Apostle Christoper Mudavarima, the General Overseer of the Zimbabwean church, Living Waters Ministries, has been accused of deceit, exploiting vulnerable women particularly single mothers by promising them marriage within his church community.
The controversy came to light when incriminating evidence, including pictures and chat transcripts, surfaced in a church WhatsApp group.
One unidentified victim exposed Mudavarima’s alleged pattern of proposing marriage to numerous women within the church, soliciting financial contributions under the guise of Apostle Vutabwashe’s endorsement.
Reacting to the allegation made by 12 women, the cleric admitted having an affair with three different women.
Speaking to H-Metro, he said;
“What they are saying are all lies, but I double-crossed three different women so they teamed up to fabricate these stories. It’s Maggie who opened my phone and found out that I was dating Candy and Claris.”
Speaking on the matter, one victim, who chose to remain anonymous, voiced her distress: “This man is a womaniser, he has been proposing to different women in church.”
Apostle Christopher Mudawarima reportedly has a track record of being involved in controversies stemming from questionable actions, and this recent incident isn’t an isolated one.
In April 2022, Mudawarima was convicted of defrauding a job seeker of US$183 by falsely promising to secure a job for them at a mining company.
According to the Masvingo Mirror, Mudawarima received a sentence of 48 months, with 18 months suspended on the condition that he reimburse the complainant, and an additional 3 months suspended contingent upon good behavior.
Court proceedings revealed that the accused had a previous six-month suspended jail term from another case, which was reactivated. Consequently, he faces an effective 30-month prison term. The reason behind his absence from state custody remains unclear.
Nigeria’s Afrobeats superstar Rema has appreciated his fans for coming to watch him perform at his “Ravage Uprising” 02 Arena show in London on Tuesday.
Recall Rema shut down the 20,000 capacity 02 Arena stadium with his concert that saw some Nigerian celebrities and thousands of fans traveling to London to watch the Afrobeats sensation perform.
Rema opened his act with a dazzling entrance of him regaled in a mask and black ensemble, straddling a stationary horse, and performing his latest hit, “DND.”
The ‘Calm Down’ crooner then eased into a melodic performance of “Iron Man” with a thrilling spectacle of Indian dance choreographers on either side of him.
Rema then progressed to perform his hits like “Dirty”, “Ginger Me”, “Addicted”, “Why”, “Dimension”, “Soundgasm”, “Fame”, “HOV”, “Trouble Maker”, “Lady”, “Don’t Leave”, “Dumebi”, “Bounce” and “Charm”, all from his growing catalogue of songs.
Meanwhile, one of the highlights of the night was when Rema ushered in his fellow Mavin Records colleagues, Ayra Starr, Crayon, and Magixx, for the performance of “Won Da Mo.”
During the show, Rema appreciated his fans for coming out to watch him perform regardless of the show holding on a work day.
He said, ”I want to say a big thank you for each and every one of you coming here tonight. London, I want to say you have a big place in my heart, I am very grateful for you all coming on a work day to see Rema regardless. I am grateful, it’s not easy to spend your hard-earned money to get my ticket. Thank you so much for standing beside me. I am truly grateful.”
Rema joined other award-winning Nigerian artistes like Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, and Asake to have sold-out the arena.
[Vanguard]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that repatriating the remains of Chibuikem Emmanuel, the Nigerian medical student murdered in the Philippines on October 23, 2023, by purportedly Chinese nationals, will incur a cost of N35 million.
This information was shared on the social networking platform X by Michael Ojuola, a friend of Emmanuel.
Ojuola had posted on X that the victim was “brutally murdered” by a group of Chinese.
“They tied his hands up, covered and tied his mouth and beat him blue-black until he gave up the ghost,” he wrote.
On Tuesday, the Director Consular, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Enya Francis, said the ministry was in close contact with the Embassy in the Philippines and was on top of the situation.
According to a statement by the spokesperson for Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Francis spoke during an investigative hearing on the matter by the Senate.
“Ikem’s corpse is yet to be buried as it will cost between N31m and N35m to repatriate and bury the corpse in Nigeria as against N10m to N15m to cremate it in the Philippines,” Francis was quoted to have said.
He emphasized that the daily cost of holding the corpse at the funeral home was accumulating at N30,000, underscoring the urgency to expedite the investigation and take necessary measures.
Blessing Essien, Emmanuel’s elder sister, highlighted his status as the family’s only son, expressing the family’s desire to honor Igbo tradition by bringing his body back to Nigeria for a fitting burial. She appealed to the Federal Government, specifically through the Senate committees, for assistance in repatriating the remains.
