₦airaland Forum

The couple is being charged under the UK Modern Slavery Act of 2015 following an investigation launched by the police specialist crime team in May 2022.

While the Nigerian Immigration Service claims that David Ukpo, the victim at the centre of the organ harvesting allegation, is a 21-year-old adult, the London Met Police had claimed that he is a 15-year-old child.

About a month ago, precisely on July 7th, 2022, Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, appeared before the Westminster Magistrates' court in London over allegations of organ harvesting.

The couple was arrested by the London Metropolitan Police on Thursday, June 23, 2022 and were charged with alleged conspiracy to arrange the travel of a child into the UK for organ harvesting.

Good morning to all our viewers across the world. Today is Thursday, August 4, 2022, and TheCable is currently live at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales in Old Bailey, Central London in the United Kingdom

Female teacher had sex with boy, 13, in classroom and even moved into his apartment complex

A teacher who had sex with a 13-year-old student over a three-year period has been given a short prison sentence because she just gave birth.

Marka Bodine was given a 60-day sentence but will be on probation for 10 years after she pleaded guilty to the charges on Tuesday, August 2.

She must also register as a sex offender.

Marka Bodine was teaching in the Tomball Independent School District at the time.

The baby she just gave birth to is not the child of her victim, authorities told local news outlets.

Prosecutors had asked the judge for a 20 to 40-year sentence.

Female teacher had sex with boy, 13, in classroom and even moved into his apartment complex

According to court documents, the inappropriate relationship came to light last year after Bodine notified the school principal at Tomball Intermediate School that she was the one who was being harassed by a former student.

Bodine told the principal that the-then 13-year-old boy was making threats to hurt himself and had access to her private photographs and manipulated images of her.

Investigators said a search of both Bodine’s phone and the boy’s phone showed several messages and images that were exchanged between them.

Some of the images were sexually explicit in nature.

They said when he was questioned, the boy told investigators Bodine befriended him during an online video game and later began texting him, according to the affidavit.

He said the two began exchanging explicit images and had sex shortly after he turned 13. Their relationship continued for the next three years.

The boy told authorities that Bodine even moved into his apartment complex after her divorce, and that the two had sex in her classroom and her car several times, according to the affidavit.

Investigators said that Bodine eventually admitted to having a sexual relationship with the former student and sending the explicit images and videos.

Bodine was arrested and charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child.

Bodine's jail sentence is being delayed as she just had a baby.

Bullahville:
NONESENSE!!!

Big Brother Naija Season 7 ‘Level Up’ housemates, Phyna and Amaka have been curious about how condoms are disappearing in the house.

Phyna, on Wednesday morning, was asking Amaka about their co-housemates that could be using condoms as she sensed that sexual intercourses must be going on in the house.

In what seemed like jealousy for not having a man to share romantic feelings with, Phyna, speaking in her preferred communication language, pidgin English, told Amaka that those engaging in the sexual affairs would be revealed.

Phyna said all the people using the condoms would be exposed during the reunion at the end of the day because everything was on tape, as Amaka listened with curiosity and laughed at the question; “Who dey use the condom? Who dey use am?”

“They will play their cassette. All of them that they knack for this house using the condom. They will play their cassette. Na all of them, then they knack for this house using the condom. Who is using the condom? Who is using the condom? Who dey use the condom?

“The condom go dey finish. Then dey replace condom. Na 13 of us dey here and condom dey finish. Who dey use am? who dey use the condom. I no kuku get man. The one wey I manage to get, na my opponent…” Phyna said.

Meanwhile, Amaka was not sleeping when Khalid and Daniella were under the duvet cuddling at night.

The issue of the disappearance of condoms is not totally strange to Africa’s most popular reality television show as Maria raised the issue in BBNaija Season 6 ‘Shina Ya Eye’.

Whitemoney asked Angel about it but she responded that she had kissed almost all male housemates, but never slept with any of them.

The recent terrorist ambush that killed some personnel of the Presidential Guards Brigade has its background in the effort to prevent an attack on two Abuja tertiary institutions by the troops.

The soldiers had mounted an offensive to take out the terrorists before logistical and terrain problems exposed them to enemy fire, survivors told PREMIUM TIMES.

Eight personnel, including a captain, a lieutenant, and six soldiers drawn from three units of the brigade, were reported to have been killed.

