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Why Pope Leo XIV chose Tinubu among other leaders – Bianca Ojukwu

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Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has explained the reason behind President Bola Tinubu’s invitation to Rome by Pope Leo XIV.

Ekwutosblog reported that President Tinubu departed Abuja for Rome, the capital of Italy, on Saturday at the invitation of Pope Leo XIV.

Tinubu, who was accompanied by top Catholic leaders, is attending a solemn mass marking the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

 

The Papal invitation sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV underscored the need for President Tinubu’s physical presence at the event.

Ekwutosblog reports that long before he became a household name in the Vatican, Robert Prevost, simply Fr. Prevost, and Prior General of the Augustinian Order from 2001 to 2013, visited Nigeria nine times.

When he left the post of Prior General, Provost maintained a connection with the west African country.

 

He was invited to Abuja in 2016 for the Mid-Chapter Assembly of the Nigerian Augustinians while he served as Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru.

Just before he became the Pope, Cardinal Robert Prevost was expected in Nigeria in July this year for the ordination of new priests in the Augustinian order.

And Bianca, who appeared on NTA Weekend File from Rome immediately after President Tinubu landed in Rome, said it was his connection to Nigeria that made Pope Leo XIV request the physical presence of the Nigerian leader.

Mrs Ojukwu, who pointed to the connection between Pope Leo XIV and Nigeria, also noted that Nigeria accounts for one of the fastest-growing Catholic populations in the world.

She noted that Pope Leo XIV is not a stranger to Nigeria with his deep knowledge of the streets and chapels in Abuja and Maiduguri.

Speaking on how the Papal invitation and the presence of Nigeria led by the President could build a good relationship between the west African nation and the Vatican, Mrs Ojukwu added, “Of course, the new pontiff is the spiritual leader of over 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. As he had already mentioned, we’re living in a world punctuated by so many tensions, so many conflicts, so much unrest.

“Nigeria’s Catholic community understand the importance and the stabilizing effect the pontiff will bring to the New World Order.

“We of course, appreciate the fact that he has considered Nigeria a very, very important country in Africa, being, of course, the most populous nation in in in in Africa.

“And with the President’s foreign policy thrust, with the President’s concentration on ensuring that one of the key elements policing peace across the African continent, and also ensuring that there is religious tolerance across the country.

“I think it’s particularly significant that being a Muslim, he accepted this invitation to join in the Pontifical mass tomorrow.

“It says a lot about his approach to ensuring that he’s a president for all Nigerians, irrespective of creed, or religious affiliations.”

Tinubu was accompanied by Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Martins and Bishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto Diocese.

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Pastor Chris Reportedly Fills Up Fifteen Stadiums in One Night at the Night of Bliss

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Pastor Chris Oyakhilome’s Night of Bliss on November 21, 2025 has quickly become one of the most talked-about Christian events in Nigeria. The programme was held simultaneously across the country, originally promoted as a ten-stadium event, but several reports and social media posts now claim the gatherings took place in fifteen stadiums nationwide.

Videos, photos and livestreams show massive turnouts across multiple cities, including Benin City, Port Harcourt, Lokoja, Asaba, Jalingo, Eket and others. Reports say all the stadiums involved were filled, though independent verification of exact attendance figures remains limited. What is clear from public footage is that each location recorded huge numbers of worshippers who gathered through the night for prayer, teaching and praise.

Even without confirmed capacity counts, coordinating ten to fifteen major gatherings across different states at the same time is a remarkable accomplishment. The atmosphere in each venue appeared vibrant and unified, with many participants describing the night as spiritually impactful.

For many believers, the Night of Bliss stands out as a moment of nationwide connection, sweeping attendance and extraordinary scale.

Have you ever witnessed anything like this?

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Every member of this church should be awake one hour every night — Bishop Oyedepo reveals how to battle alleged gen0cide of Christians in Nigerians

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Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo, has warned Christians over the escalating insecurity in Nigeria, following a spate of recent @ttacks on churches that resulted in multiple d3aths and abductions, saying Christians must take decisive action.

The bishop’s warning comes as international concern mounts, with Italy becoming the second G7 nation, after the United States, to openly demand an immediate end to the targeted k!llings of Christians in Nigeria.

Speaking at a Pre-Shiloh Encounter Church Service, Bishop Oyedepo expressed deep concern over the nation’s current situation.

“Developments in the past two weeks, particularly in Nigeria, are worrisome to say the least. There is need for a prompt response in prayers to stop the k!llings once and for all. You can’t trade people’s lives for your comfort.”

“All the innocent bloo.d shared is speaking vengeance… all the perpetrators will pay with their lives.”

The cleric urged church members to launch into “midnight raid (prayers)”.

“Every member of this church should be awake one hour every day for one week before v!olence descends to an@rchy in Nigeria…”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRb2LF9DNnh/?igsh=eGY2aWxvbzM5eDc=

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‘Children Were Crying’ – St Mary’s Principal Recounts Midnight Raid As More Details Emerge

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More details have surfaced regarding the abduction of students and staff of St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger State, with the school principal, Rev. Sr. Felicia Gyang, giving a chilling account of how the attackers stormed the premises.

In a video clip dated November 21 and obtained by Sunday Punch, Gyang narrated how the terrorists forced their way into the school in the early hours of the morning while terrified children screamed for help.

According to her, the armed men arrived shortly after midnight, using motorcycles and vehicles to break through successive gates.

“The unfortunate incident happened past 12 when we heard noise, motorbikes, and the sound of cars. Before we knew it, there were serious bangs on different gates in the compound,” she recounted.

She said the sisters quickly gathered to observe the commotion.

She stated, “We got up, and I called my other sisters for us to peep out. When we peeped, we heard noise and children were crying.”

Gyang explained that in the confusion, locating keys to some gates became difficult, leaving her no choice but to exit through an alternative route to assess the situation.

“Apparently, when we were there trying to see what would happen with those that were out of danger at that moment, we could hear the sound of the other bus,” she said, referring to the vehicle used by the attackers.

She added that distress calls echoed from various parts of the compound as the bandits advanced.

The principal revealed that multiple attempts to reach security personnel during the attack were unsuccessful.

She added, “At the end, we heard the security man at the main gate rowing. We couldn’t hear what he was saying, but after some time, we heard them driving off on bikes.

“One of us was making calls to see who we could call for help. We tried to call places around where we could get help. We tried the Divisional Police Officer, too, but we couldn’t get through.”

Asked whether the school had received any prior alerts from security agencies, Gyang dismissed the claims.

“No, we didn’t receive,” she said.

She also denied suggestions that the school had earlier been advised to shut down over security concerns.

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