Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has called on those in leadership to demonstrate compassion and place the well-being of the people above all, in accordance with divine guidance.
In a statement from his media office on Thursday, congratulating Muslims on Eid al-Adha, Atiku encouraged Nigerians, especially Muslims, to embody kindness and peace in their daily lives.
He stated, “The essence of Eid-al-Adha, rooted in the traditions of Prophet Ibrahim and upheld by Prophet Muhammad, calls us to reflect kindness and peace in our lives.
‘The Waziri Adamawa urged Muslims to extend charity to the less privileged, noting, kindness and generosity are integral to our faith – values we must uphold not only during this celebration but at all times.”
He also urged leaders at all levels to embody the spirit of compassion and sacrifice reflected in the festival.
The statement added, “Leadership demands forbearance and commitment to the greater good. I appeal to those in authority to show compassion and prioritise the welfare of the people, in line with God’s command.
“Atiku concluded by advocating for peace and unity, encouraging Nigerians to pray for harmony in their homes and society during this sacred time.”
The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Ajibola Basiru, has urged Muslims to celebrate the forthcoming Eid-ul-Adha with love, moderation, and reflection.
Basiru, who is seeking the APC governorship ticket for the 2026 Osun governorship poll, in a statement by the spokesperson for the Senator Ajibola Basiru Campaign Organisation, Prof. Sulaiman Ajala, called for prayers for the prosperity of the state and peaceful conduct of the August 8, 2026, governorship election.
He felicitated Muslims on witnessing another Eid-ul-Adha celebration.
The governorship aspirant admonished the Muslim Ummah to extend kindness to everybody irrespective of their religious beliefs.
“We thank the Almighty Allah for another grace of life to be part of this year’s celebrations. It’s a privilege, not by our doing, strength, or power. I want to appreciate the people of Osun State for sustaining their confidence in the APC. I appreciate the sacrifices we have made so far under the clueless administration in the state.
“I treasure the support of our people for the Alubarika Movement. I relish your unrelenting efforts and admire your courage in ensuring that our determination to govern the state sees the light of day.
“I still want to prod us to use this period of acceptance of prayers to pray for our dear state, nation, and party, particularly APC’s triumph in next year’s governorship poll in Osun and other elections elsewhere,” he added.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu has donated rams, bags of rice and other food items to the Muslim community in Abia State ahead of the Sallah festivities billed for Friday.
Presenting the items to the Muslim faithful led by Sarki Shehu Bello in Bende, Bende Local Government Area of the State, Kalu urged them to use the occasion to spread love to the indigent people and put a smile on their faces.
A statement issued on Thursday by the Special Assistant to the Deputy Speaker on Print Affairs, Udora Orizu, quoted Kalu as saying that he would not relent in championing the cause and welfare of his people by spreading the dividends of democracy.
Wishing them a joyous celebration, the Deputy Speaker who also represents Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State appealed to the Muslim faithful and indeed, all Nigerians to continue to pray for and support the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
In his response, the leader of Abia Muslim Community, thanked the Deputy Speaker for his benevolence, and ensuring that the Muslim community residing in Abia state celebrate Sallah in harmony in happiness and joy.
He said, “On behalf of the Muslim community, we want to appreciate His Excellency, the Deputy Speaker for remembering us, for making sure that the Muslim community residing in Abia State celebrate this Sallah in harmony, happiness and joy. May God bless him more and more. He will have long life and things will go well for him.”
Muslim pilgrims prayed atop Mount Arafat on Thursday during the high point of the annual hajj pilgrimage, as Saudi officials called on participants to refrain from being outside during the hottest hours of the day.
Thousands of pilgrims began to gather before dawn around the hill and the surrounding plain where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have given his last sermon.
While some arrived early to take advantage of the relatively cool morning, carrying colourful umbrellas, many pilgrims will remain for hours of prayers and Koran recitals until the evening in the most arduous portion of the hajj.
After sunset they will head to Muzdalifah, halfway between Arafat and the sprawling tent city of Mina, where they will gather pebbles so they can perform the symbolic “stoning of the devil”.
“This is something that I used to see every year on the TV screen during hajj and I always thought: ‘I wish I could be here’,” said 33-year-old Ali from Pakistan, one of 1.5 million pilgrims who had arrived in Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.
“I’ve been trying to get here… for the past 3 years,” he added as he gazed at the mount. “I feel very blessed.”
Hundreds of pilgrims dressed in white dotted the mount itself, with many more at its foot praying or taking pictures.
Earlier this week, Saudi authorities called on pilgrims to stay inside their tents between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm on Thursday, when the desert sun is at its harshest.
Fans spraying mist and providing cool air were dispersed at the foot of the mount.
Temperatures this year have already exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) as one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings, bringing together devotees from around the globe, kicked off earlier this week
Officials have beefed up heat mitigation efforts aiming to avoid a repeat of last year’s hajj, which saw 1,301 pilgrims die as temperatures reached 51.8C.
