“It’s a shame that those who claim to be men of honour cannot honour their word.”
Zaria mosque collapse: Death toll rises to 12
The death toll from the collapse of the iconic Zaria Central Mosque, which led to loss of lives and injuring of worshippers, who were observing prayers in the evening of Friday, August 11, 2023 in Zaria, Kaduna State, has risen to 12.
Recall that the incident occurred while Muslim faithful were observing the Asr prayer around 4pm on Friday.
The Zaria Central Mosque constructed in the 1830s, had for decades opened its doors to Muslim faithful from all parts of the world.
Meanwhile, Kaduna State governor, Senator Uba Sani, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, and the Jamaatul Nasir Islam (JNI), have all expressed their condolences with the Zazzau Emirate and families of deceased victims.
Governor Uba Sani, in his condolences to the families of the victims, prayed for Allah’s divine healing and recovery of all those injured in the unfortunate incident.
The Governor thanked the Emir of Zazzau, HRH Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, for the fatherly role he played in rallying his subjects to carry out rescue operations, offer assistance to the injured and to console the families of the victims.
The governor also commended the efforts of the first responders, medical personnel, and good citizens of Zaria in rescuing the survivors.
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He urged citizens of the state to offer prayers for the repose of the souls of the departed, adding that an advance team of senior government officials led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Balarabe Abbas Lawal, was already in Zaria to assess the situation on ground and attend the Islamic funeral rites of the deceased.
“The State Government will also order an immediate investigation into the cause of the unfortunate incident,” he said, adding that it would also assist the victims.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic incident at the Zaria Central Mosque in Kaduna State. My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives and those who were injured as a result of the collapse of the Zaria Central Mosque.
“I also offer my heartfelt condolences to the Emir of Zazzau, His Royal Highness Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, and the entire Muslim Community over these irreparable losses. May the Almighty Allah forgive the shortcomings of the departed and grant them Jannatul Firdaus.
”The Kaduna State Government will assist those affected by this heartbreaking incident,” he assured.
Also, the Secreteay General of JNI, Professor Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, in a statement called on the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the causes of the tragic incident.
According to him, “safety measures should be reviewed and implemented where necessary to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that places of worship are safe havens for worshippers.”
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Prof. Aliyu added that JNI “stands in solidarity with the Zazzau Emirate during this challenging time. We will continue to identify with the Ummah and the entire humanity, seeking for ways to help ease the pain caused by this tragic incident.”
Similarly, in his condolence message, the Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Abbass, described the traggic incident as disheartening and devastating.
In a press statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, the Speaker said his “heart bleeds” as a result of the incident, noting that it was the most heartrending news he received in recent times.
Speaker Abbas, who expressed sadness and sorrow over the losses at this critical period, also prayed for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives. He equally prayed that the Almighty God would grant those that sustained injuries during the incident a quick recovery.
According to the lawmaker, “My heart bleeds over the unfortunate incident that happened at the Zaria Central Mosque on Friday, August 11, 2023 during the Asr prayer, when parts of the mosque collapsed, leading to the death of some of my constituents.
“It is disheartening and devastating that people who went to worship Allah lost their lives in that manner. I pray that Allah (SWT) will grant them eternal rest and reward them with Jannatul Firdaus.
“My thoughts and prayers are with their families and those that sustained injuries during the incident.
“I send my heartfelt condolences to the Emir of Zazzau, His Royal Highness, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, my constituents – the people of Zaria – and indeed the entire people of Kaduna State as well as the Kaduna State Government over the unfortunate incident.”
(LEADERSHIP)
Tinubu’s refusal to honour Seyi’s pact with us disappointing – Nnamdi Kanu’s family
The family of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, have expressed disappointment over the failure of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to honour an alleged agreement between his son Seyi , and the family before the 2023 general election.
Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, in a statement, claimed that Seyi with the approval of his father, personally met with him in Abuja shortly before the election, where both parties entered into agreement concerning Kanu.
According to him, it was agreed that IPOB would not bycott the polls on the condition that Tinubu would release Kanu if elected President.
Prince Emmanuel expressed disappointment that nearly two years after the emergence of Tinubu as President, his brother (Kanu), has continued to languish in detention despite the fact that the presiding Judge, Justice Binta Nyako, had since recused herself from the matter.
He said it was disappointing that those who claimed to be honourable, failed to keep their words.
The statement read:”Before the last election, I received a message from an ex-governor that Seyi the son of President Tinubu wanted to see me. I agreed to meet with him on the condition that the overriding priority and hence the fulcrum of our discussion will be the release of my brother. The meeting was held in Abuja in the presence of another individual whom I asked along to witness the deliberations and if need be provide independent verification should the need arise.
