Fulani herdsmen this month kidnapped and killed a pastor’s wife in north-central Nigeria’s Kaduna state three days after suspected herdsmen killed a Baptist pastor in another part of the state, sources said.
Unaware that Esther Ishaku Katung had been killed after being kidnapped in Bagoma, 122 kilometers (75 miles) west of Kaduna City on Sept. 14, her family paid a 250,000 naira (US$690) ransom before discovering her body, said the Rev. Joseph Hayab, chairman of the Kaduna state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Her husband, the Rev. Ishaku Katung of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) congregation in Bagoma, escaped but was wounded by gunfire when the herdsmen broke into their home on church premises at 11:30 p.m. as they slept, Pastor Hayab said.
“Information we got from some of the kidnapped victims who escaped from the herdsmen’s enclave shows that Esther Katung and two other victims had escaped from the herdsmen’s captivity, but she was recaptured by them,” Pastor Hayab told Morning Star News. “She attempted to escape with two others after they were kidnapped by the herdsmen; this infuriated the herdsmen, leading them to kill her. They broke her legs in order to prevent her from escaping and smashed her head too. This led to her death,” according to Morning Star News.
The kidnappers dumped her corpse in the bush, he said.
“After they had killed her, they were still demanding the ransom without telling her family that they had killed her,” Pastor Hayab said. “It was only after the ransom was paid that it was found by her family that she had been killed by her abductors.”
Nigeria ranks 12th on Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution.
The Pepper Dem season of Big Brother Naija reality show will wrap up next weekend and a winner will emerge.
With the final week kicking off already, there are six finalists left out of 26 housemates that began the journey about three months ago.
The show started with 21 housemates, saw the inclusion of 5 more housemates mid season and now, 19 evictions and 1 disqualification, we are left with Frodd, Omashola, Mike, Mercy, Diane and Seyi who all stand equal chances of winning the grand prize.
SEYI
Oluwaseyi “Seyi” Awolowo has had many highs and lows in his three decades of existence. The bubbly entrepreneur once tried to commit suicide but has since risen above that dark period of his teenage years and has turned his life around. He is committed to his journey of self-acceptance, his girlfriend and his beliefs. He demonstrates the latter with a “Jesus’’ tattoo across his arm. Seeing his own face on a billboard for the first time is one of the highest moments of his life so far.
What irritates you most about other people: Fake people and those who lack of originality.
What will you do with the prize money: Invest in my company. May also help a charity or two.
Why will you be a fan favourite: I’ll stand out from the rest of the Housemates.
Diane
Diane Yashim describes herself as an easy going girl whose favourite outfit is a shirt, trousers and sneakers. The model and aspiring cook is also a graduate of the University of Debrecen in Hungary. Studying and living there was an eye-opening experience she’ll forever be grateful for. One of the highlights of her life is being chosen as a Big Brother Naija Season Four Housemate and she says that nothing would make her quit the game. She adds that she likes to try new things and wants to see the whole experience through.
What irritates you most about other people: Liars and loud talkers.
What will you do with the prize money: Travel as well as try to get into the entertainment industry as an actor or television presenter. I will also go back to school.
Why will you be a fan favourite: I’m an open book, I believe I’m relatable and people will understand me easily.
Mike
Mike Edwards is a husband, CEO and athlete who doesn’t know how to quit. The highest point in his life was the day he got married to the love of his life. Mike owns the first Black-owned cigar line in the United Kingdom and he’s also a professional athlete. The lowest point in his life was when he was banned from representing Nigeria at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He’d still come to the Big Brother Naija House even if he had a million dollars because he never backs down from a challenge.
What irritates you most about other people: Negativity.
What will you do with the prize money: I would continue to grow my business.
Why will you be a fan favourite: I am positive and I have a keep it real personality.
Frodd
Chemeka Frodd Okoye is a soft-spoken Investment Adviser and Sales Executive from Anambra State. The 28-year-old believes family is everything and that’s why he lists paying for his mother’s surgery bill as one of the proudest moments of his life. He says nothing can make him quit Big Brother and even if he had a million dollars, he would still participate in the game because “the experience can never be bought.”
