Atiku Urges Muslims to Reclaim Religion From Violent Extremists

Fresh report trending as the Nigeria’s former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has enjoined fellow Muslims to retrieve and reclaim their troubled religion from the hands of violent extremists out to destroy the country’s peace and unity.

He stated this on Friday in a message posted his Twitter handle to

Christianity: what or Who is the Holy Spirit?

This article will be discussing about the Holy Spirit which is almost the forgotten member of the Trinity.  Christians know that He is a member of the Godhead.  But, too many Christians know very little about Him? is the Holy Spirit a force like radar?  Is He alive?  Or, is He a person like the Father and Son?  Though many think they know, a lot do not.  The Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Christadelphians teach that He is a force like radar.  They are wrong.  The Mormons teach that He is a male personage of flesh and bones.  Actually, the Mormons teach that the Holy GHOST is a god, the male personage, and the Holy SPIRIT is the presence of

Islam Influenced My Music - Asa

One of the respected Nigerian singers, Bukola Elemide, well known as Asa, has said her Muslim background influenced her music.

She disclosed this in a recent interview with My Africa Podcast.

According to her, she was a Muslim for about two to three years when she lived with her grandparents who practised the religion. Asa explained here that she converted to Christianity when she was in the high school.

“I come from a Muslim background, and I actually had a stint with Islam. I was a Muslim for about two years or three years she said. I was a Muslim after high school because I lived with my grandparents. My grandparents were Muslims from Lagos Island, and yes it did influence the way I see things and the way I write,” the world respected artiste she said.

Asa further made known that

I Had Dreamt To Be In Your Shoes-Chalry Boy To Pope

Charly Boy is speaking his mind, believe it or not. In this new article of Charly Boy, he pens down how he had dreamt to be a priest and how occult activities took that away from him, but he is glad the pope made it and he is nothing but his rock star. It’s a sweet love message. Find it after the cut.

My Dear Francis,

I hope it is ok to call you by your papal name; this is only because I feel so close to you. You have captured my heart with your simplicity, humanity, humility and love.

The first 25yrs of my life was filled with dreams of becoming a priest, having been stuffed with an overdose of religion, a very serious matter in my family.  When I turned 16, I became an altar boy, never missed Bible class or the regular confessions. My late father was a Knight of the Catholic Church. That’s where I’m coming from.

We were a family that prayed together, staunch Catholics for that matter.

Being an adventurous young man however, I dabbled into the occult, metaphysics, Buddhism, astrology, magic and all that jazz; but be that as it may, I still, am fundamentally a Catholic. The Catholic fate had suddenly become boring and old fashioned for me. Well, until you came along.

In 2013, I wrote an article on you titled A BULLET FOR THE POPE, which was published on social media. In that piece, I expressed my fears and concerns about your life and safety. You bravely and boldly took on the Mafia, knowing that there were still pockets of vampires, fraudsters, and criminals in the Vatican. The Vatican under your watch, honoured Rev Giuseppe Puglisi, who was killed over 20yrs ago by mobsters for preaching against the Mafia, now a martyr. You demanded that Mafia members abandon their “evil ways”.

And I wondered… what if the Mafia decides to take you “out” for sweating their business, knowing their infiltration is deep in the Vatican?

You have shown to be true, the saying that the only thing needed for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

I am very glad and pleased that you are doing something.

It is clear that you possess a beautiful spiritual light burning inside of you.

I recognize your effort in trying to bring a better image and name to Catholicism.

No matter how anybody wishes to flip it, you are full of surprises, born of true and faithful humility; it sparks of Charlyboyizim.

Francis, I am head over heels in love with your person, you are my Rock Star.

I saw you in The Philippines rocking the world again after Brazil, through the CNN lens. The World has fallen in love with you: is it Jews, Moslems, Atheists, Punks, Monks? In short, nothing is stranger, ever since you came onboard, than the reactions of evangelicals all over the world. Never before in history has a Pope been so widely accepted by Protestants and evangelicals, Muslims, Buddists, non-believers, all and sundry.

Thank God, it is a proud day for Catholics and all mankind.

