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Nigerian pastor faces deportation from South Africa amid rape, other charges

Ehime ALEX
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Nigerian pastor faces deportation from South Africa amid rape, other charges

A Nigerian pastor and televangelist, Timothy Omotoso, is expected to leave South Africa today, Sunday, May 18,  marking the end of his lengthy legal ordeal that has lasted nearly ten years.

His deportation comes after he was acquitted of raping young women from his church, local media reported.

On May 10, Omotoso was said to have been re-arrested by immigration officials in East London after declaring him a prohibited person and his continued stay in the country unlawful.

Omotoso, founder of the Durban-based Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church, was originally arrested in 2017.

His high-profile trial had drawn national attention and sparked widespread public outrage.

On Sunday, the 66-year-old televangelist was to leave Johannesburg’s OR Tambo Airport for Nigeria.

His deportation came just days after his prosecutors said they would reopen the case.

Last month, Omotoso was found not guilty on 32 charges, including rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking after spending eight years in jail.

The judge was reported as saying that the prosecutors mishandled the case, which drew some concern across South Africa.

The prosecutors, however, said they would appeal against his acquittal for rape and would investigate the team that handled the case.

The ICIR reports that Omotoso heads the JDI church, headquartered in the eastern South African coastal city of Durban.

The JDI has branches in Nigeria and Israel, according to the South African government.

On May 10, Omotoso was rearrested on immigration charges as the South African government said he was subject to deportation.

A magistrates’ court, however, ordered his release, ruling that he could not be detained for more than 48 hours without being charged.

Zelensky meets Pope Leo XIV at Vatican, calls for global peace

Mustapha USMAN
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Zelensky meets Pope Leo XIV at Vatican, calls for global peace

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Sunday, May 18, and made a call for global peace following the pontiff’s inauguration mass. 

Announcing the meeting on X, Zelensky emphasised the symbolic importance of the Pope’s role in promoting peace.

“For millions of people around the world, the Pontiff is a symbol of hope for peace. The authority and voice of the Holy See can play an important role in bringing this war to an end,” Zelensky said on X.

“We appreciate the support for Ukraine and the clear voice in defense of a just and lasting peace,” he added.

Zelensky was accompanied by First Lady Olena Zelenska and Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak during the inauguration mass, which attracted approximately 250,000 pilgrims and 156 foreign delegations. 

Notable attendees included Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, the Presidents of Peru and Israel, the Prime Ministers of Italy, Canada, and Australia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Other attendees included U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who had met with Pope Francis shortly before his passing.

The meeting came shortly after Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration, where he vowed to address global challenges, including poverty and environmental protection. The new Pope pledged to uphold the legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis, emphasising his commitment to building a more united global Catholic Church.

During his inauguration sermon, Robert Prevost, who took the name, Pope Leo XIV, believes that the cardinals who elected him had chosen someone “capable of preserving the rich heritage of the Christian faith and, at the same time, looking to the future, to confront the questions, concerns and challenges of today’s world.”

He stressed the need for unity within the Church and called on Catholics to serve as a symbol of reconciliation in a world marked by discord, hatred, and exploitation. 

The Pope also called for cooperation with other Christian denominations and people of goodwill to build a world where peace reigns.

FG set to unveil African Energy Bank, says minister

Ehime ALEX
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FG set to unveil African Energy Bank, says minister

THE Federal Government has concluded key legal and governance frameworks required for the operational rollout of the African Energy Bank (AEB) as preparations for its official launch enter the final phase.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, May 18, by his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Nneamaka Okafor.

Lokpobiri stated about the bank’s unveiling plans during a high-level review meeting with key stakeholders held in Abuja.

The meeting was used to assess progress on the bank’s establishment, as the minister confirmed that critical milestones had either been completed or were progressing on schedule.

“The AEB is poised to become a transformative financing platform for energy projects across the continent. This review confirms that every critical milestone is either completed or on schedule, and we remain fully aligned with our continental partners,” Lokpobiri maintained.

He revealed further that beyond the completion of regulatory frameworks, discussions on capital mobilisation had also recorded “encouraging commitments from both member nations and private investors.”

Lokpobiri believes that Nigeria’s role as the host country for the AEB reaffirmed the country’s leadership position in Africa’s hydrocarbon sector.

The AEB is expected to play a pivotal role in closing the energy investment gap on the continent by financing both traditional and renewable energy projects tailored to Africa’s developmental needs.

The ICIR reported in November last year that the government had set the first quarter of this year for the take-off of the AEB in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

However, the unveiling of the bank to begin operations in March 2025, as promised by the minister, failed.

