Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has justified the alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria, saying Christians also killed Fulani herdsmen who are blamed for committing the crime.
Gumi made the remark on his Facebook page on Thursday amid the ongoing controversy to the effect that Christians are being targeted by Islamic terrorists.
On Thursday, the United States Congress conducted an investigations into the alleged Christians genocide, some weeks after President Donald Trump threatened to stop the terrorists if the Tinubu administration failed to do so. The US leader had warned that he was prepared to use military force against the country if the killings persist.
The magazine had earlier reported that Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Rinadu led a high- powered federal government’s delegation to the US, to try to douse rising tension with the two countries.
Gumi who had repeatedly advocated for negotiation with the bandits, said Christians are killed in the country, the same way bandits are killed, describing the current situation as attack and counterattack by the parties concerned.
According to him, the insecurity in the country is because resources are not distributed equitably, saying calm will return once all the groups in the country got their share of the national patrimony.
Gumi: “The Christians at ‘fault lines’ in war with herdsmen, do also attack and counterattack. They kill and they are also killed. We regret all loss of lives. Don’t talk of Tafawa Balewa, Yalwan Shandam, Kafanchan, Zangon Kataf, Kaduna crises, etc.
“There is no Christian genocide. I was in Kano, Lagos and Ibadan in the last two days. Christians are going about their business. They are in power, economy and security outfits.”
The cleric warned against foreign intervention to combat insecurity.
“The only option left is to utilise our national resources equitably to educate, develop and protect all Nigerians, herdsmen included. Any foreign military intervention would only worsen the precarious situation, as nobody can control these outlawed groups on both sides.”
Convicted leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been moved from the detention facility of the Department of State Service DSS, Abuja, to the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
The development followed his conviction and sentencing by a Federal High Court Abuja.
The Source reports that Kanu was, on Thursday, November 20, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court presided over by the Honourable Justice James Omotosho.
He was found guilty of all seven count charges bordering on terrorism and related Offences preferred against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria
The judgment was the climax of the IPOB leader’s trial,which began, for the second time in 2021, after his rendition from Kenya.
Throughout his trial,Kanu was kept in the custody of the DSS.
However, he is to commence the service of his prison term at the Sokoto Custodial Centre.
Omotosho has ruled out Kuje Correctional Centre as not viable, and recommended that he be transferred to a convenient and secure Custodial Centre fit for his status, and where he would be in protective custody, considering the number of people who lost their lives in the South-east no thanks to his alleged activities and orders.
News of his movement to the Sokoto custodial centre was contained in a statement from the media office of the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency at the National Assembly Hon Obinna Aguocha, on Friday November 21,2021.
While calling for prayers for the IPOB leader, Hon Aguocha also sued for calm among his supporters.
“” Hon Obi Aguocha, Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/ Umuahia South ,has confirmed that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu ,has been relocated from the custody of the Department of State Service, DSS, to a secure Correctional Centre in Sokoto.
“He continues to call for calm and prayers across the South East,and beyond” the statement reads.
I’m utterly confused and disappointed that a Catholic Priest and Governor of Benue State could come out publicly and under the watch of camera and microphone to announce that there are no genocide in his state.
I weep not because of his speech, I wept because it is coming from a supposed Rev. Fr. Whom from today I will be addressing as Mr. Hyacinth Alia. He cease to be a Catholic Priest from my own personal belief (It’s not subject to argument. I’m a Catholic and he won’t administer any sacrament to me or my relations even after his tenure as a Governor).
Mr. Alia is a disgrace to not just the Priesthood, but to the entire Christendom.
RIP in advance to all those who spew lies and hatred to cover this genocide going on in this country.
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora has assured parents whose wards were abducted during the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State that it is deeply involved in efforts to rescue the victims as early as possible.
It condemned the invasion of the school by armed men and abduction of students, teachers, and killing of a security guard in the early hours of Friday.
In a statement issued by the Diocesan Secretary, Rev. Fr. Jatau Joseph, the Diocese said the assailants invaded the school at midnight, during which a security personnel was shot and several members of the school community were taken away.
The statement read, “This is to inform us that armed attackers invaded St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State, in the early hours of 21st November 2025, abducting some pupils, students, teachers, and a security personnel who was badly shot.
