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Fubara: We’re winning the war, God redeeming Rivers from evildoers
Siminalayi Fubara, in an obvious move to calm frayed nerves, especially those pitying him as the underdog in his current political battle with Nyesom Wike, his predecessor, has offered an assurance – God is in control – Rivers State is on the march to recovery.
In fact, the governor said the current battle is even good for the state because it is the final battle to free it from the vice grip of economic and financial brigands, intent on squeezing the life out of it, adding that God sanctioned it to perfect political freedom and economic growth.
Fubara, while stressing that the political crisis was divinely orchestrated to allow God to perfect His purpose in granting the state political freedom and economic growth, told the congregation at the thanksgiving service to celebrate the appointment of Eze Chike Worlu Wodo, as the Chairman of Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, that he had survived thus far because God was on his side.
At the Shepard’s Hill Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at Mgbuoba Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on Sunday, venue of the event, where the governor was also presented with copies of the Holy Bible by the leadership of the parish, he emphasised that but for God, the enemies of the state would have succeeded in their evil schemes.
Affirming that he was now more energised in steering the affairs of the state, he told his audience: “I also believe that what you are calling trouble is not trouble to me. I see it as God’s purpose for a new direction for our State. He has taken us higher, right from the first day, which is why, rather than getting weak, we are getting stronger and bolder everyday.
“We want to finish our work, and our story will be those who led with the fear of God. We might not be perfect in everything, but in the end, there should be a reason why the angels should not allow our bodies to be taken by the devil. Thanksgiving to God brings assurance of abiding presence, and offers a clearer picture of what pathway to navigate through any situation.
He particularly expressed delight to have joined with the family of the royal father to present their thanksgiving to God, as according to him, it aligns with the commitment of his administration, adding that the energy with which the royal father danced in gratitude before God, was akin to the biblical depiction of King David dancing to the glory of God without being ashamed.
“It is one of the credits that made God to love King David so much. He glorified God in a special way. He was not ashamed, and God loved him. I am happy and honestly speaking, I am really humbled that at this age and as a traditional ruler, you still reverence God highly. God will continue to lift you above human imagination.
“I am happy being in the presence of God today, more especially worshipping in one of the living churches in Nigeria and the world. I have to say that there is nothing as important like thanking God.
“Even when the situation looks unclear, thanksgiving brings assurance and a clearer picture of the situation. And I join this family this morning to thank God with you and to assure our people that because God is what we have kept in front, our story will end in praises.”
Admonishing the church to continue to pray for his administration and the entire peace of the state without relenting, Fubara, who donated N100million to the church for its continued evangelism, stressed that though things might look tough from a physical perspective, God’s ways remained peculiar to Him and His purpose would prevail, notwithstanding the time it takes.
“The secret of our administration is just one thing: your prayers. The quiet and secret prayers that you give for us in your closets count. I can tell you, there is no prayer that God does not answer. It is like depositing money in the bank. So, I want to thank you, assure you that we will continue to uphold the fear of God in everything we do. We can assure you that.”
Justice Muhammad Nuraddeen Bello of High Court sitting in Sokoto State has sentenced three men, including a foreign national, to death by hanging, after convicting them on charges bordering on terrorism and arms proliferation.
The convicts, Yusuf Muhammad (alias Sallau), a Nigerien; Jabbi Alhaji Yalle; and Kabiru Muhammad, were apprehended on 13th June, 2025, by the Department of State Services (DSS) Counter Terrorism Unit in connection with cross-border criminal activities bordering on arms trafficking and terrorism.
Bello, who found all three defendants guilty as charged and sentenced them to death by hanging, while also ordering the forfeiture of all monetary exhibits recovered from the convicts to the Federal Government, said: “The conviction is the latest in a series of successful prosecutions by the DSS in its sustained operations against terrorism and organised cross-border criminal networks across Nigeria.”
The sentencing is coming about two weeks after the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja sentenced each of the five suspects arrested on May 31, 2026, by the DSS for their involvement in the November 21, 2025, attack on St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, to 25 years’ imprisonment.
Justice Binta Nyako, had handed down the judgment after the men, including two Nigeriens, pleaded guilty to all four terrorism-related charges, bordering on support for the commission of an act of terrorism, breaching both Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act, were pressed against them.
