By Huldah Shado

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday met with Abia State Governor Alex Otti at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in a closed-door session believed to be linked to ongoing efforts to secure the release of IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Although no official details were disclosed, sources said the meeting followed Governor Otti’s recent visit to Kanu at Sokoto Prison, where he was accompanied by Kanu’s brother, Emmanuel; the Abia Attorney-General, Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN); and his media aide, Ferdinand Ekeoma.

During that visit, Otti had reaffirmed his commitment to exploring legal and political channels to secure Kanu’s freedom, saying he was already working on an agreed strategy to achieve that goal.

Tuesday’s meeting with Tinubu is seen as part of those ongoing engagements, as the Abia governor intensifies consultations with federal authorities over Kanu’s case.

By Onilede Titi Faith

Thirty-eight worshippers kidnapped in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, have been reunited with their families days after the state government confirmed their rescue.

The victims were abducted on November 18, 2025, during a special thanksgiving service at CAC Oke Isegun, an attack that left three people dead and one injured.

In a statement Tuesday night, the Chief Press Secretary to the Ekiti LGA Chairman, Dada Sunday, said the abductees were formally handed over to the council chairman, Awelewa Olawale Gabriel, in Ilorin by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The handover marked the conclusion of a coordinated rescue operation involving federal and state security agencies.

Receiving the victims, Awelewa expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu, Governor AbdulRazaq, the National Security Adviser, and security agencies for what he described as a swift intervention.

He also commended the medical support provided to the freed worshippers and assured residents of strengthened security across all 10 wards of the LGA.

The victims arrived in Eruku around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday to an emotional welcome from families and community members.

The Owa of Eruku thanked authorities for the successful rescue, noting that the safe return of the victims brought great relief to the community.

The incident has once again highlighted persistent insecurity in border communities of Kwara, especially in Ekiti LGA, which has experienced repeated abductions in recent years.

By Olokuta Rofiat

The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, has warned that both Christians and Muslims are now victims of what he described as genocide in Nigeria.

Prof. Omonokhua said the violence ravaging communities across the country does not discriminate by faith, noting that innocent people from both religions have been killed, displaced, and devastated.

He stressed that the crisis must be seen as a national tragedy affecting all Nigerians rather than a problem belonging to one group.

He called for urgent collective action to protect citizens, urging religious leaders, communities, and government authorities to work together to halt the widespread killings.