The Defence Headquarters, DHQ, has announced major successes in its ongoing counter-terrorism and anti-oil theft operations across Nigeria, with over 100 terrorists killed, 100 suspects arrested, and 21 kidnapped victims rescued between April 17 and 25, 2025.

Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, disclosed the achievements in a statement on Friday.

Kangye noted that coordinated offensives across the North East, North West, North Central, South South, and South East regions yielded substantial results.

“In the North East, troops of Operation Hadin Kai launched aggressive offensives leading to the surrender of ISWAP/JAS elements and the elimination of dozens of terrorists,” Kangye said.

In the North West, troops under Operation Fagge Yamma neutralized several insurgents, arrested suspects, and rescued victims in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Katsina States.

In the North Central zone, Operations Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke also recorded significant success. Between April 18–22, troops acting on credible intelligence arrested over 37 criminal suspects in Plateau and Kaduna States.

In the South East, troops under Operation Udoka carried out successful raids in Imo, Enugu, Anambra, and Ebonyi States, killing terrorists, arresting suspects, and recovering arms and explosives. Notably, four kidnapped victims were rescued during these missions.

In the South South, troops of Operation Delta Safe targeted illegal refining sites and oil theft networks, destroying equipment and seizing crude oil and petroleum products worth over ₦94 million.

“Between April 18 and 22, troops made contact with terrorists in several communities, seizing weapons, mobile phones, motorcycles, and IEDs,” Kangye added

Pope Francis was buried inside his favourite Rome church after a funeral mass in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican said on Saturday.

Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was laid to rest during a 30-minute ceremony which started at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Italian capital.

Footage shared by the Holy See showed cardinals marking his wooden and zinc coffin with red wax seals.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo is running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, sprinkled it with holy water after it was lowered into a tomb set inside an alcove.

A reproduction of the pectoral cross worn by Francis during his lifetime hung above it.

Francis had asked that the tomb, located near the altar of Saint Francis, be simple and unadorned, reflecting the humble spirit of his papacy.

The tombstone bears only the inscription “Franciscus” — the pope’s name in Latin.

Its marble is sourced from Liguria, the northwestern Italian region once home to the Argentine pontiff’s Italian ancestors.

Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, had specified in his will the exact spot he wanted to be buried, in the side nave of the beloved fifth-century AD church.

The pontiff was devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point of praying in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome.

He declared his desire to be entombed there in 2023.

Located in the heart of Rome, the basilica already holds the tombs of seven popes.

But the last one to be buried there was Clement IX in 1669. More recently, popes have usually been buried in St Peter’s Basilica.

One of four papal basilicas in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore also holds the remains of several other renowned figures, such as the architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who designed St Peter’s Square and its surrounding columns.

Built around 432 AD under Pope Sixtus III, the basilica holds some of the Catholic Church’s most important relics, including an icon of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus, attributed to Saint Luke.

(Channels/AFP)

Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, April 25, 2025, ordered the final forfeiture of a property to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The property is located at 26, Tolu Road, Olodi Apapa, Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The judge gave the order, following a motion on notice filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos through its lawyer, H. U. Kofarnaisa.

Justice Dipeolu had earlier ordered the interim forfeiture of the property and also ordered the publication of the said order in a national newspaper for any interested person on party to show cause why the property should not be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

Moving the application for the final forfeiture on Friday, Kofarnaisa told the court that “no one showed cause within the 14 days window granted after the publication.”

Kofarnaisa also stated that the application was supported with an affidavit deposed to by Gyal Maina Gapani, an operative of the EFCC.

She, therefore, told the court that the property “is reasonably suspected to have been acquired with the proceeds of unlawful activities.”

After listening to the EFCC’s counsel, Justice Dipeolu held that he found merit in the argument of the applicant and ordered the final forfeiture of the property to the Federal Government of Nigeria in favour of Sterling Bank Plc.