CAN
Police arrest 17 kidnap, robbery suspects in Sokoto
The Police Command in Sokoto State on Thursday said it arrested no fewer than 17 suspects over armed robbery, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state. Mr Kamaldeen Okunlola, the state Commissioner of Police, disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto. Okunlola said that the command on March 4, arrested one Jabbi Wanto, over criminal conspiracy and kidnapping of two persons in Tamba Garka village of Wurno Local Government Area of the state. “The people of the village reported that on March 4, at about 3 a.m unknown bandits in large number invaded their houses and kidnapped two persons to unknown destination. “The villagers mobilised themselves and followed the bandits where the victims were rescued and Wanto was arrested, who during investigation confessed to have conspired with one ...
The 50 Best Albums of 1971
It’s become a cliché, even for post-Baby Boomers, to look back wistfully on the early ’70s as some kind of untouchable golden age for popular music. But when you survey all the era’s best albums in list form, it’s hard not to trust that instinct. I mean…holy shit. In 1971, the psychedelic era hadn’t completely wilted; prog was nearing its popularity apex; Motown was still a revolutionizing soul music; the folk-rock movement was in full flight. The possibilities were limitless. You know it’s a banner year when 50 albums don’t begin to scratch the surface — when both John Lennon and Paul McCartney release definitive LPs and neither make the top 10. Was 1971 the greatest album year ever? We’ll save that debate for another time (or maybe another list). For now, we present 50 stone-cold cl...
CAN accuses Anambra governor of religious bigotry
File Photo Chairman, Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Anambra State, Rev. Ndubuisi John, has accused Governor Willie Obiano of marginalising the Christian body in the state. He said the marginalisation was informed by his non-Catholic disposition, describing it as religious bigotry. John who was honoured yesterday in Onitsha by the United Nations Peace and Positive Living Awareness Centre as an ‘Ambassador for World Peace’, lamented that several efforts made by the body to meet with the Governor since he assumed office as the CAN chairman had been unsuccessful. He said, “One should imagine it is religious bigotry, it depends on one’s perception, if I were to be an Anglican or Roman Catholic Bishop, he would not have treated me that way. “I think that the government should not abe...
CAN urges churches to be security conscious
File Photo The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has asked churches to be security conscious as they celebrate Christmas. CAN President, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, gave the advice in a press statement yesterday titled, ‘The Power of His Presence, Our Hope of Tomorrow’. He encouraged Christians not to be weighed down by the adversities experienced in the year 2020. Ayokunle said, “Christmas is not a myth, not a tradition, not a dream. It is a glorious reality. It is a time of joy. The fact of the cross illuminates Christmas day and hallows it. “Christmas is also a season to advocate peace in the world that is full of wars, strives, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminalities. “It is painful that many people are mourning due to the demise of their loved ones as a re...
Akwa Ibom cancels state events, caution residents
The Akwa Ibom State Government has cancelled all state events requiring large gatherings as it confirmed 48 new cases of COVID-19 in the state. A statement by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chairman of the COVID-19 Management Committee, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, cautioned residents against acts that might lead to another lockdown with its attendant consequences. He said; “large political meetings are discouraged until the current spike of COVID-19 infections is reduced. “Religious leaders must adhere strictly to the guidelines and protocols for programmes as developed by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and submitted to the government. “School administrators must ensure compulsory and proper use of face mask by students, teachers and everyone in the school premises.” T...
CAN: Nigeria almost becoming a failed nation
File Photo The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the abduction of 333 students of Government Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State. CAN also said that the worsening security situation across the country shows that Nigeria is “almost becoming a failed nation.” The group’s statement by Adebayo Oladeji, Special Assistant (Media and Communications) to the CAN President, described the incident as another tragic chapter in the history of the country. Newsmen reported how 333 schoolboys of the school were abducted on Friday by the gunmen. A terrorist group, Boko Haram, has claimed responsibility for the raid. The federal government said security operatives have already located where the abducted students were taken to and they “would soon be rescued”. CAN expressed its sadne...
