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BREAKING: Terrorists Attack Catholic Church In Kaduna, Kill Three, Abduct Many

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Three persons have been confirmed dead in a terrorist attack on Sunday at St Moses Catholic Church in Robuh, Ungwan Aku, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

A former Special Adviser on Media to the Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Reuben Buhari said the attack on Roboh village, Kajuru LGA where 36 people were kidnapped and 3 killed wasn’t the first attack.

According to him, ” attacks on rural communities by kidnappers have been going on without respite. Most go unannounced, unreported.”

“The attack on Roboh village, Kajuru LGA today where 36 people were kidnapped and 3 killed wasn’t the first attack. On 5th January 2022, it was attacked and some kidnapped. On 27 April 2020, the community was attacked again and this time some houses were burnt. Then the attack of today, 19 June 2022.”

He said because of the constant attacks on the community and surrounding ones, “the people in the village decided to start holding church services early by 7 am so that people can hurriedly go back to their homes. It was some few minutes after 7 am today, while both the Catholic and Baptist churches were holding their services when the kidnappers attacked.”

“I spoke to a man whose wife, mother, and daughter were taken from the Baptist church today. The anguish in his voice is something none of us should experience. The worrisome part of the insecurity is that most in Roboh have difficulties cultivating their farms. Moreover, because villages like Bakin Gada, Ungwan Pada, Maikori, Dogon noma, that surrounds Roboh have all been attacked at different times, people find it difficult to venture far to their farms.”

“Now, this man and others would wait for when the kidnappers would call and ask for ransom. They would start borrowing, begging, and selling anything to raise the ransom. After it’s paid, the kidnappers would come again, kill and again kidnapped,” he. said

Meanwhile, Samuel Aruwan, Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, said Security agencies have reported to the Kaduna State Government that bandits attacked worshippers and locals at Ungwan Fada, Ungwan Turawa, and Ungwan Makama in Rubu general area of Kajuru local government area.

According to a statement issued by Aruwanon Sunday, the bandits stormed the villages on motorcycles, beginning from Ungwan Fada, and moving into Ungwan Turawa, before Ungwan Makama and then Rubu.

“In Rubu village, the bandits attacked worshippers in the Maranatha Baptist Church and St. Moses Catholic Church,” the statement said.

“Three locals were confirmed killed in the attacks. They were identified as

“Peter Madaki (Ward head of Ungwan Fada), Elisha Ezekiel (Resident of Ungwan Fada), and Ali Zamani (Youth leader of Rubu).”

“Two persons were left injured in the attacks: one Aniro Mai, and a yet-unidentified woman. An unspecified number of locals were also kidnapped, according to the received reports.”

“The bandits looted shops and carted away from some valuables from the villages.”

“The Acting Governor, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, expressed deep sadness and condemned the attack in the strongest terms. She sent her sincere condolences to the families of the deceased victims, as she prayed for the repose of their souls.”

“The Acting Governor also commiserated with the attacked churches and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. Security patrols were being conducted in the general area as investigations proceed.”

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Aso Rock Not A Party Office — Holding NEC Meeting There An Aberration — ADC To APC

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The African Democratic Congress has criticised the All Progressives Congress for conducting its national executive committee meeting at the State House in Abuja.

In a Friday statement, Bolaji Abdullahi, interim national publicity secretary of ADC, noted that the State House is neither a party office nor a private residence.

President Bola Tinubu presided over the APC NEC meeting on Thursday at the Banquet Hall of the State House. During the session, the party named Nentawe Yilwatda, the minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, as its new national chairman.

Yilwatda replaced Abdullahi Ganduje, who stepped down from the position in June.

Abdullahi responded to the appointment by stating that the ADC hopes the “appointment” of Yilwatda “might trigger a shift in tone, temperament, and trajectory for a party that has too often equated governance with propaganda, and power with impunity”.

He also expressed the hope that the APC would demonstrate “greater tolerance” for opposing voices under Yilwatda’s leadership.

