News & Announcements

At least 20 people have been killed after a blaze swept through a home for the elderly in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, Russian officials say.

Another six people were injured. The entire top floor of the two-story wooden building was gutted by the overnight fire, reports the BBC.

Initial reports say it may have been caused by a faulty heating boiler.

The private home for the elderly was operating illegally, officials were quoted as saying by Tass news agency.

Dozens of firefighters were deployed and the blaze was extinguished early on Saturday.

The governor of the region said all similar facilities would now be inspected.

A criminal inquiry has been launched.

Local fire service officials told Tass that many unregistered homes for the elderly were operating across Russia.

As such, they were considered private property and not subject to fire safety inspections.

In 2018, 60 people – including 37 children – died in a leisure centre fire in Kemerovo.

A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was fatally shot at a pub near Liverpool on Christmas Eve.

Merseyside Police officers were called to the Lighthouse Inn in Wallasey Village at about 23:50 GMT on Saturday, reports the BBC.

Three men and the female victim were taken to hospital suffering gunshot wounds – the woman later died.

Det Supt Dave McCaughrean said the shooting happened at a “busy venue full of young people”.

He added: “We believe that the gunman left the pub car park in a dark-colored vehicle – possibly a dark-coloured Mercedes shortly after the shooting.”

The force said a “number of others” were also injured in the shooting, which was described as despicable by the chief constable.

The shooting was described as “heartbreaking” by the area’s MP, Dame Angela Eagle.

She tweeted: “My thoughts are with the family of the woman who has died and those who are injured. Anyone with any information please tell the police.”

Det Supt McCaughrean appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward.

“This investigation is in the very early stages and we understand that this is a truly shocking and devastating incident that has happened just before Christmas Day,” he added.

“We have a number of officers at Wallasey Village who are carrying out extensive inquiries to understand exactly what has taken place and take immediate action.

“A woman has tragically lost her life at Christmas whilst several people are being treated in hospital and our thoughts and condolences are with the victim’s family.”

Police added the woman’s next of kin had been informed and her family was being supported by specially trained officers.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he intends to stay as far away as possible from Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory when he leaves office on May 29, 2023.

Speaking on Sunday while hosting the federal capital territory residents on Christmas homage, Buhari said he made the decision to stay away to avoid problems.

The visit was led by the minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello.

Buhari is to hand over to another elected president after the elections in 2023.

Reiterating his plans, the president said he intends to retire to his hometown in Daura, Katsina state.

“Thank you very much for taking the time to come and visit me and I congratulate you on this great day (Christmas).

“I have promised a lot of my colleagues that I will try and be as far away as possible from Abuja when I leave office so that nobody can create any problem for me anymore.

“I will be in Daura, which is on the border with the Niger Republic, and I think in spite of technology, I will be safe enough there,” Buhari said.

He further extended his appreciation to Nigerians for trusting, supporting, and allowing him to serve as their leader.

According to the president, while campaigning for the position in 2003, he took his time to visit the 774 local government areas of the country and got overwhelming support from the people.

“I thank God that before the 2019 elections, I went around the whole of the states from 2003 to 2011. I went to all the local governments in this country and I thank Nigerians. The people who turned up in every local government were more than what anyone could buy.

“So, I was pleased with the way Nigerians highly treated me and accepted me. In five months, I will happily retire according to the provisions of the constitution of the country and go back home,” he added.

Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for an end to the “senseless” war in Ukraine, in his traditional Christmas Day message broadcast around the world.

The head of the Catholic Church addressed thousands of people gathered in St Peter’s Square, some of them holding Ukrainian flags, before delivering the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing (“to the city and the world”).

A call to peace is traditionally the focus of the pope’s message at Christmas, the holiday marking the birth of Christ, which he delivers from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica and is broadcast live worldwide.

The 86-year-old on Sunday first turned to “our Ukrainian brothers and sisters who are experiencing this Christmas in the dark and cold, far from their homes”.

“May the Lord inspire us to offer concrete gestures of solidarity to assist all those who are suffering, and may he enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the thunder of weapons and put an immediate end to this senseless war!” he said.

“Tragically, we prefer to heed other counsels, dictated by worldly ways of thinking,” he added, recalling “with sorrow” that “the icy winds of war continue to buffet humanity”.

“Our time is experiencing a grave famine of peace also in other regions and other theatres of this third world war,” he said.

Francis referenced numerous countries in difficulty this Christmas, whether due to conflict or another crisis, from Afghanistan to Yemen, Syria, Myanmar, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lebanon and Haiti.

For the first time, he also called for “reconciliation” in Iran, rocked by women-led protests for the past three months.

The pope has called for peace in Ukraine ever since Russia invaded its neighbour in February, condemning the war but seeking to maintain a delicate dialogue with Moscow.

However, he has been criticized in some quarters for not being more explicit in blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a magazine interview published last month, the Argentine pontiff denounced the cruelty of Russia’s troops in Ukraine, drawing a formal protest from Moscow.

On Sunday, the pope also urged those celebrating Christmas to remember those “who go hungry while huge amounts of food daily go to waste and resources are being spent on weapons”.

