Why I stopped going to church - FALZ

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyaGdHuYH9_AhQVstv3NydV4odf1gQVQe2pDkSssDrBMwOpl-qdKDagXLEOAOSEhl-zAfm_nOX7VnjeNJtrqeCsQ6bktFX2YhZsui4CB55pKPTq496WdGqWSvSh8PU8wxzql1Dl4Pu6EN/s1600/falz-3-001-650x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="650" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyaGdHuYH9_AhQVstv3NydV4odf1gQVQe2pDkSssDrBMwOpl-qdKDagXLEOAOSEhl-zAfm_nOX7VnjeNJtrqeCsQ6bktFX2YhZsui4CB55pKPTq496WdGqWSvSh8PU8wxzql1Dl4Pu6EN/s320/falz-3-001-650x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> Popular Nigerian musician, FALZ, (Real name - Folarin Falana) who held his highly rated Falz Experience 11 at Eko Hotel and Suites on Saturday will not be in any church for any thanksgiving as he has revealed why he stopped going.<br /> <br /> In an interview, the artiste who held the Falz Experience 11 at Eko Hotel and Suites on Saturday said he stopped going to church because of ‘undue pressure” from the church leaders.<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> “I have nothing against the church or going to church. Everyone has the right to practice the religion they desire. It has been a while that I have been to church. It does not make me less of a Christian.<br /> <br /> “The reason is that I went to a few churches and, during sermons, I was put under undue pressure. There was a time that a pastor called me to the altar just to acknowledge my presence for being in church.<br /> <br /> “In my mind, I felt that the service was not about me. I felt that everybody was there to worship God, yet they were putting undue pressure on me.<br /> <br /> “The pastor gave me the microphone to address the congregation and I was puzzled; what did he expect me to say to the congregation?” Falz said.<br /> <br /> The multi-talented artiste said he values spirituality over religion.

Latest-News Why I stopped going to church - FALZ

Popular Nigerian musician, FALZ, (Real name - Folarin Falana) who held his highly rated Falz Experience 11 at Eko Hotel and Suites on Satu...

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People who eat three square meals daily are lazy

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWR_RUDgS5kDy0mHCSwoFpeN5BkypzDI-_L9Fpeka7ZrcDSk0nUY55w3a4HpygSdd5dEmCzA1ropQwd6oWst9PBZLcDy_df_CakYB31iJIaZv9zAwbiDmJSDMq5TF2lf7D6R0E5iL6R6_/s400/Prophet-Walter-Magaya-e1560071785990.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> A popular pastor has called out gourmands, foodies, gastronomers who like gobbling three meals a day, describing them as lazy.<br /> <br /> Prophet Walter Magaya who is the founding leader of the Prophetic, Healing and Deliverance (PHD) made the attack while speaking with students of Harare Polytechnic in Zimababwe recently. He also criticised people who sleep more hours a day, although he didn’t state how many hours is normal.<br /> <br /> He said only lazy people take three meals per day while other more innovative people will be busying looking for means for them to become wealthy.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> The theme of Magaya’s speech at the students’ event was innovation and how to make money, according to iHarare online newspaper.<br /> <br /> Here is the full statement by Magaya:<br /> <blockquote>“If you do not want to be creative and innovative you become an ordinary citizen and remain poor after taking years studying and wasting your parents’ hard-earned money.<br /> <br /> I do not sit on a chair for nothing. I do not have time to eat and I am ever running in whatever I do because our nation is years behind developed countries.<br /> <br /> People who love to sleep more hours, who take three meals or more per day are lazy and nothing profitable will come from such.<br /> <br /> We expect students to concentrate on researching ways to make products that bring wealth to the nation like researching on how plastic is made than selling plastic things. Improve products so that they continue to remain on demand if you want to be millionaires and billionaires.”</blockquote> <br /> Magaya, a disciple of TB Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations(SCOAN), is married to a banker. Together they have two children. He started his ministry in 2012 after a visit to Joshua in Lagos. Magaya, who was born 6 November 1983, now boasts of a million congregants and claims to have performed miracles.<br /> <br /> In February, a Harare court convicted him of fraud and fined him $700 (£540) for falsely claiming he had a herbal cure for HIV and Aids.He had pleaded guilty to contravening the Medicines Control Act by selling an unapproved drug.

Latest-News People who eat three square meals daily are lazy

A popular pastor has called out gourmands, foodies, gastronomers who like gobbling three meals a day, describing them as lazy. Prophet W...

