WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia launches scores of drones on Ukraine, four people injured, Kyiv says

Russia launched a barrage of drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine, injuring four people and damaging residential and commercial buildings in Kyiv and other parts of the country, Ukrainian officials said on Saturday.

Ukraine's air defences shot down 56 of 88 Russian drones, its air force said. It added that 24 drones were "lost" as the military used electronic warfare to redirect them.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitchko said that three people were injured in the capital as a result of the drone attacks.

Drone debris also destroyed a private house and damaged several commercial buildings, causing large fires in different parts of Kyiv, city officials said.

One more person was wounded in the city of Kharkiv in the northeast, Kharkiv's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said.

Regional officials also said that residential and commercial buildings were damaged in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, and the military reported damage in the Odesa region in the south.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Trump extends package of anti-Russian sanctions for another year

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that extends a package of anti-Russian sanctions introduced by his predecessor Joe Biden for a year, according to the US Federal Register.

On April 15, 2021, the Biden administration introduced executive order 14024, imposing sanctions on Russian individuals and entities that may have allegedly been engaged in cyber-enabled activities against the country, efforts to undermine the conduct of elections in the United States and other countries, attempts to harm or kill American citizens, as well as financial and other sanctions-busting operations.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in March that Russia considered all restrictions imposed on it as illegitimate and expected them to be lifted.

Reuters/Tass

According to data released by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Nigeria's crude oil production declined to 1,400,783 barrels per day (bpd) in March, marking the lowest output since January.

The figures reveal a 4.38% decrease from February's production of 1,465,006 bpd, representing a reduction of 64,223 bpd. When condensate is included, total production dropped to 1.603 million bpd in March from 1.671 million bpd in February.

Despite the decrease, the NUPRC noted that March's average crude oil production achieved 93% of Nigeria's 1.5 million bpd quota allocated by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Production levels fluctuated throughout the month, with the lowest combined output at 1.49 million bpd and the peak reaching 1.76 million bpd.

The current production remains well below the NUPRC's 2025 target of 2.1 million bpd. This decline comes as OPEC and its allies recently approved an increase in oil production by 411,000 bpd for May, amid falling oil prices that could potentially impact the implementation of Nigeria's 2025 budget.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

At least eight travellers were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded on the Maiduguri-Damboa road in Borno state on Saturday.

According to the police command in Borno, the incident, which left 11 other persons severely injured, involved a commercial bus heading to Maiduguri, the state capital, from Damboa.

“At about 11:45hrs today, a tragic incident occurred at Komala Village, Konduga LGA, Borno State,” Nahum Daso, police spokesperson, said in a statement.

“A Hummer Bus vehicle with registration number Jigawa MMR 144 XA, stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists.

“The explosion resulted in the deaths of eight individuals, including the driver, while eleven others sustained various injuries. The injured victims have been taken to the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri for treatment.

“Joint Clearance operation between the police and military ongoing.”

Babagana Zulum, governor of the state, who visited the victims in the hospital, directed that they be given free medical treatment.

Zulum also offered N50,000 cash to each of the injured as immediate support.

On April 8, Zulum expressed concern over the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings across the state.

The governor noted that renewed Boko Haram attacks and kidnappings in many communities in Borno showed that the state is losing its ground.

He added that the recent dislodgment of military formations in some LGAs is a “significant setback” in the country’s fight against insurgency.

There have been spates of attacks in the state in recent times.

On March 21, four passengers were killed and four others injured after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded under a commercial vehicle in Biu LGA of the state.

The Cable

After the Bokkos massacre, three persons have been confirmed killed in the Zogu community, Miango District, Irigwe Chiefdom of the Bassa local government area of Plateau State.

The leadership of the Irigwe Development Association, IDA, that confirmed the incident said the deceased are of the same family.

Sam Jugo, the National Publicity Secretary of IDA, said, “IDA has been notified of yet another attack on Zogu village, Miango yesterday the 11th April, 2025 at about 10 pm which claimed the lives of a father and two of his sons namely: Weyi Gebeh, 56 years, Zhu Weyi, 25 years, and Henry Weyi, 16 years old.

