Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama has described the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday as the fall of a mighty Iroko.

Kaigama said it was a loss that resonated across the world.

The archbishop in an interview with newsmen in Abuja yesterday reflected on the Pope’s profound spiritual and pastoral legacy.

“He showed us the face of Jesus Christ, the face of mercy, the face of love.

“A great man, very great, in our local parlance, I will say a mighty Iroko has fallen; it shakes the whole world; the whole world is mourning,

“Christians and non-Christians and for all of us, it is the passing away of a great one; his legacies are many, uncountable.

“He traveled through the whole world, pronouncing and showing love and mercy.

“He was a very humane Pope and very attentive to the needs of the ordinary person.

“And so, he will be remembered for this; like Jesus Christ, he touched those who are sick; he identified with the prisoners, those who are dismissed by the society.

“So, he was a very humane Pope and very attentive to the needs of the ordinary person,’’ Kaigama said.

He urged Catholic faithful in Abuja and Nigeria to pray for the eternal repose of Pope Francis, emphasising the need for unity and hope as the church enters a period of transition.

The cleric also spoke on his expectations for a new Pope.

According to him, during this interregnum, the Vatican’s Camerlengo oversees daily affairs, but no major decisions are made until a new pope is elected.

Kaigama called on the faithful to intensify their prayers, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide the church through the challenging moment.

Pope Francis, the 266th pontiff of the Catholic Church and the first from Latin America, passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88 in his Vatican residence, Casa Santa Marta.

His death was officially announced by the  Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Kevin Farrell,  at 9:45am, following a period of declining health after a severe bout of pneumonia.

From CHARLES ONYEKWERE 

Political ambition of a former Deputy Governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona, has suffered a major setback, following a chaotic turn of events at a controversial meeting convened under the auspices of a newly floated group, Agwa Central Union.

The meeting, which held at the weekend in Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area, ended in a fiasco, as youths and stakeholders rose in unison to reject what they described as Irona’s divisive and vindictive leadership style.

Irona, who hails from Oguta Local Government Area, served briefly as deputy governor during the seven-month tenure of Governor Emeka Ihedioha before both were removed by the Supreme Court in 2020. 

Since then, he has remained a controversial figure, with accusations of anti-state activities trailing him. 

A viral audio recording had previously captured him allegedly vowing to make Imo State ungovernable, leading to his arrest and imprisonment. 

Though now released, the former deputy governor has returned to the political scene, stirring up tension, particularly in his home local government area.

Sources within Oguta allege that Irona had deliberately frustrated various development initiatives for  Agwa clan by the Imo State government, purportedly to undermine Governor Hope Uzodimma.

His recent move, the formation of  Agwa Central Union, is seen by many as an attempt to create a parallel authority through which he could mobilise political opposition against the governor ahead of 2027.

Community members, however, did not take kindly to the development. At  Saturday’s meeting, convened by Irona’s surrogates under the guise of community engagement, things quickly spiraled out of control. 

Youths, traditional leaders and prominent stakeholders disrupted the gathering, denouncing his activities and warning him to desist from using Agwa as a launchpad for personal political vendetta. 

Speakers took turns to condemn the former deputy governor’s actions, accusing him of dragging the community into needless political confrontations. The youths, in particular, expressed anger over what they called “the hijack of Agwa’s peaceful atmosphere for selfish political plot.” 

They pledged unwavering support for Governor Uzodimma, describing his leadership as inclusive and development-oriented.

A key community leader who spoke at the event said “we will not allow Irona to manipulate Agwa people with his desperate ambition. He has contributed nothing meaningful to the development of our land, yet he wants to destabilise it just to satisfy his quest for power. Enough is enough.”

Insiders claim that Irona has sworn not to allow Governor Uzodimma produce a successor in 2027 and is plotting his own return to the deputy governor’s seat. His interest in Agwa reportedly stems from the fact that the clan constitutes the largest voting bloc in Oguta—a strategic position for any political contender.

As the dust settles from the weekend’s debacle, political observers note that the former deputy governor’s aggressive return to the political arena may face steeper opposition than anticipated. 

With the people of Agwa now visibly aligned against him, his ambition may have met its greatest resistance yet from within his own backyard.

FROM SAMSON ALFA, MINNA 

As Christians celebrated Easter last Sunday, the people of Fadikpe community, a suburb of Minna, the Niger State capital, were in a sad mood, following the killing of  Mohammed Abo’ore, a Guarantee Trust Bank, GTB, driver in Minna. 

According to a statement Monday by the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, on April 20, information was received from a vigilante leader in Fadikpe that some miscreants were sighted around Rafi area of the community smoking  cannabis.

The information prompted  vigilante members  to mobilise to the area to effect their arrest pending the arrival of the police.

The police report said it was in the process that Abo’ore, who is also a community member, volunteered to assist the vigilante  in the arrest.

He, however, met his untimely death in the process, as one of the hoodlums identified as Nura Buhari stabbed him with scissors and escaped. 

All efforts by the community to ensure that the victim survived proved abortive, as he died while he was rushed to the General Hospital in Minna.

However, Abiodun said one of the miscreants, Abdullahi Rabiu was arrested and is currently  assisting the police to trace the other suspects.

He said the police would soon bring the culprits to face the wrath of the law.

AljazirahNigeria reports that the activities of miscreants have become rampant in some parts of Minna, despite frequent police  arrests.

Some innocent people had been killed as a result of attacks by  hoodlums in black spots, either while attempting to snatch handsets or breaking of shops.