy to confront our complex challenges. And above all, leadership must be rooted in character and integrity because without integrity, public trust collapses, corruption thrives, and selfishness takes over. But perhaps most importantly, we need compassion, because when a leader lacks compassion, human lives are treated as statistics, and suffering is ignored.

Sadly, the evidence is right before our eyes. Recently, we witnessed severe flooding in Niger State that claimed nearly 200 lives, with many still missing. Yet, not even a single presidential visit, this, in a nation where the scene of the tragedy is less than an hour away by helicopter.

Just days ago, over 200 Nigerians, innocent men, women, children, and even soldiers were massacred in Benue State. Again, no presidential visit. No physical presence at the scenes of pain. No genuine national mourning. No leadership face to comfort the grieving or give hope to the people.

Yet, we have seen what true leadership looks like elsewhere:

In India, after a plane crash killed nearly 200 people, the Prime Minister was physically at the scene within hours.

In South Africa, when floods claimed 78 lives, the president went personally to the affected communities, stood with them, and took responsibility.

That is leadership with compassion. That is leadership that understands the value of human life. But here in Nigeria, we have normalised leadership without empathy, without accountability, and without a human face.

That is why I insist: Nigeria does not just need another president; Nigeria needs a leader, a leader with competence, capacity, character, and compassion. Until we choose leaders on these principles, the cycle of pain will only continue.

A New Nigeria is POssible.

-PO

Family loses 23 members in herdsmen attack in Benue attack

Families are still reeling from the loss lf loved ones after armed invaders, suspected to be herdsmen, attacked Yelwata community community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. 

The attack began late Friday night, June 13, and continued into the early hours of Saturday,  June 14, leaving over a hundred people de@d. Some unconfirmed reports suggest around 200 people were k!lled. 

Tsegba Gbam Ayua lost his wife and four children to the attack. 

The grieving husband and father expressed fears that he may never recover from the trauma. 

“I had been displaced from Ayua in Nasarawa State for over two years and was taking refuge with my family in Yelewata. A few days before the incident, I travelled back to Nasarawa to do menial jobs so I could support my family,” Ayua told DailyTrust in Makurdi on Sunday, June 15. 

He continued, “Then, around 11 pm on Friday, I got a call that our host community was under attack. I rushed back early Saturday morning, only to find the worst nightmare of my life. My wife and four children had been burned to ashes inside the market stalls where they were sleeping. Over 100 corpses were recovered in the area.” 

He said he buried his family the same day and is now struggling to come to terms with the tragedy. 

Prince Aondona Isaka Ornguga also spoke on how he lost at least 23 family members in the attack. Initially, he took to Facebook to disclose that he lost "over 15 members" of his family. He has now revealed that a total of 23 family members d!ed in the mass@cre. 
 

Ornguga, a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-Governor Samuel Ortom on Local Government Administration, said the 23 victims were all related to him through his maternal lineage. 

“I spoke with two of the victims -Victor Utim and Mathew Iormba – about three weeks ago. They are my first cousins from Tse Tarbee, my mother’s village. While Utim just wrote JAMB, and we were working on getting admission for him. Iormba told me he went to check his business around there,” he narrated. 

He expressed worry that the victims were k!lled in the most inhumane manner. 

“Iormba was a pharmacist. He had a tall dream, but look at how it all ended for them. And for Utim, this is not what we discussed,” Ornguga lamented. 

A survivor of the attack, Mama Victoria Tyobee, said she still could not fathom how she escaped from the armed men. 

She said, “We were sleeping when, about midnight, I heard a gunshot, and looking through the window, I saw one of the attackers with a weapon standing right by my house. As I was wondering what to do next, there were sporadic gunshots, and the man fled into the nearby bushes. 

“It was after a while that I mustered the courage to step out of the house. I later discovered that my relatives were not so fortunate. We lost three of them. It’s indeed a very sad experience.”