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Hijab: Supreme Court judgment ‘unfavourable’ to Christians, says FCT Baptist president

Published

3 years ago

June 24, 2022

Supreme Court of Nigeria

The President, Federal Capital Territory Baptist Conference, Rev. Dogara Gwana, has said that the verdict of the Supreme Court upholding the wearing of Hijab in Lagos schools is not well-received by Christians.

The PUNCH had reported that the apex court in a six-to-one majority judgment, held that banning of female Muslim students from wearing Hijab to school is a violation of their fundamental rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.

However, Gwana, during a press conference at First Baptist Church, Garki, Abuja on Thursday, said that schools with Islamic roots still maintain their tradition while it’s not so for those with Christian roots.

He said, “The recent Supreme Court’s decision on the wearing of Hijab in public schools does not go down well with Nigerian Christians, especially the Nigerian Baptist Convention.

“All over the country, there are some schools that were established by some Islamic organizations which were taken over by the Federal government when the Christian missions’ schools were taken over. Yet till today, those schools with Islamic origins are still maintaining their traditions and cultures. But their Christian counterparts are being denied such rights.”

He also called for the return of Christian schools to their original owners.

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“This is why we are joining the Nigerian Baptist Convention in calling for the return of all Christian schools that were taken over by the government during the military era. Returning those schools will help their original owners to restore sanity back to the system.

“The departure of the missionaries from running those schools remains the foundation of the dwindling fortunes and standards. We, therefore, call on the government to return these schools to the original owners to run them with the original intended mission and purpose,” he added.

Gwana also stated that the primary elections that produced several candidates were money-induced, adding that it leaves a very bad taste in the Nigerian democracy.

He said, “It is unfortunate that the few people called delegates who have the responsibility of presenting elective options to Nigerians were practically bought by those with deep pockets.

“It is most unfortunate that those who aspire to govern Nigeria were spending foreign currencies unabated. The helpless Nigerian sees his preferred candidate thrown out simply because his pocket is light-weighted. We are now left with money bags as the options for elective offices at all the levels.”

The cleric further urged the Christian community to resist any political candidate that fields running mates of the same religion.

He said, “Now the presidential candidates are selecting running mates and some are considering picking their kin from the same religious enclaves. They do not have any argument as to the region where the running mate should come from but they make attempts to pick from their religious bedrooms.

“The FCT Baptist Conference joins other well-meaning Nigerians especially the Christian Association of Nigeria to state unequivocally that such actions are most unfair and unjust.”

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TikTok removes 2.4 million videos by Nigerian users in Q4 2024

Published

3 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

TikTok removes 2.4 million videos by Nigerian users in Q4 2024

Bytedance’s short video platform, TikTok, said it removed 2.4 million videos posted by Nigerian users in the fourth quarter of 2024 for violating its content policy.

According to the platform, Nigeria was among the top 50 countries where videos violating its policies emanated from in Q4.

However, the highest number of violations were recorded in the United States, which has the largest number of videos removed at 8.5 million.

ikTok disclosed this in its latest Community Guidelines Enforcement report, which indicated that a total of 153 million videos were removed globally in the period under review.

The company said the top 50 markets in terms of policy violations accounted for approximately 90% of all content removals for the quarter.

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The removed content was said to have violated one or more of TikTok’s policies, which center around Integrity and Authenticity, Privacy and Security, Mental and Behavioural Health, Safety, and Civility, among others.

Accounts removal

In the period under review, TikTok said it removed a total of 211.5 million accounts discovered to be either fake or owned by people suspected to be under 13 years of age.

Fake accounts constituted the largest number of deleted accounts for the period. According to the report, a total of 185.3 million fake accounts were removed.
In addition, 20.5 million accounts suspected to be owned by users under the age of 13 were removed, while 5.6 million accounts were removed for other reasons not stated.

“We remain vigilant in our efforts to detect external threats and safeguard the platform from fake accounts and engagement.

“These threats persistently probe and attack our systems, leading to occasional fluctuations in the reported metrics within these areas.

“In Q4 2024, we also updated the way we classify fake likes and followers removed over time, which contributed to some of the overall increases observed in these categories.

“This update better reflects the scale of our existing work to promptly identify and remove any accounts, content, or activities that seek to artificially boost popularity on our platform,” the company stated in the report.

TikTok removes 2.4 million videos by Nigerian users in Q4 2024

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Two children killed, 20 injured in Gombe stampede – Police

Published

3 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Gombe State Police Command Spokesman, ASP Buhari Abdullahi

Two children killed, 20 injured in Gombe stampede – Police

The Police Force Gombe State Command has confirmed the death of two children following a stampede at the Gombe main Eid Ground.

The Command’s spokesperson, Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Gombe.

According to Abdullahi, the incident occurred at about 10:45 a.m. at the exit gate of the Eid Ground, immediately after the conclusion of Eid prayers.

“The stampede was caused by inadequate exit access, as a large crowd, primarily women and children, rushed to leave the venue.

“The situation, worsened by intense heat, led to the unfortunate incident,” he said.

He said that 22 individuals were affected and were immediately taken to hospitals for medical attention.

“Regrettably, two of the victims, a four-year-old boy, and six months old baby girl, were pronounced dead by doctors while receiving treatment,” Abdullahi added.

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He extended the command’s condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

“The police urge Eid Ground managers to ensure that all entrance and exit gates remain open to facilitate smooth movement, especially after prayers,” he advised.

In a related development, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has condoled with the families of the deceased and those affected by the tragedy.

In a statement issued by his media aide on Sunday, the governor directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the stampede, with the aim of preventing future occurrences.

“The safety and well-being of our citizens remain a top priority. The state government is committed to learning from this incident and implementing corrective measures,” Yahaya said.

He also directed that all medical expenses for the injured victims be fully covered by the state government to ensure their recovery and well-being.

Two children killed, 20 injured in Gombe stampede – Police

(NAN)

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Wike’s achievements will translate into electoral success for APC in 2027, says Tinubu

Published

3 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike.jpg

Wike’s achievements will translate into electoral success for APC in 2027, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has praised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for his outstanding performance, expressing confidence that his achievements could translate into electoral success for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 FCT elections—despite Wike still being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Tinubu made the remarks at the State House, Abuja, on Sunday during a traditional Sallah homage by a delegation of prominent FCT residents to mark Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.

The President commended Wike’s leadership, noting that several infrastructure projects initiated under his administration, have significantly improved the lives of Abuja residents.

“I must thank the Honorable Minister of FCT. It’s worth it. It is nothing other than a privilege to be the landlord of every one of us in Abuja,” Tinubu said.

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He recalled a conversation where Wike requested exemption from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to enable greater financial flexibility for FCT projects.

Tinubu humorously recounted his response:”I asked him, ‘Would that give me an opportunity for my party (APC) to win the election in FCT?’ If this thing goes too much in your favour, you will lose your job!’”

“Today, we are living in peace, and security is improving. The hunger is coming down. Food prices are lowering. Our people are looking for results, and Wike has delivered,” Tinubu added.

Tinubu noted that despite being from the South-South, Wike is successfully driving progress in the Northern-dominated FCT.

“Surprisingly, Nyesom Wike is not from the North. He’s not a Hausa man. Yet his ability to work in the centre of the North is yielding fruits. That is a great reflection of our diversity that we must use for prosperity.”

The President urged Nigerians to embrace unity, stating that, regardless of ethnic and religious differences, progress is only possible through collaboration and shared purpose.