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Pope Francis is expected to delight Catholics all over the world during Easter celebrations at the Vatican on Sunday, just weeks after he was fighting for his life in the hospital while suffering from pneumonia.

 

The ailing 88-year-old pontiff has been recovering from his health ordeal since leaving the hospital on March 23, having spent 38 days receiving treatment.

 

He is expected to deliver the “Urbi et Orbi” benediction from a balcony overlooking Saint Peter’s Square from midday (1000 GMT) on Sunday in what is the most important Christian celebration.

 

The Holy See’s press service has let it be known that Francis would likely be present for the Easter Sunday events, but without actually confirming his participation, insisting that it depends on his health.

 

His voice remains weak, despite improvements in his breathing, which have seen Francis appear in public twice over the last week without the nasal cannula through which he has been receiving oxygen.

 

He may delegate the reading of his Easter text — in which he usually reflects on conflicts and crises around the world — to someone else.

 

For the first time since his election in 2013, the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics has missed the majority of Holy Week events, such as Friday’s Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum and Saturday’s Easter vigil at Saint Peter’s Basilica, where he delegated his duties to cardinals.

 

He did, however, make a brief appearance at Saint Peter’s on Saturday as he greeted visitors.

 

Some 300 cardinals, bishops and priests will attend Sunday’s Easter mass — which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ — at Saint Peter’s Square, which will be decorated with thousands of flowers.

 

Organisers expect even bigger crowds than usual due to the Jubilee, a “Holy Year” in the Catholic Church which comes around once every quarter of a century and attracts thousands of pilgrims to the Eternal City.

 

– Christian rarity –

It is also noteworthy for the presence of US Vice President JD Vance in Rome over the weekend.

 

He held talks on Saturday with the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s secretary for relations with states.

 

That came just two months after a spat between Francis and the administration of US President Donald Trump over its anti-migrant policies.

Neither the Vatican nor the vice president’s office have commented on any possible meeting between Francis and Vance, but the Easter mass could provide such an opportunity.

 

Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the college of cardinals, presided over Saturday night’s solemn Easter vigil in Saint Peter’s Basilica in place of the Argentine pontiff.

 

Francis, who has been ordered to rest for two months and avoid public duties, has had a single official engagement this Holy Week, visiting a prison in Rome.

 

He even missed the traditional foot-washing ritual, which seeks to imitate Jesus Christ’s washing of his disciples’ feet.

 

When asked by a journalist after his prison visit what he felt about this Easter week in his current condition, the smiling pope said in a weak and raspy voice: “I am living it as best I can.”

 

Francis, who was already weakened by previous health issues, was twice close to death during his recent illness.

 

This year’s Easter is unusual as it falls on the same weekend in both the Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity, which follow the Gregorian calendar, and the Orthodox branch, which uses the Julian calendar.

 

AFP

The Kogi State Police Command had launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of a man and a woman in the Ankpa Local Government Area of the state.

 

The command’s public relations officer, SP William Aya in an interview on Saturday, gave the names of the deceased persons as Sheriff Salifu and Blessing Adama, who were both from Ankpa.

 

It was, however, not clear if the duo were a couple or not, but both were naked when their lifeless bodies were discovered in the room.

Aya, who described the incident as sudden and unnatural, said the command has launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of their deaths.

 

Aya said, “One Salisu Ibrahim from Alo in Ankpa came to the station about 12 pm, where he reported that his tenant, one Sheriff Salifu, did not come out of his room as usual at about 09:31 am.

 

“So, the brother to the deceased entered the room through the ceiling and met his brother and one Blessing Adama of Ojogobi Road Ankpa lying lifeless in the room. Both deceased were seen naked.”

The Nigeria Immigration Service, Illela Border Command in Sokoto State, has confirmed the repatriation of 62 Republic of Mali nationals through the Illela Control Post.

 

The Controller of the command, Mr Tony Akuneme, who disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, added that they comprised of 51 males and 11 females.

