A 70-year-old Nigerian trader identified as Alhaja Kadijat Olamilekan Falekulo, has been killed.

She was murdered by unknown assailants in Ondo State.


According to a report by the state-owned newspaper, the incident occurred in the Sabo area of Ondo town this week.

It was gathered that the killers came to her residence under the guise of buying foodstuffs.

According to the 97-year-old mother of the deceased, her daughter thought the gunmen wanted to buy foodstuffs and as she came out to attend to them, they brought out a cutlass and macheted her on the neck.

The deceased’s mother, who preferred to speak under the condition of anonymity, said that she begged the killers to spare her daughter and kill her, but they refused. She said they later ransacked her room and made away with her jewelry.

"I saw the people when they came and I begged them to kill me and let my daughter go but they insisted that it was Alhaja they wanted to kill and they cut off her neck and set her room ablaze,” she said.

Also speaking, a neighbour, Mrs. Gladys Fasominu explained that late Alhaja told her last week that some people came to her house and carted away her gold and beads.

“I was called to come and carry Alhaja to the hospital, on getting there I saw Alhaja in the pool of her own blood in her room. We can’t explain how she was killed now because after killing her they wet the room with petrol and set it on fire. It was the smoke that woke other people in the house up only what we can think of for now is to pack her lifeless body to the morgue,” she explained.

The case was later reported at Fagun divisional police station.

The police have evacuated the corpse from the house to the morgue.

In what will come across as a really shocking development, as many as four children have been abducted in Amako community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State.

The children identified as Jemine Divine, 4, Jemine Isaiah, 2, Ugwuegbu Victor, 2, and Ugwuegbu Success, 4, were abducted by two new female tenants on Saturday, 27 May, 2023.

A source in the community said the children were playing at their house in Amako alongside other minors when the women, who had moved in on Friday, May 26, told the kids to follow them to a barbing salon to cut their hair.

The women took the children away and never returned.

Two of the four abducted children belong to one Mrs. Chinasa while the other two are her elder sister’s children.

The mother of the kids on returning from the market searched for her children but couldn't find them. She immediately went to the police station to make a report.

She said that the women moved into the room on Friday, May 26, 2023 and she doesn't know their names.

Meanwhile, an indigene of Amako community who spoke on the condition of anonymity told the Nigerian Tribune that the local vigilante group had arrested the house agent who brought the women as well as the landlord but they claimed not to know the whereabouts of the women.

The spokesperson of the State Police Command, ASP Henry Okoye, who confirmed the incident on Friday, June 2, said investigation is ongoing.

Akinnowonu Damilola Victoria, an online businesswoman, has been arrested by the Niger State Police Command.

She was arrested for allegedly defrauding over one hundred people of N150m. 

 

Spokesperson of the command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, June 2, 2023, said the suspect deceived her victims that her goods were seized by the Customs after they made orders. 

"A case of cheating, criminal breach of trust and internet-related offenses was referred to the Command from Magistrate Court Minna on 22/05/2023 involving one Akinnowonu Damilola Victoria aged 23yrs of Kolawole Street Tunga, Minna,” the statement read.

"Immediately the case was referred, Police operatives attached to SCID swung into action and the suspect was arrested with the help of the family and during interrogation, she claimed to have been operating an online business for about a year ago, via a link she discovered on Facebook, by showcasing items such as female clothes, bags, shoes, phones, laptops and other electronic gadgets.

"She said that through this act, she was able to gather many customers online who usually place orders for such items. She asserted further that due to her customers' complaints about price, she took some orders at a low rate and sometimes used the proceed to supply other customers.

"Consequently, piling up orders she could not meet up for other transactions. Preliminary investigation revealed that she deceived her victims that her goods were seized by the Customs. She also rented two warehouses located in Tunga/Kpakungu areas of Minna with over two million naira, which she used to deepen her fraud escapades.

"She confessed that by her rough estimates, she is owing over one hundred customers to the tune of about one hundred and fifty million naira. Presently about 72 victims have so far surfaced at SCID Minna giving the Police, the statements of their ordeal with the suspect. 

 

“The case is under investigation, as the suspect is undergoing interrogation at SCID Minna, and she will be arraigned before the court for prosecution as soon as investigation is concluded.” 