However, our sources, who were involved in the battle, said six personnel died including the two officers who have since been announced by the Kogi State Government as being from the state.

Our sources also said the attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday, 24 July, and not Friday, 22 July, as earlier reported.

At least three soldiers were also injured in battle, a sign of Nigeria’s worsening vulnerability to violent criminals under President Muhammadu Buhari.

That it affected an elite force designated for the protection of Abuja and specifically the president caused heightened security fears in the capital, barely three weeks after the terrorists attacked the Kuje prison.

About two weeks before the attack, the Nigerian Law School in the Bwari area of Abuja had received a letter warning of a raid. The school then notified the 7 Battalion of the Guards Brigade, officials told PREMIUM TIMES.

“Instantly,”none source among the officers of the guards’ brigade said, the army commenced an all-around-the-fence deployment rotating 20 soldiers for two shifts per day with a gun truck.

“It was like our barrack; otherwise, the enemies could have invaded the law school,” the source said. “But they remained in the bush and refused to come out because of our heavy presence.”

The officer said the troops contemplated the possibility that “the criminals” could have a “plan B” to attack another prominent place in the area apart from the law school.

“Then, we found Veritas University Bwari, less than four kilometres to the law school and we went there too for all-around-the-fence deployment,” the officer said.

It was at the Veritas University that clear signs that prompted the decision to advance into the bush in pursuit of the terrorists emerged. The troops observed light apparently given by torches from the bush at night. The army analysed that indication “as part of surveillance by the enemies.”

Then, as Sunday dawned, the troops set off for the bush where they found visible indications of slaughtered and burnt goats and smoking of cigarettes and hemps to “confirm the presence of criminals around the area.”

Apparently, the armed men had sighted the troops and fled deeper into the bush. But the troops decided to go in search of them and neutralise them “despite having no clear and certain knowledge of the terrain,” said a second source, an officer among two other formations that later joined the 7 Battalion of the Guards Brigade.

The 7 Battalion troops were joined by two other units of the Guards Brigade, namely 177 Battalion and 102 Battalion, respectively based in the neighbouring Nasarawa and Niger states, PREMIUM TIMES confirmed.

“So, we called for reinforcements, and APC (armoured personnel carrier), gun trucks, and artillery team arrived,” said the first source. “But we got to an area with rocks and some water and the gun trucks could not penetrate that area; so, we had to park them.”

“We only then went into the bush with our AK-47 rifles. We did not even carry RPGs, believing they were just a few enemies, less than 30.

“As we pushed deep into the bush, they had obviously seen us but we did not see them. They laid ambush for us, waiting for us to advance. They were on our flanks and engaged us seriously. They shelled mortal and their explosives.”

PREMIUM TIMES tried to contact the military by text to describe the details we gathered and seek comments. Military spokesperson Jimmy Akpor, a major general, did not comment.

It was later in the evening last Sunday that the remains of the fallen army officials were recovered.

Despite the casualties sustained by the troops, the two sources separately said at least 10 terrorists were killed.

And in the days that followed, the military further reinforced to dislodge the terrorists.

“The military embarked on heavy bombardments. The areas the troops could not access with gun trucks before were abandoned and we chose other routes,” said the second source, who expressed “confidence” that the Bwari area has been cleared of terrorists.

The military later announced that at least 30 terrorists were killed in its clearance operations in Bwari.

However, a few days later, terrorists engaged soldiers of the 102 Batallion at a checkpoint on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway. The checkpoint lay just outside the federal capital. Specific details of the casualties have not emerged.

The attack on the Guards Brigade occurred less than three weeks after terrorists launched a similar attack on a convoy of a presidential team in Dutsinma, Katsina State. On the same day, terrorists invaded the Kuje prison in Abuja and freed hundreds of inmates, including Boko Haram inmates.

The attack on the Guards’ Brigade also occurred two days after terrorists released a video showing them torturing persons kidnapped from the Abuja-Kaduna train.

One of the terrorists in the video threatened that his group would abduct Mr Buhari and Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and destabilise the country if their demands were not met.

They are believed to be seeking freedom for the imprisoned fighters in various prisons across Nigeria.

President Buhari has blamed banditry and terrorism in Nigeria on the political instability in Libya.

Buhari said his administration was making efforts towards tackling banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.

He spoke while receiving the letters of credence from the new Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador James Kingston Christoff and Ambassador of Mexico to Nigeria, Juan Alfred Miranda Oritz, at the State House in Abuja, on Tuesday.