What irritates you most about other people: Pride, fake people and bullies.
What will you do with the prize money: Start a fashion line and an NGO for single mothers.
Why will you be a fan favourite: I have my charms.
Mercy
26-year-old Mercy Eke is a video vixen and businesswoman based in Lagos. She loves cooking, swimming, travelling and dancing. No matter the setbacks, Mercy always picks herself up and does her best. “I’m grateful for each and every day. Being alive today is already the highest point of my life”. When she’s not dancing, singing or rapping, Mercy makes time to enjoy her favourite food: white rice and pepper soup. If she had a million dollars in her account, would Sugar still be in the BB Naija game? “Yes, I would. I want the fame. The popularity is very important for my business”.
What irritates you most about other people: I dislike people who are proud.
What will you do with the prize money: I want to start my own fashion brand or label.
Why will you be a fan favourite: I’m a fun person and I’m a sweet girl. Some people call me “Sugar”. Plus, I can be crazy!
Omashola
Model and Entrepreneur Omashola is originally from Delta State, but now calls Lagos home. He loves playing basketball, cooking and “being in the water, even though I can’t swim”. Putting his life’s motto “If you want it, go get it – don’t just sit down” into action this year, Omashola got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. But the worst happened; she turned him down! Now single and focused on building his brand, Omashalo comes into the Big Brother Naija House ready to make his dreams come true.
What irritates you most about other people: I hate liars.
What will you do with the prize money: I will invest and triple it in less than a year.
Why will you be a fan favourite: Because I’m different, I’m special and I have a story to tell.
American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer, Kanye Omari West, has reportedly announced that he will no longer make secular music anymore but gospel from now on. Kanye West is set to drop a new album titled ‘Jesus Is King’ on October 2019, with all the tracks appearing to be gospel. New reports which just emerged has revealed that Kanye is done with secular music and will be operating as a gospel artist from now on. Chicago music industry insider Andrew Barber, creator of FakeShoreDrive.com and Valee’s manager, was one of the people who heard the new album and confirmed Kanye is done with secular music.
“Kanye also announced that he is no longer making secular music,” Barber tweeted on Sunday. “Only Gospel from here on out.”
Ever since Kanye overcame his mental health issues in 2018, he has drawn closer to God and other artistes have confirmed that he is now a born again Christian. During a radio interview, Nicki Minaj revealed that Kanye told her he’s now a born again christian and was embracing a new lifestyle with Christ. She said: “Sometimes in the music business, we think that other artists don’t believe in God or aren’t spiritual as we are…then when you find people, because I was just with Kanye, and he told me he’s a born-again Christian now.” His wife, Kim Kardashian, also confirmed West is all about worshipping Jesus during a recent appearance on The View.
“Kanye started this I think just to heal himself, and it was a really personal thing, and it was just friends and family. He has had an amazing evolution of being born again and being saved by Christ… people always ask, you know, ‘what are you worshiping?’ and ‘what is this?’ it is a Christian service, like a musical ministry, they talk about Jesus and God.” “For the most part it’s a m usical ministry. He doesn’t have his 501(c)(3) to make it amusical church. It’s for God, it’s a Christian church. It staretd off healing for him, and now it’s become something he wants to share for everybody else.”
Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, has said that terrorism and terrorist groups could not be eliminated alone by the military unless religious bodies and organisations in the country come to the “forefront of this spiritual battle.”
The Army chief noted that the focus must be religious groups interfacing on addressing the ideologies which fuelled the Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.
He said this on Monday in Abuja during a spiritual warfare seminar at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre with the theme, “Countering insurgency and violent extremism in Nigeria through spiritual warfare,” according to Punch.
Represented by the Chief of Administration, Maj. Gen. Sani Yusuf, Buratai urged Islamic and Christian clerics across the Army formations to join the fight against terrorism, and reorient the people against negative ideologies.“It is easier to defeat Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists than their ideology because, while we degrade the terrorists and their havens, the narrative of the ideology grows the group,” the Army chief said.
