Tag: Nigeria

Nigerian singer, Spyro, recently sparked debate by saying gospel artists are in the business to make money just like Afrobeats stars. 

 

On Hiptv’s Trending show, he stated; “The people that claim to be gospel artists or gospel ministers are just artists — they are in the business to make money just like us in the Afrobeats industry”.

 

Fans reacted with mixed opinions. @MusicLover23 tweeted, “Finally, someone said it! Gospel artists work hard and deserve to be paid like any other musicians. It’s a business, not just a ministry.” 

 

Another user, @NaijaBeatsFan, added, “Spyro is right. Producing gospel music involves costs and effort. Why should gospel artists not make money when Afrobeats stars do?” 

 

Meanwhile, @FaithFirst commented, “Gospel music is about spreading God’s word, not chasing money. This kind of mindset could ruin the purity of the gospel.” 

 

Similarly, @SpiritualVoice wrote, “I respect Spyro, but gospel artists should prioritise ministry over money. The focus should be on souls, not sales”.

 

Spyro also praised female artists like Tems for maintaining decency despite industry pressure, saying, “There is a lot of pressure on female artists to do crazy things. Tems is holding it down decently yet she is one of the biggest female artists in the world right now. She is decent. She has it together”.

 

 

The Delta State Police Command has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the d3ath of Shimite Love, the Special Adviser to Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori on Trade and Export. 

 

Shimite passed away in the early hours of Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at St. Luke’s Hospital, Asaba, where she was rushed for medical treatment. 

 

It was gathered that Shimite’s body was found after her maid called her elder brother, expressing concern that the husband had allegedly locked her in the house all day. 

 

Her brother rushed over and found her inside the house with foam already coming out of her mouth. He took her to the hospital, but she was declared d3ad on arrival.

 

The spokesperson of the command, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the d3ath and the ongoing investigation.

 

Edafe stated that Shimite was “confirmed d3ad at the hospital where she was taken, while her husband is currently in protective custody.

 

“He (the husband) was the one who called to report that his wife died early this morning and that he was receiving threats from her family, and feared he might be attacked. It was on this basis that we went to his house and brought him in for his own safety,” Edafe stated. 

 

The PPRO emphasised that the husband is in protective custody and not under arrest.

 

“However, the situation became more complex when the deceased’s family later lodged a formal complaint with the police,” Edafe revealed.

 

In their complaint, the family expressed suspicion that the husband may have played a role in Shimite’s d3ath.

 

In response to these concerns, the police said a thorough investigation had begun.

 

“We are currently investigating. In situations like this, only an autopsy can determine whether the d3ath was natural or due to other causes,” he added.

 

The police have indicated that they will release further updates as the investigation progresses. 

 

Meanwhile, family members allege that Shimite’s husband had isolated her from loved ones and tightly controlled her movements.  

 

“Since he came into her life, he cut everyone off. Her brother couldn’t even visit. He wouldn’t let her go to the office. He was always trailing her. Even the name on all her properties in Abuja and elsewhere was changed to his name. We believe she was manipulated—hypnotised even,” a family source told Sahara Reporters.

 

“If she were not hypnotised, which woman with her right senses would do such? What kind of love is that your husband would follow you everywhere you went, and you wouldn’t see anything wrong with that? Your husband would lock you in and not allow you to go to the office? Anytime you tell Shimite about certain things, she would tell you, ‘Don’t worry, my husband is a pastor. He’s my spiritual father. He sees everything.’ It’s very unfortunate Shimite had to learn the hard way. How could a special adviser to a governor just die like that?” the source added

 

 

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is currently visiting communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State where a new terrorists group has tightened its grip on the residents, SaharaReporters has learnt.

The visit is coming a few hours after the deadly group known as Mahmuda killed a vigilante member.

“The Kwara State governor, the Army General Officer Commanding in charge of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the Army Brigade Commander of Ilorin, Police Commissioner, DSS director just landed in Kaiama,” a source told SaharaReporters.

“However, few hours before their visit, one of the vigilante members was killed in Kemanji. He was killed today (Monday) in an attempt to stop the attack of this Mahmuda militant group.”

SaharaReporters recently reported how the new terror group which emerged in the North Central part of Nigeria had been terrorising residents of rural communities around the Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP).

The affected communities are in Kaiama Local Government Area (Kemaanji, Tenebo, Baabete, Nuku, Nanu) and Barutein Local Government Area (villages in Yashikira District), both in Kwara.

According to multiple sources, the group had also taken over communities in Babana and Wawa District in the Borgu Local Government in Niger State.

