Pope says hell does not exist

Pope Francis says hell – believed to be a place of condemnation for deceased sinners – does not exist. 

The pontiff reportedly said this in an interview published by Daily La Repubblica, an Italian newspaper.

The interview was conducted by Eugenio Scalfari, a veteran Italian journalist and atheist who regularly muses about faith and religion, and enjoys access to the leader of the Catholic church.

“There is no hell where the souls of sinners suffer in eternity,” Scalfari quoted the pope to have said.

“After death, the souls of people who repent are pardoned by God and join in his contemplation. But those who do not repent, and therefore cannot be pardoned, disappear. Hell does not exist… what exists is the disappearance of sinful souls.”

But hours after the report was published, the Vatican issued a denial, saying comments attributed to the spiritual leader denying the existence of hell are a product of the journalist’s reconstruction of the pope’s remarks and not a faithful transcript of the pontiff’s real words.

The Vatican said the pope did receive Scalfari “in a private meeting” to exchange Easter greetings, but he did not “give him an interview”.

“No quotes of the aforementioned article should therefore be considered as a faithful transcription of the Holy Father’s words,” the Vatican said.

It is part of the beliefs of Catholics all over the world that there is a place like hell, meant for punishment of sinners after they have died.

In the past, the veracity of quotes Scalfari attributed to the pope has been called into question, especially after the journalist admitted to never using a tape recorder during interviews. - Cable Nigeria

Jonathan’s cousin has case to answer, says court

FORMER President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, Robert Azibaola, has been ordered to defend himself in a fraud allegation of $40 million levelled against him and his company, One Plus Holding Ltd, by the Federal Government.

According to a Federal High Court, Abuja, Azibaola must defend himself on two out of the nine-count charge preferred against him by the government.

He was to defend himself on the two counts bordering on being in possession of and converting the sum of $40 million received from the office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) to personal use.

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba made the order yesterday while ruling on the no-case-submission filed by Azibaola and his wife, Stella.

The court, however, discharged and acquitted Stella of all the nine-count charge levelled against her.

Dimgba, in discharging Stella, held that being wife to Azibaola was not enough to charge her with the offence since criminal liability was personal and not vicarious.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the prosecuting agency in the matter, in 2016 preferred a seven-count charge against Azibaola, his wife, Stella and their company.

EFCC said they received $40 million worth of contract from Dasuki.

They were subsequently arraigned on June 7, 2016 and were admitted to bail for N500 million each.

They were re-arraigned on April 27, 2017, this time on a nine-count amended charge.

In the cause of the trial, the prosecution called 10 witnesses and tendered 27 documented evidences against the three parties and closed its case.

Mr. Chris Uche (SAN), counsel to Azibaola and his wife, however, filed a no-case-submission.

Uche insisted that the government had failed to establish a prima-facie case that would warrant his clients to enter a defence and prayed the court to discharge and acquit his clients.

Delivering the court’s ruling on the no-case-submission, the judge held that two of the defendants had some explanations to do with regards to counts two and three.

“It was claimed that the $40 million released from the office of the former NSA to Azibaola and One Plus Holding Ltd was meant for the procurement of tactical communication kits.

“Counts two and three are basically the same, the difference is that count two borders on possession of the sum of $40 million while count three was hinged on conversion of the said amount.

“Having reviewed the oral and documentary evidence tendered by the prosecution through its witnesses, this court holds the view that there is good reason for Azibaola and the company to proceed with their defence,” the court ruled

The court noted that there was no evidence to show that the said tactical communication kits were supplied.

“In the absence of any evidence to show supply of the tactical communication kits, the 1st (Azibaola) and 3rd (One Plus Holding) defendants are in a position to explain what the fund was used for.

“On the whole, there is sufficient prima-facie case made out by the prosecution against the 1st and 3rd defendants.

“The no-case-submission in respect of these two counts is refused,” the court held.

The court absolved Azibaola and his company of any wrongdoing in counts one, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine.

The judge adjourned the matter until June 4 for Azibaola to open his defence.

Fulani ‘Herdsmen’ kill six in Kaduna

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have killed six people in Bakin Kogi, Kaninkon chiefdom in Jama’a local government area of Kaduna state.

Auta Maurice, a member of the security committee in the community, said the people were killed in separate attacks between 10am and 11am on Thursday.

He said the gunmen, numbering about 10 wore army and police uniforms.

Maurice said three people were and killed in the bush when they went to cut wood for the roofing of their houses while three others were killed at a local mining site.

He said four people who sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital in Kafanchan.

“The attacks occurred in the bush. The first attack occurred at about 10am when some members of our community went to the bush to cut wood for roofing their houses,” he said.

“All of a sudden, the herdsmen opened fire at them and three people were killed while others managed to escape.  The second attack happened at about 11am at a local mining site. Three people were also killed there, while four others were injured.

“The herdsmen were dressed in army camouflage and mobile police uniforms.”

Maurice said the distance between the village and the place where the other attack took place is about five kilometres.

“We reported the case to the soldiers maintaining security in our community and we went to the bush with them, but the bandits had fled by the time they reached there,” he said.