In February, Lokpobiri said the building hosting the bank in Abuja was receiving finishing touches.

He had even hinted that $19 billion had already been raised for the take-off of the AEB in Abuja, adding that the Nigerian government has contributed $69.1 million part equity funding to the project.

In the statement on Sunday, Lokpobiri expressed optimism in stakeholders’ commitment to transparency and efficiency in the final stages of the bank’s takeoff.

“Our collective focus is on delivering a bank that catalyses investment, accelerates energy security, and drives economic growth across Africa,” he added.

The president of the African Export-Import Bank, Benedict Oramah, one of the key stakeholders present at the high-level meeting, said his bank was ready to provide structuring expertise and capital strength to ensure the successful launch of the bank.

“Afreximbank is ready to deploy its structuring expertise and capital base to ensure the AEB launches with the strength and credibility required to attract global co-investors,” Oramah said.

Also at the meeting was the Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation, Omar Farouk Ibrahim.

“We are impressed by Nigeria’s dedication to meeting the stringent requirements for bank establishment. The collaboration we witnessed today signals a unified resolve to deliver affordable, sustainable energy to Africans,” he said.

It was noted that the parties had fixed a definitive timeline and date for the inaugural board meeting, which will be publicly announced soon.

Kidnappers kill abducted Ondo APC chairman despite paying N5m ransom

Mustapha USMAN
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Kidnappers kill abducted Ondo APC chairman despite paying N5m ransom

THE Ward 5 Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nelson Adepoyigi, has reportedly died in the hands of his kidnappers despite the payment of a N5 million ransom.

Adepoyigi, who was abducted in Ifon, was reportedly killed after his family complied with the kidnappers’ demand to reduce the initial ransom from N100 million to N5 million. 

The kidnappers also insisted on receiving food supplies as part of the deal, which the family said to have provided. 

The kidnappers further abducted two individuals who had delivered the ransom and food items but were released later, while the APC chieftain was not freed.

Before their release, they made a fresh demand of N30 million to secure the release of the three captives.

However, the kidnappers later released the two individuals, but Adepoyigi was not freed. 

The freed volunteers have since reunited with their families, but the APC chieftain’s body has not yet been recovered.

Premium Times reported that an Ifon community leader, who requested anonymity, confirmed that although the two volunteers had returned home safely, Adepoyigi’s whereabouts remained unknown.

Reacting to the incident in a statement from n Sunday, May 18, the Chairman of Ose LGA, Clement Ojo, expressed his grief and condemned the killing of Adepoyigi by the kidnappers.

“The entire leadership and people of Ose Local Government mourn this tragic loss. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and political associates of the deceased,” he said.

“His dedication to the progress of our party and the grassroots community will be forever remembered and honoured.”

Ojo also did not disclose how the community confirmed Adepoyigi’s death or whether an additional ransom was paid. 

But he further decried the rising cases of kidnapping in the area, noting that just days earlier, another resident narrowly escaped abduction while parking his motorcycle at home.

“We are now at a critical juncture where security challenges have become a serious threat to the safety and freedom of our people,” he said. “Only a few days before this incident, another resident narrowly escaped being kidnapped while parking his motorcycle. This pattern of brazen abductions, even at the very gates of people’s homes, confirms that insecurity has taken a dangerous and intolerable dimension.”

The council chairman called on security agencies to intensify patrols, improve surveillance, and ensure the swift arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators to serve as a deterrent to others.

Meanwhile, speaking with  The ICIR, the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Olutokunbo Afolabi, said they only took the news of his death as runout since they have not yet found the dead body.

“You know what the law says. We can’t pronounce anybody dead until we found the dead body. We have deployed special officers to the area and the combed the thick forest but we haven’t found the dead body,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV commits to globally united church, addressing social issues

Ehime ALEX
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Pope Leo XIV commits to globally united church, addressing social issues

AT his inauguration at the Vatican on Sunday, May 18, Pope Leo XIV vowed not to shrink before modern challenges, promising to tackle social issues such as poverty and protecting the environment.

The Pope said he was committed to a more united global Catholic Church.

He also pledged to continue the legacy of his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, Reuters reported.

Pope Leo XIV was formally installed as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign monarch of Vatican City at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, May 18.

In his inauguration sermon, Robert Prevost, who took the name, Pope Leo XIV, believes that the cardinals who elected him had chosen someone “capable of preserving the rich heritage of the Christian faith and, at the same time, looking to the future, to confront the questions, concerns and challenges of today’s world.”