 

Akuneme said the Mali nationals were escorted from the NIS headquarters in Abuja to Illela Border in Sokoto by a team of eight officers led by Insp. Mamoud Sadiq, in two buses.

 

He said that the team arrived at the border post at about 8pm on Friday.

 

“Upon their arrival, I directed the Assistant Controller in charge of Human Resources, Adamu Mshelia, who also doubled as the Officer in Charge of Anti-Smuggling Unit to oversee the proper documentation of the repatriated individuals.

 

“After due procedures, the irregular migrants were handed over to officers of the Niger Republic Police at the Birnin Konni control post.

 

“At Birnin Konni, the migrants underwent another round of screening and documentation before being received by the Commisere, the police chief of the area,” he added.

In a related development, the NIS boss said that the construction of both mega and mini Forward Operating Bases was ongoing at the Illela control post.

 

He said the upgrade by the NIS Controller-General, Kemi Nandap, was in continuation of her drive to rid the country of irregular migrants across the 36 states and FCT.

 

“The construction company has commenced land clearance and demolition of some dilapidated and unserviceable structures.

 

“We appreciate the CG for this upgrade, which aligns with her commitment to curbing irregular and prohibited migration across the country,” he said.

 

Akuneme assured the public that the situation remains calm in Illela and Tangaza areas, with military and security personnel maintaining a presence to address threats from Lakurawa bandits.

 

NAN

 

The contractor handling the Kabba-Egbe-Ilorin Road will return to site in the next two weeks, according to Senator Sunday Karimi.

 

Karimi, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, gave the assurance while making a remark at this year’s Isanlu Day celebration on Saturday.

 

The lawmaker explained that his efforts in getting the contractor handling the Kabba-Ilorin Road back to site has yielded result, and assured all that work will hopefully resume on the road in another two weeks.

 

Karimi made a donation of N10m in support of the Isanlu Day, and solicited the support of the people of Kogi West fpr the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

He urged them to keep faith with Tinubu’s administration, pointing out that he means well for Nigerians, with Kogi West topmost on his administration’s agenda.

 

Karimi disclosed that Tinubu is not resting on his oars in the restoration of the nation’s economy, said thus far, the administration is doing well, and on the verge of restoring the nation’s economy back to prosperity.

 

Femi Atteh SAN, a prominent Isanlu son, the chief launcher at this year’s Isanlu Day, donated N20million, while Leke Abejide, member representing Yagba Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, pledged the sum of N10million.

Unidentified gunmen have attacked the Faruruwa community in Shanono Local Government Area of Kano State, abducting the son of a prominent trader during a Thursday evening raid.

 

The incident occurred around 7pm when the assailants stormed the community and reportedly shot sporadically to instil fear among residents.

 

According to a witness, Ibrahim Faruruwa, the attackers targeted Alhaji Haruna Halilu, a wealthy trader in the area, but he was not present at his shop during the attack.

 

“When they couldn’t get Alhaji Haruna, they abducted his son, Mas’ud,” Ibrahim said.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Kano State Police Command, Abdullahi Kiyawa, said the police are aware of the attack and have commenced an investigation.

 

He assured that full details of the incident will be made available once the inquiry is concluded.

 

Details regarding casualties or the number of abductees remain unclear as of the time of filing this report.

Market women in Warri, Delta State, on Friday, reportedly staged a surprise birthday celebration for a female police officer, identified as Mercy Uche, while she was on duty.

 

A video from the event showed the officer visibly emotional as drums and music filled the air, with traders dancing around her and spraying her with money in appreciation.

 

The celebration took place at a busy yet-to-be-identified road location, where Officer Uche was seen maintaining her post even as the festivities unfolded.

 

The celebration has drawn attention online, with many Nigerians taking to social media to commend the officer’s character and the traders’ kind gesture.

#MamaAfrica737 wrote, “The only thing we Nigerians need from our police force is to be kind to us and this woman was so kind to the people where she serve every day… She won’t be celebrated this way if she was bad to them.”

