The Kano State House of Assembly on Monday in Kano passed the Bill seeking life imprisonment for kidnappers in the state.

Human Rights Watch, Monday, released a report accusing Nigerian officials of sexually exploiting women and girls at the IDPs.

President Muhammadu Buhari has, Monday, ordered the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Ibrahim Idris and the affected state governors to commence immediate investigations into the recent report by the Human Rights Watch alleging sexual harassments of girls and women at the Internally Displaced Camps, IDPs by some officials.

Pope Francis has landed in Sweden to mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, a remarkably bold gesture given his very own Jesuit religious order founded to defend the faith against Martin Luther’s “heretical” reforms five centuries ago.

While the visit initially raised eyebrows, the Vatican and Lutheran church both insist the event is no celebration of Luther’s revolt.

Rather, they say, it’s a solemn commemoration to ask forgiveness for the schism in Western Christianity and rejoice that relations have improved in the last five decades.

Francis has prioritized these deeply symbolic encounters to show that even while divided on dogma, the Christian faithful can and must work together and pray together, especially in times of religious persecution.

“If we don’t do it, we Christians hurt ourselves by division,” Francis said in an interview this weekend with a Jesuit journal.

Francis arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule in Malmo, southern Sweden, and went immediately into an airport audience with Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, followed by a meeting with Sweden’s royals.

The main event of the day is an ecumenical prayer service to commemorate the anniversary with the head of the Lutheran World Federation, Bishop Munib Younan, at the Lutheran cathedral in Lund.

The Vatican and Lutheran delegations were to ride together in a bus — itself an ecumenical voyage of sorts — to attend an event highlighting both churches’ peace-making and humanitarian efforts.

Testimony from refugees and the Catholic bishop of besieged Aleppo, Syria, top the list of speakers.

Francis continues his visit on Tuesday with a Catholic Mass in the Malmo sports stadium, added in at the last minute after Sweden’s tiny Catholic community balked that Francis was ignoring them and coming only for the Protestant commemoration.

“I wanted to insist on an ecumenical witness,” Francis said in the interview. “Then I thought about my role as pastor to a Catholic flock” and added in the Mass and an extra day.

The Protestant Reformation started in 1517 after Luther nailed 95 theses on the church door in the town of Wittenberg, denouncing what he saw as the abuses of the Catholic Church, especially the sale of indulgences.

Pope Leo X excommunicated him, but the church couldn’t stop his teachings from spreading throughout northern Europe or the world.

Catholics persecuted Protestants and vice versa for hundreds of years.

St. Ignatius Loyola founded the Jesuit order in 1537, 20 years after Luther’s protest, in part as a response to the heresies being promoted, the Rev. Charles Connor, a church historian, wrote in “Defenders of the Faith in Word and Deed.”

“The work of the Jesuits in defending the faith must be looked at in the context of the Counter-Reformation,” he wrote. “The times called for a spirited defense of the faith. It was the time for Catholic renewal.”

Years ago, Francis spoke harshly of the Protestant reformers. But in the run-up to the trip, he has had only words of praise for Luther.

He recently called the German theologian a reformer of his time who rightly criticized a church that was “no model to imitate.”

“There was corruption in the church, worldliness, attachment to money and power,” Francis told reporters this summer.

They are the same abuses Francis has criticized in the 21st-century Catholic Church he now leads.

Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Father Matthew Hassan Kukah, today, Monday paid an unscheduled visit to the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Abuja, where some top-ranking Peoples Democratic Party officials, are being detained over graft-related issues.

For being the first African table tennis player to make it to the quarterfinal stage of the men’s singles at the Olympic Games, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri has indeed raised the bar for upcoming players to aim at in their chosen career.

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to be intimidated by politicians ahead of Nov. 26 governorship poll in Ondo state.

Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on Monday said his administration would continue to support sports development as a means to diversify Enugu State’s economy through effective engagement of youths.

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Monday gave reasons for non-pumping of petroleum products through System 2B Pipelines Network by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The report that the Nigerian Army has placed an order for 50,000 boots from local manufacturers in Aba has generated commendation from Nigerians for the patronage of Made-in-Nigeria product. Among the commendations flooding in are some who said that the morale of the troops will be boosted by wearing such made-in-Nigeria boots fashioned for the rigors and harsh weather and soil condition of the country.

A group , Ikwerre Youth Movement International, IYM has described bribery allegations leveled against the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi by two judges as a clear reflection of effort by mischief makers to destroy the reputation of the Minister.

Lagos – Deji Tinubu, Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, has appealed to all involved in organising the CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations tournament to ensure its success for the benefit of youths. Tinubu, who made the appeal on Monday in Lagos, said the organisers of the tournament should use it to further ensure […]

The National Industrial Court in Ibadan on Monday stopped the University of Ibadan management from ejecting a sacked lecturer, Dr Adenike Ogunshe, from her official residence, pending the determination of a suit.

An Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday ordered the remand of a 20-year-old student, Segun Adeoye, at the Olokuta Prison’s custody over an alleged armed robbery of goods worth N3,675,000.

Rangers International of Enugu Coach, Imama Amakapabo , on Monday said that the team would be fortified with additional experienced players ahead of the 2016/2017 season.