According to Count One, the men were accused of jointly conspiring to assist a terrorist by agreeing and intentionally playing various roles towards conveying 15 AK 103 rifles as well as about 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the Diffa region, Republic of Niger, to one Malam Ahmad, a member of the Boko Haram terrorist group based in Borgu, Niger State, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Primate Elijah Ayodele, is on the verge of coughing out a whopping N10billion, if he fails to offer unrestrained apology to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State within the next 24 hours, and retract his claim that the former Minister of Defence is bidding his time to betray Peter Obi, to whom he is to contest the 2027 presidential election as a running mate.
Without doing so, the controversial cleric, should be ready for a major court battle with the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the platform on which the pair is to contest the election.
In a letter indicating a legal action against Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church over defamatory remarks, Kwankwaso, through Magaji Mato Ibrahim, SAN & Co., his lawyers demanded an immediate retraction and apology from the cleric over the allegations.
Details of the letter, dated June 11, and unveiled through the X platform of the legal team, was based on a viral video recorded during a live-streamed church service, where the preacher made allegations targeting Kwankwaso’s integrity as Peter Obi’s running mate under the NDC.
Quoting the cleric as stating: “KWANKWASO IS A FAKE TO OBI, KWANKWASO WILL BETRAY YOU. KWANKWASO HAS BEEN PAID TO BE VICE PRESIDENT TO OBI AMONG OTHER LIBELOUS COMMENTS WHILE PRETENDING TO BE A PREACHER,” the former governor said the comments were unprovoked, grossly unfounded, and carefully designed to create a rift within the ranks of the political party and its supporters.
Handing Ayodele a 24-hour ultimatum to publish a full and unequivocal retraction across all social media platforms and news outlets with the same prominence as the original video, they also demanded a written undertaking that he would cease and desist from making any further malicious statements against their client, warning that failure to comply, would lead to full legal actions.
The letter stated: “We shall claim substantial damages to the tune of Ten Billion Naira and cost of the action on a full indemnity basis amongst other reliefs.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday demanded the immediate end to the exportation of minerals from countries in Africa in their raw forms, which he said had led to massive exploitation of the continent.
The President, told member countries of the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), a forum of Ministers in charge of Mining and Solid Minerals on the continent to speak with one voice to promote, collective interests, ensure value addition, and prevent the continent from becoming merely a source of raw materials for the rest of the world.
As the Grand Patron of the group, chaired by Dele Alake, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, gave the charge while receiving a delegation of AMSG in the State House, Tinubu told the delegation that the group had a critical role to play in strengthening Africa’s bargaining power in the global mineral market and ensuring that the continent derives maximum value from its natural resources.
His words: “ What we should do is avoid bureaucracy and deceit; we must put an end to exploitation. The rest of the world won’t mind if your country is a cesspit of dams and rubbish and excavates your raw materials without giving value.
“It is our responsibility to collaborate and cooperate to ensure that these metals and minerals bring value to us, bring technology to us, and we can do it. It is how much each country will put into the research, development and refinery. I don’t see reasons we cannot demand centralisation of that conversation somewhere on the continent. So why not utilise that in our research and development and knowledge-based economy to enhance the quality of life and bring prosperity to our people.”
Emphasising that Africa possessed enormous mineral wealth that should be strategically harnessed to drive industrialisation, create jobs and accelerate economic transformation across the continent, the President, said the era of exporting raw minerals without local processing and beneficiation must give way to a new model that encourages investment in local industries, technology transfer and the development of value chains that retain wealth within Africa.
Alake, who had earlier expressed gratitude to the President for his exemplary leadership under the Renewed Hope Agenda, said the gesture had shown support for Nigeria’s mineral sector, especially in the local value-addition and economic diversification drive, where artisanal miners are empowered.
He told the President: “You encouraged us to look at the focal point of the establishment of this group, which is to ensure that the African natural resources, especially with regards to minerals, critical matters, are localised, the beneficiation coming directly to Africans generally.
“You charged us that we should set our sails very high and ensure that local value addition is a pivot around which all the objectives of this organisation should revolve.
“So, sir, we have gone implemented your charge and we are quitted that today local value addition is reverberating all over Africa.”
He added that some member countries have gone ahead to ban the export of raw minerals.
He explained members of the body were in Abuja for the Fifth edition of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2026), to push for a new continental approach to resource management and industrial development.
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