Gunmen abduct RCCG pastor during Sunday service

 

 There was panic at a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at Santos bus stop in the Isawo, Ikorodu, Lagos State, on Sunday after  some gunmen walked in and abducted the pastor during the service.

PUNCH  learnt that the pastor, identified only as Bajomo, was whisked away by the gunmen, who came to the church as if they were new members.

Our correspondent learnt that the pastor, who was abducted around 7am, was the first to reach the parish and was preparing for a workers’ meeting which usually preceded the Sunday service.

It was gathered that when the other members arrived at the church, the pastor was nowhere to be found.

 Our correspondent gathered that the matter was reported at the Owutu Police Division.

A witness, who identified herself only as Esther, said the gunmen wore attractive clothes as if they had come for the church service.

She said, “The pastor came earlier around 7am to prepare for a workers’ meeting. The shocking thing was that the men walked in quietly like new members.

“They dressed like people who had come to church. They had Bibles with them. They did not shoot or display any weapon. It was when they got to the pastor that they brought out their guns and ordered him to come with them.

 “The pastor got to the church before anyone else and only three members had arrived before the abduction.

“We discovered after they had left that they were Ijaw militants. They have taken away our pastor. Some members, after the incident, went to the pastor’s house to inform his family members.

“It is a sad occurrence in our area that residents are being abducted, raped, assaulted and even killed every day. It is a problem that has been left to become a calamity.

“I think the state government and the police really need to do something about these recurring incidents. We are at the mercy of the Ijaw boys.”

Our correspondent learnt that the Sunday service did not hold at the parish as a result of the pastor’s abduction.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said she would get back to our correspondent on the matter.

She, however, had yet to get back as of press time.

The RCCG Head, Media and Public Relations, Pastor Segun Adegbiji, confirmed the abduction.

He said the church would invite God’s anger on those who troubled its members and pastors.

He said, “RCCG will not take abduction or murder of our pastors and members any more.

Culled from The Punch,Nigeria

Priest killed in France church attack

A priest was killed on Tuesday after a hostage situation at a church near the northern French city of Rouen, a police source said.

The French interior ministry said that two hostage-takers were “neutralised” in the attack in the town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray.

French President Francois Hollande and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve were on their way to the scene, their offices said.
The incident comes as France remains on high alert nearly two weeks after Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel mowed down a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day in the southern city of Nice, killing 84 and injuring over 300.

The attack was the third major strike on France in 18 months and was claimed by the Islamic State group.

Murdered Redeemed preacher for burial on her birthday

About two weeks after her assassination by alleged Islamic fundamentalists in Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory, the family of the late Eunice Olawale Elisha on Tuesday announced that the deceased would be buried on July 23, 2016.

A brother to the deceased, Mr. Akun Oluwadare, told journalists that the family had concluded arrangement to properly bury her on July 23, a day that “coincided with her birthday celebration.”

The 42-year-old mother of seven and pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, was murdered while preaching the gospel of Christ at Gbazango-West area of Kubwa.

 

Oluwadare said, “The Christian wake will come up on Friday, July 22 by 5pm at the RCCG Provincial Headquarters, Phase Three, Kubwa. The burial service is fixed for Saturday, July 23, which coincided with her birthday by 12pm at the same venue. Interment will follow immediately at Gudu Cemetry, Abuja.”

 

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Hijab: Court strikes out CAN’s application for stay of execution

  An Osun State High Court has struck out the application for stay of execution filed by the Christian Association of Nigeria against the judgment which allowed Muslim students to wear hijab in all public schools in the state.
Justice Jide Falola on Tuesday struck out the application following the filing of another stay of execution before the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure by the CAN.
Counsel for CAN,  Ayo Laogun, informed the court that his client had filed a fresh application for stay of execution before the Court of Appeal, Akure

He applied to withdraw the application for stay of execution, saying, “in view of Order 4 Rules 10 & 11 of the Court of Appeal Rules 2011, the lower court can not take the application

Counsel for the 1st to 5th respondents, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Ministry of Education and three others, Mr. Jide Obisakin, did not raise any objection to the withdrawal of the application.


The judge subsequently struck out the case.
Meanwhile, the  Chairman of the CAN in the state,  Rev. Elisha Ogundiya, has called on Christians across the state to be law-abiding pending the determination of the case before the appellate court.
He said he wanted the state government to ensure that status-quo was  maintained in the state public schools.
Ogundiya said the CAN would pursue the matter to a logical conclusion and urged his members to be “vigilant and prayerful for a successful conclusion of the suit at the appellate court.”