“This recent event brings to nine deaths recorded this week alone. IDA expresses its utmost displeasure on the deteriorating situation in Irigweland and calls on the security agencies to do whatever that is required to halt this barbarism on our land and perpetrators apprehended to face justice.

“The way criminal elements invade our motherland and kill with impunity seems to suggest a more sinister motive. IDA therefore calls on the Plateau State government and the security services to do the needful and stop the killing of innocent people in Irigweland.”

In another development, troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) on the ongoing Operation LAFIYAN JAMA’A have arrested two members of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Plateau State. The Media Information Officer of OpSH, Samson Zhakom, in a statement at the weekend, noted, “In a coordinated operation on 11 April 2025, troops of Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shendam busted an ISWAP cell located around Yelwa axis in Shendam Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State.

“During the sting operation, two suspected ISWAP members identified as Abdulkadir Dalhatu 25 years-old and Ubaidu Hassan 25 years-old posing as tailors were arrested by troops. Preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested suspects were mandated by ISWAP Commander to use the cover of tailoring to facilitate the establishment of ISWAP bases in Plateau and Bauchi States. The suspects are in custody for further action.

“Additionally, on 11 April 2025, troops of Sector 4 OPSH conducted follow-up operation at the hideout of a wanted criminal at Mazat Village in Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau State. During the operation, the suspect fled before troops arrived at the scene.

However, troops searched the hideout and recovered 1 AK-47 rifle with registration number 23402 as well as 1 AK-47 magazine buried in the building. The recovered weapons are in custody, while efforts are ongoing to nab the fleeing criminal and also recover other weapons in his possession.

“On the 12 April 2025, troops of Sector 2 OPSH acting on credible intelligence laid ambush against bandits along Road Pinau – Bangalala in Wase LGA of Plateau State. During the operation, troops made contact and neutralized one bandit while others fled with possible gunshot injuries. Troops exploited the general area and recovered one fabricated pistol.”

He called for more credible information to aid the operations of troops as they intensify onslaughts on arm-carrying criminals.

Vanguard

You probably call it something else, but I call it the Loyalty Line: that routine line-up of top government—mostly security-related—officials in front of the presidential jet when a Nigerian leader is about to travel.

You’ve seen it over and over: officials of the National Security Council and the National Defence Council standing against the backdrop of the aircraft.

In case you didn’t know, the NSC advises the President on security matters, including issues relating to organizations or agencies responsible for national security. Similarly, the NDC advises the President on matters concerning the defence of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Given Nigeria’s fractured security and the growing lack of public trust in the government, these two overlapping bodies, along with the officials who populate them, are clearly critical today.

And yet, every time the President travels, they have room in their schedules—wherever they are and whatever they’re doing—to show up at the airport. In effect, the Loyalty Line has become more important than the hard work of securing Nigeria as anticipated by the constitution.

If the President travelled by helicopter from the Presidential Villa to the airport in Abuja, it would only take about 20 minutes. By road, every Nigerian knows it’s an exorbitant, exuberant, and expensive power show.

Since the Loyalty Line must be at the airport ahead of his arrival, it stands to reason that the loyalists don’t travel with him. Each must arrive in their individual convoys to pledge their loyalty for a few seconds.

The Loyalty Line is a reminder that officials do not have to deliver results; they simply have to be loyal. And that loyalty is part of why Nigeria remains so insecure. The security architecture, which is based on professionals doing the work of professionals, has been replaced with professionals doing political bootlicking.

But perhaps this is why Nigeria does not work? Key government chieftains are, in practice, gathered in Abuja to please and praise the president rather than being in their offices or out in the field, doggedly working for the Nigerian people. If the National Security Adviser, the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, and the Inspector-General of Police must gather at the airport simply because the president is going on a flight, who is in the trenches? And why do their subordinates—in or out of Abuja—have any urgency about the 24-hour task ahead of them? Who is out there that the terrorists are afraid of?

Let us remember that in the administration before this—Muhammadu Buhari’s—the practice was the same. Like Tinubu, Buhari appeared to resent the notion of medical care in his own country (or providing it for Nigerians), even ignoring the State House Medical Centre next door.