SaharaReporters also exclusively reported how the militants attacked a vigilante group last Wednesday in Kemanji, killing over 15 members and villagers.

“They called themselves Mahmuda group. Their leader in a voice note is threatening all the communities. They kill and kidnap victims and also demand ransom,” one of the sources had said.

Another source added, “The surge of insecurity in Nigeria has been a source of concern to the citizenry because of its destructive factor to livelihood, and unfortunately, new militant groups continue to emerge and occupy the ungoverned spaces in the country.

“With the Kainji Lake National Park left unguarded, the loggers, fishermen, and hunter groups take the opportunity and start enjoying the common good of the citizens for their personal gain,” the source said.

At the beginning there was a clash between the loggers and the militants as well as the vigilantes, but the loggers negotiated with the militants, and the loggers gained access to the forest to harvest trees without any hitches and this as well serves as the biggest opportunity for the militant to make money through the logging activities.

“Currently, the community of Kainji National Park (KLNP), which includes Kaiama LGA (Kemaanji, Tenebo, Baabete, Nuku, Nanu) and Barutein LGA (villages in Yashikira District that share a border with the park), all in Kwara State, part of Babana and Wawa District in Borgu LGA in Niger State, have been under siege for years, and the world does not know what is happening to the Borgawas (Borgu people).

“The militants occupied the park visibly over five years ago when they raided the park and chased the Range Guard out of the park. They migrated from Mokwa LGA when they were chased away by the then Governor of Niger State, Muazu Babangida Aliyu. He accused them of being members of Boko Haram,” the source explained. 

“Upon their eviction from Mokwa LGA, they relocated to a village called Welele in Kaiama LGA. The local government authority, with the collaboration of the security forces, forced them out of Kaiama LGA. Following their eviction from Kaiama, they relocated to the Kaduna State forest. The same group, well-armed, resurfaced in the national park, and became a monster.

“Thus, who are these new militant groups? Some people claim that the militant group came from the Benin Republic or Niger Republic. This claim is also similar to a report from BBC Radio that there was an influx of militant groups to Kainji Lake National Park. Further study of them will reveal the true identity of this faceless group.

“However, a recent audiotape record from the militant claims to be a moderate Islamist, this assertion confirms that they are a sect of Boko haram that broke away from the Shekau-led extremist group. Regrettably, the locals are gradually being recruited into their ranks as informants. They referred to themselves as the Mahmuda Group or Mallam Group, their leader’s name and a jihadist fighting to promote the cause of the Sunni group.

“The militant group mainly speaks Hausa. The saddened reality is that the activities of these militants, controlling a vast territory of 3970.29 sq. km of the Nigerian state, have resulted in the community members living at the mercy and dictates of the non-state actor. Living at the mercy and dictates of the militants manifests in a number of ways.

“First, the herders within the park pay dues (zakah) to the militants to allow them to graze their cattle. Second, the farmers to whom the militant allocates farmland within the forest also pay farming levies to the militants. Third, the militants forced the residents to work on their farm as sadaka. Fourth, members of the community are kidnapped and made to pay ransom. Fifth, illegal mounting of roadblocks along the community, and regulating the social activities, particularly the sale of alcohol and all forms of smoking, and even settling disputes among the community’s members.

“Sixth, the militants threaten the existence of herbalists that they assume are fortifying the community vigilante members to confront them. Unconfirmed reports also have it that the Mahmuda Group or Mallam Group is into illegal mining in the park environment. 

“In their ploy to deceive the people with religion, they timely gather community members to preach about Islamic ethics as well as persuade community members to be disloyal to the Nigerian state and also instruct that any disputes within the community must be reported to them.

“The loss of trust in the security agent to address the insecurity challenges in the area makes the vigilante group work hand in hand with the Mahmuda Group to rescue kidnapped victims from the bandits. The group was able to force out all the bandits from the park area, and their collaborators within the communities were kidnapped to their place, and ransom was collected, or those judged to be more involved in the act of banditry were slaughtered.

“The assumption among the locals is that the militant group present in the National Park is known to the authority above, but by whom? Guess time will tell. To some, it’s simply because of the sophisticated weapons in their possession, which makes it practically difficult for them to be dislodged from the national asset.”

 

 

Mary “May” Edochie has sparked mixed reactions after sharing photos of herself dressed like Mary, mother of Jesus. 

The influencer shared the photos on Easter Monday, April 21, and disclosed that she longed to wear Mother Mary’s garment while growing up. 
 

Many hailed her and told her that she nailed the portrayal of Mother Mary. However, a few felt some type of way about the photos. 