He said he wanted the state government to ensure that status-quo was  maintained in the state public schools.
Ogundiya said the CAN would pursue the matter to a logical conclusion and urged his members to be “vigilant and prayerful for a successful conclusion of the suit at the appellate court.”
Justice Falola had on July 8 advised lawyers of the two parties in the case to warn their clients against destabilising the judiciary.
Falola said, “I want to draw your attention to an issue, I want you lawyers to admonish your clients not to use religion to destabilise the judiciary. Judges have religions they chose to have and some don’t have.
“Shopping for a particular type of judge to handle your case based on their religions is deplorable and should be condemned. Judiciary is a temple without bias. We deal with the law and religions are dropped at the gate of the courts.
“It is easy for Nigerians to resort to blackmail whenever things don’t happen the way they want them to happen.”

Culled from The Punch,Nigeria

Adeboye invites Abuja Christians for Prayers

The General-Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has invited all Christians in Abuja to attend a special prayer programme for Nigeria.

 The G.O gave the invitation at the just-concluded monthly non-denominational programme, organized by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, tagged Divine Encounter, held at the National Stadium, Abuja.
 
Mounting the podium, Adeboye asked all present to note the date and urged them to attend the all-important prayers for the country.
 He said the special national prayers will be held on Thursday, July 21^st, 2016 at the National Stadium, Abuja. The time is 5pm.
Christians all over Abuja, especially Redeemers are enjoined to attend.

 It is our role to pray for the peace of our Jerusalem. Nigeria is our Jerusalem let us all show up to pray for Nigeria and as we do so God will answer all our personal prayers in Jesus’ name .

 

Adeboye, Olawale Pray for Killers of Abuja Preacher

Just when everybody, including the National Assembly, was clamouring for justice and punishment for the killers of the Abuja preacher, late Mrs. Eunice Olawale, if found. The RCCG’s G.O, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, has said the Church did not want justice for its slain member.
Adeboye said the Church was only interested in the salvation of the souls of the killers.
 Eunice, a 42-year-old woman, was murdered while preaching the gospel in kubwa, Abuja around 5am on Saturday.

 Adeboye, who was on his way to Lagos after a crusade in Abuja, paid a condolence visit to the family at their Gbazango Estate, Kubwa.

  While praying for the family of the deceased, Adeboye said, “Lord, we just want to say thank you. We pray that you keep this family in your hands and that you will be with them. We pray you will comfort and defend them. They too will finish well.

 Praying further, he said, “We are praying that all the perpetrators of this crime will be found. We are not asking for justice; we are only praying that you will save their souls. It will be glorious if they can come and testify that before we were murderers but now we are pastors”.
 Also, the widower of late Mrs. Eunice Olawale has shown that he or the family is not interested in justice for the killers of his wife.

 Olawale, who said this while narrating to newsmen how he got wind of his wife’s death, said “I see her as a martyr and she died for Christ and whether the people are caught or not, they should be forgiven”.

 He went further to pray for them, the same way the General-Overseer had done, saying, “My prayer is that if they can accept Christ that will be a gain for Christ”.

What a display of forgiveness even in the most trying moment of family grief.

That is a lesson for all Christians that no matter what, we should always be ready to forgive. Forgiveness is one of the virtues of a good Christian.

Kumuyi urges Nigerians not to lose hope in Buhari

Pst.Kumuyi

The General Superintendent, Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi has called on Nigerians not to lose hope in President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration.
 
The Deeper Life Church leader spoke during a visit to the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) national headquarters, early this month.
 
Kumuyi said he was hopeful that President Buhari was on the right track to reposition the nation’s economy.

 He said although the country might be passing through the worst of times, there are strong reasons not to lose hope in the President, because God is on the throne.

 He added that there was always light at the end of the tunnel. He said he is optimistic that the President Buhari-led Federal Government is focused and his cabinet knows what they are doing.

 Pastor Kumuyi  who spoke earlier in June, at a press conference held at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, just before the crusade tagged ‘’Night of Extra-ordinary Wonders’’, expressed optimism that things would turn around for good in Nigeria very soon.

 The Church leader, who said, he did not think Nigerians should lose hope, because there is God in heaven who answers prayers, informed that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior wanted the best for everyone, and that there were some Nigerians who are praying and believe that God answers prayers and so people should not lose hope in Nigeria as thing were still going to turn around.

 
It would be recalled that Pastor E.A Adeboye, earlier in the year, declared that though the beginning of the year might be tough, the latter part of the year would witness a positive turn-around for the country.
 So, don’t lose hope .The much-awaited turn-around for individual and the country is just around the corner.