People&Politics

By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna Catholic Bishop of Kaduna Archdiocese, Archbishop Mathew Manoso-Ndagoso, on Friday, April 25, urged Nigerian leaders and Christians in the country to emulate the humble and simple lifestyle of Pope Francis who, to him, lived a life of humility and cared for the marginalized in society. Speaking after the requiem mass at St Joseph's Cathedral, Archbishop Manoso-Ndagoso noted: "He live very closely to the way Jesus Christ lived and that's why Christ identified with the poor; he identified with those at the periphery and those who felt abandoned. This is something we must learn as leaders and…

The Trump administration is restoring visas for hundreds of foreign students who had their legal status abruptly terminated stoking panic among many who feared immediate deportation, government officials confirmed. Justice department attorney Elizabeth Kurlan told a federal court that immigration officials are now working on a new system for reviewing and terminating visas for international students. The announcement follows more than 100 lawsuits filed by students who were abruptly stripped of their legal right to study in US universities. An estimated 1,800 students and 280 universities have been impacted, according to a tally from Inside Higher Ed. Many affected students…

By our reporter Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has said the killer Fulani herdsmen who routinely attack his state are not Nigerians, but Malians. According to him, though they speak Hausa and Fulani languages, the governor said their dialectal variants of these languages are different to the ones spoken in Nigeria, especially the northern part of the country. Sorrow has continued to grip Benue State in recent times as the herdsmen stepped up their attacks on communities, leading to orgies of bloodshed, arson, and displacement of many residents of the Middle Belt or North-Central state. Local Government Areas…

Catholic cardinals are meeting this morning for the first time to decide when Pope Francis's body will be moved to St Peter's Basilica - and when the funeral will take place. According to the apostolic constitution, the Universi Dominici Gregis - meaning the Lord's whole flock - the service should happen "between the fourth and sixth day after death". That would put the date of the funeral between Friday, April 25 - Liberation Day in Italy, a national holiday - and Sunday, April 27. Multiple Italian outlets are reporting the service is likely to be scheduled for Saturday, with national…