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Nigerian Catholic priest sued by American woman who he allegedly raped

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgN8zeEEXdHISsuKMywhKfN7n5-Y9UpPCwg3fRR_aqVXzWziD6vhg_iCKevAu_Fci5qPpThEvwOBm39fb79rWgfyYtD3SjwC2dwVbCal-HXQ1KECQbtOgYt8wd0AzofA5hEV2mIWJsGSU/s1600/kikik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="720" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgN8zeEEXdHISsuKMywhKfN7n5-Y9UpPCwg3fRR_aqVXzWziD6vhg_iCKevAu_Fci5qPpThEvwOBm39fb79rWgfyYtD3SjwC2dwVbCal-HXQ1KECQbtOgYt8wd0AzofA5hEV2mIWJsGSU/s640/kikik.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Kathy Coll was a retired high school English teacher and Eucharistic minister who sang in the choir, taught CCD classes and volunteered countless hours for her church.<br /> <br /> According to Coll, her life changed for worse after the sexual assault by Father Duru, who was studying at Duquesne University and assisting her North Hills parish.<br /> <br /> The widowed mother of two adult sons said she still has trouble processing how the Catholic Church responded two years ago when she reported she had been raped in 2016 by a Nigerian priest.<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> According to a report by triblive.com, her complains charges that the diocese failed to properly vet Duru before assigning him to a parish where she and others were asked to give support and assist to a predator priest from a region where clergy were known to prey on older women. She alleges that the assault occurred in December 2016. The suit was published by other Pittsburg media including CBS News and WTAE Pittsburgh.<br /> <br /> “I spent 2 ½ years trying to get someone to listen to me,” Coll said. “No one was listening to me, so I decided it was time to say I want to make something happen here.”<br /> <br /> She alleges that the church heard complaints from others about Duru’s inappropriate behavior toward older women, failed to act quickly, and later neglected to explain why Duru was removed from ministry after she reported her assault.<br /> <br /> Her complaint bears echoes of hundreds of allegations in last summer’s Pennsylvania grand jury report that detailed decades of church inaction against priests accused of child sexual abuse in Catholic dioceses across the state.<br /> <br /> Coll’s suit details her account of how Duru — whom she agreed to tutor in English and occasionally transported to Pittsburgh — began taking frequent walks through her neighborhood that fall. On Dec. 11, 2016, Coll said Duru stopped by her home on the pretense of giving her a Christmas card. She said when she offered him a cold drink, he followed her to her family room, overpowered her and assaulted her as she screamed for him to stop.<br /> <br /> Duru, who remains at Duquesne on a student visa, could not be reached for comment.<br /> <br /> Coll’s lawyer, Pittsburgh attorney Sharon Smith, said the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute Duru.<br /> <br /> Although Coll underwent a rape kit exam at UPMC Passavant hospital that showed evidence of intercourse, she said authorities said it would come down to a “he-said-she said” case with Duru claiming it was consensual.<br /> <br /> A spokesman for Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala told the Trib prosecutors met with Ross Township Police, Coll and her attorney to go over the case.<br /> <br /> “After reviewing the evidence and the investigation, we informed the victim and her attorney that based on the evidence as it exists, we cannot move forward with any charges,” said Zappala spokesman Mike Manko.<br /> <br /> An award-winning teacher who once led active outdoor tours with her late husband, Ed, Coll said she’s reclaimed her life after months of therapy and prayer.<br /> <br /> But she worries that a lack of diligence on the part of a church struggling to fill pulpits could expose others to danger.<br /> <br /> “The crux of our complaint is the church’s failure to vet Duru,” said Smith. “He is a predator and shouldn’t have been here.”<br /> <br /> A spokesman for the Pittsburgh Diocese insisted the church was never made aware of any other allegations against Duru and has been supportive of Coll.<br /> <br /> “When the Diocese of Pittsburgh learned of the allegation against Cyprian Duru, he was immediately removed from the parish where he was in residence and his faculties were suspended,” said diocesan spokesman the Rev. Nicholas Vaskov. “He cannot function as a priest or dress in clerical attire. He is not in active ministry in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.”<br /> <br /> He said the diocese also alerted Duru’s bishop in Nigeria of the allegations. Duquesne University also was alerted to the allegations.<br /> <br /> University President Kenneth Gormley said Duru is still a student at the university, but is not and has not been associated with Duquesne’s Spiritan fathers.<br /> <br /> Gormley said he has no knowledge of Duru’s residence and declined to comment further, citing federal student privacy protections.<br /> <br /> Vaskov said many priests from around the world have traveled to Pittsburgh to study at local universities and have taken up residence in local parishes.<br /> <br /> Visiting priests are required to undergo FBI fingerprinting, a state criminal background check and child abuse clearance and must complete Protecting God’s Children and Mandated Reporter training and sign the diocesan Code of Pastoral Conduct, Vaskov said.<br /> <br /> He said the Diocese also requires a reference from the sending bishop that the priest is in good standing and faces no allegations of inappropriate behavior.<br /> <br /> “Fr. Cyprian Duru was one such student at Duquesne University,” Vaskov said. “He had residence in a parish where he would assist in the celebration of the sacraments. His bishop testified to the fact that he was in good standing as a priest before he took up residence.”