See the photos and comments below.

 

Charles Okah, the convicted Independence Day bomber who has been in solitary confinement at the Maiduguri Maximum Security Custodial Centre (MaSCC) since March 16, 2025, has sustained injuries following an incident at the prison.

Unconfirmed reports from inside the facility suggest that Okah may have succumbed to smoke inhalation after a suspected explosive device triggered a fire in his cell on Sunday, April 20. A correctional officer who spoke anonymously to SaharaReporters claimed the explosion led to a blaze that engulfed Okah’s cell.

However, prison authorities have denied any bomb explosion occurred—either at MaSCC or in any other custodial facility across the country.

Sources earlier told SaharaReporters the fire reportedly resulted from an improvised incendiary explosive device thrown into his cell through the window bars at around 9:00 pm on Sunday.

According to sources, the explosion led to a rapid fire that engulfed the mosquito net and mattress where Okah slept.

Charles Okah, known for his outspoken criticisms and recent open letter to Hon. (Dr.) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Interior Minister, has reportedly been the subject of harassment and maltreatment by MaSCC authorities.

Since his solitary confinement, he has reportedly been deprived of basic human rights, with authorities reportedly targeting anyone perceived as his ally.

In the wake of Okah’s detention, a series of events has raised concerns about the treatment of inmates at the facility.

Sources said on April 9, 2025, a Reverend, currently an inmate and an ex-soldier, was brutally tortured after being found in possession of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) Act of 2019.

It was also learnt that on April 14, 2025, at around 6:00 am, a team from the Armed Squad Unit, led by Superintendent Izge, conducted a search of Okah’s cell. During the search, all of Okah’s Christian books, praying rosary, and dictionary were confiscated.

According to sources, the team also discovered a letter in which Okah had been drafting a complaint to the Borno State Attorney General about alleged corruption within the prison system, according to sources.

Okah’s letter detailed the faking of inmate deaths, a practice allegedly used to circumvent legal processes and allow certain inmates to “resurrect” as free men after being declared dead.

Okah pointed to a specific case: the death of a man convicted in Honourable Justice Aisha Komaliya’s Court, who was said to have died of sudden cardiac arrest on December 22, 2024, only to be “resurrected” on the way to his burial. Okah claimed that the death certificates and medical reports on cause of death were destroyed, erasing all evidence of the fraudulent activity.

This revelation sheds light on the extraordinarily high number of deaths recorded in Borno prisons, a trend that has raised suspicion given the absence of any outbreak of viruses or epidemics.

Sources note that Okah’s knowledge of these activities appears to have made him a target of persecution within the prison.

“The search also yielded a letter Charles Okah was drafting to the Borno State Attorney General about the faking of deaths of inmates in order to circumvent the due legal process and “resurrect” from outside the prison as free men,” a source said.

“The faking of deaths and forgery of death certificates explains the astronomically high number of deaths being recorded in Borno prisons on a monthly basis when indeed there was no outbreak of a virus or epidemic.”

As of now, the fate of Charles Okah remains uncertain, with sources fearing that he may have lost his life in the suspected explosion.

However, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Abubakar Umar, has denied that any bomb explosion occurred at the facility. He also said Okah was alive but “injured after creating panic in the facility”.

He said, “If there was a bomb explosion, you know how it would affect many things around, and not just his cell. There was nothing like a bomb explosion at Maiduguri prison or any of our prisons in the country. So that is not true.

“What I can say is that it is very important to monitor these prisoners very well because there is nothing that they won’t do to try to escape. They can smuggle anything in. But these prisoners also need spiritual upliftment. After he (Okah) returned from church on Sunday, he created panic to create the impression that there was danger or that he was in danger.

“He has a history of creating trouble anywhere he is kept, and that was what happened again. He created panic in the cell, but there was nothing like an explosion. He only had an injury.”

However, when SaharaReporters asked about the nature of Okah’s injuries and how he sustained them, Umar stated that an ongoing investigation would reveal the details.

He added that some inmates opt for self-feeding and that it was unclear what Okah had consumed.

“Investigation will reveal what really happened because an investigation is already ongoing into how he created panic. You know that lighters and matches are also not allowed in cells,” he said.

A prison official alleged that Okah has a history of causing disturbances in a bid to prompt his transfer to another facility.

A correctional officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Every prison Okah has been held in, he has stirred up trouble,” the source said. “Whenever he gets tired of a facility and wants to be transferred, he deliberately causes problems. He has a reputation for being disruptive wherever he goes.”