The former president’s notion of security was a meeting of his “security chiefs.” Repeatedly surrounding himself with them in Aso Rock was his idea of combating Boko Haram.

Because he failed so disastrously and left Nigeria in a far worse situation but enjoys portraying himself as a statesman, I have often had to respond to his propaganda, including in two “Farewell to the General” articles in May 2023; “What Buhari seeks is peace, not rest” (July 2023); “Buhari still hungers for attention,” (September 2023); “Resisting Revisionist History” (December 2024); and “Go away, Muhammadu Buhari” (February 2025).

Last week, Buhari re-emerged, wielding his “integrity” flag and claiming“personal example of not accumulating wealth” and having supposedly departed “with the same physical assets he had before his presidency.”

There are two problems. The first is that Buhari counts poorly. While he only counts five homes, he has never answered the question about “the sprawling Asokoro lakeside mansion located at Number 9, Udo Udoma Street, Asokoro, Abuja,” that Abuja’s Breaking Times reported just days after he took the presidency.

The story curiously disappeared from the newspaper’s website thereafter.

And Buhari also does not list or count any home built for him by the federal government to which he is entitled by law.

Under Nigeria’s “Remuneration Of Former Presidents And Heads Of State (And Other Ancillary Matters) Act,” every former leader receives, among others, “a well-furnished five-bedroom house” anywhere he chooses in Nigeria.

And yet, we now learn that his Kaduna home was “demolished and thereafter rebuilt”—perhaps illegally—by the federal government.  Clearly, Buhari cannot count this property as one of the five he acknowledged since 2015, and yet he is not saying that it was built for him by the government in 2023.

The second problem is that apart from his perennial self-congratulations, nobody knows how wealthy Buhari really is.  He never held himself accountable, and nobody saw the declaration of assets he promised.

Even his cattle, contrary to science, grow fewer annually.

The truth is that Buhari made Nigeria far more corrupt than his predecessors because of the daily, sectoral and routine corruption he nurtured as president, a lot of it documented in the mass media.

That included the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, whom he authorised to sell billions of dollars in federal assets Buhari never accounted for.

First Lady Aisha Buhari, a woman without a salary, lived in Dubai for six months between 2020 and 2021 as if it were another Nigerian state capital.  Maybe she paid for it with her Aso Rock housekeeping allowance.

It is remarkable that Buhari is now advising leaders to grant some kind of priority to the welfare of the people, but he ought to be saying it directly to Tinubu.

Remember that Buhari, five years ago, declaredthat their APC would lift 10 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, a deceit nobody now addresses.

And then, of course—because the subject has returned—was Buhari’s enthronement of nepotism, which he does not recognise as corruption.

Tinubu, in his two years, has become recognised as an even worse nepotist than Buhari, but it was a practice that Buhari loved during his eight years in office.

A friend who visited him in his hotel in New York during a UN General Assembly told me how stunned he was that nobody around Buhari in the hotel spoke English!

But for Tinubu, it is not about whether he has appointed fewer non-Yorubas; it is that for the most important and strategic positions, the evidence is clear as to how his mind works.

This is the ‘Loyalty Line’ mindset. When loyalty is the underlying emotion, you do not demand or prioritise strategic brilliance, thinking, or accomplishment, let alone measurement or accountability.

That is the formula for traveling in circles: achieving motion but not progress. Our problem is that, in effect, we nurture people who nurture our insecurity.

Nigeria cannot make any progress with her leaders sojourning abroad, loaded with excuses, or by government apparatchiks gathering in Abuja in a vast orchestrated pretense of governance.  We need committed officials who, taking advantage of widely-available domestic and expertise, can fashion and implement a strong strategy to free Nigeria from the grip of insecurity.

What we currently have is a painful political pantomime that is hard to watch.

Punch

He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions ~ Psalms 107:20.

Introduction

We are in an amazing time for technology throughout the world today. Think of the robotics, the cyber networks, the space invasions, the brain and the open heart surgeries, the test-tube fertility programs, the cloning technology, the guided missiles and a host of others. Certainly, most of these simply bespeak stupefying wonders.

