TheNewsGuru

Tag: Church

  • It is wrong for ladies not to wear pant, bra to church- Pretty Mike

    It is wrong for ladies not to wear pant, bra to church- Pretty Mike

    Popular Lagos socialite and club owner, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu better known as Pretty Mike has berated ladies who go to church without wearing pant and bra. Pretty Mike said it is wrong and ladies who do so should stop walking around in the church.
    According to him:” Please some of you ladies that don’t wear underwear and bra to church , what are your motive towards such a behavior? I think it’s kinda wrong to do so and to make it worst, na you come dey waka up and down the whole church the most”

    His statement has sparked different reactions from Nigerian ladies on social media.

    @Fathiana: Like me now am not comfortable wearing them
    @Sugarkosa: Please, Pretty Mike’s hands are full, top putting him into unnecessary temptation and thoughts at church
    @Duchessbells: How u take see say them no wear pant…where u searching for the pant lines underneath the skirt or gowns?

    TheNewsGuru recalls that days back, Pretty Mike stormed Eniola Badmus 20 years in Nollywood celebration with about 24 men and women painted in white, while they wore only underwear.

  • Catholic church not against African culture – Priest

    Catholic church not against African culture – Priest

    Rev. Fr. Albert Ikpenwa, Rector, Bigard Memorial Seminary (BMS), Enugu, says that the Catholic Church is not against the good aspects of African culture but promotes it for a better understanding of the society.

    Ikpenwa told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Enugu that the church engages itself sometimes in cultural activities as a way to promote Nigerian culture among the youths and let them know that the church is not against it.

    He noted that the school would be organising cultural festival on Nov. 26 to showcase the cultural heritage of different people in Nigeria.

    Ikpenwa regretted that youths allowed westernisation to influence them against their own culture but urged them to uphold those cultural values Africans are known for.

    “The knowledge of our culture makes us to be our brother’s keeper, protecting one another and ensuring sacredness of lives as well as respect for elders.

    “We expect the youths to come and to experience our attitude to culture on Nov. 26,” Ikpenwa said.
    He, however, added that the church promotes culture which is contrary to the view of many that church came to destroy it.

    According to him, the church is only against what is bad in our culture such as idol worshiping, human sacrifices and other harmful traditional practices, adding that the message of Christ takes root in all culture.

    The clergyman noted that people of various races are already practicing their culture before the church came to transform it for better.

    “As we know that Christianity started with Israel (Jews), then, to Rome, Roman culture accepted church and transformed their culture by removing everything that is bad in it.

    “It came to Africa and tried also to transform African culture but people misunderstood it thinking it came to do away with it.

    “Church transforms culture by making the gospel of Christ rooted in it and that is why we are organising cultural activities to tell our people that we are not against it,” he said.

    Ikpenwa added that the festival would last for three days with symposium, drama, dance and proverbs that depict Nigerian culture.

    “Here, we train Catholic priests and if they understand the culture of the people they are posted to, they would teach them good aspect of our culture.

    “It is not only in Africa that we have evil culture, Romans have culture whereby people were being sacrificed to their idols and gods but when Christianity came, they stopped it,” he said.

  • Why I stopped attending church -Adesina

    Why I stopped attending church -Adesina

    The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has stated that he stopped attending a branch of a church in Abuja because the pastor was always attacking the President Muhammadu Buhari

    Adesina said this in an article on Thursday titled, ‘This Kumuyi is simply different’, which was written in support of a statement by the General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi.

    Although Adesina did not mention which church he stopped attending, his public profile states that he is a member of the Foursquare Gospel Church where he was ordained a pastor and has attended since 1988.

    In the article, the President’s spokesperson said it was sad that some pastors had turned their pulpits to soapboxes upon which they spew hatred.

    He wrote, “I used to attend a church in Abuja from 2015 to 2018, till the pastor began to see himself as someone who must bring the Buhari government down. Sunday after Sunday, it was all sorts of criticism from the pulpit. But I endured, since it was a branch of a church I had attended for over 30 years. Till one day, he overdid it.

    “The Dapchi girls were abducted and there was no name the pastor did not call President Buhari that Sunday. It was horrendous that such things could come from the pulpit. But I suffered long and sat through the sermon, or rather, what was supposed to be a sermon. I then went home, wondering what the church of God was turning to.”