“Therefore,” he added, “communities, families, and groups should join in the fight and narratives to reject and prevent the ideologies of the terrorists and extremist groups.
“Religious bodies and organisations in particular who interface regularly with the grassroots should be at the forefront of this spiritual battle and fashion out ways of stepping up their roles.
“The fight against terrorism, Boko Haram and ISWAP, as well as other security threats, cannot be left to the troops in the battle field alone.
“Yes, we will do our duties, but the need to tackle groups through spiritual warfare and re-orientating the followers against the ideology is also a necessity.
“It is a well-known fact that terrorism and terrorist groups cannot be totally eliminated by mainly military actions.
“This means focusing our efforts on the underlying narratives through ideologies that are employed by these terrorists to lure innocent citizens to their fold.
“The need to defeat the ideologies of Boko Haram and ISWAP is based on the awareness that it is the ideologies that enhance their resources and help to recruit new fighters to their fold and as such; kill their ideology and the terrorist movement withers and dies.”
The Army chief added that religious leaders and clerics who regularly interface with members of the society must “fashion out ways of stepping up [their] roles, remembering that the fight against terrorism is a collective responsibility.”
Nigeria ranks 12th on Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution
Officer Celestina Nwankwo @cop_teena DPO Ogudu Police Station is the best .
On the 19th of September 2019 a young man named Ajabor Friday was shot by thieves and left for dead at Ogudu. As usual hospitals refused to take him in until officer Celestina intervened and had to threaten fire and brimstone before the young man was taken into a hospital. Ofcourse they said the usual “we can not treat him without payment”.
To cut the long story short, officer Celestina has spent over N400,000 (four hundred thousand naira) comprising her money and the ones she borrowed, to see young Friday through a major operation and he is now out of the ICU and stabilised.
I asked her why she did it and she said when he looked up at her while bleeding, held her hand and said “mama dont leave me, I do not want to die” she knew there was no way she would know peace if she did not try her best.
I celebrate you officer Celestina Nwankwo. God bless and replenish you.
21 Wilberforce, a Christain organisation, says it will honour Benjamin Kwashi, an Anglican Bishop in northern Nigerian, and his wife, for enduring persecution in Nigeria.
The couple will receive the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award from 21Wilberforce during a September 30 event at Dallas Baptist University.
The organisation said Kwashi received multiple death threats, his wife endured a savage beating by Islamist militants, and both their home and their church were burned.
“Their life story is one of courage, faith and boundless love,” said Randel Everett, founder and president of 21Wilberforce.
In spite of the suffering the Kwashis endured personally, the couple took in 50 orphans who lost their parents due to violence.
He is the bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Jos, Nigeria, and General Secretary of GAFCON, the Global Anglican Future Conference.
While this is an earthly reward, the heavenly reward of enduring trials and persecutions is even greater and deeper.
Nigerian dynamic gospel minister, prolific songwriter, praise and worship leader, Havivah Umanah popularly known as “Havivah” releases a brand new song titled “God Alone”.
The song ‘God Alone’ is a spirit-filled worship song that promises to elevate you effortlessly into the throne room of Grace. Coming from her latest debut album “David’s Praise”, a 12-track power-packed album that is currently blessing the lives of every listener round the world.
In this song “God Alone”, Havinah offers deep worship to God almighty. A God that is bigger than every problem. God is Love, and his love is very different from human love. God’s love is unconditional, and it’s not based on feelings or emotions. He doesn’t love us because we’re lovable or because we make Him feel good; He loves us because He is love. He created us to have a loving relationship with Him, and He sacrificed His own Son (who also willingly died for us) to restore that relationship.
Havivah releases “Blessing Me” a song from her recent 12 track debut album ‘DAVID’s PRAISE’.
According to her “I believe in writing from my heart through the Inspiration of the HOLY SPIRIT and ‘Blessing Me’ is one of the over 50 songs which will soon bless the nation.”
In ‘Blessing Me’ she sings a song of praise to God for His continuous blessing according to Psalm 104:33.
Pepper Dem season of Big Brother Naija reality show will wrap up next weekend and a winner will emerge.