Latest-News Nigerian Catholic priest sued by American woman who he allegedly raped

Kathy Coll was a retired high school English teacher and Eucharistic minister who sang in the choir, taught CCD classes and volunteered c...

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EXPOSED: How I hack into any Nigerian bank account and withdraw money – Man reveals

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWFydSLgbV7tyX2yoAViShZ-nnzV7wDfgcrzk1sOaA2nRvGJQ2RBqbP4hSj3pYQgGUbee53FE-FEJFjBtwHnEziryC70vmVMaCGuQOMbISvYNEezvOh-9NXdqdcMHkXtOzYINUH7UZiz5/s640/hha.jpg" width="640" /></div> <b><br /></b> <b><br /></b> <b>A suspect identified as Dare Oladimeji who can hack into any bank account to withdraw customers’ money, has been arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ladipo, Lagos.</b><br /> <br /> Oladimeji, a former footballer, plied his trade in Dubai and returned to the country in 2016.<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> He was arrested after he withdrew N200, 000 from one of his victim’s account in the Idi-Oro area of Lagos.<br /> <br /> He told newsmen while being paraded that hacking into bank accounts through phones had nothing to do with being a graduate as he learnt how to commit the crime via Google Chrome.<br /> <br /> <blockquote>“I work on sim cards to get money. When I lay my hands on any sim card, I would slot it into any small phone that is not android. When that is done, I would press a code which brings out the list of banks the owner of the sim uses.<br /> <br /> For example, if the person is using GTB, I will proceed with the normal code of *37*100#. If the person has money , we would use it to buy recharge card to confirm how much the owner has, through the debit alert that would pop in to reveal the balance. Thereafter, we would transfer the money into donors accounts, from where we would withdraw the money.<br /> <br /> Locking of phones with password does not stop me from hacking into any account, as long as I can lay my hands on the sim card. All I need to do is to remove the sim and slot it into a small phone.<br /> <br /> The only thing that can prevent me from hacking into account through phone is when the SIM card itself is locked. But most people don’t lock their sim cards, they only lock their phones. You can only beat my likes to the game if you lock your sim card because only the owner knows the password”.<br /> <br /> According to the father of three, he ventured into crime after he lost all the money he brought from Dubai.<br /> <br /> ”When I came back from Dubai in 2016, I brought N7 million , out of which I gave one Mr Shola N5 million for a genuine business with NUPENG. Unfortunately, the man died . I decided to venture into this business which is a small version of yahoo yahoo because I didn’t want to go into robbery. At Idi-Oro, there are pick pockets . When they snatch phones from victims, they would throw the sim cards away. What I do is to go looking for these sim cards and continue from there. Nobody taught me the skill. I learnt it from google chrome. This is just common sense. But I regret my action because I have brought shame to my children”he said.</blockquote> <br /> The police say he would be charged to court soon.

Latest-News EXPOSED: How I hack into any Nigerian bank account and withdraw money – Man reveals

A suspect identified as Dare Oladimeji who can hack into any bank account to withdraw customers’ money, has been arrested by operatives o...

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PICTURE: Nigerian lady denied entry into government office over 'indecent dressing'

<b><br /></b><b><br /></b><b>A Nigerian lady has taken to social media to rant over how she was denied entry in a government officer over what the management termed as indecent dressing.</b><br /> <br /> The lady identified as Ifeyinwa, although didn’t specify the exact parastatal, stated that the security personnel at the gate insisted her dress was too short and she would not be allowed to proceed to the office premises<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> She wrote:<br /> <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq">I was refused entry into a government office today because my dress was “indecent”. This is the dress I was wearing.</blockquote> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PLzR9JmHcjoMkQxhYk07YhScmm3zoI6_LU25-VRGlkMBvjkeKKyPx2BF5I7ZBHMpGlkrlYtJcwNCPW-r9C8n6KZQGHvMnyD6hadIHGLQoADuGxdujqXzDG3acPUfr2QevC3m4lClNMAQ/s1600/kokop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="308" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PLzR9JmHcjoMkQxhYk07YhScmm3zoI6_LU25-VRGlkMBvjkeKKyPx2BF5I7ZBHMpGlkrlYtJcwNCPW-r9C8n6KZQGHvMnyD6hadIHGLQoADuGxdujqXzDG3acPUfr2QevC3m4lClNMAQ/s640/kokop.jpg" width="480" /></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dress</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <blockquote class="tr_bq"><br /> This same government office requires married women to submit a letter of PERMISSION from their husbands to travel. This is Nigeria.<br /> I asked the security guard what was so indecent about my dress, and he said it was short. An older lady wearing a fitted dress that was the same length as mine walked interjected, I told her not to bother and I left.</blockquote> <br /> She then further decried the rate at which women are being disrespected in the country<br /> <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq">That’s how my defender would’ve been kicked out too. Let’s not pretend that women have any rights or are treated with respect in this country. ESPECIALLY young, single women. At this point, I can’t even get angry</blockquote>

Latest-News PICTURE: Nigerian lady denied entry into government office over 'indecent dressing'

A Nigerian lady has taken to social media to rant over how she was denied entry in a government officer over what the management termed as i...