Finally, we have a Pope who doesn’t see himself as equal to God, a Pope who abandoned the red shoes (that were never an official part of the papal wardrobe anyway): a Pope who dresses modestly, pays his own lodging bills, drives around Vatican City in a Ford Focus, calls many people on the phone, brings jam sandwiches to on-duty Swiss Guards at his door and invites street people to his birthday breakfast. Haba, how far my guy.

The way you embrace and kiss babies, embrace the sick, disfigured broken bodies and the abandoned of society. You are one world leader who speaks the truth to power, walks his talk, and calls idolatry and greed by their real names. You are a bold and courageous shepherd who lifts up the poor and tells us that if they are not part of our lives, then we are a sad and even doomed lot. Just like Francis of Assisi did in his day.

Pope to meet Muslim, Buddhist leaders in Philippines visit

Pope Francis will meet with leaders of various religions when he visits the Philippines next month, pushing a message of tolerance in order to combat global religious conflicts, a church official said Monday.

The pontiff will hold a 10 to 15-minute dialogue with the dean of the Philippines’ largest Islamic studies centre and a Taiwan-based Buddhist leader on January 18, according to Father Carlos Reyes, a member of the committee organising the Pope’s visit.


He will also meet with the Hong Kong-based regional head of the Greek Orthodox Church, as well as a Hindu leader, Protestant bishops, and a Manila-based rabbi, Reyes told reporters.

The dialogue will be held at the 400-year-old church-run University of Santo Tomas in Manila, where the pontiff will also address a crowd of 25,000 youths.

“The church is Catholic, it is universal, we are in dialogue with the world,” Reyes said.

“It is our job as men and women of religion not to allow the fundamentalists or extremists to hijack the religion.”

The event comes as the largely-Catholic Philippines is implementing a peace deal signed last March with its main Muslim rebel group to create an autonomous area for the Muslim minority in the southern islands.

It also comes as the government fights a small band of hardliners that have reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, which has taken control of a swathe of

Church Of England Gives Final Nod To Women Bishops

The Church of England's governing body on Monday rubber-stamped an historic measure allowing women to become bishops, paving the way for the first ordinations next year.

The General Synod agreed with a show of hands to implement a decision made in a landmark vote in July, following the formal approval of parliament.

Archbishop of York John Sentamu sits with other members facing delegates during a session to debate and vote on whether to allow female bishops at the Church of England General Synod in York, northern England. 

Archbishop of Sentamu sits with other members facing delegates during a session to debate and vote on whether to allow female bishops at the Church of England General Synod in York, northern England. 
"Today we can begin to embrace a new way of being the Church and

Assemblies of God Church sacks general superintendent

The Assemblies of God Church has announced the excommunication of its past General Superintendent, Rev. Paul Emeka, from the church

But reacting to the development, Emeka revealed that the action was a “coup.”

While announcing the removal of its spiritual leader’s dismissal from the ministry with his pastoral certificate withdrawn, the church also announced the emergence of Rev. Chidi Okoroafor as the new General Superintendent of the church.

He was elected alongside three other principal officials and fifteen zonal representatives to form the new Executive Council of the church for the next four years.

The decisions were part of the resolutions reached by over 7,000 delegates of the church at the General Council meeting at its Evangel Camp, Okpoko in Ebonyi State.

Photos: President Jonathan arrives Israel for pilgrimage

President Goodluck is in Jerusalem for the 2014 Pilgrimage.More photos after the cut...

Baby born in Ibadan clutching holy Qur’an

A renowned Islamic preacher based in Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr Dawood Amoo, has described the birth of a baby boy clutching a pocket-size Qur’an as one of the signs of Allah. Tribune reports.

In an interview with journalists in Ibadan, Amoo said although the development was not strange, the boy named Ismail was unique as the said mini Qur’an contained all the 114 chapters in the holy book.

The preacher testified that he was one of the earliest callers at the Owode/Academy, Ibadan residence of the parents of the baby to witness one of God’s wonders.

He said the mother, Jelilah, gave birth in a church at Oniyanrin area of the city, where the baby was seen clutching a strange object in his left hand.

