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No religious genocide in Benue, says Gov Alia

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Hyacinth Alia, a reverend father and Governor of Venue State, said on Wednesday that there is no religious genocide in the state.

Governor Alia’s statement is s counter to the position of United States government officials which has declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern on the basis of killing of Christians in Nigeria.

Benue State in particular has been one of the worst states that have experienced several mass killing of community members y terrorists and bandits over the years

But the Governor said Wednesday that- “In my state of Benue, we don’t have any religious, any ethnic, any racial, any national or state genocide. We don’t have that.

“Do we have a number of insecurities in the state? Yes, we do. But it is not a genocide. Someone would need to… check the United Nations definitions for this,” the governor said.

Mr Alia, a Catholic priest turned politician, said this during a consultative forum on the protection of the rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDPs) organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja.

He also maintained that there is no jihad going on in any part of the country, even though the two major rival terror groups operating mainly in Nigeria’s North-east – Boko Haram and ISWAP – have declared their aims to establish Islamic rule in their respective domains based on their distorted interpretation of Quaran widely regarded to be lacking scholarly credibility.

Boko Haram seeks a local Islamic state in Nigeria, while ISWAP envisions a broader caliphate across West Africa aligned with ISIS.

“We do not have any jihad in Nigeria,” Governor Alia maintained on Wednesday. “I’m speaking to you as a reverend father in the church. I’m speaking to you as a governor of a state. If there were any, particularly in my state or any part of Nigeria, I would have been the very number one person to make a noise.”

Mr Alia’s remarks come at a time Nigeria is facing scrutiny on the global stage over allegations of persecution and targeted killings of Christians.

 

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Supreme Court to rule on ADC, PDP cases Thursday

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The Supreme Court of Nigeria will on Thursday, deliver judgments in two cases involving the leadership crises rocking the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.

According to information on the official website of the court, the matters, listed under “Political Appeals”, have been added to the cause list for Thursday, April 30, 2026.

While judgment in the ADC matter, marked SC/CV/180/2026, has been fixed for 2 pm, there is no time yet for that if the PDP.

 

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Tinubu to reconstitute NHRC board, retains Ojukwu as ES/CEO

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President Bola Tinubu has written the Senate, seeking the screening and subsequent confirmation of fifteen nominees to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The letter was read by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

The letter seeks the reconstitution of the commission’s board in line with statutory provisions with the list comprising nominees from diverse professional backgrounds, including the media and legal sectors.

Among the nominees are the President, Nigeria Guild of Editors and Editor, Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Eze Anaba; and Dr. Salamatu Hussaina Suleiman, who has been proposed as chairman of the board.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Anthony Ojukwu (SAN) is to retain his position as the Chief Executive Officer.

Other nominees include Mrs Roseline Tasha, Ambassador Adam Yubak Baku, ACG Felix Lawrence, Mr. Edmund Chinonye, Mr. Chinonye Obiaku (SAN), Oluwakemi Asiwaju Okere-Odo, Professor Adedeji Ogunji, Kingsley Chidozie, Mohammed Adelodu, Maupe Ogun Yusuf, and Otunba Francis Meshioye as members.

Also nominated are Patience Patrick and Hawwa Ibrahim, listed as members.

The President said the nominations were made pursuant to Section 2(3) of the National Human Rights Commission (Establishment) Act, 2010, which empowers him to constitute the board subject to Senate confirmation.

He explained that the reconstitution of the board was necessary to enhance the commission’s institutional capacity and enable it to more effectively discharge its mandate to promote and protect human rights across the country.

If confirmed, the new board is expected to play a critical role in reinforcing the NHRC’s oversight functions, particularly at a time of heightened concerns over rights protection and accountability in Nigeria.

Following the presentation of the request, the Senate referred the nominations to its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for screening and report within two weeks.

 

 

 

 

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Breaking: EFCC investigates Pastor Jerry Eze over alleged money laundering

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has revealed that it investigated the founder of Streams of Joy International, Pastor Jerry Eze, for six months over suspected money laundering before clearing him.

Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Commission, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony in Abuja.

According to him, the probe was triggered by intelligence reports and petitions after the commission observed large inflows of foreign currencies into the cleric’s domiciliary account.

“We work by intelligence, we work by petitions. At some point, I saw there was an account, a domiciliary account. Dollars, pounds were dropping in like raindrops, from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo.

“I said who is this man? Yes, I’ve been hearing about his name, I’ve seen his face a couple of times. I never bothered about what he was doing. I knew he was a pastor.

“So they said this one pastor of streams of joy, go and investigate him. So we went to the investigation. We combed the books,” Olukoyede stated.

The EFCC boss said he subsequently invited Eze for questioning after preliminary findings were compiled by investigators.

He added that upon meeting the cleric and reviewing the findings of the investigation, the commission found no wrongdoing.

“So he came to my office. He told me what happens and all of that, and how the money came, what he does, how he has been helping people, and all of that.

“I said, you know what, I didn’t call you here to explain to me. We have already done our work. I called you here to commend you,” he stated.

The remark drew applause from the audience, as Eze, who was present at the event, acknowledged the commendation.

He noted that the commission has a responsibility not only to investigate financial crimes but also to recognise individuals found to have acted with integrity.

The EFCC chairman, however, stated that the agency would continue to monitor financial activities where necessary, stressing that its preventive mandate remains critical in tackling corruption.

 

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