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MUST READ: Nigerian journalist narrates shocking near-death experience with SARS

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwRIg1d3-Lrd4OOiMEmVgS9Sh-p_pWze5f_g7uGV0eg-8X46Ht9h4fWd_WCT6c-9kY_l7yB4YqSf6rVvHFphwsGUgUOp3dirpfvQ_DiGST-4jd7qQ_SRzHPVWxdY69MO2tHP2c-Nsqngt/s1600/FSARS-360x360+sars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwRIg1d3-Lrd4OOiMEmVgS9Sh-p_pWze5f_g7uGV0eg-8X46Ht9h4fWd_WCT6c-9kY_l7yB4YqSf6rVvHFphwsGUgUOp3dirpfvQ_DiGST-4jd7qQ_SRzHPVWxdY69MO2tHP2c-Nsqngt/s320/FSARS-360x360+sars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <b><i><br /></i></b> <b><i><br /></i></b> <b><i>The Southsouth Regional Editor for The Nation Newspaper, Shola O’neil, was recently at the receiving end of extreme brutality at the hands of some men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad popularly known as SARS. </i></b><br /> <br /> He shares his near-death experience below<br /> <br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> <blockquote>I had heard so much about the bestiality and madness of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force, but nothing prepared me for the harrowing encounter with the mad team of SARS I met in Edo State on Monday, June 3.<br /> <br /> I had crossed paths with dozens of policemen at checkpoints and several other SARS teams on that day, but these men who operated around Okada Junction in Ovia Northwest Local Government Area, outdid all the craziness I had encountered – by miles – both in coarseness, savagery and ferociousness.<br /> <br /> It was supposed to be a routine stop-and-check. It happened between Okada Junction and Ogbemudia Farms on the Ore-Benin highway. It was about 2:15pm, and the sun was shining brightly. It was a beautiful Monday afternoon. They commandeered the car I rode in to ‘park there’, besides a red Mercedes Benz C-Class hatchback, which front number plate was hidden.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The first indicator that it was not going to be another ‘open your booth’ and ‘bring your particular (or party cola)’ emerged when one of the men, a brutish burly young man, dresses in black jean and top with SARS inscribed on the back, asked the driver of the vehicle why a parcel in the car looked like hard drug.<br /> <br /> “This thing (parcel) be like SK (Skunk Weed),” he said as he picked up a laptop on the floor of the front seat, and then ordered everyone in the Toyota Corolla car to disembark.<br /> <br /> Turning to the owner of the laptop, a young man in his early to mid-20s, he asked for the (computer) receipt and demanded to know what the man does for a living. He (names withheld) said he was a student of Afe Babalola University, and on his way to Warri, Delta State.<br /> <br /> Rather than be placated, the response seemed to anger the ‘officer’, who looked to be the youngest member of the team. “Do you think you can intimidate me with any school?” he countered. “You are telling me you are a student, as if you are the first student. I am also educated, I have my OND, and education is education; school is school. I can read and write, that is what education is all about.”<br /> <br /> “Besides,” he continued, his voice a few decibels louder, “where is Afe Babalolo University located? Wherever it is, you cannot use that to intimidate policemen on duty,” Officer OND thundered, much to the surprise of the young man, who meekly replied that the school is in Ado-Ekiti. The other passengers exchanged worried looks.<br /> <br /> Turning to the student again as he tried to open the screen of the laptop, the raging officer asked what the young man had in his mouth (braces). When the student told him what it was, Officer OND asked him why he would have steel in his mouth.<br /> <br /> He shifted to the lone female passenger in the car, and ordered her to unsling her waist-bag and hand it over to him. She quietly obliged him, her hands shaking. Officer OND went about his job with inexplicable menace and anger, as he flipped threw out the lady’s stuffs: sanitary pad, tissue papers before seizing her mobile phone.<br /> <br /> It was then my turn. He asked for my phone, which I handed to him. “Open it”, he ordered. I quickly obliged him, and handed it back to him.<br /> <br /> He snatched the phone from me and started walking away as he went through my call log, chats, emails messages and other applications. I suggested that I would feel a lot better if he searched the phone in my presence. My position was informed by past personal and stories of third parties encounters with men of the force, who would plant evidence on people in order to extort huge sums of money from them.