Vatican asks Catholic Church to welcome gays

In a dramatic shift in tone, Catholic bishops released a document Monday saying that homosexuals had “gifts and qualities to offer” and asked if Catholicism could accept gays and recognise positive aspects of same-sex couples.

Roman Catholic gay rights groups around the world hailed the paper as a breakthrough, but Church conservatives called it a betrayal of traditional family values.

The document, prepared after a week of discussions at an assembly of 200 bishops on the family, said the Church should challenge itself to find “a fraternal space” for homosexuals without compromising Catholic doctrine on family and matrimony.

While the text did not signal any change in the Church’s condemnation of homosexual acts or gay marriage, it used less judgmental and more compassionate language than that seen in Vatican statements prior to the 2013 election of Pope Francis.

SHOCKING REVELATION! Why Flamboyant Nigerian Pastor Chris Okotie Has No Moral Right To Challenge Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor

The Christian Association of Nigeria has challenged the founder of Household of God, Pastor Chris Okotie to manage his home and keep to biblical principles of one man, one wife.

The association was reacting to the demand by Okotie that its President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, should resign over the alleged involvement of his aircraft in the controversial $9.3m smuggled into Africa by two Nigerians and an Israeli.

Okotie, had in a statement by Okotie on his church’s Facebook page, said, “Considering the collateral damage Pastor Ayo’s close relationship with the President has done to the Christian community, it is fit and proper for the Pastor to resign immediately as CAN President to salvage what remains of the battered image of the association.

How to tell when a Nigerian girl is not into you

You just met that fine Naija babe, and you have been bombarding her with calls trying to meet up has been difficult?

Or you are still wondering if she is the one or not?

To save guys the trouble and girls, the nuisance, here are seven tell-tale signs that help guys know when to back off  .

1. She ignores your calls: This is the number one bummer. This was the first answer I was given by most ladies. You think because she gave you her number when you asked for it means she likes you or would pick up your calls. Think again! If all the time you call, she never picks up, maybe you should consider looking for another babe.

5 Nollywood Stars Who left Christianity for Islam

Recently a lot of Nollywood famous stars have dumped Christianity for Islam. Each one of them had his/her own reason to do so. Read More Below...

NHRC boss blasts Oritsejafor for his excessive 'oppresive' security apparatus

The Chairman, Governing Council of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has described as excessive the number of security agents attached to the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

He wondered why the CAN president would move about with a large number of security operatives, whom he alleged oppressed motorists.

The human rights crusader said this during a lecture at a youth-based forum titled, ‘The Platform Nigeria,’ convened by Pastor Poju Oyemade of the Covenant Christian Centre in Lagos, on Wednesday.

The topic of the lecture which was televised live on Channels Television, on Wednesday, was “Saying no to the right to impunity.”

Time to resign from CAN, Mr Oritsejafor - Timawus Mathias

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is at pains to wriggle himself out of a crisis. If it were someone else, it would have been a misdemeanour.

But Oritsejafor is a Man of God, and Christian that leads a flock of disciples, among them, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who by virtue of being the Number 1 citizen is the Number 1 disciple. Together they have performed the pilgrimage to Israel, and just last Sunday, Pastor Oritsejafor led the service at the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja, in prayers to mark the 2014 National Day. The amicable association between Pastor Oritsejafor and President Goodluck Jonathan is therefore never in doubt.

More trouble for the Oyakhilomes as U.K. Commission probes Christ Embassy over payments

The imminent breakup of their marriage may be the least of the problems popular mega-church pastor, Chris Oyakhilome, and his wife, Anita, are facing at the moment as the United Kingdom agency is investigating the UK branch of their church, Christ Embassy, over controversial payments. 

The United Kingdom Charity Commission has launched a probe into the transfer of at least N941 million (£3.6 million) by the church to overseas entities between 2008 and 2012.

 In a statement on Wednesday, the Charity Commission said it has opened a statutory inquiry to investigate Christ Embassy over “a number of serious concerns relating to the use of charitable funds, in particular large connected party payments and the potential misapplication of grant funding.”