    Adesina said after most of the Dapchi girls had been rescued, the pastor did not deem it fit to praise the President in later service.

    The President’s aide, however, praised Kumuyi for saying last week that Christians should not “disdain those in power because they appear not to be delivering on electoral pledges”.

    He stated that while a former Vice-Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Prof. Dapo Asaju, was within his rights to be angry over the state of the country, it must be noted that the Buhari regime was doing a lot to change the nation’s fortunes.

    Adesina said there were some men of God who predicted that Buhari would lose the 2019 election but it turned out to be a fake prophecy.

    “Irrespective of the titles they bear, I hear bishops, apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, cursing the government, and issuing doomsday notices. One even said publicly that the Buhari administration was over, before the 2019 elections. But the man won handsomely, and that preacher still struts and frets on the pulpit every week, not repenting in sackcloth and ashes,” said Adesina.

    He noted that during the #EndSARS protests of 2020, some pastors came out to support the youths who were protesting but they quickly recoiled into their shells when the protests got out of hand.

    Adesina added, “Pastor Kumuyi also says if you are a true believer in Christ, you wouldn’t go on the rampage, destroying government property… But that was not what we saw in the country in October last year. The country was almost burned down under the subterfuge of EndSARS.

    “And sadly, they were encouraged by pastors and preachers, who simply hate the fact that a Fulani man is their President. Many of them are on record as having encouraged the protesters, till things went ugly, turned awry. And the pastors vanished into the thin air. Not a word of caution or restraint as the cities were burning, and policemen were being killed, and even eaten up.”

     

  • El-Rufai reacts as bandits invade ECWA Church in Kaduna

    El-Rufai reacts as bandits invade ECWA Church in Kaduna

    Some bandits on Sunday invaded the Evangelical Church of Winning All, Gavaciwa in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing a worshipper while scores were injured.

    Also, in another attack, bandits killed one Nasiru Abdullahi of Gobirawan Kamacha in Bina General area of Igabi Local Government Area.

    The state Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who confirmed the attacks, quoted the Governor Nasir El-Rufai to have condemned the attacks and the loss of lives.

    Aruwan further quoted El-Rufai to have said that the attack on the worshippers was a divisive intent of the criminals who play on religious sensitivity.

    The commissioner said, “The Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has condemned in the strongest terms an attack against worshippers on Sunday morning by gunmen.

    “Security agencies reported to the Government that the attack occurred at ECWA Church, Gabaciwa in Kachia local government.

    “According to the report, a life was lost and some worshippers were seriously injured, who have been rushed to a medical facility.

    “The security agencies are obtaining further details, on which the government will update the public in due course.

    “The governor who expressed sadness over the incident, described it as an evil act targeting innocent citizens exercising their constitutional and universal rights to religious freedom.

    “The Governor added that the attack on the worshippers was a divisive intent of the criminals leveraging religious sensitivity.

    “The governor condoled the ECWA Church and the family of the deceased in particular, and prayed for the repose of the soul of the worshipper.”

    He said governor had directed the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency to asses the area and provide succour to the victims currently receiving medical attention.

    Similarly, the commissioner said the governor also condoled the family of one Nasiru Abdullahi of Gobirawan Kamacha in Bina General Area of Igabi local government who was killed by bandits.

    “The governor also prayed for the repose of his soul.

  • Borno Church Demolition: Gov Zulum visits pastor whose son was killed, says shooter is in police custody

    Borno Church Demolition: Gov Zulum visits pastor whose son was killed, says shooter is in police custody

    Borno State governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, on Tuesday night, visited Pastor Bitrus Tumba, whose son, Ezekiel, died when violence broke out between a demolition task force of Borno Geographic Information Systems (BOGIS), and worshipers at a branch of EYN church in Maiduguri on August 5, 2021.

    The governor was received by the family and some officials of Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), led by the association’s chairman, Bishop Mohammed Naga.

    Zulum had on the day of the incident sent Borno’s deputy governor, Umar Usman Kadafur, to meet victims of the incident.The governor also invited and met with Christian leaders, led by CAN chairman, Bishop Naga, after which he directed the police to thoroughly investigate the incident and report to him.