“It is never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda, or using power. Instead, it is always and only a question of loving, as Jesus did,” he said.

Calls for a united church

In an apparent reference to a war of words between Catholics who define themselves as conservative or progressive, he said, “Brothers and sisters, I would like our first great desire to be for a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world.”

Pope Leo XIV, presiding over the Mass of Inauguration of his Petrine Ministry in St. Peter’s Square, invited the Church to walk together along the path of God’s love and remain united in one family.

He said this before thousands of pilgrims, leaders from around the world, and representatives of Christian denominations who graced the inauguration.

“I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, for he wants us all to be united in one family, Pope Leo XIV said.

In the face of a world marked by so much discord and wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, fear, and economic reality “that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalises the poorest,” the Pope said, “we want to be a small leaven of unity, communion, and fraternity within the world.”

“We want to say to the world, with humility and joy: Look to Christ! Come closer to him! Welcome his word that enlightens and consoles! Listen to his offer of love and become his one family: in the one Christ, we are one,” he urged.

He submitted that “this is the path to follow together, among ourselves but also with our sister Christian churches, with those who follow other religious paths, with those who are searching for God, with all women and men of goodwill, to build a new world where peace reigns!”

Many world leaders attended the ceremony, including Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu’s official invitation for the Pope’s inauguration at the Vatican was earlier announced by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga; The ICIR earlier reported.

Other global leaders present at the inauguration were the Presidents of Peru and Israel, the prime ministers of Italy, Canada, and Australia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The ICIR  reports that the Roman Catholic Church, on May 8, announced him as the new Pope.

This came after two days of praying and voting, with white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney signifying that the 133 cardinal electors had chosen a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church worldwide.

Favour Ofili sets world record at Adidas Atlanta City Games

Mustapha USMAN
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Favour Ofili sets world record at Adidas Atlanta City Games

NIGERIAN sprinter Favour Ofili has made history by breaking the world record in the women’s 150m at the Adidas Atlanta City Games.

She clocked an impressive time of 15.85 seconds (2.0), becoming the first woman ever to complete the distance in under 16 seconds at the event on Saturday, May 18.

This feat surpassed the previous record of 16.23 seconds, set by Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas in 2018.

The Adidas Atlanta City Games is a prestigious annual track and field event held in Atlanta.

Formerly known as the adidas BOOST Boston Games, it moved to Atlanta in 2023 and has since become known for its unique street meet format. 

A 150-meter elevated straight track is set up in Centennial Olympic Park, allowing spectators to experience world-class athletics up close. The event brings a dynamic, urban twist to traditional track and field.

Speaking after her record-breaking performance, Ofili expressed her gratitude and excitement during an interview posted by LSU Track and Field.

She said, “The Lord is good. He’s marvelous on my side. It’s all God, and honestly, I am surprised with the time, but I know I put in the work. I trust my coach, I trust his programme, and I know at the right time, the Lord will do it.

Ofili also shared insights into her race strategy, explaining how she approached the historic run.

“I got some advice to treat it like a long 100m, to drive more and let the track do the work. My coach said relax and spring very well.”

Ofili’s historic performance in Atlanta follows her impressive debut at the Grand Slam Track Meet in Miami earlier this month. 

At the Miami Meet, part of the newly launched Grand Slam Track series founded by Olympic legend Michael Johnson, Ofili finished third in the women’s 100m with a time of 10.94 seconds.

The latest world champion will be aiming to change her fortunes this year at the World Championships in Tokyo, after experiencing disappointment in the 200m final at the last Paris Olympics.

29-year-old Nigerian-British becomes UK Mayor

Mustapha USMAN
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29-year-old Nigerian-British becomes UK Mayor

PRINCESS Opeyemi Bright, a UK-born of Nigerian descent, has been inaugurated as the Mayor in the United Kingdom.

Bright, 29, was inaugurated on Friday, May 16, as the First Citizen of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, succeeding Moin Quadri, who served over the past year.

Her appointment marks a historic milestone for both the Nigerian diaspora and youth representation in British politics.

In the UK, the role of Mayor in a borough, such as Barking and Dagenham, is largely ceremonial but carries significant symbolic importance. 

As the first citizen of the Borough, the Mayor represents the community at official functions, promotes local initiatives, and serves as a head of civic pride.

While the position does not involve day-to-day administrative decision-making, it plays a crucial role in community engagement, fostering social cohesion, and representing the borough at public events.

In her inaugural speech, Bright emphasised her vision of civic leadership rooted in inclusivity, pride, and community service.