I’m totally done with Pastor Chris. . . No going back on divorcing him – Wife

Church members and other well-wishers hoping the matrimonial squabble between popular televangelist, Chris Oyakhilome and his wife, Anita, would be resolved in no time should forget it as Mrs. Oyakhilome has ruled out the possibility of ever reconciling with her estranged husband.

In a chat with Premium Times, through her lawyers, Mrs Oyakhilome said her relationship with Pastor Chris had terribly degenerated that there is no room for any reconciliation or out-of-court settlement.

The newspaper had contacted Mrs. Oyakhilome through her lawyers, Attwaters Jameson Hill Solicitors, after news broke that she had filed for divorce, to enquire whether any out-of-court settlement option was being explored. In their response Tuesday, her attorneys said there was no chance the estranged couple would ever live as husband and wife again.

Divorce saga gets messier as Anita Oyakhilome’s name is removed from church website

The divorce saga between Pastors Chris and Anita Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy Church has worsened.

On Sunday, two days after it was reported that Anita Oyakhilome had filed for divorce, Christ Embassy deleted her pictures and personal information from its official website, www.christembassy.org.

Many describe the action as the beginning of a process to shut her out of the church, after she accused her husband of “adultery” and “unreasonable behaviours” in a divorce suit filed in London last April but only made public on Friday.

Christ Embassy’s new website now shows only Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, with a broad smile welcoming his followers to the month of August, and tagging it, ‘Month of Praise’.

In the message on the website, Oyakhilome also urges his followers to “rejoice for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Also, on the website of the Rhapsody of Realities, a daily devotional co-authored by the esrtwhile couple, there’s nothing to show that Anita is still recognised as the only visible face on the website among the family members is that of her husband.

It was too early to know if the September edition of the Rhapsody of Realities still has the photographs of both the pastor and his wife as it used to be.

In the past, when the going was good, Anita and Chris Oyakhilome held hands on the church website and smiled broadly. They projected the image of a perfect couple.

But checks at the weekend revealed that there is confusion in the church following the divorce suit filed by Anita to end her over two decades marriage to the founder of Christ Embassy Church.

Christians flee from Monsul after rebels’ threat

Christian families have abandoned their homes and fled Mosul after the Sunni rebel group, the Islamic State, threatened them with death if they did not convert to Islam or pay tax.

“Some families have had all their money and jewellery taken from them at an insurgent checkpoint as they fled the city,” Abu Rayan, a Christian who left Mosul with his family told AFP news agency on Saturday.
“Some of our homes have already been confiscated and I know families who have handed their keys to neighbours, asking them to look after their property with the hope they would return one day.” Rayan said.

The hardline group on Friday ordered Christians in Mosul that they could convert, pay a tax or flee the city after abandoning their possessions.

An earlier Islamic State statement said there would be “nothing but the sword” if Christians did not abide by those conditions by 9am GMT on Saturday.

The AFP said that hundreds of Christians had fled by the deadline, although Al Jazeera could not confirm these numbers.

While some families initially appeared prepared to pay the “jizya” Islamic tribute to stay in their ancient homes, messages broadcast by mosques on Friday appeared to spark an exodus.

“Christian families are on their way to Dohuk and Arbil” in the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq, Chaldean patriarch Louis Sako, who heads Iraq’s largest Christian community, told AFP.

“For the first time in the history of Iraq, Mosul is now empty of Christians,” he said, putting the number of those who were still in the city on Thursday at 25,000.

Iraq Christians told to convert to Islam or face death

The Islamic State group has threatened Christians in the Iraqi city of Mosul with death if they do not to convert to Islam or pay a tax, Al Jazeera has learned.


The Sunni rebel group issued the orders in a letter after Friday prayers. The document, obtained by Al Jazeera, states that the order was issued after Christian leaders failed to attend a meeting called by the group.

In response, the group says in the letter that Christians must either convert to Islam, pay a special tax on non-Muslims known as jiziya, or face death “as a last resort”.

Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, was overrun by the Islamic State group and allied rebel groups last month.

The Iraqi army units stationed in the city, most of whom were Shia, fled after the group crossed from Syria and attacked the north of Iraq.