    Zulum was scheduled to visit Ezekiel’s family on the day of the incident, but had to abort visit to allow the tensed situation to douse.

    The governor, instead, sent a private delegation to visit the family on his behalf while he worked behind the scene to calm down situations between religious leaders to prevent potential crisis between youths from different faiths.

    At the pastor’s house alongside the deputy governor, Kadafur, Zulum said, “Let me start by apologising for delaying my visit even though I had sent a delegation to explain this to you. We deliberately delayed because of the tension in town. We thought it was not a good time to pay you a visit then. I am here to commiserate with your family over the unfortunate death of our brother, Ezekiel Bitrus. My coming here today, weeks after that very unfortunate and painful incident, is a proof that we have not forgotten the issue.”

    “So far, suspects have been quietly arrested and all those involved in that dastardly act are being detained and God’s willing, they will face justice as soon as the Police complete investigation and make appropriate recommendations. We shall do justice to the matter without fear or favour. We share your pains.

    “No exercise of government is ever aimed to cause injury let alone the death of any citizen. Every person in Borno has equal rights and we have a duty to protect the rights of all persons, top of which is the security of lives. We are pained by what happened and we condole you and your family.

    “Although, I had sent people to you, I was morally and officially duty-bound to visit your family. Please accept our deepest condolences,” Zulum said.

    The governor was accompanied by his Chief of Staff, Prof. Isa Marte Hussaini, and one of his commissioners, who is a Christian.

    Responding on his family’s behalf, Pastor Tumba expressed appreciation to the governor for the visit, saying he considered Ezekiel’s death as an act of God and the family has accepted same in good faith.

    He added that everyone dies in a different way, and God has destined Ezekiel to die from gunshot which no one could have stopped.

    “Whatever we do, we cannot bring the dead back to life; as true Christians, we have accepted it in good faith. Your Excellency, we express our appreciation to you for the visit, I have followed all your efforts on the death of our son, and we show your concern and the fact that you did not forget us, we really appreciate you,” Pastor Tumba said.

  • TRENDING video(COVID-19): Only those who are vaccinated will be allowed to attend churches, mosques – Obaseki

    TRENDING video(COVID-19): Only those who are vaccinated will be allowed to attend churches, mosques – Obaseki

    Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki surprised all two days ago when he vowed that people who did not take COVID-19 vaccine would not be allowed into churches and mosques.

    According to Obaseki, “Beginning from the second week of September 2021, large gatherings, as well as high traffic public and private places will only be accessed by persons who have proof of taking at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination. People who have not yet been vaccinated at all will depend on remote access to these gatherings.

    “From the second week of September people may not be allowed to worship in churches and mosques without showing proof of their vaccination cards at the gates.”

    Watch video below:

  • NDLEA arrests drug dealer in popular Lagos church

    NDLEA arrests drug dealer in popular Lagos church

    A suspected drug dealer has been arrested in a popular pentecostal church in Lagos.

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) disclosed this on Sunday via a statement issued by its spokesman, Femi Babafemi,

    He said NDLEA operatives trailed the suspect to Ojodu Berger in the Ikeja area of the state.

    Channels Television gathered that the suspect – Stephen Afam Ikeanyionwu – had been on the wanted list of the anti-narcotics agency “for attempting to export 69.65 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, and cannabis to the United Kingdom through the NAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA)”.

    His arrest followed the interception of a consignment of illicit drugs weighing 69.65kg going to the UK through the Lagos airport on August 12.

    “The illegal baggage had been sent to the airport for export through a freight forwarding company, which in turn gave a driver to deliver at the NAHCO export shed,” the statement partly read.

    “Following the arrest of the driver, follow-up operations and investigations later revealed the true identity of the actual owner of the consignment, Stephen Afam Ikeanyionwu, who was arrested three days later in a sting operation.”

    Also at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives also arrested an Italy-bound passenger, Abibu Miminu, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airways flight to Italy via Addis-Ababa for ingesting illicit drugs.

    The agency’s spokesman explained that the suspected trafficker excreted 68 wraps of heroin in three excretions, all weighing 800grams while under observation between August 14 and 15.