Chairman of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, informed the Senate Joint Committees on Diaspora and Inter-Governmental Affairs and Foreign Affairs that Emmanuel’s employer in the Philippines, along with five others, had been charged with murder.
Updating the committee led by Senator Victor Umeh, she reported the Nigerian embassy’s actions, including notifying the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines and involving the Inspector General of the Philippines National Police. Dabiri-Erewa explained that the police had concluded evidence gathering, presenting the case to the Mandaue City Prosecuting Department, which opted for murder charges.
Veteran Nigerian singer, Salawa Abeni has unveiled the comptroller and commandant of the Customs Training College, Rasheed Adahunse, as her third husband on his birthday.
Naija News reports that Adahunse held his birthday and retirement party in Lagos over the weekend at the Eko Club.
The famous Nigerian Waka singer took to her Instagram page to share a video of herself performing at the event and wrote, “Congratulations on your retirement and birthday celebration, comptroller Rasheed Agbolade Adahunse.”
During her speech at the event, the 62-year-old singer described Adahunse as her dearest husband of four years.
The Waka Queen said she had not chosen wrongly, adding that love conquers all.
“I don’t have much words to utter, let me thank God. I will just say a bit about Alhaji Abdulrasheed Agbolade, my dearest husband.
“You are retired but not tired, I pray that as God joined us together as husband and wife four years ago, you will live long and have abundance.
“I saw you then as a complete ‘English’ man, you saw me as a musician. But love conquered all. I have not chosen wrongly. From today, call me Abeni Idunu Ishola,” She added.
Recall that Salawa Abeni was first married to Lateef Adepoju, the owner of Leader Records, which she was signed on to. Their union lasted till 1986, when the Waka musician left the record label, and they had two children together.
After her union with Adepoju ended, Salawa got married to Kollington Ayinla, who was also a musician. She joined his record label and stayed with him till 1994. They also had kids together.
After Hilda Baci broke the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon in June, another Nigerian woman, Helen Williams, achieved a new record for the longest handmade wig.
Announcing the feat on its official X handle, the Guinness World Record detailed that Helen achieved the feat for the longest handmade wig, which stretches an incredible 351.28 metres.
“Helen Williams from Lagos, Nigeria, has achieved a new record for the longest handmade wig which stretches an incredible 351.28 metres (1,152 ft 5 in),” a tweet by Guinness World Record read.
Naija News recalls that Hilda was officially declared the holder of the longest cooking marathon Guinness World Record in June. Over her four days in the kitchen, the 26-year-old Nigerian chef cooked over 100 pots of food from Thursday, May 11, to Monday, May 15.
Hilda was, however, dethroned as the record holder of the longest cooking marathon record by an Irish restaurant owner, Alan Fisher, last week.
It was gathered that Fisher broke the longest cooking marathon for an individual after cooking in a time of 119 hours 57 minutes.
His feat was more than 24 hours longer than the previous record set by Baci.
Fisher, a chef who operates his restaurant in Japan also claimed the longest baking marathon for an individual, with a time of 47 hours 21 minutes.
Media
Yusuf Halilu, judge of a federal capital territory high court in Maitama, has revoked the bail granted to Geoffrey Akindele, one of the defendants, standing trial with Ahmed Idris, former accountant-general of the federation.
In May 2022, Idris was arrested in Kano after he failed to respond to invitations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to answer questions over the allegation of a N80 billion fraud.
He was later suspended in July 2022 and arraigned on a 14-count charge alongside Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and a firm — Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
The defendants were granted bail in liberal terms.
At the resumed trial on Tuesday, Akindele, who was the technical assistant to Idris, was not in court.
Despite pleas by S.E. Adino, Akindele’s counsel, that his client was on the way to court, the judge insisted on revoking the second defendant’s bail.
The judge said when a court grants a defendant bail, such person must reciprocate the gesture by coming for trial.
He added that, Akindele had clearly not shown good character and conduct by his refusal to attend court.
“The second defendant had abuse the terms of his bail,” the judge held.
Consequently, Halilu revoked the second defendant’s bail and ordered the FCT commissioner of police and the EFCC to arrest Akindele and produce him in court in the next adjourned date.
He then adjourned the case to February 1, 2024 for hearing.
Although, Idris and the other defendants were present, counsels to the former attorney-general and counsel to the company were not in court.