Moet Abebe, the media personality, has revealed that she was once engaged to an “abusive” partner. 

 

In an emotional chat with Chude Jideonwo, Abebe said she would have been married to her “violent” ex-fiancé.

She also recounted how she endured the “abusive” relationship for about two and a half years.

The actress said she later realised she deserved better and “stopped picking up his phone calls.”

 

“I could have been a married woman right now. I was engaged, but it didn’t work out,” she said.

“Also, it was a violent relationship. And I realised that is not what I want for myself. I‘ve also seen few violent relationships and I realized that’s not what I want for myself as well.

“I was in a violent relationship for about two and a half years. It wasn’t even a thing that someone had to come and drag me, I needed to sort of realize that no Moet, this cannot be you loving yourself.

 

“You being here means that you don’t want the best for yourself. And that was how we just had one fight and I never picked up his phone call again.”

The 33-year-old actress also disclosed that her parents were not married, adding that she lacked paternal love.

“My parents are not together, they were never married. I’m what they call a love child,” she said.

“But I didn’t necessarily get paternal love. I’ve always had to fight and protect what’s mine.”

 

In 2021, the on-air personality said she is not interested in getting married because “it is a fraud.”

“I don’t think I want to get married, it is a major fraud, but what do I know. Not that it is 100 percent certain that this is the decision I will stand to for the rest of my life,” she had said.

“Never did I say you people shouldn’t marry, but as for me, I’m not interested in it for myself, you see it as beautiful, I see it as a fraud.”

[TheCable]

Samuel Adegoke foamed in the mouth and nostrils as he groaned with pain and rolled on the floor, regretting his hasty decision to consume a bottle of a popular insecticide.

While he screamed for help, his friends surrounded him and tried to rush him to a hospital for medical help.

However, it was already too late, as the insecticide had damaged his vital organs beyond remedy.

Adegoke, a 200-level student of Electrical Electronic at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State, bought the insecticide from a patent medicine store after losing his school fees and those of his friend to online sports betting.

The 22-year-old died on the day he was supposed to sit his first semester exam in the second year of his academic programme.

The deceased was said to be an heir to the throne of a town in Osun State.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that Adegoke had two roommates, Jacob Israel and Mustapha Olaniyi, squatting with him in his apartment outside the school premises.


Olaniyi, who spoke to our correspondent, alleged that the deceased was addicted to betting.

He said, “Samuel (Adegoke) was a quiet person; he hardly talked. He read a lot, he would not sleep at night; he would always go for night reading, leaving home in the evening and coming back in the morning. But he liked betting and had lost a lot of money to it in the past.”

Prior to the fateful day, Adegoke was reported to have used his school fees to bet but lost.

Apparently, in a bid to recoup the funds, he reportedly tricked one of his roommates, Israel, got hold of his phone and withdrew N60,000 from his bank account.

Our correspondent gathered that Adegoke and Israel were close friends, who met after their admission into the polytechnic.

Further investigation showed that the victim took Israel to his hometown in Osun State to introduce him to his parents.

His parents were said to have treated Israel as their child, as they extended whatever they bought for their son to him as well.

Narrating what led to Adegoke’s death, Israel said, “What happened was that in the morning of the incident, we were coming from a night class. I received an alert my daddy, sent to me as my school fees; N100,000. It was around 5:43am. Samuel (Adegoke), being my close friend, I showed him, because he told me that his dad sent his own since but I was not aware.

“We went home together. I slept in the room, he went to the other room because we were living in a two-room apartment. Later, he came back to the room, woke me up and asked me to give him my phone. I gave him the phone because he was my close friend. He withdrew N100,000 from my account because he knew my PIN. Because he was my best friend, I opened up to him.

“I did not know that he had withdrawn money from my account. After some hours, I told him I wanted to go to school to pay my school fees and asked we should go together. As we were going to the school, he was still with my phone. When we got to the school market, I asked for my phone; that was when he told me that he had used my money for betting.

“I collected my phone and confirmed that he had withdrawn N100,000 from my account and I saw it that he used it to play sport betting.

“He was having an exam that day; I did not have any that day. He went for the exam without paying the school fees. Later, he called me that they sent him out of the exam hall because of the school fees; I was at home when he called me. When he got back home, he met me and Olaniyi, and explained what happened to Olaniyi.