The President also urged the international communities to collaborate with Nigeria in tackling insecurity.

He disclosed that his administration had made meaningful progress in the fight against insecurity.

Buhari said this effort was possible with the support of friendly countries, including Canada and Mexico.


“The political instability in Libya continues to fuel terrorism in the Sahel, West and Central African regions.

“Nigeria is not left out of the equation as we are fighting to rid our country of banditry, kidnapping, herder/farmer clashes and insurgency.

“We are, however, making meaningful progress with the support of friendly countries like yours to sustain this fight until we overcome these challenges,” he said.

Lately, the activities of banditry increased in Nigeria.

The Northern part of Nigeria has been the most affected by the situation.

Yobe State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon. Goni Bukar has reportedly died in a fatal road accident along Damaturu-Kano road.

Popularly known as Bugon, the deceased, according to impeccable sources, died on Tuesday night while on his way to Kano State.

The late Commissioner had earlier attended a funeral prayer of one of his associates in the afternoon in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, before departing for Kano.

Late Goni Bukar was a former member of the House of Representatives representing Bursari/Geidam/Yunusari Federal Constituency of Yobe State.

DAILY POST also gathered that the funeral prayer for the deceased Sports Commissioner is scheduled to be held on Wednesday by 11:30am at Yobe Mosque and Islamic Centre, Damaturu.

Bugon’s last message on his WhatsApp status as at 11:03 am, Tuesday read:

“We live in a competitive world where I want to be better than you.

“Listen Gentle Men and Ladies, Sun and Moon all have their own time of Shining. If it’s not yours yet, be patient, celebrate your colleague who is there already.

Don’t worry, run your race, be gentle with yourself.

“This life and everything in it, are temporary”.

pocohantas:


That is Protea by Marriot. My sucre papito and I lodged there. There is no way your friend can lodge there a night to fck anyhow girl. Anyhow girls are not allowed there. You can use Google to find out why.

More pictures.

Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai has revealed details of the Monday meeting between the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and governors elected on the platform of the party.

According to El-Rufai, a director-general has been picked for APC presidential campaign council.

Speaking after the meeting, he noted that other positions in the council are being discussed.

The governor said President Muhammadu Buhari and Abdullahi Adamu, national chairman of the APC, would be briefed before a formal announcement.

“We came to report on an assignment given to us by our Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate to begin the broad consultations and develop a structure for the presidential campaign council.

“We have briefed the candidate and his running mate and inputs have been taken. Our hope is that in the shortest possible time the candidate will consult more with the party leadership and brief Mr President and get his input, then we formally unveil the presidential campaign council.

“A decision has been taken on the director-general but other positions in the campaign council are still being discussed. The president, the national chairman and national working committee will be briefed before a formal announcement,” El-Rufai said.

Tinubu’s running mate, Kashim Shettima, was present in the meeting.

Also, former Edo governor, Adams Oshiomhole and Iyiola Omisore, national secretary of the APC, were present.

Contrary to his claims that he is an orphan, emerging facts have shown that the parents of David Nwamini Ukpo, donor in the alleged organ harvesting saga involving former deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, are alive.

The London Metropolitan Police had told the court that David Nwamini was a homeless and orphaned minor trafficked from Nigeria.

Nwamini has since made a u-turn, confirming that he is not a minor, but a 21-year-old boy.

More facts have now emerged indicating that he also lied about his parents.

A SUN Newspaper report revealed that David’s parents are alive and well.

The report showed that his parents, Nwamini and Mary Ukpo are both alive and residing at their home in Izzida, Nduofia village of Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

It was also gathered that the local branch of Nigeria Reformed Church (NRC) where the Ukpo family worship, has been praying for him, believing that he would return home to them, one day.

David’s brother, Jonathan Ukpo Nwamini, was also earlier quoted in the media saying that they were into phone accessories business in Lagos.

A United States drone strike killed Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri at a hideout in the Afghan capital, President Joe Biden said Monday, adding “justice had been delivered” to the families of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

In a somber televised address, Biden said he gave the final go-ahead for the high-precision strike that successfully targeted Zawahiri in the Afghan capital over the weekend.

“Justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said, adding that he hoped Zawahiri’s death would bring “closure” to families of the 3,000 people killed in the United States on 9/11.