However, amazing as they may sound, they could be dubbed as near to nothing when compared with the incredible wonders that God has in store for the believers in Christ Jesus, especially those who stick to His Word in all their daily enterprises (John 14:12-14).

Could you imagine that Peter, a man with a nature like ours, actually walked upon water (Matthew 14:22-35)? Nay! He rather walked upon the strength of God’s Word, “Come”! This is a very important secret to hold unto, very tightly.

Peter cleverly traded with the power in the Word, and he wholesomely relied upon it as he ventured into the water. It was the same secret that the Centurion also knew pretty well when he implored Jesus to “speak the word only” while hoping for the healing of his servant (Matthew 8:5-13).

Now, anytime God wants to advance succor, bring help in difficult situations or intervene in the affairs of an individual, a family or a nation, what He sends is His Word! Your biggest need, therefore, is the Word of God in its right place in your life.

There can be no real wonder without the Word. Inside the Word is salvation, healing, deliverance and victories. It is the Word that births wonders and attracts wealth. What makes our goings great is God’s Word, which lightens up our paths of destiny (Isaiah 8:20).

The Word of God is the inspired and authoritative Voice of God (2Timothy 3:16). It’s powerful in time, and relevant throughout eternity. It’s creative and life transforming (1Peter 1:2). It’s the indomitable, invincible, irrepressible Conqueror of conquerors, and no devil can escape its judgement (Hebrews 4:12-13).

The Word is a living thing (Acts 19:20). It’s forever perfect, having been purified seven times (Psalm 12:6; 119:8). It’s supreme over every culture, opinions, mindset, diseases, sin, Satan, afflictions, etc (Matthew 5:18). It can overrule anything except itself.

Releasing Wonders At Our Desperate Moments

Certainly, every human being has needs for which he looks up to God (Psalm 121:1-2). To have a need is human, to fix it is divine. Hence, David cried unto the Lord: “Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake” (Psalm 44:26).

God cares for the oppressed and the troubled. It’s His loving responsibility to intervene on their behalf, but it is their duty to call upon Him in prayers. "Prayer can do anything that God can do, and as God can do everything, prayer is omnipotent” (R. A. Torrey).

Howbeit, it’s the Word we invoke in prayers that provokes our wonders (Matthew 17:20). No matter how critical a situation may be, God’s Word is our unfailing tool for wonders, till today. We must always sound it clearly and unapologetically!

Furthermore, we must, as of a necessity, train our hearts, thoughts, minds and mouths to consistently align with God’s Word; they have a direct bearing on our destinies (Exodus 4:11-12; James 3:5). Our mouths are, particularly, very crucial to our victories.

Your mouth is your outlet for wonders. If Satan can cause you not to speak God’s Word, then he has succeeded in stealing your glory. When your mouth is shut, your destiny is equally barred. Contrariwise, when your mouth is fitted with wisdom, and you speak the Word only, your adversaries will never be able to resist you (Luke 21:15).

Moses spoke the Word, and the palace of Pharaoh shook in confusion, and its resistance to the release of Israel collapsed eventually (Exodus 10:11). When you speak God’s Word with boldness and perseverance, like Moses did before Pharaoh, you will definitely see your signs again.

All things were made by God’s Word, and hence under the control of the same (John 1:1-5). No situation will require more than the Word to bow. No mountain will require more than the Word to be leveled. No valley will require more than the Word to be filled. No sickness, failure, pain, poverty, barrenness or lack will require more than the Word to disappear.

Sound is a sign of life. Hence, a foremost evidence of your Christian life is in the sound you produce (Hebrews 3:1). Failures have their root in failing to speak God’s Word. Peter said, “We cannot but speak…” (Acts 4:20). With the Word, you’re a ready wonder (Psalm 71:7)!

Faith In The Workings of Wonders

Signs will always follow faith. Everywhere God ever stepped in, Word-based faith made it happen. Your rewards don’t manifest until your faith is demonstrated (Hebrews 11:6). Yours is to act your faith, and God’s lot is to work signs!

Friends, settle down with God’s Word, the Bible. Seek understanding, stop murmuring and stop giving excuses. Exploits in life answer to acts of faith (Hebrews 11:4). Awake in faith; that’s what you must do before God will work in your favour (Hebrews 6:12).