 

#DJKentSounds noted, “A very nice policewoman at Main Market, along NPA. She’s really good at her job along that busy road.”

 

Others praised the show of community love from the Warri traders.

 

“Warri no dey disappoint, lovely,” #TrueYarnTV tweeted.

 

Some viewers even said they found the video more uplifting than other viral content.

“I prefer watching this video from morning to night than watching Iyabo Ojo’s daughter wedding video,” #OluwadareSeun15 commented.

 

Many also called for official recognition of the officer’s dedication.

 

“I pray for her promotion to follow, Inshallah,” #OkunowoGbola wrote.

 

Fuji musician, Alhaji Taye Adebisi, popularly known as Taye Currency, has recounted how he lost N10 million to an alleged Ponzi scheme operated by Crypto Bridge Exchange, popularly called CBEX.

 

In a viral video circulating on social media, the singer recounted the ordeal during a stage performance.

 

He disclosed that he was introduced to the scheme by some of his close associates.

 

The fuji star said, “On April 1, Sodiq came to my house and said Lateef, the brand manager, had collected some money and also introduced Alaba and Small London had also collected their money, and Brother Muca

 

“Alaba used N1.2 million he stole from the stage to invest in CBEX. Brother Muca also put in his work fee of N500,000. Sodiq used the money he was saving in the band, N850,000. Lateef invested N1.4 million.”

 

The singer revealed that it was the success of his associates in the scheme that made him invest in it too.

 

“Lateef said he used N200k to collect N600k, and I got motivated. I withdrew the money I had saved with insurance, see my life in the open. I invested N10m in CBEX on April 1, but everything vanished,” he lamented.

In the footage, a visibly upset Currency lashed out at those who introduced the scheme to him, saying: “If they die well, they won’t rest well, because I was on my own before you took me to CBEX.”

 

Currency’s recent lamentation comes amid growing outrage over the collapse of CBEX, which has reportedly defrauded numerous Nigerians who were lured by promises of high returns through digital investment offerings.

 

PUNCH Online reports that the digital investment platform CBEX collapsed, with reports indicating losses amounting to over N1.3 trillion incurred by investors.

 

The platform became inaccessible after users experienced persistent withdrawal failures, followed by sudden account balance wipes.

 

The incident has sparked widespread reactions, particularly on social media, where users have expressed frustration, criticism, and concern over the situation.

 

Reacting to the incident, the Securities and Exchange Commission stated that CBEX is not registered to operate as a digital assets exchange in Nigeria and warned the investing public against transacting with the platform.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has explained why he did not support the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during the 2023 general elections.

 

Speaking in a press briefing on Friday in Abuja, Wike stated that he did not believe Obi had a realistic chance of winning the presidential contest, describing him as a “social media candidate.”

 

“No, he has no chance to win election,” Wike said. “I don’t go to where you see people like this kind of social media candidates. I don’t do social media candidate.”

 

Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, emphasised that as a politician, he focuses on analysing candidates with the capacity to win, rather than those perceived to be popular online.

 

“I said I see that as a politician, and I analyse the candidate who is likely to win,” he said.

 

According to Wike, winning elections in Nigeria involves more than just being the most qualified or popular on social media platforms.

 

“In politics, it’s not always the right that oh, this is the best candidate. No, no, no,” he said. “You see Nigerians today, in politics, so many factors come in.”

He also referenced the challenges faced during the 2023 elections, including the naira redesign policy and fuel scarcity, which he said created a turbulent environment.

 

“It was very very turbulent for Tinubu to get to that election,” Wike stated. “It is one party administration. You could see people don’t want to speak the truth before that election.”

 

Wike commended the eventual winner of the election, President Bola Tinubu, for navigating the difficulties imposed by administration policies at the time.

 

“No party in government would at that time bring some policy when you know you’re running an election,” he said. “But everything was done and he survived. he survived it.”