“The war in Ukraine has further aggravated this situation, putting entire peoples at risk of famine, especially in Afghanistan and in the countries of the Horn of Africa,” he said.

“We know that every war causes hunger and exploits food as a weapon, hindering its distribution to people already suffering.

“On this day, let us learn from the Prince of Peace (Christ) and, starting with those who hold political responsibilities, commit ourselves to make food solely an instrument of peace.”

Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), on Monday, said the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had not learned any lessons from the extraordinary #EndSARS protests of October 2020.

Sowore was reacting to the killing of a Lagos lawyer, Bolanle Raheem, by a police officer in the Ajah area of Lagos on Sunday (Christmas Day).

It was learned that Raheem, her sister, and four children were returning from an eatery in their car around 11 am when the policemen flagged them down under the Ajah Bridge.

The killer Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) shot at the moving vehicle and a bullet hit Raheem.

She was said to have died in a hospital where she was rushed to.

Police said the officer who fired the shot that killed Raheem had been arrested.

A trigger-happy @policeng officer has taken the life of this innocent lawyer, Omobolanle Raheem, sad that Nigerian police haven’t learned any lessons from the #EndSARS uprising.

A system of impunity used to snuff life out of Nigerians must be stopped! — Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) December 26, 2022

“A trigger happy @policeng officer has taken the life of this innocent lawyer, Omobolanle Raheem, sad that Nigeria police hasn’t learned any lessons from the #EndSARS uprising.

“A system of impunity used to snuff life out Nigerians must be stopped! #WeCantContinueLikeThis,” Sowore wrote on his verified Twitter handle.

In order to hear a divorce case made by Asiya-Balaraba Ganduje, the daughter of the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, Khadi Abdullahi Halliru, a judge on a Sharia court in Kano, ordered journalists out of the courtroom.

Although everyone is equal in the eyes of the law, the judge stated that because of the personalities involved, “this is a peculiar situation that need not be recorded.”

He chose to hear the case in his chamber as a result.

In a previous event, the governor’s daughter pleaded with the court to use the Islamic khul’i principles to annul her marriage to her husband, Inuwa Uba, after they had been together for 16 years because she was “fed up with the marriage.”

The husband, who stated that he still loved his wife, asked the court for extra time to consider strategies for persuading her to change her mind.

After ruling on the motion, the judge allowed the divorcing couple two weeks to work out a settlement and then postponed the decision until January 5.

The governor’s daughter had a dispute with her parents a few years prior because she supported her husband despite their unsubstantiated accusations that he had “amassed wealth” that belonged to them.

According to a source, armed security personnel were dispatched to the couple’s mansion at Technical Staff Quarters to break into the residence and remove the title documents of Uba’s possessions after the governor’s daughter gave in to family pressure and dumped the husband.

The sources list the properties as a rice mill on the Kano-Zaria Road, an event space, a home in Abuja, and filling stations, among other things.

In an act of love and to promote greater religious tolerance, a Muslim sect known as the Shiites attended a Christmas church service at one of the biggest denominations on Sunday in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The prayer meeting took place in Samaru, Sabon Gari, Zaria, Kaduna State at the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (Ekkelisiyar ‘Yan Uwa Ta Nigeria (EYN).

In order to foster even more love and increase religious tolerance between the two faiths, the group also gave a gift to the church.

The team’s leader, Prof. Isah Mshelgaru, told reporters after the ceremony that the main purpose of going to the service was to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with other Christians.

He continued by saying that the goal of the trip was to strengthen the already-existing ties between the two religions.

“Islam says if someone is not your brother in faith, he is your brother in humanity and we share this humanity with everybody, either Muslim, Christian or whatever,’’ he said.

“We decided to attend this church service today because today is Christmas Day, a day that the birth of Jesus Christ is being celebrated over the globe and we feel that we also have our concern to share with them the feelings of the day Jesus was born.

“The coming of Jesus to this world is a blessing to everybody, so we wish that we should come and celebrate this glorious day with them,” he said.

Mshelgaru emphasized that they are at the church service to join them in celebrating and sharing the joy of this day with them as they are Muslims and that they view Christians as their other brothers and sisters in humanity.

“As they (Christians) attach importance to this day so also we attach so much importance to the day and that is why we came today to clear all the unnecessary imaginary boundaries that have been created between Muslims and Christians.

“This is important now that the country is facing multiple security challenges that require all hands to be on deck in order to overcome them,” he noted.

Mshelgaru urged Nigerians to unite in order to save the country, regardless of differences in religion, ethnicity, or politics.

Rev. Tijjani Chindo, the resident pastor at the EYN Church in Samaru, Zaria, also mentioned how the church welcomed the Muslims with delight and urged others to do the same across the nation.

He continued by saying that the goal of Jesus Christ’s coming was to free humanity from the shackles of sin.

“We are all one, as the Lord has told us to love one another and extend the good tidings of salvation which Christ has brought to the world.

“He (Christ) has come in a humble way; we are celebrating his coming in a humble way, we are not differentiating ourselves from Muslims. Today we are celebrating the good news that the Lord has come,’’ he said.

Chindo also encouraged Nigerians to pray more and seek God’s guidance as the general election in 2023 draws near.

