Prominent Islamic cleric and Chief Imam of Dutsen Tanshi Jumaat Mosque, Dr. Idris Abdulaziz, has passed away after a lengthy battle with an undisclosed illness.

He died on Thursday night, leaving the Bauchi community and beyond in mourning over the loss of a respected religious leader.

Funeral prayers for Dr. Abdulaziz will be held in Bauchi at 10:00 a.m. on Friday.

Dr. Abdulaziz, known for his passionate advocacy for justice and dedication to his faith, had been entangled in a legal dispute with Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, since 2022. He was facing trial for alleged defamation and was at one point declared wanted by the Bauchi State Police Command for alleged contempt of court.

Despite these controversies, Dr. Abdulaziz remained a revered figure, drawing admiration for his sermons and commitment to societal issues.

News of his death has triggered an outpouring of grief and tributes from followers and sympathizers across social media platforms, with many describing him as a courageous and unwavering voice in the community.

Though details surrounding his illness and death remain undisclosed, his passing has undeniably left a significant void in the religious landscape of Bauchi State.

Nigerian Catholic priest, Rev Fr Chinenye Oluoma, has tagged those who say ‘Holy Ghost fire’ prayers against their enemies as antichrist.

Oluoma said that such persons do not have the spirit of Christ but rather the spirit of the antichrist.

The cleric stated this in a video posted on his verified Facebook page on Thursday.

According to him, there was never a time ‘holy ghost fire’ was used for deliverance, noting that what is used for deliverance is ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’.

He added, “Those who are anointed get transformed. And what matters under your anointing is the Spirit of God that possesses you.

“So let me tell you now, anybody who prays ‘Holy Ghost fire’ against his or her enemies, that person does not have the Spirit of God, or that person has expelled the Spirit of God for himself or herself.

“If you pray ‘Holy Ghost fire’ against your enemies, you do not have the Spirit of Christ. What you have is the spirit of the antichrist. In fact, you are one of the antichrists.

“If you pray: “Every enemy who said, I will not make it this year, I say holy ghost fire,” you are an antichrist.

“People don’t like this message. “Holy Ghost fire” prayers against your enemies, whether they are in the village or they are in town, whether they are your uncles – your uncle that denied you something, or that stole your mother’s land or whatever – if you are among those who invoke holy ghost fire to destroy your enemies. You don’t have the spirit of Christ. What you have is antichrist spirit. Many Christians are antichrists and they don’t know.”

“So I’m now I’m giving you one of the characteristics of the antichrist – those who say ‘Holy Ghost fire’ prayers.

“Even in deliverance – those who do deliverance – there was never a time holy ghost fire was used for deliverance. What is used for deliverance is ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’.

“How we came to make holy ghost fire part of prayer is still a case study. The Bible said, whatever you ask the Father in my name, then your generation of Christians now have made holy ghost fire a prayer condiment.

“Not even in deliverance, when you are facing real person who is possessed, it is in the name of Jesus Christ that evil spirits are cast out. It’s not with holy ghost fire, but in your clime you people use holy ghost fire more for your enemies.
If you are in a place where they’re saying that kind of prayer begin to enlighten them.”

https://www.facebook.com/fadaoluoma/videos/1579624129415110/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

The Senior Pastor of Word of Power Gospel Church International, Apostle Festus Alilu, has publicly apologized to Pastor Korede Komaiya of The Master’s International Church, Warri, Delta State.

This follows a recent comment made by Apostle Alilu against Pastor Komaiya via a video on his social media page, a move that sparked reactions from various quarters.

Consequently, some supporters of Pastor Komaiya reported the case to the police, leading to Apostle Alilu’s arrest and detention.

However, in a formal apology letter dated March 23, 2025, Apostle Alilu stated that he had removed the controversial video from his Facebook page and had also uploaded a new video apologizing for his actions.

He admitted that his comments were inappropriate and had negatively affected Pastor Komaiya’s reputation.

He wrote, “I write to express my sincere and unreserved apologies for a video I posted on my Facebook page on the 8th day of March 2025, where I criticized your style of preaching.

“I regret all the offensive content of the video and the negative effects on your reputation, congregation and the entire body of Christ.

“I have removed the video from my Facebook page, and I have also posted an apology video on the same platform.

“I humbly request your forgiveness and understanding on this matter so we can put it behind us and focus on our shared commitment to spreading the Gospel.”

Reacting to the apology, the Concerned Christian Youth Forum described the move as a welcome development.

The group, in a statement by its convener, Adama James Paul, applauded the reconciliation and urged others to follow suit.

“We believe that the Christian faith and its leaders should be respected and protected against defamation and cyberbullying.

“Do NOT defame or tarnish the reputation of anyone while criticizing their actions. Remember, you are only sharing your perception or opinion, and this must be done within the confines of the law.

“A criminal offense isn’t just against the victim but against the entire state. So do not come up with lame excuses that the victim is a Christian or Pastor and ought to have forgiven.”