“I was advised to call his parents and tell them, or I should go to the DSA office to report; I knew the implication. I said I would give him more time.

“I later called his parents and told them what happened. I called his mum, who said she could not afford it. His mum advised me to sell his clothes and phone to recoup my money.


“I made the call outside, not in his presence. I went back inside and told him I had called his parents. He begged me to call his mum back and tell her not to tell his dad and when I called his mum back, she did not answer my call.

“After a while, he went out. We didn’t know where he went to; after some minutes, we looked for him and met him on the way where we used to buy medicine. I then asked him if he had found a solution; he did not answer me. He just left me and went inside the room.

“We did not see anything on him; we did not know he had bought an insecticide from a woman. So, after some minutes, like 20 minutes later, one of our neighbours called us that someone was crying inside. We quickly rushed into the house to check on him. I found him on the floor vomiting foam in his mouth and nostrils.

“The person we got the apartment from was around, so I quickly rushed to call the man that Samuel was vomiting foam. The man rushed and gave him palm oil, maybe that one will stop it.

“The man told me to look for a bike to take him to a hospital. We took him to the school clinic, but the clinic could not attend to him because his condition was critical, so we had to take him out of the school clinic to another hospital. Getting to Hosanna Hospital, he was admitted and treated but he could not make it. He was pronounced dead.”

Describing Adegoke, Israel said apart from his addiction to betting, he was a “good guy.”

“I was not expecting that to happen. He was a very wonderful person; he was like a brother to me. I don’t even know that he could use my money for betting,” he added.

Olaniyi, on his part, said he was in the room when Adegoke collected Israel’s phone.

He noted that he had to intervene when the issue escalated.

The roommate, however, said it was not the first time the deceased would use his school fees to bet and at the end, lose all his money.

He said, “During his first semester on campus, as a fresher, he used his school fees to bet, but he was rescued by his parents who paid another money before he was allowed to sit the exam.

“We saw him on the floor; foam was already coming out of his mouth and nostrils.

“I was not even taking him seriously. I was asking him what was wrong with him. I also asked him what he ate; I told him to stand up. We didn’t know that he had taken something harmful. And when we realised he had taken poison, we took him to the school clinic.”

The Medical Director of Hosanna Specialist Hospital, Ilaro, Dr Kunle Obadina, said Adegoke was brought to the hospital late.

The trauma surgeon explained that the test carried out on him showed that he was brought in brain dead.

The doctor said Adegoke drank an insecticide that was highly dangerous and had been banned by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control since 2019.

He expressed concern on how the student had access to the toxic substance, highlighting the importance of stricter control measures.

Obadina said, “Despite our efforts to administer antidotes, it was too late. The material he ingested was one of the most poisonous insecticides containing potassium bromide, which rapidly enters the bloodstream and paralyses the brain.

“We would have used methods such as stomach pumping and washing and administering activated charcoal to counteract its effects if he had been brought to the hospital on time.

“However, once it enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain, the chances of successful treatment decrease significantly.”

Describing the excruciating effects of the insecticide, the doctor emphasised that its ingestion was perilous.

“One should never consume such a substance. It can cause severe harm and, in some cases, lead to fatality.

“If the substance is evacuated from the body soon after ingestion and the individual reaches the hospital promptly, we can attempt to neutralise it,” he added.

Speaking on suicide, Obadina stressed the importance of seeking help when faced with overwhelming challenges.

He said, “Suicide is a sinful act, and it does not solve the problems at hand; instead, it creates more problems for others.

“There is always someone who can offer assistance. Financial stress or other difficulties can be overcome with the right support system in place. Taking one’s life should never be seen as a solution.”

The Director of Student Affairs of the polytechnic, Joshua Omowunmi, expressed shock over the incident.

The DSA said he had a close connection with Adegoke due to the latter’s involvement with the Scrabble activities of the institution.


He said, “I received the news with shock because I knew the boy. He used to be a Scrabble player in the school, so, when I heard the news, it was a huge shock to me.”

Highlighting the incident as a lesson, Omowunmi emphasised the need to address the moral drift in society.