“I believe in the power of community, the importance of tradition, and the need to inspire pride in the place we all call home. As Civic Mayor, I am committed to being a voice that uplifts our borough — honouring local heroes, supporting charities, and forging deeper connections with residents, schools, and businesses,” she was quoted to have said.

Bright was elected as a councillor in 2018 at just 22. 

She also served as a school governor, a board member of a non-government organisation, Agile Africa, that equips young people with tech skills.

She was born to Afolasade Bright, who served as Civic Mayor of Hackney from 2006 to 2007, and Pastor Gbolahan Bright MBE, a senior minister in the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Meanwhile, her emergence is part of a broader trend highlighting the increasing political involvement of Nigerians in the diaspora. 

Two years after, Tinubu N200 billion pledge to manufacturers, MSMEs sees limited impact

Ehime ALEX
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Two years after, Tinubu N200 billion pledge to manufacturers, MSMEs sees limited impact

TWO years into President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the N200 billion intervention fund promised to support manufacturers and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) has seen limited impact.

While the N50,000 grants to nano businesses commenced disbursement in April 2024, many intended beneficiaries of larger loans to MSMEs and manufacturers are yet to access these funds.

The discrepancy between the initially announced allocations and the actual disbursements announced, coupled with bureaucratic bottlenecks, has led to frustration and uncertainty among stakeholders.

On July 31, 2023, on a nationwide broadcast, Tinubu said he would provide N200 billion to strengthen the country’s manufacturing and MSMEs. His promise came following public outcry over the negative impact of his petrol subsidy removal and foreign exchange unification.

Delayed rollout

The president, upon assumption of office on May 29, 2023, declared that the petrol subsidy was gone. In July of that year, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), under his watch, floated the exchange rate.

The reforms shifted the microeconomics dimension of the country, negatively impacting businesses and suffocating the manufacturing and MSME business environments.

In a bid to cushion the effect on these sectors, Tinubu, in a nationwide broadcast in July 2023, announced the provision of N75 billion to manufacturers and N125 billion to MSMEs as palliatives.

“To strengthen the manufacturing sector, increase its capacity to expand and create good-paying jobs, we will spend N75 billion between July 2023 and March 2024. Our objective is to fund 75 enterprises with great potential to kick-start sustainable economic growth, accelerate structural transformation, and improve productivity.

“Each of the 75 manufacturing enterprises will be able to access N1 billion credit at 9 per cent annum with a maximum of 60 months repayment for long-term loans and 12 months for working capital,” he said in his broadcast.

On MSMEs, he further promised, “Our administration recognises the importance of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and the informal sector as drivers of growth. We are going to energise this very important sector with N125 billion.”

Originally slated for implementation between July 2023 and March 2024, the intervention fund did not officially launch until April 22, 2024, when the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, announced the rollout of the MSME and manufacturing components.

The minister confirmed that N75 billion had been earmarked for manufacturers, and another N75 billion for MSMEs, raising concerns that the N125 billion initially pledged to MSMEs had been revised downward.

Under the scheme, MSMEs are to access up to N1 million, while manufacturers could receive up to N1 billion in credit at a subsidised interest rate.

Despite this launch, many business owners and trade associations say they have yet to see any disbursement under the major loan programme. The ICIR reported that access to the interventionist funds required a bureaucratic process.

Stakeholders dissatisfaction 

Several major business groups, including the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists, Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the Association of Micro-Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN), have at different times expressed concerns over the delayed and opaque execution of the president’s pledge.

Many of them have told The ICIR that the only information they have about the intervention was the President’s pronouncement.

At the onset of the pronouncement, they had raised concerns about the criteria for disbursement, the requirements, terms and conditions, prospects, and the agencies that would disburse the funds.

Implementation drags 

The Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Segun Ajayi-Kadir, who should be more concerned about the issue, promised to speak with the reporter but didn’t pick up subsequent calls to his phone line.

He had previously expressed worries over the slow implementation of the President’s policy statement on the loan facility to manufacturers and MSMEs.

His critical point has been that the N75 billion and N125 billion to manufacturers and MSMEs would not address the credit crisis in that sector.

Ajayi-Kadir had even suggested that a permanent solution could be a deliberate attempt by the government to prioritise loan facilities at an interest rate that would enable manufacturers to repay.

Other business association leaders who spoke to The ICIR were saddened over the slow pace in implementing the President’s policy statement to the manufacturers and MSMEs.

The president of the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria (ASBON), Femi Egbesola, said the reality is that the government has not been transparent about the intervention.

He said, “Some of our members were able to get that N50,000. But the question is, in today’s economy, what can the N50,000 do for a business?”

