General News
Suspected human trafficking syndicate busted in Abuja sting operation
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) has arrested two suspects in Abuja over alleged human trafficking.
The suspects are Awulonu Franklin and Joseph Ukaluo.
The agency’s director-general, Fatima Waziri-Azi, disclosed on Friday that officers of the agency busted the trafficking syndicate on June 9 at about 11:00 a.m.
She said the suspects are part of a syndicate that specialises in moving young female Nigerians between 16 to 26 to India for sexual exploitation and possible organ harvesting.
Ms Waziri-Azi said a sting operation was conducted after several days of undercover activity by operatives of the agency.
She said two female victims between 16 and 22 were rescued just as they were taken to the embassy.
The DG disclosed that the suspects forced the victims to swear an oath of allegiance in two shrines in Delta and Imo.
Ms Waziri-Azi stated that one of the victims also revealed how her very close friend, who had already been trafficked to India, was subjected to having sex with a minimum of 10 men daily.
She further said the agency was on the trail of the suspects’ accomplices in India.
The DG said that the two suspects, who claimed to be operating a mobile tour company at the time of their arrest, were found in possession of 28 passports.
She said some passports indicated that the victims were from Ghana, the Republic of Benin, Niger Republic and other countries.
Ms Waziri-Azi listed other materials found in the suspects’ possession as laptop, phones, which are under forensic examination, and other equipment related to the commission of the crime.
She disclosed that 10 letter-headed papers belonging to different companies were also recovered from the suspects.
The DG said the agency had placed the hotel where the victims were harboured on red alert as money was paid on behalf of the victims.
She said the agency had collaborated with many organisations and governments to launch a fresh angle to the fight against crime.
However, Mr Franklin, believed to be a prime suspect in the offence, denied involvement in trafficking, saying he only operates a travel and tour company through which he had assisted many people.
He said some passports recovered belonged to some of his clients travelling to study in some countries, including a University in India.
“My company is registered as ‘Endless travel and tour agent’, and I have been in this business since 2018,” he said.
Mr Ukaluo also said he knew Mr Franklin as a travel agent and nothing more than that, adding that they had both lived in the same neighbourhood for many years.
Daniel Atokolo, Director, Investigation and Monitoring Department, told journalists that an investigation is ongoing into the matter.
(NAN)
General News
Clergy Urged To Put Members’ Welfare Above All Else
At a solemn ordination service in Abuja, senior church leaders have called on pastors to make the well-being of their congregations a top priority, following the example of Jesus Christ.
Speaking during the priesthood ordination and installation of a Sub Dean at the Cathedral Church of Advent, Life Camp, Abuja, the retired Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Okene, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Ajulo, described pastors as shepherds charged with the care of their flock. He urged them to shun worldly distractions and focus on meeting the spiritual and material needs of their members.
Bishop Ajulo also encouraged the newly ordained priests to remain faithful to their calling by teaching God’s word without compromise.
In his charge, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, urged the new clergy to preach the undiluted gospel and foster religious harmony wherever they serve. He expressed confidence that their new roles would help promote peace and unity in society.
The service also featured prayers for national leaders and divine intervention in addressing the current global economic challenges.
General News
1,000 Prayer Warriors Storm Ilorin for Tinubu, Nation’s Deliverance
In a dramatic show of faith and patriotism, over 1,000 fiery prayer warriors from across Nigeria will descend on Ilorin, Kwara State, this Saturday, lifting their voices in intense intercession for President Bola Tinubu’s success and Nigeria’s survival in the face of biting economic woes and mounting insecurity.
The spiritual siege, themed “Walking in Domini”, is the maiden convention of the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), with its Kwara State Chairman, Evangelist Thomas Adeboye, vowing that “heaven will hear and respond to Nigeria’s cry.”
Aside from marathon prayers, the gathering will roll out free medical outreach to locals across Kwara’s LGAs, a gesture aimed at touching both body and soul.
Adeboye, lamenting Nigeria’s “troubling economic and security realities”, called for a nationwide prayer uprising, insisting that Tinubu has shown the will to revive the nation but needs massive divine backing to succeed.
“Banditry, a collapsing economy, and political tension demand we seek God’s face like never before,” he declared. “We will storm heaven for wisdom for the President and governors to steer Nigeria to safety.”
The convention will also feature awards to distinguished personalities, soul-lifting worship, fiery sermons, and unity-driven lectures—all capped with thunderous prayers for Nigeria’s redemption.
Adeboye urged the President to ensure every policy has “a human face,” stressing that Nigerians must not only endure but also enjoy the fruits of governance.
With the OAIC promising to reaffirm believers’ authority in Christ and rally spiritual boldness in the face of national challenges, Ilorin is set to become the epicentre of a powerful spiritual warfare for Nigeria’s destiny.
General News
Nigerian Anglicans Condemn Lesbian Archbishop of Wales, Deepening Global Anglican Rift
…Church leaders accuse Welsh counterparts of “spiritual decadence” and “abandonment of faith”
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has issued a forceful condemnation of the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann, an openly lesbian cleric, as the Archbishop of Wales. The move is the latest in a series of developments that have deepened divisions within the global Anglican Communion over sexuality and doctrine.
In a statement from Primate The Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, the church denounced the election as a “serious departure from biblical teaching” and a sign of “spiritual decadence” and “an outright abandonment of the faith once delivered to the saints.”
Archbishop Ndukuba warned that Bishop Vann’s elevation compromises the Anglican Church’s global mission and could obstruct evangelism. He compared the situation to the controversial tenure of Most Rev. Katherine Jefferts Schori, former Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, who also faced intense criticism from conservative Anglicans for her progressive views.
The Primate accused Bishop Vann of being complicit in the “ongoing crisis” around same-sex issues, stating that the election is a “clear revelation that many who claim to be members of the body of Christ cannot endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3–4).
The Church of Nigeria called on Anglicans worldwide to reject “rebels” and “apostates” and to instead support conservative bodies like the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON).
“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) condemns, unequivocally rejects, and will not recognize the election of Rt. Rev. Cherry Vann as Archbishop of Wales,” Ndukuba declared. He concluded with a solemn warning that without repentance, the Church in Wales risks losing “complete relevance” and its leaders will face judgment.