He said, “It’s a great lesson for society because it is a clear indication that society is drifting away from moral values. If a student can use his school fees and those of his friend for gambling, it shows a high level of moral decadence.

“The parents and the institution both have their responsibilities for these children. When they leave home and come to us, it becomes our responsibility to continue from where they left off. That is the reason for everything we do.”

The Rector of the institution, Dr Mukaila Ayinde, said efforts by the school to save the student were futile.

He noted that Adegoke was initially found ill and rushed to the institution’s medical centre.

“Recognising the severity of the situation, he was subsequently transferred to Hosanna Hospital, accompanied by the medical director of FPI.


“Tragically, on the following morning, I received a call from the DSA informing me of the student’s demise.

“The information we received indicated that the student committed suicide,” he added.

The rector expressed concern over the lack of communication about the student’s previous gambling activities and urged parents to promptly report such incidents to the institution.

He explained that early intervention and support could have prevented the tragic outcome.

Ayinde said during investigation, an official from the DSA’s office discovered a container of a popular insecticide beside the student’s bed.

Further examination confirmed that the student drank it.

The rector said the parents of the late student, upon receiving the information, went to the school but rejected his corpse.


He explained that the deceased’s father said he could not take his son’s body back home, urging the school management to bury him.

Speaking on measures to mitigate the betting lifestyle of students, Ayinde said the management had engaged in various initiatives, including talks by experts from the Guardian and Counseling Unit, engagements with officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and collaboration with the Women in Technical Education in Nigeria Association.

He, however, blamed some of the vices on the percentage of students living off campus.

He said, “We must address the issue of parenting and the role it plays in shaping students’ lives. Parental guidance and support are crucial in preventing such incidents.

“We will continue to collaborate with law enforcement agencies and enhance our educational programmes to ensure the holistic well-being of our students.

“We, therefore, express deep sorrow over the loss of the student and extend our condolences to his family and friends.”

Last modified on Saturday, 03 June 2023 08:17

From Thursday, May 11 to Monday, May 15, Nigerian chef, Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, headlined the African, nay global media with her bold attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the “longest cooking marathon by an individual”.

Her four-day cook-a-thon which turned the Amore Gardens, Lekki, into a Mecca for foodies, also created much buzz on social media – within the period, her Instagram page grew from 50k followers to 1.2M.

It was therefore, no surprise that Baci extended her kitchen stint to 100 hours after surpassing her initial 96-hour target and breaking the current world record holder, India’s Lata Tondon’s 87 hours 45 minutes record uninterrupted cooking in the process.

 

The attempt, which was one of the most publicised in history attracted congratulatory messages from former president Muhammadu Buhari, ex-VP Yemi Osinbajo, president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and hosts of other bigwigs.

However, DAILY POST observed that two weeks after Hilda Baci’s famous attempt, the record body is yet to confirm her cooking record.

On May 16, a Guinness Book of Records spokesperson said, “We are aware of the record attempt and are looking forward to receiving the evidence for our Records Management Team to review before we can confirm the record is official.”

But two weeks down the line, the record body is yet to confirm Hilda Baci’s record.

The Nigerian chef recently complained about the delay via Instastory, lamenting that she has been refreshing her email every second with the hope of receiving GWR’s certification email since she submitted all evidence.

Expressing anxiety over the situation, the Akwa Ibom-born chef wrote, “Not me refreshing my email every second since we submitted all the evidence to Guinness World Records.”

Nigerian dancer and World Guinness Record holder, Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau, better known as Kaffy, had earlier predicted that the record body may delay verifying Hilda Baci’s attempt.

Kaffy, who set the Guinness World Record for “Longest Dance Party” in 2006, said it took almost two weeks for GWR to confirm her feat.

Similarly, Lata Tondon who Hilda is seeking to displace, said during an Instagram live session in mid-May that it took two months before her record was confirmed and a certificate was presented to her by Guinness World Records.

The delay in confirming Hilda Baci’s record has elicited uproar on social media with many berating the Guinness World Record over the situation.

See some of the Twitter comments below;

@King William: “I honestly don’t understand why they’re taking so long. How hard can it be to tell your workers to watch a video? I mean, humans consume so much television these days so how hard can it be?”