<br /> <br /> The ‘highly educated’ OND officer could not stomach my temerity; he turned round swiftly and asked who I was to tell him how to do his job: “Who are you to tell me how to do my job or anything?” He thundered, as he unleashed a rash of slaps on my face before I could even answer.<br /> <br /> I was dazed, literarily! The violence was unexpected. He poured invectives on my family and me as he unleashed further blows. I could only ask what I said to warrant such attacks, as I tried (mostly in vain) to evade the rain of blinding blows. His railing and insults attracted his colleagues and other people at the scene.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> I have met policemen with different mentalities and temperaments at checkpoints across the country, and my experience is that there is usually at least one sane and reasonable one among any team. But this was different; every one of them seemed crazy, in their own peculiar ways.<br /> <br /> The first one that came picked up a tree branch lying nearby and let it fly on my head. “You de fight police officer?” he thundered. The impact brought darkness over me; flashes of stars flew over my head. He continued to scream at me as he clubbed me. Passengers at the scene tried to explain to the new entrant that that wasn’t what happened, but he didn’t care.<br /> <br /> Passengers tried to extricate me from the rain of blow and clubs, still Officer OND and his colleague were not in the mood to let go, despite the pleas. He drew his weapon – AK-47 rifles with double magazines taped together – and ordered them to make way so he could fire. His eyes were bloodier than crimson. Bile rose from my stomach into my mouth; I tasted my own fear. My mind told me to run, but I could not will my body to; I was too stunned (or scared) to move.<br /> <br /> The loud click as Officer OND removed the gun’s safety catch, forced the peacemakers to abandon me, for their own safety. I was alone and face to face with death. Everything started moving around me – slowly, my tormenter was mouthing more profanities; I see his lips move, but I could not hear a thing.<br /> <br /> I heard the lady with the waist bag sobbing and muttering ‘Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! I stared into the muzzle of the gun, helplessly, my heart racing.<br /> <br /> As if from nowhere, a very calm gentleman dressed in cargo shorts and white t-shirt materialised between me and the messenger of death. I had seen him disembark from his car minutes earlier, following orders from the officers.<br /> <br /> “You cannot do this”, he told the policeman. “You can’t just shoot an unarmed man like this in presence of everybody, including this lady,” the man pleaded in a voice laced with authority. Time stood still. After what seemed like eternity, the trigger-happy cop relaxed his grip on the weapon; his right index finger hovered around the trigger for fleeting seconds, then he slowly withdrew it. His puckered lips were still twitching as he slowly returned the safety catch.<br /> <br /> Amidst the drama, another member of the team drew his weapon and warned onlookers not to attempt to record the madness. “Make anybody video make I see, if he nor go see fire! I know say una de like video, but try it and see!”<br /> <br /> Nobody dared. Besides, it was pointless because they already took the mobile phones of everybody, and no one would risk their lives to confront the lunatics at that point.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> But the intervention of the gentleman brought about some calm and attracted the attention of a tall lanky member of the team. Although raggedly dressed like the others, he appeared to have control over the others. They stepped back as soon as he stepped in. Up till that moment, he had watched the whole drama with a sardonic smile on his face.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, another member of the team smeared his palms in engine oil, slowly walked towards me and wiped it on my chest, just to, in his words, “prove to you (me) that you cannot argue with SARS men on the road”.<br /> <br /> It was the least of my torments. I was helpless and totally humiliated as he left greasy stains on my brown T-shirt.<br /> <br /> Another one, a ghoulish dark and scrawny fellow, joined the fray. Though not as big as his colleagues, he was no less dreadful; his face was dark and menacingly sallow.<br /> <br /> The oddly cop spoke in smattering English laced with heavy Bini accent; his breath stank and he was dreadful. He slapped me, grabbed and pulled my face towards his mouth. As his lips parted, they revealed tobacco (?) blackened incisors. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go, but kept shouting: “I just wan bite him nose; na him nose I wan bite comot so that he go de fear SARS.”<br /> <br /> For the umpteenth time the peacemaker, who came in silver colour Toyota Corolla, was my saviour, as he gently stepped in again and asked the biter to let go.<br /> <br /> All my electronic devices and those of other passengers were confiscated. They took my MacBook and the student’s HP laptop and deposited everything in their Benz. I was asked to return to the back seat of the corolla and wait for further directives.<br /> <br /> As I sat with other passengers in the car waiting, Officer OND came back to me and said: “You get luck say day never dark, if not I for fire you and throw you for corner of road and nothing will happen. It is not the first time and it won’t be the last. Go and thank your stars.” His tone left no one in doubt that it wasn’t a vain threat.<br /> <br /> Ten minutes later the driver signalled for me to come face a panel. There were three of them inside the Benz: the head of the team, the nose-biter and club-wielder. First they asked me to unlock my phone and my laptop. They painstakingly went through files on my computer and phone, but found nothing incriminating; all they saw were half-written articles.<br /> <br /> As they slowly realised that I was a journalist, the team leader asked for my ID card. When he saw it, he said: “Why didn’t you say that you are a journalist when all these started?” I wanted to tell him that his team didn’t give me the chance to speak, and to ask if there are different sets of rules for journalists, but my nerve wasn’t up to it and I wasn’t prepared to face another bout of pummelling. Also, the peacemaker had left. So I simply told him that the officer neither asked nor gave me the chance to say anything.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> The ‘OC’ shook his head ruefully and said ‘this is a misunderstanding”. He then started speaking to me in Bini, after realising where I was from. Ironically, Usen, my father’s hometown, was just a few kilometers from where would have been the scene of my shabby death.<br /> <br /> “Police and journalists are colleagues and are supposed to work together,” he said. “This is an unfortunate incident and it was caused by misunderstanding.”<br /> <br /> He then personally handed to me all the items taken from the car, including those of other passengers, before stretching his hand for a handshake of peace. I had no choice; I shook the devil’s hand.<br /> <br /> As I left the scene with my bloodied nose, swollen head, bloodshot eyes and broken bones, I recoiled. I replayed the drama, and I thought of how easily they could have shot me and labelled me “armed robber killed in shootout with policemen.”<br /> <br /> I thought of the countless times I had in the course of job covered similar parades, and wondered if I had helped the police to cover-up extra-judicial killings of innocent Nigerians.<br /> <br /> After several days, I was able to contact the Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr Dan Mallam on Thursday, who unlike his men on the highway, was very civil and calm, as I narrated my ordeal. He listened patiently the three-minute telephone chat. He sounded genuinely angered and apologised.<br /> <br /> “Let me tender my unreserved apology for this sad incident,” he said after a brief pause, “It is quite unfortunate that in spite of our best efforts, there are some unscrupulous elements that are determined to bring disgrace to the force.”<br /> <br /> “I want to assure you that we will unearth the identities of all those involved and you will see what we will do to them.”<br /> <br /> “We have told them that no SARS officer has right to check telephones and computers on the highway or anywhere; it is against the directive of the Presidential Committee on SARS Reform and the directive of the Inspector General of Police,” CP Mallam added.<br /> <br /> His words were soothing, but the numbing pain in my head, the blood in my eyes and the swell on my left eyes persist. I am taking medications for the pains, the swellings are going down, and blood is clearing from my eyes. I still have nightmares of the experience; still battle flashes of the trauma, and the scar on my psyche will not heal – not in a very long time.<br /> <br /> Sadly, none of the men had any form of identification on their outfits; even the registration number on the vehicle they used was redacted. But the CP assured me that would not hinder the force from fishing them out.</blockquote>

