CAN Blasts El-Rufai over 'Jesus Joke'

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Wednesday, described recent statement linked to former Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, on Jesus Christ, as not only reckless but also indicative of deep-seated moral bankcruptcy.

El-Rufai had tweeted on January 28, that “if Jesus criticises Jonathan’s government, Maku, Abati or Okupe will say that he slept with Mary Magdalene”.

Addressing newsmen on the issue, CAN warned El-Rufai that “if he persists in such matters and making such divisive commentaries, he must prepare himself for a very forceful and vigorous reaction from the Church and the Christian community in Nigeria”.

read more

Speaking through its General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, CAN warned that the “maturity and dignified restraint of the Christian populace, in the face of inflammatory and provocative statements, should not be taken as licence for unbridled assault.

 “We urge his religious leaders and political associates to advise him to be far more sobre and circumspect and put a padlock on his mouth before he lights the candle that sets our country on fire. “On our part, we urge the Christian community and our Christian youths to continue to be restrained and always seek peace, love and harmony, in spite of the provocations that they are facing from the likes of Nasir El-Rufai and those he represents. “We must not allow him to turn Nigeria into a cauldron of fire by his reckless, bigoted and twisted commentaries about our Lord or our faith and we must view him for exactly what he is, a failed, desperate, hate-filled and drowning politician, who is now stoking embers of religious division to create a political base for himself amongst his people.

 “Nigeria has no place for a religious bigot who delight in insulting the Christian faith. “We urged the Federal Government to call Nasir El-Rufai to order and not to overlook the possibility that his joke was not only contrived but was actually calculated to create an even greater wedge between Christians and Muslims with the attendant consequences. “Had it not been for the maturity, fortitude, patience, decency, forgiving nature and deep sense of restraint that the majority of Christians have in our country, El-Rufai would not have been safe anywhere in Nigeria today after cracking such an expensive joke.”

DELSU worker to die by hanging for killing admission seeker

A 27-year-old clerical officer of the Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka, David Wonder Erhirhie, has been sentenced to death by an Orerokpe high court in the State, having found him guilty of killing a female student, Princess Chinoso Ijezie  who was seeking for admission at the University sometime in 2009.
Prosecution led by Mr. Theophilous Omenuwoma had told the court that “David Wonder, until the ugly incident who was a junior staff with DELSU was an admission racketeer who collected the sum of N155,000 from the deceased to assist her to secure admission into the University.

read more

“He however could not secure the admission for the deceased but in a bid to cover up the fraud he lured the late Princes Chinoso Ijezie to his house under the pretence that he wanted to refund the said amount but instead, he murdered and secretly buried her in a shallow grave close to his house before nemesis caught up with him”, prosecution added.

Prosecution called six witnesses to prove its case while the accused testified by himself and called no witness.The court in convicting him stated that “the punishment for a crime of this magnitude is death penalty. This accused does not deserve less. He is therefore sentenced to death by the neck until he is dead”.

Meet 27-Year-Old Nigerian Whose Incredible Sketches Look Like Digital Photos

Kelvin Okafor, 27, graduated from Middlesex University in fine art and is now making waves across the country.

'I aspire to create art as vivid as eyes could see. I want my drawings to prompt an emotional response, making viewers feel as though they are looking at a real live subject. I’ve always been creative, but fell in love with using pencils in particular. 

It amazed me, that with only one shade of lead, you can create so many tones and textures, and almost create the illusion of colour. It was only when my images started to create a buzz with other Middlesex University students that I realised their impact.'

He creates each piece only in black and white – using graphite pencils, charcoal, black coloured pencil and sometimes grey pastels.

At the moment his work is currently on display at the The Watercolours + Works on Paper Fair at the London Science Museum, until 3^rd of February.
Click here for most of his work 

more pictures