“The incident occurred between 1:00 am and 3:00 am, causing fear and distress within the school community.”
The Diocese condemned the attack and expressed deep concern for the safety of the kidnapped children and their families.
It said security agencies were immediately informed and have begun coordinated efforts to ensure the safe rescue and return of the victims.
The Bishop assured the public that the Diocese is actively collaborating with security operatives, community leaders, and government authorities to secure the victims’ safe return.
The Diocese appealed for calm, urged the public to support ongoing security operations, and called on everyone to pray for the safe and quick rescue of those abducted.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of children and said further updates would be provided as verified information becomes available.
School Management to be investigated for flouting order – Police
The Niger State Police Command on Friday November 21, 2025, vowed to track down those behind the dastardly invasion and kidnap of students of a Catholic school in the State.
The Source reports that some suspected terrorist elements, early Friday morning, invaded and kidnapped some students of St Mary’s School Papiri in Agwara Local Council of Niger state.
Although the actual number of those abducted by the hoodlums is yet to be ascertained, Local sources however put the figure at an estimated 53 pupils.
The unfortunate incident is coming less than four days after that of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Council of Kebbi state ,where banditry elements kidnapped 25 school girls from their hostel in the wee hours of Monday November 17.
A statement from the spokesperson for the Niger state police Command, W.A Abiodun, SP, informed that the incident at the Catholic school occurred at about 2.00 am on Friday November 21,2025.
According to the Police, the number of kidnapped students are yet to be ascertained.
This is as the Commissioner of Police, CP, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman affirmed the readiness and commitment of the Command in concert with other security agencies towards ensuring swift and safe rescue of the victims.
He also assured of a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding why the school was still in session against the Niger state Government’s earlier directives for all schools in the area to close owing to security challenges.
The Police Command, however, informed that police operatives, alongside other security personnel from sister agencies have been deployed to the scene.
CP Elleman pledged that nothing will be spared to ensure that ,the kidnapped students are safe rescued and reunited with their families.
“The Niger State Police Command wishes to confirm that on 21st November 2025 , at about 2.00 am, reports received indicated that some armed bandits invaded St Mary’s Private ( Catholic) Secondary School ,Papiri Agwara LGA and abducted a yet to be ascertained number of students from the School’s hostel.
However, police tactical units, military components and other security agencies have moved to the scene, combing the forecast with a view to rescuing the abducted students.
“In view of this, the Commissioner of Police, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, reiterated the Command’s commitment to rescuing the students unhurt, and appealed to members of the public to remain calm and support security operations.to rescue the students.
“He further assured that this incident will be investigated, and necessary action taken against the school management for continuing academic activities, contrary to the State Government directives on closure of schools in the area due to security challenges”,the Police stated
Nations rise or falter on the strength of their ability to convert moments of tension into opportunities for reconciliation and renewal. In Nigeria’s evolving democratic journey, rarely do we encounter moments when political leadership, moral consciousness, and historical necessity align in a manner so clear and compelling that the only reasonable response is a collective embrace of wisdom.
The recent statement by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR, belongs firmly to this class of history’s defining signals. By affirming that all hope is not lost for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and by stating openly that a political solution is now not only possible but underway, the Deputy Speaker has provided the nation and the Southeast in particular with an anchor of responsible optimism.
His intervention is neither sentimental nor politically opportunistic. It is a mature reading of the delicate realities that surround the Kanu matter, realities which have shaped the emotional landscape of the Southeast for years and influenced national discourse in profound ways. In saying that Nigeria must look beyond the judicial verdict to explore a political pathway, the Deputy Speaker is essentially calling for the kind of statesmanship that has helped many nations navigate similar crises. He is asking Nigeria to rise to its finest democratic instincts.
Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu
The Southeast, over the past decade, has borne the heavy psychological, political, and economic weight of tensions that grew out of a complex mixture of historical grievances, unaddressed questions of justice, youthful frustration, and the emotional pull of identity. The incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu touches all these layers. It is not just a legal question. It is a symbol of deeper national conversations that remain unresolved. For this reason, any attempt to manage the issue purely as a legal matter will continue to fall short. It is this reality that the Deputy Speaker has masterfully articulated by pointing to the political solution that now stands before the nation.