“I came here early to (avoid) the sun and later I will pray inside my tent,” said 54-year-old Adel Ismail, from Syria.
To make this year’s pilgrimage safer, authorities have expanded infrastructure, deployed thousands of extra personnel and relied on an arsenal of high-tech tools to help better manage crowds.
Authorities have mobilised more than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials, doubling their efforts against heat-related illness following the lethal heatwave of 2024.
Shaded areas have been expanded by 50,000 square metres (12 acres), thousands more medics will be on standby, and more than 400 cooling units will be deployed, the hajj minister has told AFP.
Through tears of joy, Iman Abdel Khaleq said she had wanted to perform the hajj for 10 years and was overwhelmed with emotion as she arrived at Arafat.
“It’s a big dream for me that I had almost given hope up of realising,” the woman in her fifties told AFP from the foot of the mount.
Authorities said a majority of the deaths in 2024 were among unregistered pilgrims who lacked access to amenities like air-conditioned tents and buses.
This year, they have also cracked down on unregistered pilgrims looking to sneak into Mecca, relying on frequent raids, drone surveillance and a barrage of text alerts.
Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota basis and distributed to individuals by a lottery.
But even for those who can obtain them, the steep costs prompt many to attempt the hajj without a permit, even though they risk arrest and deportation if caught.
Saudi Arabia earns billions of dollars a year from the hajj, and the lesser pilgrimage known as umrah, undertaken at other times of the year.
A man and woman were publicly flogged 100 times each in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province on Wednesday after they were found guilty of sex outside marriage by a court operating under strict Islamic law.
Sexual relations between an unmarried couple is outlawed in Aceh, which imposes a version of sharia, the Islamic legal code.
Indonesia banned sex outside of marriage in its latest criminal code in 2022 but that law will not come into force until next year.
The two were lashed in sets of 10 with a rattan stick as a small crowd watched on at a park in the provincial capital Banda Aceh, and the female suspect was lashed by a woman, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.
Three other suspects were caned a combined 49 times for alleged gambling and alcohol consumption.
A member of the sharia police holds a rattan stick during a public caning in Banda Aceh on June 4, 2025. A man and woman were publicly flogged 100 times each in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province on June 4 after they were found guilty of sex outside marriage by a court operating under strict Islamic law. (Photo by CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN / AFP)
”Today we are carrying out flogging punishment for perpetrators of adultery, alcohol consumption, and online gambling,” Banda Aceh Mayor Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal told reporters.
”This becomes a moral lesson for the community at large. This flogging punishment becomes a gateway to repentance for them.”
Medical services were on standby for all of those convicted.
Rights groups have condemned the punishment as draconian.
Yet caning retains strong support among Aceh’s population as a common punishment for a range of offences including gambling, drinking alcohol and adultery.
In February two men were publicly flogged more than 150 times after being found guilty of sexual relations. Gay sex is outlawed in Aceh.
The region started using religious law after it was granted special autonomy in 2001, an attempt by the central government to quell a long-running separatist insurgency.
President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerian Muslims Ummah to strictly adhere to the teachings, values, and noble objectives of the Holy Qur’an, for Nigeria to witness and achieve greatness.
Speaking during the grand finale of his late Mother, Abibatu Mogaji’s Qur’anic Recitation Competition in Kano on Saturday, organised by Senator Bashir Lado, the President insisted that the holy book is a complete guide for humanity, source of lights, wisdom and solace.
Represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Political and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari, President Tinubu said, “This Quranic Recitation Competition is more than just a contest of vocal prowess, but it is a spiritual journey, a testament to dedication, discipline and devotion
“The Quran is the divine word of Allah, a complete guide for humanity, a source of light, wisdom and solace, as such the need for strictly adhering to its teaching is required for all the Muslims Ummah to change the narrative.
“I urge you all to strictly adhere to the teachings of this noble book as that will for sure lead us to a peaceful coexistence where a prosperous society devoid of hatred and blood shed will be achieved”.
President Tinubu continues, “As we witness this beautiful Recitation today let us all be reminded of the Quranic message of peace, unity, Justice and compassion let us strive to continue love by its teachings.
In his remark, the organiser of the events, Lado, said, “This assignment, Mr President, was not a mere administrative duty, it was a deeply personal mission that spoke to the values you embody, respect for legacy, fidelity to memory and everlasting power of maternal love”.
He continues, “When a man loses a father he loses an anchor, but when he loses a mother he loses the sky, the shade of unconditional love the whisper of midnight prayers the lap that comforted even the strongest man all gone save in memory.
Lado explained that the President Mother, Hajiya Mogaji left behind the richness of her spirit and the legacy of her values and that legacy stands us today in her son, a President who is a builder, a protector and a custodian of hopes in an era when many nations tremble in the wind.