Earlier, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, EFCC counsel, had informed the court that he received a letter from counsel to Idris but did not receive any from the counsel for Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
Atolagbe said despite the fact that there were competent lawyers in the office of Idris’ lawyer, none of them announced appearance for the former accountant-general of the federation.
“This is not fair on the prosecution. It is definitely a ploy to delay trial,” Atolagbe said.
A final-year student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Oladokun Ayomide, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly poisoning his girlfriend, Ugbokwe Mmasichukwu, and another lady, Odumosu Semilore.
The police said the suspect administered a poison believed to be an admixture of brownie cakes, alcohol, and an unknown harmful substance after inviting his girlfriend to his residence in the Surulere community in the Camp area of the city on Friday.
PUNCH Metro gathered that while leaving for the suspect’s residence, Mmasichukwu told her schoolmate, Semilore, to accompany her to her boyfriend’s place at Surulere community, Camp, Abeokuta.
Serving them the substance suspected to be poisonous, our correspondent learnt that the victims were rushed to the hospital when they lost consciousness immediately after they ate the harmful cake.
Although the reason behind the suspect’s action remained unknown as of the time this report was filed, the police told our correspondent that a preliminary investigation revealed that Ayomide was suspected to have an intention to harm the victims.
The Chief Security Officer of the Federal College of Education, Osiele Abeokuta, Olusola Ajibola, who led the arrest of the suspect, told the police that Mmasichukwu and Semilore were students of the institution, while Ayomide was a final-year student of FUNAAB.
Contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, told our correspondent that the victims were responding to treatment, adding that further investigation was going on to unravel the circumstances behind the incident.
“The victims were believed to have been fed brownie cake, and they immediately lost consciousness after eating it and were taken to the Osiele Medical Centre for treatment.
“A foil paper pack used for the brownie cake was found when our officers visited the crime scene. The suspect was handed over to the police division by the Chief Security Officer of the school,” Odutola stated on Tuesday.
The Lagos State Police Command on Tuesday arraigned a 31-year-old man, Frank Obodom, for alleged theft of a phone worth N720,000 in Alaba International Market, in the Ojo area of the state.
The defendant was arraigned before Magistrate L.Y. Balogun sitting before a Yaba Magistrate Court on one count bordering on phone theft.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor, Chekwube Okeh, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on October 18, 2023, around 9.42 am at the Alaba market, Ojo, Lagos State.
She stated that Obodom entered a store belonging to Vigis International Limited at the Alaba market pretending to buy a phone case and while the attendant was sourcing for the ones to show to him, he took a Samsung Phone Model A03s.
Okeh also revealed that the defendant was captured by the Closed-Circuit Television cameras in the store and immediately the market task force officials were alerted and he was arrested.
The defendant, a graduate of quantity surveying from a polytechnic in Lagos State, when asked why he committed the offence claimed that he stole the phone because of his house rent that was due and he did not have enough money to pay.
He claimed that it was the first time he was indulging in such a crime.
According to Okey, the offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The charge read in part, “That you, Frank Obodom, on October 18, 2023 around 9 am at Ojo Alaba Market Ojo, Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal one Samsung Phone Model A03s, four other Samsung phones, all valued at N720, 000, property of Vigis International Limited and thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Following his pea, the magistrate, Mrs Balogun, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N300,000, with one responsible surety in like sum.
She, however, adjourned the case until December 12, 2023, for a hearing.
No fewer than seven Super Falcons players have been nominated for the women’s categories of the CAF Player of The Year Award, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The CAF list, which was largely dominated by Nigerians, has Asisat Oshoala, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Rasheedat Ajibade, Toni Payne, Christy Ucheibe, Osinachi Ohale, and Uchenna Kanu.
The Falcons had a remarkable year having gotten to the round of 16 of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and were very close to qualifying for the quarter-finals before being knocked out of the competition on penalties by England.
At the club level, some members of the team had an outstanding season.
Ajibade has been very consistent for the Falcons and has also been a key figure for Atletico Madrid. The forward scored nine goals in 28 games for the Spanish club last season.
Toni Payne has also been a consistent player for Sevilla Women. She had three goals and four assists in 28 appearances for the club last season.
Oshoala, who was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or where she finished in 20th position, helped Barcelona to the UEFA Champions League title. She also outstandingly won the Laliga, recording 21 goals and three assists in 28 appearances.
The former Robo FC player along with 29 other players will battle vie for the prestigious Player of the Year, which Oshoala claimed for a record fifth time during the last Awards Gala in July 2022 in Rabat, Morocco.