History makes clear that the most enduring resolutions to conflicts with ethnic and ideological undertones do not emerge from courtroom verdicts, no matter how well intentioned. They emerge from dialogue, political creativity, negotiation, reconciliation, and the willingness of leadership to place national stability above the rigidity of procedure. From South Africa to Northern Ireland, from Colombia to Rwanda, and even within Nigeria’s own internal conflicts, it is diplomacy that ultimately resolves tensions where law alone cannot reach. The Deputy Speaker’s position aligns with this timeless principle.
More importantly, the statement has reopened a space for executive discretion, diplomatic engagement, and statesmanlike intervention. With the matter now concluded in court, the window for a political settlement is wide open. This is an opportunity that must not be wasted. The Deputy Speaker has essentially extended a hand, urging all stakeholders to step into that space with unity and resolve.
However, for this diplomatic momentum to achieve full impact, it must be supported by a coordinated and regionally owned action plan. A single voice cannot carry a burden this sensitive. What is required is a triangle of leadership composed of the Deputy Speaker, the governors of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers, and Delta States, and the foremost traditional rulers whose moral authority remains unchallenged. Such a formation would represent political legitimacy, executive authority, and cultural authenticity. It would communicate to the President and the rest of the nation that the Southeast is approaching the matter not in agitation but through structured diplomacy.
This united front must articulate a harmonized regional position that is devoid of partisanship and free from the loud emotionalism that often undermines delicate negotiations. The issue at stake is not merely the fate of one man. It is the stability of an entire region and the psychological wellbeing of millions. It is the restoration of trust between a people and the Nigerian state. It is the laying of a foundation that will allow young people in the Southeast to reconnect with national institutions without suspicion or despair.
One of the most encouraging aspects of the Deputy Speaker’s statement is his confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. He notes clearly that the President is not opposed to a political solution. This is a critical sign. President Tinubu has a long history of engaging complex political challenges with a mixture of firmness and negotiation. His political instincts are often shaped by the belief that dialogue is not a sign of weakness but an instrument of stability. The Deputy Speaker’s assertion that the President is open to persuasion should therefore serve as a rallying point for every responsible leader in the Southeast.
With the right political and diplomatic approach anchored by the Deputy Speaker, the situation is certainly one of a win win. Nigeria is a country that has repeatedly demonstrated an understanding of political pragmatism, especially when dealing with matters that threaten national stability. A nation known to have several times engaged with terrorists of the Boko Haram extraction for the sake of restoring sanity in the northern part of the country will not have any moral, political, or historical grounds to reject a well thought out diplomatic approach initiated from east of the Niger. If the federal government could explore negotiation in the context of Boko Haram, whose operations constituted some of the gravest threats to national existence, then it is only logical that a political solution be extended to a matter that is infinitely more negotiable and less existential.
This argument is not a justification for impunity. It is a call for balance. It is an appeal to the superior wisdom that recognizes that justice, to be truly meaningful, must also serve the purpose of peace and cohesion. Nigeria cannot apply negotiation in the North but insist only on confrontation in the Southeast. Such asymmetry would undermine the foundational principle of fairness upon which lasting unity must be built. The Deputy Speaker’s approach prevents such dissonance by insisting on equity and consistency in national conflict resolution strategies.
However, while the Deputy Speaker and other leaders activate the political mechanics required to achieve this outcome, the people of the Southeast must maintain peace, calmness, and discipline. Emotions naturally run high, especially after a legal verdict of such magnitude. Yet history teaches that diplomacy excels in an atmosphere of stability. Negotiators need moral support, not public disorder. Every act of violence or disruption weakens the argument for a political solution and strengthens the hands of those who oppose it. Peace is therefore not a passive demand; it is an active contribution to the success of the ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The Southeast must also summon its finest virtues: patience, dignity, wisdom, and strategic unity. Divisiveness at this moment would be an unpardonable disservice to the region. Those who seek to stir unrest or exploit public emotions for personal advantage should be resisted. Diplomacy thrives on coherence. The stronger and more unified the regional voice, the more compelling the demand for political intervention will be at the federal level.