A senior administration official said Zawahiri was on the balcony of a house in Kabul when he was targeted with two Hellfire missiles, an hour after sunrise on July 31, and that there had been no US boots on the ground in Afghanistan.

“We are not aware of him ever leaving the safe house. We identified Zawahiri on multiple occasions for sustained periods of time on the balcony of where he was ultimately struck,” the official said.

According to the official’s account, the president gave his green light for the strike on July 25 — as he was recovering in isolation from Covid-19. Biden said there were no civilian casualties in the operation.

It was the first known over-the-horizon strike by the United States on an Al-Qaeda target in Afghanistan since American forces withdrew from the country on August 31, 2021.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday evening that “by hosting and sheltering” Zawahiri, the Taliban had “grossly violated the Doha Agreement” signed in 2020, which paved the way for America’s withdrawal.

Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon who grew up in a comfortable Cairo household before turning to violent radicalism, had been on the run for 20 years since the 9/11 attacks.

He took over Al-Qaeda after Osama bin Laden was killed by US special forces in Pakistan in 2011, and had a $25 million US bounty on his head.

Over the weekend the Afghan interior ministry denied reports circulating on social media of a drone strike in Kabul, telling AFP a rocket struck “an empty house” in the capital, causing no casualties.

Early Tuesday in Kabul, however, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that an “aerial attack” was carried out on a residence in the Sherpur area of the city.

“The nature of the incident was not revealed at first. The security and intelligence agencies of the Islamic Emirate investigated the incident and found in their preliminary investigations that the attack was carried out by American drones,” his tweet said.

The news comes a month before the first anniversary of the final withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, leaving the country in the control of the Taliban insurgency that fought Western forces over the preceding two decades.

Under the 2020 Doha deal, the Taliban promised not to allow Afghanistan to be used again as a launchpad for international jihadism, but experts believe the group never broke its ties with Al-Qaeda.

“What we know is that the senior Haqqani Taliban were aware of his presence in Kabul,” [/b]the Biden official said.

Taliban interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani also heads the feared Haqqani Network, a brutal subset of the Taliban blamed for some of the worst violence of the past 20 years and which has been described by US officials as a “veritable arm” of Pakistani intelligence.

[b]– Doctor turned jihadist –
Zawahiri, 71, lacked the potent charisma that helped bin Laden rally jihadists around the world, but willingly channeled his analytical skills into the Al-Qaeda cause.

He was believed to be the main strategist — the real mastermind who steered operations, including the September 11 attacks, as well as bin Laden’s personal doctor.

Saudi Arabia, the home country of bin Laden as well as many of the 9/11 hijackers, welcomed the announcement of Zawahiri’s death.

“Thousands of innocent people of different nationalities and religions, including Saudi citizens, were killed,” by terrorists under his leadership, the Saudi foreign ministry said.

Al-Qaeda is believed to have been degraded in the years since the US invasion of Afghanistan, and the White House official said Zawahiri was “one of the last remaining figures who carried this kind of significance.”

The organization, agreed Soufan Center researcher Colin Clarke, is “at a crossroads.”

“Despite Zawahiri’s leadership, which minimized AQ’s losses while rebuilding, the group still faces serious challenges going forward. For one, there’s the question of who will lead al Qaeda after Zawahiri’s gone,” he said.

Zawahiri’s father was a renowned physician and his grandfather a prayer leader at Cairo’s Al-Azhar institute, the highest authority for Sunni Muslims.

He became involved with Egypt’s radical Muslim community at a young age and published several books which came for many to symbolize the radical Islamist movement.

He left Egypt in the mid-1980s, heading for Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar where the resistance to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan was based.

It was at that time, when thousands of Islamist fighters flooded into Afghanistan during the 1980s, that Zawahiri and bin Laden met, and in 1998 he became one of five signatories to bin Laden’s “fatwa” calling for attacks against Americans.

Jihadist monitor SITE said some militants were questioning the veracity of the report he had been killed, while others believed Zawahiri had achieved his desire of “martyrdom.”

As for Al-Qaeda’s future without him, SITE said jihadists were bullish, with one writing: “If Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri is dead, there are a thousand Aymans."

A young woman, Favour Amajor, who was allegedly kidnapped by unknown persons in Abuja, has been found.

LIB reported that Favour was last seen at Dawaki Galadima area of the Federal Capital Territory on Monday afternoon, July 25, 2022.

