By Samuel Adeola

Fear gripped passengers on Monday morning as police officers allegedly unleashed violence on a commercial driver and harassed passengers aboard a Valgee Transport vehicle en route from Abuja to Jos.

The incident, which occurred near Mararaba following a blocked section of the road, forced several vehicles to divert.

As the driver of the Valgee bus attempted to park, police operatives allegedly pounced on him without warning.

“He hadn’t even parked properly before they began beating him,” a female passenger recounted on X (formerly Twitter), sparking a wave of public outrage.

She further revealed that an officer aggressively approached a female passenger in the front seat, tried to unbuckle her seatbelt, and attempted to slap her-even after she explained she was not the driver.

The situation escalated as a visibly pregnant woman was ignored and shouted at despite pleading for understanding.

“They dragged our driver away without a word. Everyone was terrified,” the witness said.

Another passenger, identified only as E.I.E., confirmed the incident, describing it as traumatic. “This is an outright abuse of power. Authorities must act fast,” she insisted.

As of press time, Valgee Transport had not issued a statement. Efforts to get a response from the FCT Police Command proved abortive.

Meanwhile, Nigerians have flooded social media with calls for justice, urging the Inspector General of Police and the Police Service Commission to investigate and discipline those responsible.

Rev. Fr. Ezeji C. Charles

In a world fractured along cultural, religious, and political divides—conservative and liberal alike—Pope Francis has emerged as a singular voice for peace, fraternity, and dialogue.

His papacy, grounded in humility and a steadfast commitment to the dignity of the human person, has redefined how interfaith dialogue is envisioned and practiced in our time.

As the first Latin American pope and the first to bear the name Francis, he symbolizes a Church that transcends traditional power centers, advocating for a society rooted in solidarity and human connection.

From the onset of his papacy, Pope Francis displayed a refreshing humility, both personally and institutionally. His first appearance on the central balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica following the “Habemus Papam” announcement stunned many—not with pomp, but with simplicity.

Rather than delivering a triumphant message, he asked the world to pray for him. “Do not forget to pray for me,” he said—words so simple, yet so powerful. They revealed a man who speaks from the heart and connects deeply with others.

In that moment, a bond was formed: this pope was different.

Elected in 2013 after the historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Francis’s rise marked a turning point in papal style and global engagement. By choosing the name “Francis”—inspired by St. Francis of Assisi—he signaled a mission grounded in simplicity, poverty, and peace.

Historian Marco Impagliazzo, president of the Community of Sant’Egidio, described him as a pope who “placed himself with humble simplicity, as a priest and bishop,” embracing a Gospel-centered approach over theological abstraction.

His focus on “encounter” rather than triumphalism became the defining feature of his interfaith and diplomatic efforts.

This theology of encounter emphasizes mutual listening, respect, and recognition of shared humanity. Pope Francis put this into action by washing the feet of refugees, embracing prisoners, and visiting war zones.

His first trip to Lampedusa, where he wept for drowned migrants, highlighted his compassion for the marginalized.

His humility stems not only from character but from a deep belief that real dialogue must begin by acknowledging human suffering.

At the core of his interfaith approach is the human person—not abstract doctrine, but the lived realities of migration, poverty, climate, and peace.

His historic 2019 signing of the Document on Human Fraternity with Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb in Abu Dhabi marked a milestone in Catholic-Muslim relations, putting fraternity above religious difference.

In his encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Francis reasserted that “every war leaves the world worse than it found it” and urged for a universal fraternity beyond ethnic and religious boundaries.

His deep, personal friendships further exemplify this vision. His enduring relationship with Rabbi Abraham Skorka underscored a commitment to Jewish-Catholic dialogue based on mutual respect. His interactions with Muslim leaders, especially Grand Imam el-Tayeb of Al-Azhar, have bridged longstanding gaps.

His 2021 visit to Iraq and meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani was a landmark in Christian-Shia engagement. In a 2022 letter to al-Sistani, Francis reaffirmed shared values of mercy, justice, and peaceful coexistence.

Recent trips to Morocco and Bahrain continued this mission of peacebuilding through interreligious encounters.

In war-torn Central African Republic, he opened the Jubilee Door of Mercy in Bangui—symbolizing unity and reconciliation at the peripheries of global Christianity.

Yet, Pope Francis’s inclusive approach has not been without criticism. Within the Church, some traditionalists accused him of theological relativism or excessive openness.

His call for a “Church that goes forth,” as outlined in Evangelii Gaudium, challenged the institutional inertia and segments resistant to decentralization. Still, Pope Francis remained unwavering, leading with courage and human vulnerability.

In today’s divided world, his message remains profoundly relevant.

Grounding dialogue in humility and human dignity offers a powerful alternative to narratives of exclusion and division. His legacy calls on all religions to move beyond doctrinal debates and engage real-world suffering, displacement, and injustice.

As Andrea Riccardi observed, Francis’s resolute “No” to war and insistence on addressing the wounds of conflict is a direct challenge to global indifference—or as the pope has termed it, “the culture of indifference.”

Pope Francis has shifted interfaith dialogue away from ideological negotiation toward a journey of shared humanity.

His blend of evangelical zeal, compassionate realism, and global vision stands as a model for religious and secular actors alike.

As he reminds us, “Let us build bridges, not walls.” It is a call to all people—regardless of faith or none—to walk together as companions, as artisans of peace, working with their hands to mend the fabric of the world. Or, as the Hebrew phrase Tikkun Olam teaches: to repair the world through justice and compassion.

By Adenike Lawal

In a dramatic political shift, former Kaduna State Governor and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasir El-Rufai, has officially resigned from the ruling party and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

El-Rufai announced his departure via his verified Facebook account on Monday, confirming that he had submitted his resignation letter to his local ward in Kaduna after extensive consultations with political allies and supporters.

Reflecting on his role in the 2013 formation of APC, El-Rufai expressed disappointment, stating that the party had strayed from its founding values.

He accused the current leadership of neglecting internal democracy and reducing party members to mere spectators.

“Developments in the last two years confirm that those in control of the APC have no desire to acknowledge, much less address, the party’s unhealthy situation,” he lamented.

Despite playing a key role in APC’s victories in 2015, 2019, and 2023, El-Rufai declared he could no longer remain in a party that has “castrated its organs” and disregarded its members.

Now with the SDP, the former governor is mobilizing opposition forces for a major showdown in the 2027 elections, calling on other opposition leaders to unite against the APC.

El-Rufai’s defection marks a significant realignment in Nigerian politics, signaling a potential reshaping of alliances ahead of the next general election.