    “In the same vein, narcotic officers of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation have intercepted at two courier companies in Lagos 840 grams of Methamphetamine going to Australia and concealed in bolts.

    “340 grams of Meth hidden in locally made footwear and also going to Australia; 1 kilogram of cocaine coming from Ghana with the UK as destination and concealed in four local guitars. Also seized from one of the courier firms is another 480grams of Meth concealed in footwear and going to Australia,” the statement noted.

    Meanwhile, a South Africa returnee, Obi Chigozie Samuel, was also arrested at the Lagos airport last Sunday during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines from Addis-Ababa, for importing 58grams of skunk into Nigeria. During a preliminary interview, he admitted ownership and claimed to be a cannabis smoker.”

    Similarly, in strings of operations in Edo, Ondo, Kaduna, Kano and Kogi states, at least 2,504.8 kilograms of diverse illicit drugs were seized from multiple suspects in the past week.

    In Kogi, the agency nabbed a 60-year-old woman, Comfort Uzor, with 62.1kg cannabis on August 17 in Lokoja, where one Dayyabu Usman was also caught with 8kg of the same substance.

    While Uzor was said to have sourced hers from Bolorunduro in Ondo state and was heading to Abuja, Usman purportedly got his from Lagos and was taking it to Kano for sale.

    In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives raided the home of one Joseph Sunday at Ungwa Pama, Birnin Gwari area of the state and recovered 48.3kg of cannabis from his room following credible intelligence.

    Following a raid on Ugbuwe forest in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, 146 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 2,044 kilograms were seized.

    This is as one Ikechukwu Aleke was arrested in Kano State with 30,000 tablets of Tramadol, 225mg and 99 bottles of Codeine syrup. One Muktar Muhammad was also arrested with 370 bottles of Codeine cough syrup, weighing 60.4kg, and 900 tablets of Rohypnol

    One Sufiyanu Abubakar was arrested in Kano with 400 plastic bottles of Codeine cough syrup weighing 52kg. Mutta Hassan Wada, who allegedly specializes in using courier firms to send drugs to a recipient in China, using cooking spice bottles for concealment, was equally nabbed by the agency’s operatives.

    Meanwhile, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended operatives of the agency for strings of arrests and seizures in the past week, urging them to keep up the tempo.

    “We have all laid our hands on the plough, there’s no looking back, no retreat or surrender and as such I urge all our officers and men to intensify the ongoing offensive action until the last gram of illicit drug is taken away from merchants of death,” Marwa said

  • TRENDING: I once gave $1m(N500m) as offering to God when I had no house – Pastor Ibiyeomie

    TRENDING: I once gave $1m(N500m) as offering to God when I had no house – Pastor Ibiyeomie

    Founder, Salvation Ministries, Port Harcourt, Pastor David Ibiyeomie has said he once gave one million dollars as offering during a Sunday service.

    Ibiyeomie spoke during a church’s programme, “Love For the Miraculous.”

    He said God could not manifest Himself on anyone without one loving Him.

    “There are people who pray for miracles. There are some who are miracle personified. Your love for God will make you seek God first. Those who love God puts him first.

    “When you say I love God, it means I put God’s things first. I was talking to a man of God, an American preacher. He said David, you tried o, do you know I have never given a million dollar before in my life and this preacher is a multimillionaire in dollars.

    “When I gave one million dollars as offering, I had no house. I gave it on a Sunday, my wife was not even aware until she heard my testimony. It was only the Church accountant that knew as a privilege of his office when he saw he volume of money that came in.

    “He said wow! I told him to keep quiet, I didn’t do it for you but for God. Don’t mind all these people that criticise preachers. Ask them how many of them have people in school on scholarship. They will always criticise men of God buying jets. If I buy a jet today, I am over qualified

    “I have given countless times. Do you know the number of people on Oyedepo’s scholarship. Be ready to love God but be ready for the envy of people. If people do not envy you, it means you are not getting blessed of God,” Ibiyeomie said.

    Ibiyeomie added: “Those who love God, God stays with them and they walk in the miraculous. There is no embassy today that I will go to and I will be kept for more than two minutes.

    “When you walk in love, you become a miracle. You can fast forty days and not walk in the supernatural but you can’t walk in love and not walk in the supernatural.”