Egbesola, however, expressed concern that the next thing in line was supposed to be the disbursement of N5 million each to the SMEs, but none of his members have been able to access the fund.

He noted that thousands of his members have applied for the loan since last year, but none have been able to access it.

“I also want to believe that what is happening to our community here is what is happening in many other MSMEs, too, because even outside of our association, I have not heard from any others saying that they have accessed it.

“This has got us wondering what has happened to a policy statement the President made down in 2023, and this is almost mid-2025, and it has not yet seen the light of day,” Egbesola said.

He reasoned that businesses that were hitherto failing and dying in 2023, which the intervention fund was supposed to support, whether such businesses would still be in existence today if the intervention had not come.

Similarly, Saviour Iche, National President of AMEN, expressed skepticism about the programme’s transparency. He said that while the government frequently announces interventions, the business community often remains in the dark about how funds are allocated or accessed.

“They (government) will come on air and say one thing, and nobody cares. The information is in the public domain to deceive the gullible Nigerians.

“If such a loan has been given and somebody like me and other business association leaders are not aware, who then is supposed to be in the know?” he asserted.

Tinubu arrives Rome for Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration

Ehime ALEX
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Tinubu arrives Rome for Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration

PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived in Rome, Italy, for the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made this known in a statement on Saturday, May 17.

He said Tinubu was received at the Mario De Bernardo Military Airport by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, officials from Vatican City, and the Nigerian Embassy after the plane touched down at 6 pm local time.

“President Tinubu is in Rome to honour the new Pope’s invitation, conveyed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.”

Tinubu will join other world leaders at the solemn mass marking the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

The installation mass is to take place on Sunday, May 18.

According to Onanuga, the papal invitation underscored the need for Tinubu’s physical presence “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”

He noted that the Pope in the invitation, said, “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.

Among the President’s entourage includes the Archbishop of Owerri and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Lucius Ugorji, Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, Alfred Martins of Lagos and Mathew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese.

The ICIR reported that Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff to have been born in the United States, succeeded the late Pope Francis, who died on April 21 after a 12-year papacy.

The Roman Catholic Church announced him as the new Pope on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

The announcement came two days after praying and voting, with white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signifying that the 133 cardinal electors had chosen him as the new leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church worldwide.

Police probe death of varsity student allegedly killed by officers

Mustapha USMAN
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Police probe death of varsity student allegedly killed by officers

THE Benue State Police Command said it had launched an investigation into the death of Emmanuella Ahenjir, a student of Federal University, Wukari, who was reportedly killed by police officers in the state.

The student was said to have died from a gunshot wound at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital on Friday, May 16, 2025.

According to a statement by the state police command, shared by the Force Complaint Unit on Saturday May 17, the incident began around 4 am when a police patrol team at Duku Park, Wurukum flagged down a vehicle coming from the Benuelinks area.

The command noted that the driver of the vehicle allegedly refused to stop, made a sudden turn, and drove on the opposite lane while firing sporadically at the officers. 

The police claimed they responded by firing a shot before the vehicle sped off.

The statement added that officers pursued the vehicle but lost track until around 10 am, when they received information that a young woman identified as Emmanuella Ahenjir had died at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital from a gunshot wound.

“Upon arrival at the hospital, the detectives were briefed about the deceased and corpses deposited at the hospital morgue for autopsy. One Apase Keghter who was  also an occupant of the vehicle was seen at the hospital and  invited  for questioning. 

“Mr. Apase statated that they had gone for club activities at Newcastle Event Centre and were on their way back when they drove on the opposite lane and  passed  the check point without stoping but did not shoot. They were shot by the police but they drove to Welfare Quarters with the victim. They stopped  when they noticed a flat tyre  and  called a commercial vehicle that took them to  the  hospital.

“His belongings, the exhibit car and other occupants of the said vehicle are nowhere to be found at the moment,” the statement added.

The ICIR reports that the incident, which sparked a wave of outrage on social media, was revealed earlier today, Saturday, by an artiste, Llona, who performed at the club event that Ahenjir attended.

While announcing his grief on X, the artiste expressed his frustration over the incident, describing it as ‘heartbreaking.’

“I can’t lie, this has deeply gotten to me. She came out to have a good time and didn’t make it home. This is the fear we still live with in 2025?.

“The same people meant to protect us are the ones we keep avoiding? This is heartbreaking. nobody deserves this. Her family doesn’t deserve this pain. Emmanuella didn’t deserve this end. We need to identify who did this. There has to be accountability,” Llona stated.

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