Archive May 18, 2025

Nelson Adepoyigi, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Ondo State district of Ifon, who was kidnapped at his home a few days ago, was reportedly killed by his abductors.

However, the kidnappers reportedly paid ransom for the release of Adepoyigi by offering them five million naira and food.

Initial demands for 100 million were made by the kidnappers, who later reduced that figure to 5 million with foodstuffs.

Additionally, they demanded a new ransom of $ 30 million for the two captives, including Adepoyigi and the two ransom bearers, after they had already taken the other two people.

Hon. Ose Local Government Area Chairman Barr . Oluwaseun Ogunniyi, Clement Kolapo Ojo’s media aide, released a statement on Saturday that confirmed the development.

I Won’t Compete With Tinubu in a 2027 Wike, READ ALSO.

While we are appreciative that the two volunteers have now reclaimed their freedom, Nelson Adepoyigi’s life was brutally squandered by his captors, according to the statement.

The entire Ose Local Government’s leadership and staff are grieving this tragic loss. The family, friends, and political figures of the deceased receive our sincere condolences.

“Security issues are now a serious threat to the safety and freedom of our people,” the statement read. Another resident was just a few days before this incident when he was parking his motorcycle.

This pattern of brutal abductions, even at the homes of people, confirms that insecurity has taken on a dangerous and intolerable level.

We urge people to remain vigilant, immediately report suspicious activity to the nearest security post, and unite as we work together to combat this threat.

The Vatican in Rome is preparing for Robert Francis Prevost’s inauguration as the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church.

Bola Tinubu, the president of the United States, JD Vance, the vice president of the United States, and other world leaders were among the dignitaries who attended the event.

Watch the below live stream:

In a popemobile, Pope Leo XIV, the first US pontiff, addressed tens of thousands of pilgrims and supporters before the ceremony’s opening mass.

Robert Francis Prevost, who was born in Chicago and became one of the 1.4 billion Catholics in the world on May 8, stood in the white car as it passed through enthralling crowds, waving, and waving the sign of the cross.

The inauguration mass, which starts at 10:00 am (0800 GMT), is one of the hundreds of dignitaries scheduled to attend.

Leo will preside over the elaborate rituals and symbols, where he will receive his unique papal ring before delivering a homily that will set the tone for his papacy.

Read more about Tinubu, Vance, and other world leaders’ gatherings for Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration.

The 69-year-old is unknown to many Catholics despite serving for 20 years as a missionary in Peru. However, he has shown glimpses of the kind of leader he will become.

In conversations with journalists, clergy, and diplomats, he frequently advocated social justice and called for peace in a conflict-filled world.

He also defended the rights of the unborn, citing traditional Catholic values, such as the importance of a “stable union of a man and a woman.”

Inacia Lisboa, 71, a native of the Cape Verde who currently resides in Rome, claimed she awoke early to find a good spot to see a man who she claimed had already “entered my heart.”

When asked what she wanted from him, she responded, “We need peace in the world so much.”

Zelensky, Merz, &nbsp

Leo’s elevation has sparked a lot of enthusiasm in the United States, which includes Marco Rubio, a Catholic, and Vance, who converted to Christianity on Sunday.

Prior to becoming pope, the new pontiff criticized President Donald Trump’s administration for how it handled immigration and attacked Vance, but the account is no longer accessible.

The day before the Argentine, who had spent 12 years as pontiff, met Pope Francis, the last world leader to meet with him.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the country’s ambassador to St. Peter’s Basilica at Francis’s funeral, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are among the other notable guests.

Along with Ursula von der Leyen, the president of Peru, Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, Gustavo Petro of Colombia, and many other European royals, the Vatican has also listed the president of Peru.

For the occasion, Italian authorities have deployed snipers on rooftops and anti-drone operations, along with thousands of security personnel.

Fisherman’s ring,  

Leo XIV won the cardinals’ secret conclave vote that lasted less than 24 hours on May 8 and became the 267th pope.

He succeeds the charismatic but impulsive Francis, succeeding the Church that is still struggling with the effects of the clerical child abuse scandal and trying to adapt to the contemporary world.

However, Sunday is not concerned with modernity.