@Luckyai: “I got pissed at some point, even went to their page to gather evidence of foul play against them. But it turns out all submitted attempts take 12 weeks to review, so relax 11 more weeks to go. Hopefully, they’ll cut it short.”

@HenryEm: “@hildabacicooks hundreds of people witnessed it. At first, my thought was you not breaking the record but something changed and I knew you’d make it. Crazy 9ja people were there to celebrate & cheer you up. That was your strength so I tell you now, that mail go come @GWR please.”

@Miraculous Sound: “Am not too sure you properly involved the Guinness World Record or carried them along, before going out for this challenge, if not why the sluggishness in feedback? Congratulations tho, your effort it’s really amazing.”

[DailyPost]

A total of 3,383 Nigerian-trained nurses and midwives were licensed to practice in the United Kingdom in one year, The PUNCH reports.

This is according to the latest report on the number of professionals on the NMC register from April 1, 2022, to March 2023, obtained from the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

The report also showed that so far, 10,639 nurses and midwives practice in the UK.

The NMC is the regulator for nursing and midwifery in the UK and it maintains a register of all nurses, midwives, and specialist community public health nurses and nursing associates eligible to practice in the UK.

The WHO on March 8, 2023, listed Nigeria and other 54 countries as facing the most pressing health workforce challenges related to universal health coverage.

WHO said with the impact of Covid-19 and widespread disruptions to health services, health workers in the identified countries continued to seek better-paid opportunities in wealthier nations.

The WHO said of the 55 countries, 37 are in Africa, eight are in the Western Pacific region, six are in the Eastern Mediterranean region, three are in South-East Asia and one is in the Americas.


Thereafter, the UK government on March 23 placed Nigeria and 53 other countries on the red list of countries that should not be actively targeted for recruitment by health and social care employers.

Meanwhile, the NMC report released on Wednesday showed that the number of nurses, midwives and nursing associates registered to practice in the UK has grown to a record total of 788,638.

The council said the year 2022 to 2023 saw the highest number of new joiners to the register in a single year – more than 52,000. These include 27,142 new professionals educated in the UK and 25,006 professionals educated around the world, mainly outside Europe.

The number of people leaving the professions fell slightly last year to less than 27,000. However, there are concerns about the future retention of staff, with 52 per cent of professionals who left the register saying they did so earlier than planned.

The data showed that Nigeria has the third highest number of foreign nurses and midwives working in the UK after India and the Philippines.

The report read in part, “76.8 per cent of internationally educated professionals (educated outside the UK and EU/EEA) (104,506 out of 136,116) are from India, the Philippines and Nigeria. In 2022–2023, the number of people educated in India overtook the number of professionals from the Philippines.”

The report noted further that since March 2018, there had been an increase in the number of persons joining the permanent register from the UK. It said between April 2022 and March 2023, 27,142 people from the UK joined the register.


The number of persons from the UK leaving the permanent register remained relatively similar to the previous year. In 2022–2023, no fewer than 22,997 people from the UK left the register.

The graphical analysis by the council on the number of Nigerian nurses and midwives that moved to the UK in 2018 was 2,796, but the number increased to 3,021 in 2019.

It further showed that by 2020, 3,684 Nigerian nurses and midwives were already practicing in the UK, and that the number increased to 4,310 in 2021, and 7,256 in 2022.

By March 31, 2023, the number of Nigerian nurses and midwives practicing in the UK is now 10,639.

Also, the number of nurses and midwives from the Philippines in the UK is now 45,472, while the number of nurses and midwives from India practicing in the UK is now 48,395.

Earlier in May, the President, National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Michael Nnachi, said over 75,000 nurses and midwives left the country in five years to seek greener pastures as a result of poor wages and lack of decent work environment.

Nnachi decried the insecurity in the country, particularly the kidnapping of its members for ransom and violence against its members at the workplace while discharging their duties.


He had stated, “As a result of poor wages and lack of decent work environment, over 75,000 nurses and midwives have migrated from Nigeria within five years.

“The shortage of nurses and midwives, especially in certain areas of specialisation and geographic region, the increased rates of attrition and a chronic shortage of nursing personnel in the country increased workloads on nurses without an equivalent compensation, exposing them to more health hazards and compromising the quality of healthcare delivery.”