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Facts About The Kaduna State Religious Preaching (Regulation) Law 2019

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="400" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoc-AL57rcvmizJeuVRFLqetaN2SEpmF6ZsRBVi037cMVAaQU_ZmtXhwtpQNmOGcko6hQBldosIS_fiPZ9N4jpFk64MM4Ny9NkQSlHqNhFdHCR3JdTwVCNSH2L73cLASnF5XCgEi5heKq/s400/nasir-el-rufai.jpg" width="400" /></div> <br /> By Muyiwa Adekeye<br /> <br /> Kaduna State’s new law to regulate religious preaching outlaws the use of religion for incitement and encourages respect for the rights of others and compliance with the law in the practise of faith.<br /> <br /> The new law is yet to be signed by the governor, but it is expected to help return religion to the private sphere, encourage respect for the religious rights of other people and reduce the potential for conflict. The amended law is viewed by experts as another strong effort to remove impediments to religious freedom, as it will allow people to safely focus on the spirituality and rigours of their faith, while removing the poison of incitement, desecration of places of worship and the use of derogatory language.<br /> <br /> The Kaduna State House of Assembly commendably passed the executive bill to regulate religious preaching in the State. Since 1980, Kaduna State has had too many incidents of ethno-religious violence, often with tragic consequences. Many mixed neighbourhoods in Kaduna, the State capital, have since the 1980s become exclusive enclaves of adherents of specific religions.<br /> <a id="more" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> In 1987, religious riots broke out from the College of Education, Kafanchan, and spread to other parts of the State, including Kaduna and Zaria. In 2000, Kaduna metropolis exploded over the Sharia matter, taking many lives and property. Zamfara which birthed the Sharia movement was untouched.<br /> <br /> While Kaduna is not the only state that has suffered religious violence, it has paid the heaviest price, apart from the states at the epicentre of Boko Haram terrorism. Leaders of faith must possess the necessary prerequisites, certifications and approvals for responsibly discharging their vital spiritual roles. It is in the social interest for the practice of faith to be conducted in a tolerant manner that respects public safety and the rights of others.<br /> <br /> In 2015, Malam Nasir El-Rufai began efforts to remove the dangers that may arise from irresponsible religious preaching. He proposed amendments to the Regulation of Religious Preaching Law of 1984 which was enacted by then military governor, Air Commodore Usman Muazu, and amended by two other military governors. Governor El-Rufai decided to subject the law to democratic scrutiny and debate through the Kaduna State House of Assembly.<br /> <br /> Kaduna State is implementing a residency card registration programme to know who lives in the state. In the interest of public safety and order, it is prudent to know the places of worship in the state and ascertain who the preachers are by licensing them. The law also penalises the use of derogatory terms against any religion, the disturbance of religious worship and ceremonies and the destruction or desecration of places of worship.<br /> <b><u><br /></u></b><b><u>Features of the Religious Preaching (Regulation) Law, 2019:</u></b><br /> <br /> 1. Preachers must be licensed.<br /> <br /> 2. Establishes the State Interfaith Religious Council as a 14-member charged with issuance of licences to religious preachers based on recommendations from the Local Government Interfaith Committee. This Council will have two members each representing the Christian and Muslim faiths, along with public servants and representatives of the police, the DSS, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the State Vigilance Service.<br /> <br /> 3. The Interfaith Committee in every local government will be an 18-member body with powers to consider, screen and recommend to the State Interfaith Regulatory Council all applications for the grant of license to religious preachers. Membership will include five representatives each of the Christian and Muslim faiths, officials of the security agencies and two representatives of the traditional institution in that local government area. The Local Government Interfaith Committee may issue preaching permits for invited or sponsored preachers for the duration of the programme or event. It will also monitor compliance with the terms of the preaching licenses or permits that have been issued.<br /> <br /> 4. Defines a designated place of worship as:<br /> <br /> a. “A building constructed with permission sought for an obtained from the Kaduna State Urban Development and Planning Agency (KASUPDA) for the purpose of religious worship; or<br /> b. “A building or place for which temporary permission has been sought for and obtained from the Nigerian Police for the purpose of carrying out a religious programme or event.”<br /> <br /> 5. Punishes the following offences:<br /> <br /> a. Religious recordings on electronic devices can only be played in a private homes or vehicles; inside the entrance porch of homes or in a church, mosque or designated place of worship;<br /> b. Religious recordings using abusive language against any person or religious organisation or religious leaders is prohibited;<br /> c. Any person who publicly insults or seeks to incite contempt of any religion by making false statement in such a manner as to be likely to lead to a breach f the peace shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than five years or with a fine or both;<br /> d. Unlawful destruction, damage or desecration of any place of worship or any place held sacred by any person or class of persons will attract a sentence of not more than five years’ imprisonment or fine of not less than N100,000.<br /> e. Disturbance of the performance of religious worship or religious ceremony attracts a sentence of two years’ imprisonment or N100,000 fine, or both.<br /> f. Insulting the religion of another person, committing indignity on a corpse or disturbing a funeral ceremony will fetch the culprit two years’ imprisonment, a fine of N100,000, or both.