 

He concluded by acknowledging the political experience and strategy that helped Tinubu emerge victorious.

 

“So that’s how you know that there are people, first of all, God is on their side. Two, they also know this game. You must give it to them.”

Officials in the Trump administration could face criminal contempt charges for ignoring a US judge’s order that stopped the deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members.

 

The judge said the government showed a “willful disregard” for his March 15 ruling, which stopped the deportations to El Salvador under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.

 

Many lawyers and families of the migrants say those deported are not gang members and never had a chance to challenge the government’s claim that they were.

 

On Wednesday, US District Judge James Boasberg said there was enough reason to hold officials in contempt for not following his order.

 

This ruling is the closest any court has come to punishing the Trump administration since it returned to office in January. It also increases the conflict between the judicial and executive branches.

 

The U.S. Justice Department has appealed the decision to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

 

Boasberg said the administration could avoid contempt charges if it allowed the migrants to challenge their deportations in court.

 

He gave them until April 23 to explain how they plan to follow the ruling or to identify the officials who ignored the order so they can be prosecuted.

 

The judge also mentioned a tweet from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele shared a news story about the judge’s order and said, “Oopsie…Too late.” Boasberg said this tweet suggested the officials had deliberately ignored the court’s order.

 

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung said the administration would seek an immediate appeal.

 

A Justice Department spokesperson called the judge’s actions a “power grab” and said they would fight it.

 

The Trump administration is facing over 150 legal challenges to its policies. Some legal experts say the government is ignoring court orders, which raises concerns about its willingness to defy the judicial branch.

In Maryland, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis is investigating whether the administration violated another order to return a man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador.

 

The Justice Department has also appealed that ruling.

Boasberg’s order goes further. If the administration doesn’t fix the issue, he may require officials to give sworn statements or face questioning under oath. He could also assign a government prosecutor or appoint someone else to act as a prosecutor if the government refuses.

 

“This is a strong rebuke to the administration,” said Professor Jonathan Hafetz from Seton Hall University School of Law.

 

Trump has called for Boasberg’s impeachment for blocking the deportations, but U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts said disagreements with court orders should be handled by appeals, not impeachment.

 

The Trump administration has also targeted other independent institutions like universities and law firms.

 

The case is related to Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act, which was famously used during World War II to deport Japanese, German, and Italian Americans. Some were U.S. citizens.

 

Lawyers for the deported migrants said they haven’t been able to contact or find out what’s happened to their clients.

 

“Today’s decision shows the government’s actions are unlawful and a threat to our Constitution,” said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, a group representing the migrants.

 

It’s uncertain whether the threat of contempt charges will force the administration to follow the judge’s order, but usually, government officials comply when faced with such threats. However, the president has the power to pardon those convicted of criminal contempt.

 

In 2017, Trump pardoned Joe Arpaio, a former Arizona sheriff convicted of criminal contempt for ignoring a court order in a racial profiling case.

 

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has uncovered five illegal crude oil dumps in the Jahi/Katampe axis of Abuja.

 

This is contained in a statement issued by the NSCDC Spokesperson, Afolabi Babawale, on Thursday in Abuja.

 

The corps also confirmed the arrest of seven suspects linked to the illegal crude oil production and distribution.

 

The NSCDC said the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad also recovered trucks loaded with stolen Automotive Gas Oil from the suspects.

 

The corps said one white truck with three compartments fully loaded with 45,000 litres of AGO with an unverifiable waybill seen at the illegal dump, four Mercedes-Benz short peddler trucks, and several other vehicles were impounded.

Pumping machines, different-sized hoses, Mikano generator, approximately 23 surface metallic constructed tanks with some containing large quantities of suspected AGO, a container shelter amongst other exhibits, were also impounded.

 

The NSCDC said that the arrests made by the CG’s SIS showcased the dedication of the corps to relentlessly crack down on crude oil thieves across the federation.

 

He said that the suspects would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.