  • National agency speaks on noise pollution by churches, mosques

    National agency speaks on noise pollution by churches, mosques

    The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) says it has the power to prosecute for noise pollution, churches and mosques that use loud speakers without control while worshipping.

    Prof. Aliyu Jauro, Director-General of NESREA made this known while speaking on Sunday in Abuja.

    According to Jauro, noise is one of the serious environmental pollutants, adding that a noisy place affects plants, animals and humans.

    “Once they are subjected to the noise, it leads to a lot of health problems ranging from hypertension and other diseases. So, as an agency, we have a specific regulation on noise control.

    “What we do as an agency is that we go out to ensure compliance. There is a lot of activities people engage that affect the environment and individuals. We receive complaints from a lot of people.

    “For instance, places like churches, mosques, even industries are causing a lot of noise which we receive complaints from people, so we do visit such areas, sensitising them about the problem people are facing.

    “We also advise them on how they can go about their activities without polluting the environment by the noise. We carry out enforcement when the need arises,” he said.

    Jauro also called for effective sensitisation
    by relevant environmental stakeholders to curb environmental pollution in Nigeria.

    He said that the sensitisation would help the public to understand the havoc pollution was causing both to humans, animals, plants, as well as the environment.

    “Sensitisation is the key, people don’t even know the impact of this noise pollution so we always try to sensitise the public.

    “There is need to sensitise and educate the public on environmental issues so that everybody will key-in to support NESREA so that we will have a cleaner and healthier environment,” Jauro said.

    He also called on Nigerians to ensure they complied with environmental rules and regulations, adding that there should be a noise limit in worship centres, industries, and social gatherings, among others.

    Jauro said the agency had the mandate and power to prosecute any organisation or individual who refuses to abide by environmental rules and regulations.

    “All these provisions are there in our regulations, there is a provision for fine first, when we receive a complaint we go there and look at the complaint.

    “Then, we go back and serve another compliance notice. We will do that about two times, the third one, we can take either the facility or individual to the court of law.

    “But most of the time, we try to see that we resolve the matter amicably with those responsible.

    “We do make sure we resolve those disputes, but if they persist, yes, we can sanction the offenders, and also take them to court of law and some of them can be judged,’’ he said.

  • I haven’t been to church in four years —Peruzzi

    I haven’t been to church in four years —Peruzzi

    Talented singer, Tobechukwu Victor Okoh, also known as Peruzzi, has stated that he has not been to church in four years.

    The ‘Majesty’ crooner made this known as a guest on Joey Akan’s ‘Afrobeats Intelligence’

    “I haven’t gone to church since I met David. I haven’t been to church in like four years. But yeah, I believe in God,” he stated

    “I’ve always seen myself as a star before I met anybody in this industry, I used to act like ‘people are watching me.’ I didn’t have any drip, but I’d make sure that I’m not wearing any fake Gucci, I’m not wearing any fake Versace.

    “I’m wearing a plain white shirt. I had my way that I’m going to be something. I didn’t know how, but I knew, ‘guy, I’m going to be something.’ I was already acting like I was. When David met me, I was branding myself already.

    “He knew there was a wave. It’s been like that because I always felt like if you know you want to get somewhere, just start preparing yourself for it. [It] wasn’t really fake-fake, ’cause I didn’t rock no fake sh*t. But I faked being a star.”

    Speaking further, Peruzzi stated that he doesn’t plan to remain a singer forever revealed that he sees himself settling down with his family in California in the next six years.

    He said, “Like my mum used to say: ‘Even if you no know where you dey come from, no forget where you dey go. I feel like you can’t just be existing. You have to be living. In the sense that, you have to be about something.

    “And me, I’ve always known where I want to be, I can tell you where I want to settle down; Malibu, California. I just want to be there smoking my weed in like six years from now with my wife and my two kids.

    “I already know everything I want in this life. I know because I feel like you’re supposed to know. If not, why are you living? Why are you working? Why am I even singing? Am I singing because I want to be singing forever?

    “I can’t be singing forever now. I’m singing because after singing, I have to do something. I have to be somewhere.

    “I have to say ‘yes, this is what my life turned out to be.’ From going to primary school, going to high school, going to uni, it has to result in something. It would be no use for me living if I don’t have a destination.”