The ceremony is a grand affair steeped in tradition, despite the fact that no pope has been crowned at an inauguration mass since Paul VI in 1963.

Leo will begin by visiting Saint Peter’s tomb, which is located beneath the basilica’s altar, where he was credited with being one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ and the first pope.

The fisherman’s ring, which is forged each time for each pope and he will wear on his finger until he passes away, will then be desecrated, along with the pallium, which is worn over the chasuble, his robe, and his ring.

The pope will accompany other cardinals and clergymen in procession into St. Peter’s Square, where large screens will show the proceedings.

The pope will address the heads of state delegations at the ceremony’s conclusion, though it’s not clear if any of them will also receive a one-on-one private audience.

According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the incident that a Mexican Navy training ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge left two people dead and 19 others injured.

Onlookers enjoying the gloomy spring evening watched in horror as the ship collided with the landmark in New York City, where all three of its masts were snapped.

“At this time, 19 of the 277 on board suffered injuries, 2 of which are still in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries,” Adams wrote on X.

The Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtemoc tried to pass beneath the bridge, which sheared off the masts and sent them flying into the East River, but footage from online footage shows it trying to pass, its sails strewn, and festive lights draped in its rigging.

Numerous enthralling spectators had assembled just before the ship’s departure on Tuesday, which had been docked at a pier in southern Manhattan.

Two crew members died in the collision, according to a statement from the Mexican Navy, and 22 more were injured, half of whom were in critical condition.

Claudia Sheinbaum, the president of Mexico, stated on X that the deaths of the two crew members “deeply saddens me.”

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At around 8:20 p.m. (0020 GMT Sunday), the ship lost power as a result of the captain’s maneuvering, forcing it to veer toward the Brooklyn side’s bridge abutment, according to New York police special operations officer Wilson Aramboles at a press conference.

When the ship crashed into the bridge, several sailors on the ship’s top, according to Aramboles.

If these sailors are among the dead, it’s not known.

Nick Corso, a 23-year-old Brooklyn resident who was standing near the water, claimed there was “panic on the ship.”

He had planned to take a photo, but when he realized what was happening, he decided to record it.

He claimed that there were a lot of screaming and sailors hanging from the masts, which sounded like there was panic on board.

“Many people up top, but nobody I saw fell into the water.” People screamed and ran back. According to Corso, who runs VeeFriends’ marketing department.

He said, “The panic on the ship, and there was a guy at the back waving for people to leave the walkway we were on, was the one thing that stood out to me.”

Reopening Bridge

No one was rescued from the water, according to the Mexican Navy’s statement, and no rescue operation had been launched.

Flags flew off the ship’s stern as it was leaving New York at the time, and there were also some flaming Mexican flags in the rigging.

According to Arturo Acatitla, a 37-year-old New York resident, “suddenly we saw all the lights, how they collided, hit the bridge, and they (the sailors) all fell down” seconds after the ship left the dock.

The New York transportation department posted on X, “While inspections will continue, there are no signs of structural damage to the Brooklyn Bridge.”

Before it resumed, the Brooklyn-to-New York Bridge was closed for about 40 minutes.

According to the Mexican ambassador, Esteban Moctezuma Barragan, at a press conference, victims were taken to hospitals, and nearby sirens could be audible.

The Cuauhtemoc, a barque built in 1982 and having a mast height of 48.2 meters (158 feet), was sailing to Iceland at the time of its collision, according to Aramboles of the New York Police Department.

We celebrated its arrival at Pier 17 in Manhattan with mariachi, folk ballet, and an empathetic community,” according to the ambassador’s post.

The Mexican Navy confirmed in a statement on X that the Cuauhtemoc had suffered damage as a result of the “mishap.”

The Mexican Navy’s Ministry of the Navy reiterates its commitment to the safety of its personnel, transparency in its operations, and excellence in the training of its future officers, according to the statement.

An AFP journalist witnessed the ship being later moved to a location close to the Manhattan Bridge.

Residents of the area on X were advised by the New York Police Department to avoid it because of “heavy traffic” and “a large presence of emergency vehicles.”

In the last two years, a ship has collided into a bridge in Baltimore, killing six road workers, and the second time the ship has done so in less than a year.