Just as in the men’s category, the best women’s goalkeeper will be rewarded for the first time to celebrate the heroic efforts of the shot-stoppers.
Ten players have been nominated for the first-ever CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award with Nnadozie one of the favourites to win the award.
Nnadozie was immense for her Paris FC side, as she helped them qualify for the Champions League group stage.
According to the African football governing body, ten nominees each have been pencilled for the Interclub Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, National Team of the Year and Young Player of the Year, limited to players not more than 21 years old.
The finallists of the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League in Ivory Coast have each been rewarded with a place in the Club of the Year category.
The Awards Gala is to be graced by the crème de la crème of African football on December 11 in Marrakech, Morocco.
Strike: ‘It Is Unthinkable That NLC Could Go This Low’- Onanuga Slams NLC For Shutting Down The Nation
AdminThe Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has knocked the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) for going ahead to shut down the nation over the brutalization of its national chairman, Joe Ajaero.
Naija News recalls that the NLC and TUC embarked on indefinite strike action on Tuesday over the brutalization of Ajaero in Imo and other issues.
However, responding to the move by NLC to go ahead with its industrial action, Onanuga, in a post via his official X handle, said it is a season of madness in the NLC and TUC.
He accused the labour unions of damaging the national economy because of the bruised ego of one man.
“It is truly the season of madness in NLC and TUC. It was unthinkable the NLC and TUC could go this low, resort to damaging the national economy because of the bruised ego of one man,” Onanuga wrote.
Recall that the presidential aide had earlier faulted the decision of the labour union to go ahead with the strike action despite a court order restraining it from going ahead with the industrial action.
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Onanuga, in his earlier statement, alleged that the labour union decided to punish a whole country of over 200million people over a personal matter involving the NLC President.
[NaijaNews]
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Nigeria has unpaid gas royalty of $559.8 million, unpaid gas flare penalty of $828.8 million – NEITI
AdminNigeria has an unpaid gas royalty of $559.8 million and an unpaid gas flare penalty of $828.8 million.
This is according to the Nigerian Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, the Executive Secretary of NEITI said this on Monday, November 13 during his opening remarks at the 2nd German-Nigerian Symposium on Green Hydrogen in Abuja.
He highlighted that despite the country’s standing as a major global gas producer, there are dangers from constant gas flaring activities in the country, which could instead be harnessed as the country looks to implement its Decade of Gas agenda.
He said that the unreconciled figures in the 2021 NEITI report point to an unpaid gas royalty totalling $559.8 million and an additional unremitted amount of $828.8 million related to outstanding gas flare penalties.
This suggests that a considerable amount of gas was flared during the specified period without corresponding payments, posing significant challenges to the global zero emissions initiative.
An ongoing problem
Recall that in July 2023, the Speaker of Nigeria’s Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abass, revealed that the country experiences an annual loss of $2.5 billion due to gas flaring.
He emphasized that the flared gas represents potential revenue that could have been generated through its sale or utilization.
Hon. Abass called for the engagement of all parties involved in gas flaring activities by the Ad-hoc gas flaring committee to investigate the payment of fines and the management of proceeds.
Additionally, Patrick Mgbebu, the Chairman of the Gas Monitoring Committee at the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), informed the House that the Federation Account has been deprived of over $277 million in gas flaring penalties between 2020 and 2022.
More insights from the Hydrogen conference
Speaking at the event, the Country Director, GIZ Nigeria & ECOWAS, Dr. Markus Wagner said:
- “It is crucial to recognize that green hydrogen has the potential to revolutionize our energy landscape. It offers a path to reducing carbon emissions, diversifying energy sources, and boosting economic growth.”
He also emphasized the importance of data and information in facilitating a successful energy transition in Nigeria. Comprehensive planning, monitoring, and evaluation of the implementation plans are crucial elements for navigating the transition effectively.
He suggested that Nigeria should position itself as a technology leader to fully capitalize on the opportunities presented by the energy transition journey.
In addition, Nigeria’s Minister of Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo, represented by the Director of Gas, Mrs. Komolafe Oluremi, acknowledged Nigeria’s commitment to achieving Net Zero Emission by 2060.
Ekpo highlighted that hydrogen offers a viable pathway for decarbonizing the country’s energy sector, and it has become a top priority for the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
He emphasized the need for substantial investments to scale up the hydrogen economy, and the government can play a role by creating a conducive climate for investors.