Peter was troubled when the wind became contrary and, particularly, when he saw what he thought was a ghost. Even then, he exercised faith in the God who could save unto the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25). He knew that, with the Word, nothing could be wanting. Eventually, he was rescued to safety against all odds.

Sometimes, we find ourselves being tossed about either by financial, marital, spiritual, political, mental or academic storms. We should never be dismayed. Our God is our Helper, and He has promised to disgrace all our enemies (Isaiah 41:10-13). We simply need to act in obedience to His Word, however it may come, to release the power of our faith (Luke 17:11-14).

Moses was instructed to take the Rod with him anywhere he expected to see signs (Exodus 4:17). Today, Jesus Christ is the Word and the Rod of God personified (Isaiah 11:1; John 1:1). He’s the Eternal Word that saves and changes lives. Only He can terminate our agonies by His conquest on the Cross (Revelation 5:5).

Herein is the believer’s safety and our gleeful testimonies! Our High Priest — Jesus Christ — is able to save us to the uttermost, at all times and in all cases, by the power of His exceeding grace.

When you accept Him into your life as your Lord and personal Saviour, and you walk true to His Word, He’ll establish praise in your destinies, even as you start to bask in the euphoria of inexplicable wonders.

Brethren, I see God giving you testimonies that will soon shock the world. Your story will take your peers by storm, and daze all those who have, hitherto, looked down upon you. You won’t miss it, in the Precious Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Happy Sunday!

____________________

Archbishop Taiwo Akinola,

Rhema Christian Church,

Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Connect with Bishop Akinola via these channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bishopakinola

SMS/WhatsApp: +234 802 318 4987

Is it good to go to school; get a good job; build your own house and have lots of money? Not according to Jesus. These things are highly valued by men. But Jesus teaches that: “What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” (Luke 16:15).

Therefore, it is not surprising that Jesus had none of these accomplishments as a man. He did not go to school. He was a lowly carpenter. He did not build His own house. He was not a rich man.

In Jesus’ doctrine, the cares of this life are the preoccupations of Satan and men. This makes them offensive to God. Jesus told Peter: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23). 

This means the things of men are the things of Satan. Jesus asked the chief priests of the Jews: “The baptism of John - where was it from? From heaven or from men?” (Matthew 21:25). If it is from heaven, then it cannot be from men.

God is good

Jesus says: “No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Matthew 19:17). This means only the things about the kingdom of God can be good. Everything about this world is evil. Those things that preoccupy us; going to school, getting good jobs, building houses, and making money, all pertain to this world and, as such, are evil and not of God.

God’s kingdom is not of this world. (John 18:36). Indeed, everything earthly is a human alternative to the will of God in heaven. Continued devotion to the things of this world militates against our desire to be with the Father in heaven and is therefore evil.

Jesus says to His disciples: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13).

This indicates He sees men as evil. To be good, men, who Jesus also categorises as “the sons of this world,” have to become “the sons of light;” another word for sons of God. Sons of men must receive from Jesus the power to become sons of God. (John 1:12-13).

This requires all our affinities to men and to this world to be relinquished in favour of God and the kingdom of heaven. These include allegiances to the fatherland, to family and relatives, and race, sex, and creed.

Jesus is categorical: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26). He says furthermore: “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33).

Relative and absolute evil

Men are consumed by the love of life, leading us to regard anything that threatens our life as evil. This makes us define evil erroneously in relative terms. If the enemy kills us, he is evil; but if we kill him, we are good.

However, God sees evil in absolute terms.

Jesus regards as evil anything that undermines God’s will. This makes man’s life the greatest evil of all. The love of life, expressed in our determination to enhance, promote, and safeguard our temporal condition, commands our allegiance even above the first and greatest commandment to love God with all our heart.

Therefore, Jesus regards man’s love of life as the root of all evil and the basis of every sin. Indeed, we steal, cheat, fight, kill and commit adultery to save our lives. We only overcome sin by hating our lives.   

Re-definition of evil

Jesus reveals that the love of life makes men enemies of God. He tells us that God has made the hatred of life in this world the primary prerequisite for the attainment of eternal life. Jesus says: “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).