However, the police could not confirm the incident as Aliyu Mukhtar, spokesman of the Kaduna state police command could neither responded to calls nor reply a text message sent to his telephone. - Cable Nigeria

How 19-year-old girl ‘stocks illicit drugs in bra’

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA in Katsina State have arrested a a girl, Zakiya Abdukarim, with illicit drugs stocked in her brassiere and other parts of her body.

The Katsina State Commander, NDLEA, Mrs. Maryam Sani, who confirmed the arrest of the 19-year-old girl to journalists yesterday, said she was arrested in Sokoto Rima River Basin area of the state with the drugs meant for sale to her clients.

Sani added that the girl ran away from her village to stay with her boyfriend under the pretense that her step-father and mother wanted to give her out in marriage without her consent.

The NDLEA boss gave the quantity of illicit drugs found in possession of the teenage girl to be 14.4grams of Tramadol, 14.8grams of Exol-5 and 2.4grams of D5.

Interacting with the teenage girl, she said her boyfriend, Abdulsalam, asked her to keep the drugs in her possession that he forgot something at home and he needed to pick it up.

“The drugs are for my boyfriend, Abdulsalam. I met him around the motor park here in Katsina where he sells the drugs.

“I am from Tantagaria village on your way to Bakiya. I sell rice and beans.

“On that day, he (my boyfriend) told me to keep the drugs that he forgot something that he needed to pick up at home. He fled the house after I was arrested. They found three drugs with me. I don’t know the names of the drugs. I don’t take it,” the teenage girl, Zakiya Abdulkarim stated. - Daily Post

Police parades suspected ritualist with human heads

Kwara State Police Command has paraded a suspected ritualist arrested with three human skulls in Ilorin.

Police Commissioner Mr. Lawan Ado said the suspect, Suleiman Adenifuja, was caught with three human skulls in Eiyekorin, Ilorin, on March 26.

He said when the suspect was interrogated; he claimed that he brought the skulls from Lagos to Ilorin for rituals.

Ado said Wahab Ramoni was arrested with a stolen Toyota Camry car, registered as AKD 287 EE.

“The vehicle will be released to the owner after investigation, while the suspects will be arraigned.”

He warned residents against illegal use of siren, covering of number plates and use of spy numbers by banks and other organisations.

Ado advised those using such to apply and get the approval of the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

He said the application should be routed through the Force Transport Officer, Abuja, adding that offenders would be arrested and prosecuted.

“We wish to inform the public of the extension of the date of withdrawal of police personnel attached to VIPs, government officials and political office holders to April 20.

“This is to enable the affected officials re-apply for revalidation of the authority for IGP’s approval,” he said.

He urged people who had not surrendered illegal and prohibited firearms to do so, saying anybody arrested would be prosecuted.

Nigerian jailed for rape in Aberdeen months after lavish wedding in Uyo

Nigerian born oil and gas engineer, Kufre Umoh Uwem was yesterday handed a 7-year jail term for allegedly raping an 18-year-old student in Aberdeen.

The incident reportedly happened just three months after his lavish wedding in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State in December 2017.

34-year-old Kufre Umoh Uwem, of 6 Waterton Lawn, Stoneywood, Aberdeen, who was a sub-sea project engineer, purportedly detained the woman against her will in his flat, removed her clothing and proceeded to rape her.

He was also convicted of intent to rape a second woman in her flat, Evening Express UK reports.

The offences were committed on October, 18, 2012, and October 30, 2016, at flats in Aberdeen.

Delivering the judgement at the High Court in Glasgow, Judge Lord Arthurson said; “This was a course of violent and predatory sexual offending, notwithstanding the four years between the two offences.”

The court heard that Uwem’s first victim was a first-year student who Uwen met by chance and invited her to his flat. Once there, he allegedly raped her.

In a victim impact statement to the court, the victim said that the rape had “a monumental impact on her life”.

Uwem’s second victim was attacked in her own home.

Uwem was said to have restrained her, removed her lower clothing with intent to rape her.

He stood with his head bowed as Lord Arthurson told him: “The consequences are truly catastrophic for you”.

Couple declared wanted for ‘fraud’

Enugu State Police Command has declared a couple wanted for alleged N63 million forgery and fraud in a mortgage  institution.

Spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said in a statement in Enugu yesterday that the Criminal Intelligence and  Investigations Department had begun investigation  into the matter.

He said the wife, Mrs. Chinyere Amalunweze, 36, an indigene of Umuegbu Ego village, Nnobi community in Idemili South Local Government of Anambra State is fair in complexion and a former worker of a mortgage  institution.

Amaraizu said the husband, Mr. Tony Amalunweze, 38, from Umulumgbe community in Udi Local Government of Enugu State, who lives at 2a, Akpugo Street, Independence Layout, Enugu, is dark in complexion.

“They were alleged to have been involved in a case of conspiracy, forgery and fraud in which they defrauded a mortgage institution of N63 million and escaped.

“The command is asking the public with information about how they can be traced, to report to the nearest police station,” he said.