Ambassador Annett Günther, representing the Federal Republic of Germany in Nigeria, affirmed the commitment of both Germany and Nigeria to drive the production and utilization of hydrogen.
This collaboration reflects a shared dedication to advancing hydrogen-related initiatives.
[Nairametrics]
Nollywood actress Wunmi Toriola has revealed that she is open to becoming a second wife after her first marriage crashed.
The mother of one, while appearing on the latest episode of the ‘Exciting Moment With Debbie’ with actress Debbie Shokoya, stated that her mindset towards marriage has changed.
Her words: “I used to have the mindset that I couldn’t be a second or third wife, but that has changed because I have a child now.
“If I meet a man who has a child like me or a widower, I will marry him. What matters is my happiness.”
Speaking earlier during the interview, she stated that she believed she could work things out with her estranged husband.
At that point, when I got married, I had the option of becoming the second or third wife; however, I didn’t have the mind to compete, but that was then
“I got married to a young man, and we had our lives coming up. I used to believe that we could work things out, but there was a point where we were having issues, and he kept telling me, ‘you are the one with the fame.”
She also stated that, after her marriage crashed, she channeled all her energy into her acting career.
[Vanguard]
Peter Obi is not desperate for power and is not frustrated to want to leave Nigeria because he lost an election, says the Director-General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Akin Osuntokun, while speaking during a recent interview.
The Labour Party (LP) chieftain, who was speaking on the 2023 presidential election and the 171-day legal battle seeking to nullify the election of President Bola Tinubu, debunked the speculations that Obi is considering leaving the country. According to him, the LP presidential candidate has achieved all that anyone can dream of having.
Laughing to a question by journalists on whether the rumour that Obi may dump Nigeria following his loss at the Supreme Court was true, Osuntokun said: “Then you obviously don’t know Peter Obi. Why will he be frustrated? Tell me. After all, he is not desperate for power. He has virtually everything anybody can wish for in life. The status he has achieved is a big bonus in his life. Personally, as a person, he has grown a lot in stature for the majority of Nigerians to look to as a role model. That to me, is a big deal. Why should any of that get him frustrated enough to want to make him turn his back on his country? Not at all.
“What Obi has achieved, even in the little time he spent with the party, is still there. How can he then abandon all he has done because he didn’t get a judgment from the Supreme Court? Obi has no reason to be frustrated. He is not one who sees the aspiration to become the president of Nigeria as a personal acquisition. It is not a personal loss for him. It is a loss for the country. God has raised him far beyond what he was before. There is no logical basis to expect him to be alienated from Nigeria.”
On how the Labour Party plans to rebuild the party following the events of the general 2023 elections, Osuntokun said: “Well, we have just completed the court case and have not really sat to brainstorm on the next step. But for a party that has come out strongly to establish credibility for itself in the last election, I will expect Nigerians who have been frustrated with the status quo to find sanctuary in the Labour Party, especially members of the young generation. I don’t see what the youth will be looking for in the APC, which represents all that people cannot wish for in this country. I mean it is unimaginable that some people at the National Assembly can say they want to buy N160m Range Rover for each member in this present circumstance.
“At a time like this when desperate measures are needed to tackle our challenges, we are hearing some people using the same loan borrowed to buy SUVs and their excuse was that the ministers have three or more. You can see the sickness we are battling. They are not even admitting that they are doing anything wrong. Instead, they are reminding you there is a bigger sinner out there. The public itself has a role to play.”
A popular praise singer in the North, Dauda Kahutu, also known as Rarara, has been sued over alleged inciteful comments and public disturbance.
Recall that Rarara, during a press conference recently in Abuja, accused former President Muhammadu Buhari of destroying the country before handing it over to President Bola Tinubu.
The praise singer, therefore, expressed regret in supporting the former Nigerian leader.
Following the development, a resident of Maraba town in Nasarawa State, Muhammed Sani Zangina, instituted a court against the singer for inciting the public against Buhari.
In a court affidavit on Monday, the complainant, through his lawyer, Muhammed Barde Abdullahi, said Rarara’s action was capable of breaching public peace, as well as causing disturbance, contrary to Section 114 of the Penal Code.
The case, which was filed in a Nasarawa State magistrates’ court sitting in Lafia, could not, however, be held on Monday, November 13, due to the absence of the defendant.
The court’s bailiff explained that the summons issued by the court could not be served on the defendant.
Barrister Abdullahi, thereafter, applied that a substrate service be effected against the defendant, a request the court granted.
The Magistrate, Maryam Nadabo, adjourned the case to December 4.