The abductors later sent a message to her family threatening to kill her.

In an update on Wednesday, July 27, her uncle said she was dropped unconscious under Efab Bridge.

Someone recognised her through the viral social media posts and brought her home. She is currently receiving medical attention.

"APPRECIATION!!! Dear NIGERIANS. FAVOUR IS BACK. GOD ALMIGHTY IS ALIVE. THANK YOUUUUUUU For Your LOVE, Your Calls, Sharing, Posts, Prayers, DMs, Help I'm contacting Official Personnel, Bloggers, Inside and Outside NIGERIA. She's FOUND and Back Home; A MIRACLE

She was dropped off at Efab Bridge unconscious, someone located her through the viral social media post and brought her home. She's in the Hospital Right Now. THANK YOU EVERYONE; GOD CAME THROUGH"

Most Rev. Daniel Chukwudumebi Okoh has been elected the new Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) president.

A statement by CAN General Secretary, Joseph Daramola made the announcement.

On Wednesday, the apex Christian body will hold a general assembly to usher in the new administration.

The assembly marks the end of the tenure of outgoing President, Rev. Samson Olusupo Ayokunle.

Okoh is the General Superintendent of Christ Holy Church, also known as Nation Builders (Odozi-Obodo).

Born November 12, 1963 in Kano to Christian parents, he is a native of Ndoni in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers.

Okoh is married to Ngozi and they are blessed with four children. He attended Dennis Memorial Grammar School in Onitsha, Anambra.

In 1988, the cleric graduated from the University of Port Harcourt where he studied Political Science and Education.

The religious leader attended Christ Holy Church Seminary, Onitsha, and bagged a diploma in Theology.

Okoh was the Chairman, Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC); National President of OAIC (Nigeria); CAN National Vice-President (2007-2013).

The archbishop was one of the six delegates that represented CAN at the National Political Reform Conference in 2005.

Okoh, a board member of the African Council of Religious Leaders, will now co-chair the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) alongside the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar.

A former ally of President Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Buba Galadima, has warned the Nigerian leader that the terrorists threatening to kidnap him (Buhari) can take true to their word.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Galadima warned that if terrorists can have access to break Kuje custodial centre, Buhari himself is not safe.

“If care is not taken, sooner or later Buhari too can be kidnapped considering the way security issues are ignored.

“The only option available now is to either continue praying or arm ourselves for protection but if we depend on this government, definitely we will be killed,” Galadima said in a recent interview with BBC News Hausa.

A January study published by the United States (US) Military Academy’s Journal of Terrorism Studies, based partly on interviews with armed bandits and “jihadist” defectors, concluded that: Nigeria’s armed bandits and insurgents have grown so powerful.

Seun:
Hello,

I would like to apologize to all those who have suffered, suffered, suffered during the time that the nairaland forum was down, down down. That was Friday, Saturday, Sunday but now at 15 minutes after 3am on Monday morning we are back, back, back in full force!

Thanks.
Seun, seun, seun.

Some Nigerians on social media, Tuesday, expressed displeasure over the resumption of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila in a university in the United States of America amidst the lingering strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The PUNCH reports that academic activities in public universities in Nigeria have been shut down for close to 162 days.

ASUU had on February 14, 2022, announced the commencement of industrial action following the failure of the government to meet some lingering demands of the union.

Gbajabiamila had on Tuesday tweeted via his verified Twitter handle, @femigbaja that he had gone back to the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Back to class. In a leadership course @havard @Kennedy_school. Forget the number of grey hairs, one is never too old to learn.”

Commenting on the development, a Twitter user @Santos tweeted, “Sir? What is your take on the five months ASUU strike in Nigeria as the leader of law-making arm of Nigeria govt? The university students have being at home for five months.

“Do you honestly think that showing us pictures your Harvard lecture class is the best at this moment?”.

Another Twitter user, Halidu Adamu, tweeted, “The irony. These guys are completely desensitised. Tweeting about attending classes in a foreign university while ours at home have been locked for months. ASUU needs to wake up and smell the coffee, this action is not leading anywhere constructive.”

Another Twitter user, Akintunde Babatunde, also tweeted, “ If universities in the USA were to be on strike, how will you be able to experience a working system? Walk around and see how basic things works in a normal university? Let’s hope you’ll return and use your influence to make our educational institutions work.”