NARD’s 128-day strike

Meanwhile, findings by our correspondent showed that the strike embarked upon by the National Association of Resident Doctors resulted in a loss of 128 working days between 2016 and 2023, which implied that resident doctors spent about four months on industrial action under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari to press home their demands.

The strikes were a result of the government’s failure to meet the demands of the doctors over the years.

Our correspondent gathered that the doctors, under the leadership of Dr Muhammad Askira, embarked on an 18-day strike in 2016. Askira listed some of their demands to include payments of members’ salaries and appropriate placement of members in states and federal tertiary hospitals across the nation.

Others were the reversal of sacked members in some hospitals as well as appropriate funding of the residency training programme.

In 2017, under the leadership of Dr John Onyebueze, resident doctors went on at least 21 days of nationwide strike due to the failure of the government to resolve the salary shortfall of 2016 and January to May 2017 among others.

In 2020, the doctors went on a one-week strike amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The doctors requested for the provision of personal protective equipment for all health workers, immediate reversal of the disengagement of 26 resident doctors in Jos University Teaching Hospital and the payment of all salaries owed them, in keeping with provisions of the Medical Residency Training Act; among others.

The association embarked on another strike from September 7 to 10, 2020, to press home its demands.

NARD went on strike on April 1, 2021. The strike was suspended on April 10 due to the intervention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Another strike by the association began on August 2, 2021, and was suspended after 64 days.

Some of the demands made by NARD were the immediate salary payment to all house officers and an upward review of the hazard allowance to 50 per cent of consolidated salaries of all health workers, among others.

NARD ended its five-day warning strike on May 22, the latest by the union. It, however, said it would review the Federal Government’s commitment to resolving its concerns on June 2, 2023.


The doctors are demanding an immediate increment in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure to the tune of 200 per cent of the current gross salaries of doctors.

The doctors also want immediate massive recruitment of clinical staff in the hospitals and the immediate withdrawal of the bill seeking to compel medical and dental graduates to render five-year compulsory services in Nigeria before being granted full licence to practise, among others.

Popular American television personality, Jacklyn Smith aka Ms Jacky Oh, has died.

Jacky Oh! who is also the mother of the children of popular YouTube personality, actor, and comedian DC Young Fly, died at 32, after reportedly undergoing a cosmetic procedure.

According to a report by TMZ on Thursday, she died on Wednesday in Miami after undergoing a "mommy makeover."

Jack was already being featured as one of the show's "Wild 'N Out" girls before she met Young Fly in 2015, the same year he made his premiere on MTV's hit show "Wild 'N Out."

Young Fly was in Atlanta shooting new episodes when he got the tragic news about Jacky's death.

WNO said, "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jacklyn Smith, known to the world as Jacky Oh, a talented Wild 'N Out family member whose impact will be forever treasured and missed. Jacky Oh was a loving friend and beloved colleague of the Wild 'N Out cast throughout five seasons.

"More importantly, she was a tremendous mother to three beautiful children. The BET Media Group extends our condolences to the Smith family, DC Young Fly, B Simone, Nick Cannon and all friends who loved and cared for Jacky Oh during this difficult time.”

The couple, though never married, had three children together, two girls, Nova and Nala, and a boy, Prince who was born last year.

A nun whose exhumed body showed nearly no signs of decomposition four years after she died is drawing thousands of Catholics hoping to witness the alleged “miracle” to the sister’s rural Missouri monastery.

The visitors are coming from all over the country to see and touch the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, who died at age 95 in 2019 and was exhumed in April with her body and clothing still intact.

Between 10,000 and 15,000 worshippers were expected to visit the chapel of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, in Gower, a small town 40 miles north of Kansas City, each day over Memorial Day weekend, Clinton County Sheriff Larry Fish said in a Facebook video.

The nun’s body was coated in a protective wax and displayed inside the chapel as travelers touched her face and prayed over her.

Her remains — which were initially exhumed to be put in a new shrine — will be placed in a glass case on Monday.

Local officials said they expect visitors to continue making the pilgrimage from as far as Canada and Mexico for several months.

People praying over the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster at the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles abbey near Gower, Missouri on May 28, 2023.
People praying over the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster at the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, abbey near Gower, Missouri, on May 28, 2023.