With the final week kicking off already, there are six finalists left out of 26 housemates that began the journey about three months ago.
The show started with 21 housemates, saw the inclusion of 5 more housemates mid season and now, 19 evictions and 1 disqualification, we are left with Frodd, Omashola, Mike, Mercy, Diane and Seyi who all stand equal chances of winning the grand prize.
SEYI
Oluwaseyi “Seyi” Awolowo has had many highs and lows in his three decades of existence. The bubbly entrepreneur once tried to commit suicide but has since risen above that dark period of his teenage years and has turned his life around. He is committed to his journey of self-acceptance, his girlfriend and his beliefs. He demonstrates the latter with a “Jesus’’ tattoo across his arm. Seeing his own face on a billboard for the first time is one of the highest moments of his life so far.
What irritates you most about other people: Fake people and those who lack of originality.
What will you do with the prize money: Invest in my company. May also help a charity or two.
Why will you be a fan favourite: I’ll stand out from the rest of the Housemates.
Diane
Diane Yashim describes herself as an easy going girl whose favourite outfit is a shirt, trousers and sneakers. The model and aspiring cook is also a graduate of the University of Debrecen in Hungary. Studying and living there was an eye-opening experience she’ll forever be grateful for. One of the highlights of her life is being chosen as a Big Brother Naija Season Four Housemate and she says that nothing would make her quit the game. She adds that she likes to try new things and wants to see the whole experience through.
What irritates you most about other people: Liars and loud talkers.
What will you do with the prize money: Travel as well as try to get into the entertainment industry as an actor or television presenter. I will also go back to school.
Why will you be a fan favourite: I’m an open book, I believe I’m relatable and people will understand me easily.
Mike
Mike Edwards is a husband, CEO and athlete who doesn’t know how to quit. The highest point in his life was the day he got married to the love of his life. Mike owns the first Black-owned cigar line in the United Kingdom and he’s also a professional athlete. The lowest point in his life was when he was banned from representing Nigeria at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He’d still come to the Big Brother Naija House even if he had a million dollars because he never backs down from a challenge.
What irritates you most about other people: Negativity.
What will you do with the prize money: I would continue to grow my business.
Why will you be a fan favourite: I am positive and I have a keep it real personality.
Frodd
Chemeka Frodd Okoye is a soft-spoken Investment Adviser and Sales Executive from Anambra State. The 28-year-old believes family is everything and that’s why he lists paying for his mother’s surgery bill as one of the proudest moments of his life. He says nothing can make him quit Big Brother and even if he had a million dollars, he would still participate in the game because “the experience can never be bought.”
What irritates you most about other people: Pride, fake people and bullies.
What will you do with the prize money: Start a fashion line and an NGO for single mothers.
Why will you be a fan favourite: I have my charms.
Mercy
26-year-old Mercy Eke is a video vixen and businesswoman based in Lagos. She loves cooking, swimming, travelling and dancing. No matter the setbacks, Mercy always picks herself up and does her best. “I’m grateful for each and every day. Being alive today is already the highest point of my life”. When she’s not dancing, singing or rapping, Mercy makes time to enjoy her favourite food: white rice and pepper soup. If she had a million dollars in her account, would Sugar still be in the BB Naija game? “Yes, I would. I want the fame. The popularity is very important for my business”.
What irritates you most about other people: I dislike people who are proud.
What will you do with the prize money: I want to start my own fashion brand or label.
Why will you be a fan favourite: I’m a fun person and I’m a sweet girl. Some people call me “Sugar”. Plus, I can be crazy!
Omashola
Model and Entrepreneur Omashola is originally from Delta State, but now calls Lagos home. He loves playing basketball, cooking and “being in the water, even though I can’t swim”. Putting his life’s motto “If you want it, go get it – don’t just sit down” into action this year, Omashola got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. But the worst happened; she turned him down! Now single and focused on building his brand, Omashalo comes into the Big Brother Naija House ready to make his dreams come true.
What irritates you most about other people: I hate liars.
What will you do with the prize money: I will invest and triple it in less than a year.
Why will you be a fan favourite: Because I’m different, I’m special and I have a story to tell.