In the same vein, Lado prayed for the mother of former President Buhari, Hajiya Zulaihat Buhari, saying she raised in the former President a man of discipline and honour.
Aare Adetola Emmanuelking Conferred with First-Ever “Knight of Faith” Title by CAN South West Nigeri
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South West Nigeria, on Thursday, 22nd May 2025, officially conferred its first-ever “Knight of Faith” title upon renowned business mogul and philanthropist, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking, in recognition of his dedication to the Christian faith, nation-building, and exemplary leadership in business and community development.
The historic investiture, themed “Celebrating Distinction and Faithful Stewardship,” was held at the Garden of Faith, Abeokuta. The occasion also featured the induction of several eminent Nigerians as Distinguished Patrons of the association, including the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun; the Deputy Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs, Barr. Olaniyi Alajogun; and legendary gospel music icon, Sir Evangelist Prof. Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi (MFR).
The event was chaired by the CAN South West Chairman, Bishop Tunde Akin-Akinsanya, and graced by His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, Executive Governor of Ogun State, who serves as the Grand Patron of the association. The Governor was ably represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Tokunbo Talabi.
Also present were top dignitaries, including the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Ola Oresanya; Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Olanrewaju Ogunlowo; Royal Fathers, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, His Grace Most Rev’d (Dr.) Daniel Chukwudumebi Okoh; several CAN State Chairmen, and other influential figures from across the country.
The spiritually charged event featured soul-lifting gospel music performances, intercessory prayers, official decoration of all awardees, and a special empowerment program. In a remarkable gesture of generosity, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking donated a plot of land in one of Adron Homes’ prestigious estates to the winner of the empowerment program, emphasizing his longstanding commitment to economic empowerment and community transformation.
In his acceptance speech, Aare Emmanuelking expressed profound humility and gratitude for the honour, dedicating it to God and the entire body of Christ. He emphasized that the conferment was a divine mandate to do more.
“This is a divine call, not just to me but to every Christian in leadership,” he said. “I charge every believer to uphold the values of our faith, integrity, love, excellence, and service. In these trying times, the world needs more light-bearers. Let us not shrink our influence, but shine boldly for Christ.”
He further urged fellow Christian brethren to remain unshaken in their commitment to godly principles and to be intentional in advancing the cause of the Kingdom in every sector of society.
The “Knight of Faith” sash, unveiled during the ceremony, now stands as a lasting symbol of spiritual distinction and kingdom stewardship. This momentous event marks a significant chapter in faith-based leadership recognition and affirms CAN South West’s mission to celebrate lives that embody Christ-like values and contribute meaningfully to national development.
A Nigerian pilgrim, Hajiya Zainab, from Plateau State, has returned $5,000 (about ₦8.2 million) she found at Masjidul Haram in Makkah to its rightful owner, a Russian pilgrim.
The Plateau State Pilgrims Board, led by Daiyabu Dauda, and the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, praised her honesty and integrity.
“She demonstrated exceptional integrity and honesty by returning $5,000 she found in Masjidul Haram to its rightful owner. That’s a remarkable act of kindness,” Dauda said in a statement.
Meanwhile, NAHCON says it is in talks with Saudi authorities to reopen visa processing for intending pilgrims.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Wednesday, by NAHCON’s Assistant Director of Information, Fatima Usara.
Usara said the commission said it remains hopeful.
“There is optimism for a positive outcome, and when that is realised, the commission will immediately transport the registered pilgrims for the Hajj in another special arrangement,” Usara said.
She added that some staff have been placed on standby in case the visa window is reopened.
The authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have confirmed the sighting of the Dhul Hijjah crescent, signaling the beginning of the 12th month in the Islamic calendar.
In a message posted on Tuesday by Haramain, a Saudi-based online news platform, via X, it was stated that “Wednesday would be the first day of Dhul Hijjah.”
Muslims worldwide journey to Makkah for hajj during Dhul Hijjah.
According to Haramain’s message, “June 5 would be the day of Arafat,” while “June 6 would be the day of Eid-el-Adha,” the largest festival in the Muslim calendar.
Dhul Hijjah is regarded as a sacred month, a period marked by increased devotion, reflection, and worship.
A 75-year-old woman from Edo State, Adizatu Dazumi, died during the 2025 Hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Dazumi was from Jattu Uzairue in Etsako West Local Government Area.
PUNCH Online gathered that the pilgrim died on Monday at King Fahad General Hospital in Makkah after a short illness.
The Chairman of the Edo State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Musah Uduimoh, confirmed her death on Tuesday.
Uduimoh said Dazumi became ill shortly after performing Tawaaf (walking around the Kaaba) and was taken to the hospital on Sunday. She passed away the next day.
“She was buried in Makkah on the same day, according to Islamic tradition, and her family in Jattu Uzairue has been informed,” Uduimoh said.
He sent his condolences to her family and assured other pilgrims that the board is committed to their health and safety.