Thereby, Jesus redefines evil. Since men esteem their lives more than anything else, Jesus defines everything that diminishes our life in this world as good. He requires us to take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions and in distresses. For when we are weak, then we are strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Poverty becomes a blessing. Jesus says: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20). He also categorises adversities as a blessing: “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” (Luke 6:21).

He says: “Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.” (Luke 6:22).

Correspondingly, Jesus tells us not to bother to resist evil anymore: “I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:39). He insists we must love our enemies: “I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44).

Moreover, Jesus says we should not fear death: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.” (Luke 12:4). Death becomes something good because it leads to our reunification with the Father in heaven: “If you loved me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father.’” (John 14:28). But life is evil because it keeps us away from God.

Evil misnomer

The problem with the love of life is that men are unaware that it is sinful. If we love life, we will automatically love sin. The love of life militates against the love of God. It blinds men to the truth about good and evil.

Indeed, we define our righteousness by the extent to which we love and promote life; the very thing God hates. To understand good and evil from God’s perspective, we must first break free from the bondage of the love of life.

The love of life prompts us to eat from the God-forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Everything we make and do has evil and good in it simultaneously. Every good medicine for healing sicknesses has bad side effects. The plane that carries us from Cape to Cairo sometimes falls from the sky and crashes.

We make so-called “evil things” like the atom bomb and the machine gun; and “good things” like the airplane and the aspirin. But both our “good” and “bad” products are evil in God’s sight because they are of the world and not of God.

Accordingly, John counsels: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 2:15-16).

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; www.femiaribisala.com 

Kerry Hasenbalg 

Idolatry is often thought of as an ancient sin involving golden calves and carved images. However, it’s far more common today than we might admit.

One example of idolatry’s influence is the way public opinion shifts when admired figures experience a fall from grace. While this pattern is often seen in secular fame, it has also crept into church culture. The allure of big platforms and high follower counts pose serious threats to the credibility of the American Church.

When pastors and faith influencers stumble, their followers experience deep disappointment that can lead to disillusionment and even “church hurt.” As trust in the church erodes, the name of Christ is tarnished.

I strongly believe that the way forward is engaging in the practice of soul care. Having walked closely with Christian leaders, I have seen how unaddressed idolatry weakens spiritual foundations and has contributed to the decline of the American Church.

Yet, I have also witnessed the transformative power of soul care to restore what is broken. When we turn from misplaced worship and engage in personal renewal, God transforms brokenness into wholeness in a way only He can do. That transformation is not just for the famous but for the Church as a whole.

In psychology, the concept of BIRG-ing (Basking in Reflected Glory) refers to how “individuals bolster their self-esteem and self-worth by identifying with another group or individual’s success.” Its counter, CORF-ing (Cutting Off Reflected Failure), entails distancing oneself from the failures of others to safeguard one’s own reputation.

These concepts resonate with biblical teachings, identifying them as forms of idolatry. Idolatry is defined as “the elevation of anything above God in one's life,” and is described in the Old Testament as “doing evil in the sight of the Lord.”

An idolatrous heart is a fearful heart seeking rescue through worldly pursuits. Placing hope in our soul’s most significant distractors — power, fame, and wealth — is a dangerous game. In our household, we refer to these temptations as “the three bears” because chasing them directly can harm the soul or, even worse, lead to being devoured.

The rising trend of the Christian “celebrity” is concerning and has become more prevalent with the megachurch culture and social media exposure.

When we elevate individuals beyond their humanity, we inadvertently transform them into “mini gods,” seeking them as a source to meet our needs. We become part of the demand for an unending stream of wisdom, productivity, and influence, fueling the ego’s propensity to “play god.”

The consequences of moral leadership failures bring defamation to what we aspire to embody — Christianity itself. It's important to remember that when we look to humans for validation and guidance instead of to God, we risk our spiritual well-being and the integrity of our faith community.

My mother frequently said, “Idolatry leads to hate.” Seeking superficial glory leads us to “step over a dollar to get to a dime,” where we miss the true worth of those in front of us. If we neglect these lessons, we risk creating human kingdoms instead of building God's Kingdom.