Northern governors back social media regulation
The Northern Governors Forum on Monday expressed support for proposals to regulate the social media to check the spread of fake news in the country. The Forum expressed its support in a communique issued by its Chairman and Governor of Plateau, Mr Simon Lalong. This followed the governors meeting in Kaduna, which was attended by traditional rulers and other key stakeholders in the region. The meeting took note of the devastating effect of the uncontrolled social media in spreading fake news and called for major control mechanisms andcensorship of social media practice in Nigeria. It also expressed support for the reform of the police to strengthen their capacity. “Forum appreciates the major reforms going on in the Police Force and pledges to support Mr. President on this course. “The meet...
#EndSARS: MURIC kicks amid allegation of mosque burning in South East
The Muslim Rights Concern has raised the alarm over the alleged burning of mosques in the South East following the #EndSARS protest. The Islamic human rights body, which raised the alarm in a statement on Monday, said the mosques were burnt on October 31, 2020, with threat to invade the Islamic School, Afikpo, Ebonyi State. The statement said the mosques were burnt in Enugu, Enugu State amid reports that 11 Muslims were killed during the #EndSARS protests in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Orlu in Imo State, while the Orlu Central Mosque was completely destroyed about two weeks ago. The statement equally said markets belonging to Muslims in the region were also attacked and properties worth millions of naira destroyed, including whole trailers with goods. MURIC, in the statement by its Dir...
Official: No fire outbreak at CAN national secretariat
File Photo The Christian Association of Nigeria has described as untrue, reports that its National Secretariat and National Ecumenical Centre had been set on fire by hoodlums who have hijacked the #EndSARS protests against police brutality. The General Secretary of CAN, Joseph Daramola, stated this in a chat with newsmen on Saturday night. He said, “Nothing happened. It’s not true, I’m just coming out of the office. The time now is 08:27pm. I’m just in my car driving back to my house. They said it came from AIT.” The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, Cornelius Omonokhua, also clarified that the report was “a false alarm.” “It’s not true, it’s a false alarm. As I speak, the General Secretary of CAN is in the office; there’s nothing like that. It’s a false alarm, th...
CAN accuses Niger government of not honoring agreement to employ CRK teachers
File Photo The Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has accused the State Government of reneging on its agreement to recruit Christian Religious Knowledge, CRK, teachers in schools. Reiterating the position of the association on the issue, the state CAN Chairman, Reverend Mathias Echioda, after the inaugural meeting of the Christian Teachers’ Forum in Minna, told newsmen that teaching of CRK has become a problem in the institutions of learning at both primary and secondary levels in Niger State. The cleric said, “The teaching of CRK is becoming a problem in our institutions of learning especially from the primary to the secondary level, as I check through the lists of schools in Niger State, I discovered that most primary and secondary schools do not have Chris...
Southern-Kaduna Christian leaders boycott peace summit
File Photo A peace summit organized in Kafanchan to find an end to the conflict in Southern Kaduna, suffered set back as Christian leaders in the area who doubted the genuineness of the occasion, boycotted the summit. Nevertheless, the peace summit still went on as scheduled with over 100 participants across religious faiths. The Kaduna chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Christian leaders from the Southern part of Kaduna and the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, were earlier scheduled to attend the peace summit in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Tuesday. Friends of Southern Kaduna in collaboration with the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission organized the summit as part of efforts to find a lasting solution to the killings in Southern Kaduna. Explain...
Retired Delta council workers, teachers protest non payment of benefits
Retired Local Government workers and primary school teachers, stormed the streets of Asaba, Delta State in protest against the non-payment of their retirement benefits. Clad in black attires, the retirees numbering over 1000, marched through the streets of the State capital to the State House of Assembly complex and Government House, chanting songs of disenchantment. The protesters, however, refused to be addressed by the Head of Service, Reginald Bayoko, Senior Special Assistant (Religion Matters), and current Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Apostle Silvanus Okorote and State NLC chairman, Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku. Displaying placards with various inscriptions such as “Pay Us Our Gratuity From 2014 to date”, “Our Pension Mata, No Retreat, No Surrender”,”Let Us Reap the Fruit Of Ou...