Fish said the rural area’s gravel roads weren’t designed to serve that level of traffic.

“We are going to put a very large pressure on our infrastructure that is not designed for it,” he said.

Local police created a mobile command center to deal with the size of the crowds in the town of just 1,800 people, and additional land was cleared for more parking spaces near the monastery, according to FOX4 Kansas City.

Samuel Dawson came with his son from Kansas City to see Lancaster’s body last week.

The exhumed body of the "miracle" nun has drawn thousands of visitors.
The exhumed body of the “miracle” nun has drawn thousands of visitors.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

“It was pretty amazing,” he said. “It was very peaceful. Just very reverent.”

Lancaster was buried in a simple wooden coffin without any embalming four years ago, according to a statement from the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles.

When the Benedictine nuns exhumed their founder last week, they expected to find bones in her coffin but were instead shocked to see her fully intact body and “a perfectly preserved religious habit.”

The nuns had hoped to keep their discovery private, but an internal email about the matter was posted online and the news spread and soon made headlines.

Many Catholics believe that Lancaster’s lack of decay is a miracle and that she could be a modern-day saint.

“It just felt like the presence of God was there as soon as I went into the monastery. It’s a true miracle. I really think that,” Rita Cospelich, a visitor from Blue Springs, Missouri, told FOX4. “God works in strange ways with miracles.”

However, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph has approached the reported science-denying matter with caution.

“The condition of the remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster has understandably generated widespread interest and raised important questions,” the diocese said. “At the same time, it is important to protect the integrity of the mortal remains of Sister Wilhelmina to allow for a thorough investigation.”

Lancaster's body shows no signs of decay despite her dying in 2019 at the age of 95.
Lancaster’s body shows no signs of decay despite her dying in 2019 at the age of 95.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

“Incorruptibility has been verified in the past, but it is very rare. There is a well-established process to pursue the cause for sainthood, but that has not been initiated in this case yet,” the diocese added.

The process to investigate sainthood can only begin five years after a person’s death, and Lancaster has only been dead four years, the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, also said.

Scientists are also wary of the supposed miracle.

Some Catholics have called on Lancaster to be made a saint.
Some Catholics have called for Lancaster to be made a saint.

Human remains decay at different rates depending on a number of variables, and a lack of decomposition even years later isn’t all that rare, according to Rebecca George, an anthropology instructor at Western Carolina University in North Carolina

The Indian bishop, Franco Mulakkal, allegedly accused of rape last year has tendered his resignation letter on Thursday.

The Vatican announced that it has accepted the resignation of the 54-year-old Mulakkal accused of raping a nun between 2014 and 2016.

Mulakkal, the bishop of Jalandhar in the state of Punjab, who had denied the allegations was found not guilty last year by a trial court in Kerala state, according to BBC.

The Vatican’s diplomatic representative in India said that an appeal against Mulakkal’s acquittal had been admitted in the high court in Kerala.

Mulakkal, yesterday, confirmed his resignation and thanked his supporters for standing by him in difficult times.

Given the “still divisive situation”, Mulakkal’s resignation was requested “for the good of the Jalandhar diocese” and to make way for a new bishop, the Vatican’s diplomatic representative said in a statement.

It was not a disciplinary action against Mulakkal, he said.

The Joint Christian Council, a federation of Christian organisations, said it welcomed the decision.

The nun who accused Mulakkal of rape belonged to the Missionaries of Jesus, a congregation in Kerala that is part of the Jalandhar diocese.

She had alleged that the bishop raped her 13 times and the assaults happened when he visited the convent where she lived in the city of Kottayam, in Kerala.

She petitioned the Vatican and wrote an open letter to the Pope’s representative in the Indian capital of Delhi in 2018 – which she claimed was her fourth letter to them.

This led to unprecedented protests by nuns and activists who came out in support of the woman.

Several other nuns who protested against the bishop had accused the church in Kerala as well as Vatican officials of turning a blind eye towards the rape allegations.

Mulakkal was arrested in Kerala in 2018. The Vatican had temporarily relieved the bishop of his duties.

In 2022, after he was acquitted by the trial court, the nun’s lawyers said they would challenge the verdict in the high court.