I thought that by taking in these warnings, I could sidestep these pitfalls; however, one phone call would reveal how easy it was for me to fall into these bad patterns and justify my behavior.

My friend told me, “The pastor of the church you recommended preached against bikinis, and now he’s been exposed for cheating on his wife and a porn problem.”

I felt shocked and guilty for recommending the church. I tried to distance myself, unaware I was engaging in CORF-ing — distancing myself from the pastor’s failure and the church. Judgment clouded my perspective, just as flattery does in BIRG-ing.

The failures of Christian leaders feed disillusionment, eroding trust in the Church. Yet, this is not evidence of a powerless God. Rather, it reveals His discipline, as He answers people according to their idols (Ezekiel 14:4). The solution is not to seek better leaders to admire, but to return to true, Bible-based soul care. 

Soul care begins with acknowledging our limitations, repenting, rejecting bitterness, and seeking God as our source of wisdom (James 1:5). Many have looked to misguided sources — leaders, platforms, or influence — for identity and security. Christian leaders can guide us, but they cannot sustain us.

Through decades in ministry and Christian spaces, I’ve seen how flattery and fear of backlash allow moral compromise. Those chasing earthly rewards ultimately harm their souls and those around them. True restoration requires humility, accountability, and repentance.

One of the greatest threats to the Church today is not legalism or atheism — it is idolatry. We cannot heal by idolizing better leaders or condemning fallen ones while ignoring our own brokenness.

That is the purpose of soul care — returning to God as our source, fostering honesty, accountability, repentance, and transformation. Only then can the Church reflect His light, not our own.

Christian Post

U.S. investment bank J.P. Morgan has urged investors to exit long positions in Nigerian Open Market Operation (OMO) bills, warning that global risks—driven by falling oil prices and renewed trade tensions—could deepen Nigeria’s macroeconomic vulnerabilities.

In a research note dated April 9, 2025 seen by Nairametrics, titled“Frontier Local Markets Strategy: Reducing risk further,” the bank advised clients to close their positions in Nigerian T-bills as Brent crude oil approaches sub-$60 levels.

J.P. Morgan, which had previously backed Nigeria’s carry trade for its high yield and relative stability, has now shifted its stance, citing a changing global environment worsened by former President Donald Trump’s re-emergence as a leading candidate in the U.S. elections and his push for sweeping global tariffs.

Nigeria’s central bank had earlier in the month assured stakeholders that it expected an uptick in external reserves, after it declared a net of $23 billion

• “We anticipate a steady uptick in reserves, underpinned by improved oil production levels, and a more supporting export growth environment that is expected to boost non-oil FX earnings and diversify external inflows.” 

It also recently declared a balance of payment surplus of $6.83 billion at the end of  2024, “signalling economic resurgence” and citing ongoing monetary policy reforms.

Oil below $60 threatens Nigeria’s external balance 

However, JP Morgan noted that if oil prices remain below $60 per barrel—the estimated breakeven price for Nigeria—it could push Nigeria’s current account back into deficit.

This would place significant pressure on the naira and intensify the demand for dollar assets. J.P. Morgan had earlier forecasted that in such a scenario, the USD/NGN exchange rate could surpass the 1,700/$1 mark. The current exchange rate trades around 1,500/$1, but is highly dependent on foreign inflows.

• “While Nigeria may well avoid a recession itself,” the report stated, “the substantial decline in oil prices below its break-even of US$60/bbl… would push Nigeria’s current account balance into deficit.” 

As a result, the bank has called time on one of its “highest conviction” trades in frontier markets.

CBN’s FX interventions ramp up 

J.P. Morgan acknowledged the Central Bank of Nigeria’s proactive response in recent weeks, highlighting a 3.6% depreciation in the naira, which it considers relatively moderate.

• The CBN has reportedly sold about $550 million into the market in March to defend the currency, amid rising demand and dwindling supply.
• This trend, the bank warns, could signal increased capital flight, as foreign portfolio investors may see Nigeria as more vulnerable to external shocks—especially if oil revenues decline further.
• J.P. Morgan estimates potential portfolio outflows could total up to $10 billion, although a portion of this may be tied up in private placements or illiquid assets.