At the same time, Nigerians from all regions must see the Deputy Speaker’s approach not as a sectional agenda but as a national imperative. Resolving the Nnamdi Kanu issue politically will strengthen national cohesion, reduce tensions, and open the door for broader conversations around justice, equity, and the deeper structural questions that Nigeria must eventually confront. A peaceful Southeast contributes to a stable Nigeria. A politically resolved conflict improves the environment for development, investment, and interregional cooperation.
Moreover, this approach could serve as a model for resolving similar conflicts in the future. Nigeria must begin to institutionalize political solutions as instruments of national stability. The Deputy Speaker’s leadership in this regard sets a precedent that is both courageous and deeply patriotic.
Mazi Nnamdi Kanu
In conclusion, the Deputy Speaker has performed a rare act of political maturity by transforming a moment of distress into a pathway for hope. He has shown that leadership is not measured by noise but by the ability to read the currents of history and act with wisdom. His words have opened a door, and that door leads directly to a peaceful, diplomatic, and mutually beneficial resolution.
The responsibility now lies with the governors, royal fathers, intellectual leaders, elder statesmen, and civil society within the Southeast to rally around this vision. The moment requires unity. It requires clarity. It requires disciplined engagement. And above all, it requires a shared commitment to peace.
All hope is indeed not lost. A new window of history has opened. It is time for the Southeast to walk through it with dignity, strategy, and determination. The Deputy Speaker has provided the compass. The region must now provide the resolve.
Mrs Uchechi Okwu-Kanu, wife of the convicted Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, slamned the Honourable Justice James Omotosho for sentencing her husband to life sentence.
Justice Omotosho had, on Thursday, November 20, ended a 10-year long trial of Kanu by finding him guilty on all the six-count charge preferred against him by the Federal Government. All the charges bordered mostly on terrorism and four of them carried the death sentence.
However, while sentencing Kanu, Omotosho took refuge in a Bible passage from the Book of St. Mathew, which preaches mercy, and did away with the death sentence, which he said is no longer fashionable, and converted it to life sentence. He also slammed Kanu with a 20 and five-year sentences for the two other charges.
However, an angry and stunned Kanu’s wife, Uchechi, has tackled Justice Omotosho for the sentences slammed on her husband.
In a statement on Thursday, same day her husband was sentenced, Mrs Kanu insisted that a Judge cannot ask a defendant to open a defense on terrorism related-charges without reading out the law under which the person is being tried.
She accused Omotosho of reading the script of a judgement written and handed over to him. Proof?
She said Omotosho “could barely read out some of the words in his own very written judgment.”
Uchechi: “In Nigeria, a Judge cannot ask a defendant to open a defense on terrorism related charges without reading out the written law under which the court is trying that person. Okay, so the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, section 36, I mean, I’m sure that is very familiar to everyone now.
“It provides that a person shall not be convicted of a criminal offense unless the the offense is defined and the penalty prescribed as in a written law.
“So what Omotosho has done today (Thursday)is a script, a written script for him to read out. Everyone could hear him. Everyone could see that he was reading a script handed over to him and that he could barely read out some of the words in his own very written judgment. How interesting. How interesting.
“I’ve had to quickly tweet and will post the travesty of justice today regarding how Omotosho ignored the Constitution’s requirement that none can be convicted under an unwritten or unknown offense.
“He forced Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to take a plea under a repealed law, which Mazi Nnamdi Kanu refused. So show me where it is written before I can enter into a defense. And that never happened.
“Omotosho refused, blatantly, flagrantly, to issue written rulings on serious applications. So you could hear him reading. You could hear him counting 1000s of lines of hours of account.
“But then he refused to issue a written ruling which he ought to have done first, but never did. He told Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to put all objections in a final address, then block the final address.
“So if you were Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, you will be as outraged as he was this afternoon.
“You cannot ask me to put my final address, put it down, write it down, and then you block it. So Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has right. It is his right to put a final address down, to write it down. But a Omotosho blocked that and decided to read out those nonsense he called counts.”
Kanu who was absent during the Judgement because the Judge asked that he be walked out of the Court for being unruly, has indicated, through his Special Counsel, Alloy Ejimakor, that he would challenge his conviction at the Court of Appeal.
The Niger State Government has condemned the abduction of an unspecified number of students of St Mary’s Catholic College in the Papiri area of Agwara Local Government. The Government, however, said that the management of the school should be held responsible for the sad incident.