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“Seyi confirmed to me that his father sanctioned the meeting and that I should consider any agreement we reach as binding on the then candidate Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“In good faith we agreed that I shall relay the outcome to my brother to reinforce the long held tradition of IPOB not interfering with the conduct of elections, either through boycott or any other form of civil disobedience. This understanding was duly communicated to my brother and he reaffirmed his commitment not to stop the elections or order any boycott.
“When President Tinubu as a candidate visited Owerri during his campaign, he too reiterated his commitment to facilitate the release of my brother if elected. We took his public statement as a tacit reaffirmation of the understanding I reached with his son Seyi.
“At the end, IPOB did not call for election boycott despite having the capacity to do so. IPOB also made sure that discordant voices urging election boycott were overcome because election boycotts would not reflect well on the reputation of a global movement that prides itself on adherence to democratic tenets.
“It therefore, defies logic that nearly two years after President Tinubu assumed the mantle of leadership in Nigeria, my brother is still in detention despite not having any charge against him. It’s been over three months now that Justice Binta Nyako recused herself from the case yet no new judge has been assigned the case.
“This is on top of the fact that Appeal Court had earlier discharged him of the sham charges and ordered his release which the previous regime of Buhari declined to obey.
“Supreme Court determination that his bail ought not to have been revoked has been ignored by the courts and the government. The latest insult is that Abuja courts of all persuasion are no longer willing to determine the case of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on merit but are rather relying on ludicrous and inapplicable technicalities to stall the timely determination of his cases.
“The truth is that Nigerian courts cannot, will not and do not have both the substantive and procedural jurisdiction to try him. His detention is without the backing of any known law in Nigeria or elsewhere in the world.
“It’s a shame that those who claim to be men of honour cannot honour their word.”
Jealous husband stabs Bishop to death over allege affair with wife
A jealous husband has been reported to have stabbed a Bishop of a Church in Osogbo, Rapture Empowerment International, Dr Sina Olaribigbe for allegedly having an affair with his wife.
It was gathered that the jealous husband and his wife had a long misunderstanding which the deceased was trying to settle between them, but had not succeeded.
It was learnt that the deceased visited the wife, who lived separately with the husband early hours on Thursday and the husband got the hint and quickly trailed to the house.
Findings revealed that on getting to the house, located around BCGA area behind Olorunda local government Secretariat in Osogbo, Osun State capital, the jealous husband who had been getting hints of the Bishop’s affair with his wife descended on him and stabbed him severally on the chest.
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A member of the Church, Isaac Oyeleye confirmed that the Bishop was stabbed to death on his Facebook page on Thursday, describing his death as unfortunate.
Confirming the incident, Osun Police Command spokesperson, CSP Yemisi Opalola confirmed the incident, adding that the suspect and the enstraged wife have been arrested.
She said the couple were not living together and the deceased Bishop was an arbitrator trying to settle the dispute between the couple.
Her words, “They are couple but not living together. They are not separated by law yet. The Bishop, (deceased) used to settle fight between the couple. We were told the pastor was at the wife’s place today when the enstranged husband got there.
“We were also told the husband stabbed the pastor. We were also told the deceased was on the wife’s bed when the incident happened. The husband stabbed him severally and he died”
Police arrest couple over alleged rape, assault of minor
The Police Command in Rivers has confirmed the arrest of a couple for allegedly raping and beating a 13-year-old girl in their residence in Port Harcourt.
The command’s Spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed the development in an interview with Newsmen in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
The wife was said to have stripped the teenager and inserted pepper into her private part after accusing her of having sexual intercourse with her husband.
Iringe-Koko stated that the suspects had been arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for investigation and possible prosecution.
Goodness, the mother of the teenager, whose full name was withheld to avoid stigmatisation, recounted the incident to Newsmen.
A resident of Rupokwu town in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Goodness revealed that the assault on her daughter occurred on the evening of Dec. 29, 2024.
She explained that when she was alerted by neighbours about the attack on her daughter by a neighbour, she immediately closed her shop and rushed home.
“Before I got home, neighbours had already rescued my daughter from the wife’s assault.
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“My daughter was still writhing in pain from the beating and the pepper applied to her body and private area,” she said.
Goodness said that after her daughter felt relieved, she revealed that on Dec. 25, 2024, a female neighbour, who is a friend to the wife, took her to the house.
She said that on that fateful day, the man sent his wife and her friend on an errand, leaving the teenager alone with him in the house.
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