<br /> <br /> The following offences will upon conviction attract a sentence of two years’ imprisonment or a N200,000 fine, or both:<br /> <br /> 1. Preaching without licence;<br /> 2. Playing religious cassette or using loudspeakers for religious purposes between the hours of 11pm to 4am in a public place;<br /> 3. Using a loudspeaker for religious purposes other than inside a Mosque or Church and the surrounding area outside recognised prayer times;<br /> 4. Using a loudspeaker in vehicles plying the streets with religious recordings;<br /> 5. Abusing special religious books or religious leaders of any faith;<br /> 6. Inciting disturbances of the public peace through religious preaching;<br /> 7. Abusing or using any derogatory term in describing any religion;<br /> 8. Carrying weapons of any description whether concealed or not in places in places of worship or religious preaching;<br /> 9. Disturbing any lawful religious assembly;<br /> 10. Aiding and abetting the commission of any of the offences above.<br /> <br /> What Led To Enactment of the 1984 Regulation of Religious Preaching Law<br /> <br /> In the 1980s, one Mohammed Marwa, more famously known as Maitatsine, brought chaos to Kano after years of preaching a strange form of Islam. It required the might of the Nigerian Army to crush the sect and bring the siege of Kano to an end.<br /> <br /> Following Maitasine’s defeat in Kano, sporadic clashes with members of his sect occurred across the north over a few years.<br /> <br /> As military governor of Kaduna State, Air Commodore Usman Muazu took steps in 1984 to insulate his state from the consequences of irresponsible religious preaching. On 14 August 1984, he passed an Edict No. 7 to regulate religious preaching.<br /> <br /> As the explanatory note to the 1984 edict stated, “the purpose of the Edict is to permit only learned and responsible religious preachers to preach in the state”.<br /> <br /> Section 10 of the 1984 edict specified imprisonment for a maximum years or a fine or both for persons convicted for the following offences:<br /> <br /> 1. Preaching without licence;<br /> 2. Playing religious cassette in a public place;<br /> 3. Using a loudspeaker for religious purposes other than inside a Mosque or Church and the surrounding area outside;<br /> 4. Abusing special religious books meant for special religious groups;<br /> 5. Using the term “infidels”, “non-Islamic”, or “pagans” in describing other religious groups;<br /> 6. Carrying weapons of any description whether concealed or not in places in places of worship or religious preaching.<br /> <br /> Two of Air Commodore Muazu’s successors as military governors of Kaduna State amended the edict to stiffen or relax penalties for violation. With Edict No. 2 of 1987, Lt. Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar increased the penalty upon conviction to five years without the option of fine.<br /> <br /> Edict No. 2 of 1987 also amended the offences in the 1984 law by including:<br /> <br /> 1. Inciting disturbance of the public peace through preaching<br /> 2. Abusing or using any derogatory term to describe any religion<br /> <br /> The Regulation of Religious Preaching Edict remained on the statute books of the state as extant law. In 2015, Malam Nasir El-Rufai decided that such an important law, made during military rule, be reviewed and subjected to democratic scrutiny and debate.<br /> <br /> Proposed amendments were sent to the Kaduna State House of Assembly which has now passed the Religious Preaching (Regulation) Law, 2019 and repealed the Kaduna State Regulation of Religious Preaching Law, 1991.<br /> <br /> In 2016, the Kaduna State Government had to step in to end the violent acrimony that had engulfed the Assemblies of God Church in Saminaka. The government also helped to peacefully resolve the problem over who should be the Imam of the Sultan Bello Mosque.<br /> <br /> Kaduna State’s new law to regulate religious preaching outlaws the use of religion for incitement and encourages respect for the rights of others and compliance with the law in the practise of faith.<br /> <br /> The new law is yet to be signed by the governor, but it is expected to help return religion to the private sphere, encourage respect for the religious rights of other people and reduce the potential for conflict.The amended law is viewed by experts as another strong effort to remove impediments to religious freedom, as it will allow people to safely focus on the spirituality and rigours of their faith, while removing the poison of incitement, desecration of places of worship and the use of derogatory language.<br /> <br /> The Kaduna State House of Assembly commendably passed the executive bill to regulate religious preaching in the state. Since 1980, Kaduna State has had too many incidents of ethno-religious violence, often with tragic consequences. Many mixed neighbourhoods in Kaduna, the state capital, have since the 1980s become exclusive enclaves of adherents of specific religions.<br /> <br /> In 1987, religious riots broke out from the College of Education, Kafanchan, and spread to other parts of the state, including Kaduna and Zaria. In 2000, Kaduna metropolis exploded over the Sharia matter, taking many lives and property. Zamfara which birthed the Sharia movement was untouched.<br /> <br /> While Kaduna is not the only state that has suffered religious violence, it has paid the heaviest price, apart from the states at the epicentre of Boko Haram terrorism. Leaders of faith must possess the necessary prerequisites, certifications and approvals for responsibly discharging their vital spiritual roles. It is in the social interest for the practice of faith to be conducted in a tolerant manner that respects public safety and the rights of others.<br /> <br /> In 2015, Malam Nasir El-Rufai began efforts to remove the dangers that may arise from irresponsible religious preaching. He proposed amendments to the Regulation of Religious Preaching Law of 1984 which was enacted by then military governor, Air Commodore Usman Muazu, and amended by two other military governors. Governor El-Rufai decided to subject the law to democratic scrutiny and debate through the Kaduna State House of Assembly.<br /> <br /> Kaduna State is implementing a residency card registration programme to know who lives in the state. In the interest of public safety and order, it is prudent to know the places of worship in the state and ascertain who the preachers are by licensing them. The law also penalises the use of derogatory terms against any religion, the disturbance of religious worship and ceremonies and the destruction or desecration of places of worship.<b><br /> <br /> Muyiwa Adekeye was special adviser to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Media and Communication. He is yet to be reappointed as at this date.</b>

Latest-News Facts About The Kaduna State Religious Preaching (Regulation) Law 2019

By Muyiwa Adekeye Kaduna State’s new law to regulate religious preaching outlaws the use of religion for incitement and encourages respe...

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