The situation reflects a critical reality for Nigeria: the FX market is still heavily reliant on central bank support, and any disruption to CBN dollar inflows—primarily from oil—could create panic in both currency and bond markets.

The CBN has reportedly sold about $550 million into the market in March to defend the currency, amid rising demand and dwindling supply. Nairametrics estimates this at over $1 billion this month.

Local market liquidity falters 

The bank also observed that while the FX market has remained relatively stable, Nigeria’s domestic fixed-income market has shown signs of stress.

• Liquidity for OMO and T-bills has been notably weak, with yields rising by as much as 300 basis points in recent weeks.
• This signals reluctance among investors to absorb short-dated government securities, likely due to inflation concerns, foreign outflows, and oil price uncertainty.
• To cushion the market and prevent disorderly price movements, the central bank has been forced to intervene more actively—either by injecting liquidity or participating directly in auctions to ensure bid-cover ratios are met.

What this means for Nigeria 

J.P. Morgan’s warning highlights the fragile balance Nigeria is walking in 2025. The country’s reform agenda—particularly the unification of its FX rate and removal of fuel subsidies—had earned it positive attention in global markets last year.

But the combination of falling oil prices and rising geopolitical tensions now threatens to undo much of that progress.

• The government had hoped for increased FX inflows through oil exports and multilateral support. However, with oil prices falling and no clear path to alternative revenue streams, the pressure on fiscal and external balances is likely to grow.
• For investors, the warning is stark: Nigeria’s asset prices are highly sensitive to global conditions, particularly oil.

With Trump’s proposed global tariffs casting a shadow over emerging markets and Brent crude slipping closer to sub-$60, Nigeria’s dollar liquidity and currency stability are under threat. 

Despite the near-term risks, J.P. Morgan maintains a medium-term constructive view on Nigeria. The bank believes that Nigeria will continue on its reform path, allowing the exchange rate to find market-clearing levels and reducing its dependence on fuel subsidies.

It also expects the government to rely more on domestic revenue mobilization, including proceeds from the oil sector through the now-commercialized Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC). However, that recovery is contingent on higher oil prices and continued macroeconomic discipline.

The investment bank concluded that the outlook for Nigeria depends largely on how well the country can withstand external shocks and sustain its reform agenda amid global headwinds.

Nairametrics

Nigeria's pension fund regulator wants to diversify investments with more focus on infrastructure and private equity, a spokesperson said on Friday, a move that could unlock a major new source of capital in Africa's most populous nation.

The voluntary and privately managed Retirement Savings Account held assets of 23.26 trillion naira ($14.58 billion) as of February, with 60% of that invested in government debt and less than 10% in corporate securities.

Diversification would allow the fund to seek out higher-yield investments, National Pension Commission (PenCom) spokesperson Ibrahim Buwai told Reuters.

"The current investment strategy can be improved, especially given the issue of inflation. It's safer to have more options in the mix that guarantee real returns," he said.

He added that PenCom was seeking out commercially viable infrastructure investments rather than subsidised projects such as public housing.

The potential investment pivot comes as Nigeria - Africa's biggest oil producer - faces a significant infrastructure deficit, projected by ratings agency Augusto & Co. to reach $878 billion by 2040.

With only 30% of Nigeria's estimated 200,000 km (124,274 miles) of roads paved, the deficit, which extends to bridges, schools, and other public utilities, is a brake on economic growth and development.

In order to diversify investments and put pension resources to work to remedy the problem, however, fund managers say stringent rules for acceptable investable instruments must first be loosened.

In its December mandate, for example, PenCom restricted investment to companies with a corporate rating of A, which are typically multinationals with limited commercial paper issuance.

Pension fund administrators considering B-rated companies, meanwhile, were required to provide additional guarantees.

Buwai said PenCom was pushing for the creation of new investment vehicles that would allow for diversification and improve returns while ensuring acceptable risk levels.

"We are working with the capital market operators to enlarge the scope of qualified financial instruments available for pension fund investments," he said.

($1 = 1,594.9000 naira)

Reuters