He continued by urging eligible voters to choose leaders peacefully and with the resources to rescue the country from the socioeconomic problems plaguing various regions of Nigeria.

Kogi State’s governor, Yahaya Bello, has proclaimed December 29, 2022, a public holiday for state employees.

On the sidelines of President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to the state to commission certain legacy projects, the public holiday was proclaimed.

On Christmas Day, Kingsley Fanwo, the state’s commissioner for information and communication, released a statement announcing this.

The following is taken from the statement: “His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, shall be visiting Kogi State on December 29, 2022, to commission legacy projects around the State. He is the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

“In view of this and to ensure a hitch-free reception of Mr President, the Government of Kogi State under the leadership of His Excellency Alh. Yahaya Bello wishes to announce that Thursday 29th of December, 2022 has been declared a public holiday.

“The decision is to enable the people of the state to receive our President. We urge all our labour unions and security agencies to ensure full compliance.

The first formal visit by the President to the state since Governor Yahaya Bello assumed office on January 27, 2016, is scheduled for Buhari on Thursday.

The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-olu, arrived with his campaign train for the governorship on Tuesday at Ikorodu, in the Lagos East senatorial district. He promised the electorate that if they returned him and his running mate, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, to office, more democratic benefits would follow.

Members of the State cabinet, members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), and representatives from various political support groups attended the campaign of the party’s candidates for seats in the district’s federal and state legislatures, which was also attended by a large number of their supporters.

The quality of projects and programs started by the governor’s administration, according to the Lagos East, which includes the provinces of Ikorodu, Kosofe, Somolu, and Epe, has positively changed the socioeconomic narrative in the area and improved the wellbeing of the populace. The governor displayed his administration’s scorecard in projects and promises fulfilled to residents there.

Sanwo-Olu entertained the crowd by listing the infrastructure projects in the Lagos East District that were ready to be put into service. He also revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari would visit the State in January to officially open the 32 metric tons of rice mill project that his administration had constructed in Imota.

He said: “Today, we have come to you to seek your mandate and support for another term. We are here with our hands full of fulfilled promises, which are already changing the socio-economic situation in this part of Lagos. After this campaign, we will be coming back to Ikorodu for the formal commissioning of Oba Sekumade Road and Ipakodo Road. The President will also be coming in January 2023 to inaugurate the Imota Rice Mill, which we have completed and has been in operation.

“Also in January, the first deep seaport we have initiated in the Lekki Free Trade Zone is due for inauguration. In the same free zone, we have the biggest refinery to be commissioned by Mr. President. The first phase of the six-lane Lekki-Epe Expressway from Eleko to T-Junction is getting ready for completion and will be formally opened. We have delivered a Mother and Child Centre in Epe, just as we opened a regional emergency centre in Epe. These are some of the projects cited in Lagos East and they are verifiable.”

The approval and location of an airport in Ibeju Lekki, according to Sanwo-Olu, was another “step ahead” in advancing his administration’s vision for Greater Lagos and maintaining the Lagos East’s economic progress.

The APC presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who came up with the concept that turned Epe Division into a new economic powerhouse, won credit for the formation of Lekki Free Zone, according to the governor.

The largest food and logistics park in West Africa has begun construction, according to Sanwo-Olu, near Ketu Ereyun, Epe.

He continued by saying that over the previous three years, his administration has given thousands of young farmers and agrobusiness owners more influence.

In road infrastructure, Sanwo-Olu has finished the first phase of Ijede Road, while development work is being completed on Ogombo Road. He claimed the network of roads built by his government in Soluyi community in Gbagada had not only enhanced mobility, but also life quality.

President Muhammadu Buhari, according to Matthew Kukah, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, is leaving Nigerians in a much more precarious situation than when he first met them in 2015.

Kukah claimed that President Buhari had broken his lofty promises to Nigerians during the 2014 campaign for the 2015 presidential election.

He was pleased that Buhari’s health has improved over the past seven and a half years, but he desired that millions of Nigerians could share in some of Buhari’s improved health by having access to superior healthcare systems nationwide.

He stated in his statement: “Mr President Sir, a merry Christmas to you and your entire family. I speak for myself and Nigerians when I say, we thank God that He mercifully restored you to good health. We know that you are healthier now than you were before. We can see it in the spring in your steps, the thousands of miles you have continued to cover as you travel abroad. May God give you more years of good health.

“However, I also wish that millions of our citizens had a chance to enjoy just a fraction of your own health by a measurable improvement in the quality of health care in our country. It is sad that despite your lofty promises, you are leaving us far more vulnerable than when you came, that the corruption we thought would be fought has become a leviathan and sadly, a consequence of a government marked by nepotism.

“In my Christmas Message last year, I pointed out the fact that you had breached the Constitution by your failure to honour and adhere to the federal character provisions of our Constitution. The evidence is all before us all.”

Additionally, Kukah criticized Buhari for failing to convince the All Progressives Congress (APC) to oppose running a Muslim-Muslim ticket for president.

He added: “Am I to believe that you knew and could do nothing about the Muslim-Muslim ticket within your Party? Still, we pray for a free, fair and credible election.”