In a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, on Friday, November 21, 2025, the Government said it had prior intelligence information on the activities of terrorists in the area, and warned schools not to open. It, however, regretted that the management of the School, shunned the order, and opened, thus, exposing the students and teachers to danger.
The Government says it still does not even know the number of students and staff abducted by the terrorists.
The statements reads in full:
“The Niger State Government has received with deep sadness the disturbing news of the kidnapping of pupils from St. Mary’s School in Agwara Local Government Area. The exact number of abducted pupils is yet to be confirmed as security agencies continue to assess the situation.*
“This unfortunate incident comes despite prior intelligence report obtained by the government indicating an increased threat level in parts of Niger North Senatorial District.
“In response to these credible security alerts, the State Government had earlier issued a clear directive suspending all construction activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within the affected zone as a precautionary measure.
“Regrettably, St. Mary’s School proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the State Government, thereby exposing pupils and the staff to avoidable risk.
“Security agencies have since commenced a full-scale investigation and search-and-rescue operations to ensure the safe return of the pupils. The Niger State Government is in close communication with all relevant security formations and will provide continuous updates as more information becomes available.
“The Government urges school proprietors, community leaders, and all stakeholders to adhere strictly to security advisories issued in the interest of public safety. The protection of lives, especially those of our children, remains the utmost priority of this administration.
“We call on the public to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing any useful information that may aid ongoing efforts.
“Signed,
Alh. Abubakar Usman
Secretary to the Niger State Government
21-11-2025”
This sad incident comes on the heels of the abduction, a couple of days ago, of 25 female students from a secondary school in Maga, Kebbi State, and killed the Vice Principal and a Security Guard.
One of the Kebbi students escaped. The others are yet to be rescued.
An unspecified number of students and staff of the St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution located in Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State were reportedly abducted by terrorists.
The latest abduction comes days after a similar attack in Maga, Kebbi State, where 25 students were kidnapped, heightening concerns over the deteriorating security situation in educational institutions across the country.
The incident occurred between 2.00am and 3.00am on Friday.
Confirming the incident in a statement, the Niger state government said it has received with deep sadness the disturbing news of the kidnapping of pupils from St. Mary’s School in Agwara Local Government Area.
“The exact number of abducted pupils is yet to be confirmed as security agencies continue to assess the situation,” the statement disclosed.
The statement, signed by Abubakar Usman, secretary to the Niger state government, stated that the state received prior intelligence report indicating an increased threat level in parts of the northern senatorial district.
“In response to these credible security alerts, the State Government had earlier issued a clear directive suspending all construction activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within the affected zone as a precautionary measure,” the statement reads.
The statement explained that St. Mary’s School, however, proceeded to reopen and resume academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the state.
“Security agencies have since commenced a full-scale investigation and search-and-rescue operations to ensure the safe return of the pupils.
“The Niger State Government is in close communication with all relevant security formations and will provide continuous updates as more information becomes available.
“The Government urges school proprietors, community leaders, and all stakeholders to adhere strictly to security advisories issued in the interest of public safety.
“The protection of lives, especially those of our children, remains the utmost priority of this administration,” statement added.
Olusegun Awolowo, a grandson of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is dead.
Segun, as he was popularly known, was the first grandson of the late sage whose father was also the first son of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. His mother is Sisi Abba Folawiyo
The Awolowo Family confirmed his passing in a statement which read thus:
Statement on the Passing of Olusegun Awolowo
“With extremely heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather- Olusegun Awolowo.
“He was the world’s most phenomenal husband, father and grandfather — steady, wise, endlessly loving, and the constant anchor of our family. A painfully loyal servant to Nigeria, he dedicated his life to the service of his country with vision, integrity, passion, and unwavering commitment. He was a true family man, a great friend, a wonderful servant of God, and a deeply beautiful human being.
“He loved his family.
He loved his work.
He loved his country.
And he lived every day with purpose, humility, and a generous spirit that touched everyone who knew him.
“We are shattered by this loss, but forever grateful for his life, his legacy, and the love he poured into all of us. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.
“The Awolowo Family”
Segun, a Lawyer, was a former Executive Director of Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
He was married to Bola, a Lawyer, with whom he had lovely children. Their son is also a Lawyer.