The PUNCH reports that under the tenure of Gbajabiamila as the speaker of the house of reps, ASUU embarked on strike for close to 12 months, nine months in 2020 and close to six months in 2022.

AHEAD of 2023 elections, a political group under the aegis of Peter Obi Grassroots Alliance, POGA, has said it will go spiritual for the emergence of the Labour Party, LP, Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi as the next president.

Already, the group said it has commenced vote mobilization and sensitization exercise to educate the grassroots on how to know their wards, polling units, party candidate, party logo as well as how to thumb-print on election day.

Speaking while flagging off the sensitization exercise in Abuja, Tuesday, the National Coordinator of POGA, Kenechukwu Udokwu said a lot of people don’t know where their wards and polling booths are.

He said on election day, the name and image of the LP’s presidential candidate will not be on the ballot paper, rather the party’s logo which has the father, the mother, and the child.

“This is the only party logo where you have mama, Papa, and picking,” he said.

Udokwu said though the LP presidential candidate is from the Southeast, he would not concentrate his development projects in one geo-political zone.

On why he and his group embarked on the sensitization exercise, he said, “It is my burning desire to see our country get it right this time. Our activities will be sorely on the grassroots, going from ward to ward.”

The POGA Coordinator said that the group has a membership strength of about 3,500 and offices across the six geo-political zones.

Also speaking, Engr. Micheal Njoku said that members will embark on spiritual exercises to ensure that Mr. Obi emerges the next president of the country.

He said, “we will go spiritual like what happened in the Holy Book between David and Goliath by praying every day that God should make Peter Obi the next president of the country.

“Through our prayers, we will move the mountain. The miracle that Jesus Christ performed will happen for Peter Obi, he is going to win by miracle.”

Speaking earlier, the POGA Chairman, Byazhin Ward, Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Afiazuba Ifeacho, said, “We are going to take back the country from the hands of lunatics. Peter Obi is qualified to rule this country. If you are hungry, if you don’t have work, weep no more. We are moving forward and by the grace of God, we will succeed.”

Collaborating his position, the Vice Chairman of the group, Ihezie Chidi Everest, who said he was once a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, before joining the Labour Party said, “We pray that God Almighty will grant us our heart desire.

“Peter Obi is somebody Nigerians need at this critical moment because he has been tested.”

The President of Oduduwa Forum, Abia State Multi-Purpose Cooperation Society, Victor Akinade delivered a solidarity message at the occasion that had many youth leaders in attendance.[/b]

silibaba:
Are they still claiming to be bishops?

One of the clergymen who attended the unveiling of Kashim Shettima as the vice presidential candidate of the APC, has reacted to the controversy that trailed their attendance.

In a video posted on social media,, Igbokwe Prince, the senior pastor at Yoke Breaker Prophetic Ministry, Abuja, said they attended the event held at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre on Wednesday, because of their respect for the position of the party on Muslim-Muslim ticket.

He said most of the clergymen at the event had backed Yakubu Pam, the Executive Secretary of Christian Pilgrims Commission, as vice presidential candidate of the APC, but that when that option failed, they had to respect the decision of the APC on same faith ticket.

Mr Prince said Christians should accept that APC took the decision to win the election. He warned that religion should not be mixed with his politics.

“Christian communities and Christian organisations —I don’t think they are political parties. What the party (APC) has done is in the best interest of the party because every political party wants to win an election.

“We protested severally, we supported Rev Yakubu Pam, a Christian, the Executive Secretary of the Christian Pilgrimage Board, to be fielded as a running mate, the party decided what is best for them to win the election.

“When you bring religion inside a political party, it will definitely not augur well— not give them the edge to win an election,” he said.

Controversy
PREMIUM TIMES reported how some men in cassocks on Wednesday attended the unveiling of Mr Shettima as the vice presidential candidate of the APC.

The presence of the cassock-wearing participants suggested some Christian leaders are in support of APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in spite of opposition by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

CAN has since disowned the men, saying they were impostors hired by the APC to fake a Christian-community support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.

However, the Tinubu Campaign Organisation, in a statement, debunked the claim of hiring the clergymen.

Mr Tinubu had on July 10, in Daura, Katsina State, named Mr Shettima, a former Borno State governor and serving senator, as his running mate.

Criticism continues to trail the decision of the party on the choice of Mr Shettima as running mate.