The Niger State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on Christians to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ready to elect good leaders of their choice in the 2023 general elections.

Catholic Bishop of Kontagora and the state CAN Chairman, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna made the call on Monday, in Minna, the state capital, while giving his Democracy Day message.

The Bishop explained that registering with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to acquire the PVCs and coming out on election day to cast their votes would determine who governs them.

“My beloved brethren in Christ Jesus, this is a clarion call on all of us, the 2023 general elections is around the corner and we are the determinants of who governs us after the elections.

“Remember that the final lap towards carrying out your civic duty as an electorate in the country begins with getting your PVC to enable you to vote on election day.

“As Christians, we must all participate actively in politics, either as members of political parties or as electorate.

“I want to urge eligible Christians to get their PVCs to participate in the 2023 general elections.

“Nigerians and indeed Christians must not sit on the fence, we must all participate actively in the nation’s electoral process, ” he said.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, has pledged to raise the bar in security network to eliminate the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) and the spread of Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria.

He also assured that the military and other security agencies were committed to securing the release of 51 Abuja-Kaduna train kidnap victims, he said during the Democracy Day celebration, he also urge Nigerians to sustain trust in the military, he called for supply of needed intelligence that would help the security agencies in identifying criminals’ hideouts.

Irabor said: “Trust is a commodity that does not belong to the military alone; it belongs to all of us, Nigerians. It is not how much the civilians trust the military; it is for us to understand that we cannot withhold information and expect a miracle.

“I am a victim as well as Nigerians that are on the street. We are all victims. Trust is not something that we should beg for. Indeed our citizenship is anchored on the need to trust each other, which is in our National Anthem. I crave the indulgence of all Nigerians to say that there has to be trust. Trust must exist and must be given, so that together we can achieve the state that we desire.”

He added that ISWAP, being an international criminal network, has its ideology and objectives, and that measures had been set up to terminate its activities.

“On this Democracy Day, I appeal to Nigerians to focus on the things that unite us; rather than looking at things that will not bring hope to Nigerians, which is the theme of this democracy message ‘Giving hope to Nigerians’,” he said.

Assessing the security situation within the last 12 months, he, however, commended the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that his agenda on security remained a major driver of successes recorded in parts of the country.

He assured families of the Kaduna train kidnap victims to keep hope alive, as security agencies were working to ensure that no stone is left unturned in rescuing the victims unscathed.

The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum has yesterday visited Logumani, a community in Ngala Local Government Area where he approved the construction of 500 resettlement houses to accommodate returnees according to Maidawaarewa.

Residents of Logumani were among the people who were displaced as a result of the activities of Boko Haram insurgents for over seven years.

Zulum said he will support the residents of Logumani to enable them rebuild their homes, destroyed by insurgents, he also ordered the State Rural Water Supply Agency (RUWASA) to construct borehole that will address water needs of returning IDPs.

During the visit, Zulum spoke with residents of Logumani, who are taking refuge in Dikwa town and discussed on ways of returning them back to their ancestral homes, the governor did same in Kirawa town in Gwoza Local Government Area where he supervised the resettlement of over 2,500 households.

Maidawaarewa reports that the governors visits mainly focused on building, supervising or allocating newly built resettlement houses, distributing cash and food aid, supplying agricultural packs to farmers, and meeting with military commanders to review security situations and deploy strengthening measures where necessary.

Those who went on the trip together with the governor were the member representing Ngala at the state assembly, Mustapha Dalatu, and that of Dikwa, Zakariya Dikwa, Former Commissioner of Agriculture and APC’s candidate for a house representatives seat, Engr. Bukar Talba and heads of relevant establishments of government involved with construction and reconstruction, provision of water, livelihoods and general human empowerment.

The Federal Government has linked the fighters of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) to the attack on a Catholic church in Owo, Ondo State.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed this Thursday while briefing State House reporters after a meeting of the National Security Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He said the government had been able to locate the perpetrators of the Owo attack and zeroed in on ISWAP terrorist group.

The minister, who briefed alongside Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, said security agencies had been directed to go after the perpetrators of the act and bring them to justice.

The minister said the group was out to pitch Nigerians against one another and make it appear as ethno-religious war.

He said there was no ethnic agenda in the attack, urging Nigerians to unite and defeat the terrorists.

Scores of worshippers were killed while others injured during Sunday’s attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.