He added, “We hope Professor Yilwatda will channel his high education and experience towards improving the democratic credentials of his party and its government, which, so far, has been marked by intolerance and what has often appeared like a deliberate plan to eliminate all opposition parties and foist a one-party rule on the country.”

He said it was concerning that the National Executive Committee meeting “was held within the confines of the State House — a public institution, funded by the Nigerian people, not a party office or private residence.”

He described the APC’s decision to host a party meeting at the seat of government as “an aberration that underlines how far this government has strayed from the foundational norms of democratic accountability.”

He called on the new chairman to ensure the party “respects the line — now dangerously blurred — between party and state.”

Abdullahi also highlighted Yilwatda’s former role as a Resident Electoral Commissioner, saying, “This is no small credential. It comes with a deep understanding of electoral ethics, neutrality, and public trust.”

He continued, “We sincerely hope he will draw on this experience to promote the sanctity of our electoral processes, rather than using insider knowledge to game the system in favour of his party, as has often been the case under the APC’s watch.”

He concluded, “In closing, we pray for Professor Yilwatda that may his tenure be longer than those of his predecessors and his exit more honourable.”

This is not the first time an APC NEC meeting has been hosted at Aso Rock. The ruling party previously held a similar meeting at the presidential villa in 2020.

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Over 4,000 Inmates Freed In Push For Justice Reform — Interior Minister Tunji-Ojo

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The federal government has announced the release of over 4,000 inmates from correctional facilities nationwide as part of its justice system reform efforts.

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the minister of interior, made this known on Thursday during a meeting with Chinedu Ogah, chairman of the house of representatives committee on reformatory institutions, in Abuja.

He stated that the inmate population has decreased from over 86,000 to around 81,450 following a review process focused on cases involving minor infractions.

“The correctional service remains a key priority. We must uphold the dignity of even the most vulnerable citizens,” he said.

Tunji-Ojo praised the national assembly for backing the ministry’s reform initiatives and highlighted the importance of collaboration between the executive and legislative branches in achieving lasting changes.

Ogah remarked that the minister’s actions are in line with President Bola Tinubu’s broader goals for justice reform and national progress.

This federal initiative coincides with similar actions at the state level aimed at easing overcrowding in correctional centres.

In May, Halima Mohammed, chief judge of Gombe, authorised the release of 85 inmates from the custodial facilities in Gombe and Billiri.

That decision came after inspections by the state’s criminal justice and inquiry committee across four correctional centres.

The chief judge explained that the visits were intended to identify inmates qualified for bail or outright release.

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PDP Will Finish Fourth In 2027 Elections — Many Leaders Have Been Eased Out — Fayose

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Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost its structure and may likely end up in fourth place in the 2027 general election.

During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Fayose explained that the opposition party has been weakened by internal strife and the exclusion of its key figures.

“You know the situation of our party today, and it is in my prayer that the PDP does not come fourth in the coming elections,” he said.

“When I came here, I said the party was already going into carcass.

“Pretenders can pretend, but you know that managing the party has become an issue; everybody in that party today is doing to your tent, o Israel.

“Today, I am telling you the PDP will come fourth in the general elections. In most states, they are already compromised.

“They have eased out so many leaders. It’s good for them, but let me remind you, I was part of the G5.”

Fayose added that the PDP has lost much of its strength, pointing to the departure of influential members.

“In the same PDP, the presidential candidate has left, the vice-presidential candidate has left, senators have left, and governors have left,” he said.

He noted that although he was invited to the party’s last national executive committee (NEC) meeting, he stayed away because he felt sidelined.

Fayose also suggested that President Bola Tinubu offers the quickest route for the north to regain power after his tenure.

He referred to a past conversation with the president where Tinubu described the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the “shortest political link between the north and the south”.

“I recall he told me that the shortest distance between the north and the south is APC,” Fayose said.

“I could not understand at the time because he told me that after Buhari’s four years, anybody should be able to wait for another four years.

“So, zoning to the south by the PDP is good for them because today Tinubu is the shortest distance for power to return to the north.”

Fayose clarified that he has not left the PDP but remains open to working with any political party.

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