General
Jehovah’s Witnesses Open Historical Museum in Edo
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nigeria have opened a historical museum in Igieduma Village, Edo State, documenting activities of the religious group in the country for the past 100 years.
The facility was inaugurated recently under an initiative called 100 Years of Courage, highlighting how some people came together to establish the sect in Nigeria in 1921.
Nigeria is a diverse country with a rich cultural and historical heritage. The people making up the country have various social, religious and cultural experiences dating back several centuries.
The advent of Christianity, with its increasingly various denominations, ushered in a new era in the history of the people making up Nigeria. Jehovah’s Witnesses make up a significant part of the Christian populace of Nigeria.
The museum depicts the various influence of non-witness actors that impacted the spread of their activities, both positive and negative.
Early Days
The history of the Witnesses in Nigeria began with the arrival of Claude Brown, also known as Bible Brown, in 1921.
The Museum shows that the Witnesses first established their branch office in Nigeria in the same year and started their evangelical ministry. From the small beginning, they set about reaching the major towns and hinterlands of Nigeria, the missionaries converting local people who in turn helped to spread the Bible message further afield. With limited transportation and mass communication methods available in the early 20’s and 30’s, the museum depicts how the Witnesses used a variety of initiatives, including the sound car, megaphones and phonographs, to spread the message.
Challenges
The museum further documents how the spread of the word of God by Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nigeria had been spiced with various challenges. These included denial of physical access to areas they desired to preach in by local chiefs and religious priests, beatings of new converts by relatives who misunderstood the Witnesses’ beliefs, arson, and in some extreme cases, murder.
The Nigerian civil war brought a new dimension to the challenges faced by Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nigeria. Pictures and other artefacts in the museum show that the Witnesses in the former Biafran territory were cut off from their Nigerian brothers. With the resulting limited contact, the flow of Bibles and Bible-based publications became strained.
However, in remarkable demonstrations of faith, the Witnesses on both sides risked their lives and freedom to cross the lines to deliver publications and directions to those in the war zone. In heart-touching personal stories, the museum captures the experiences of specific witnesses who took part in the risky undertaking of crossing the war zones to reach their brothers and sisters on the other side.
A cocktail of ingenuity and faith was often on display. Sadly, some Witnesses were killed by soldiers and others for refusing to fight in the war in obedience to God’s command in the Bible – You must not kill (EXODUS 20:13). In interesting twists, some of the soldiers who fought in the war, including some who encountered or even killed Jehovah’s Witnesses for refusing to join the war, became Jehovah’s Witnesses themselves after the war, some becoming elders and missionaries.
In all, the civil war and other challenges did not appear to break the integrity of the Witnesses who continued preaching all through the war and even increased in number, as statistics available at the museum show.
Conventions
The museum featured some of the major milestones in the history of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nigeria – their conventions or large gatherings. Each year, Jehovah’s Witnesses invite their neighbours, friends, and family to join them for these large gatherings. From Lagos to Port Harcourt, the museum chronicled the district and international convention history of the witnesses. The international conventions involved invited foreign guests and speakers and simultaneous translation into multiple Nigerian languages. The baptism of new converts was a constant feature of these conventions. These large gatherings strengthened the unity of the witnesses and gave immeasurable impetus to their work in the country.
An Interactive Museum
The museum is made to meet modern standards and expectations of information consumption. The museum has audio-video media which tourists can play or view through a special wifi-bluetooth connection and installed TV screens. These help visitors to get additional information about the historical event or character on display but also to relive the event. Tourists are encouraged to come with their phones, tablets or other handheld devices with either Bluetooth or wired headsets to have a more interactive experience.
Tourists React
The first set of tourists to the museum commended the group for the project.
Seun Faluyi, a tourist, said, “It is phenomenal to see how much opposition Jehovah’s Witnesses faced in the early years. But they were not deterred. They were brave; they were courageous. Celine, a teenage tourist, said: I like how interactive it is. Sometimes you forget how much history you have… According to Ayinola Olusoyan, I have been around Jehovah’s Witnesses for some time, although I am not one of them. Today is a great day for me to be here.”
How to book a visit
According to the spokesman of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Olusegun Eroyemi, the public, journalists, tourists, and academics are invited to visit the museum.
The Museum is located at Igieduma village, Uhunmwonde Local Government, Edo State. To book a visit, an individual or group may visit jw.org, click on About Us, select Bethel Tours, and then search for Nigeria on the drop-down menu. Then scroll to Make a Reservation, then click on Create an account to enable them to receive details of the visit reservation by text or email. They would be required to follow the prompts to complete their reservation. The visit is free, with an assigned tour guide.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The share certificates, seven landed properties, and $2.1 million linked to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, have been finally forfeited to the federal government.
The final forfeiture was affirmed by a unanimous judgment delivered by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court on Friday, July 17, 2026.
The panel led by Justice Ibrahim Mohammed Saulawa set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal and affirmed the decision of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which had ordered the final forfeiture of the assets on the grounds that they were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.
Following the final forfeiture order made by the Federal High Court, Mr Emefiele challenged the decision before the Court of Appeal, which reversed the judgment of the trial court.
Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s decision, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) approached the apex court, which has now restored and affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court.
The forfeited properties include a fully detached duplex of identical structures situated at No. 17B Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; an undeveloped parcel of land measuring 1,919.592 square metres, covered by Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340, situated at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; and a bungalow situated at No. 65A Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos;
Others are a four-bedroom duplex situated at 12A Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; an industrial complex under construction on 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State; eight units of undetached apartments on a plot measuring 2,457.60 square metres, situated at No. 8A Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; and a full duplex together with all its appurtenances on a plot measuring 2,217.87 square metres, situated at 2A Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ebonyi State Police Command has insisted on conducting a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death of Miss Mary Habila, a physiotherapist who died at the residence of the Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The demise of the deceased, which occurred in late June, recently became public and has sparked calls for a probe from many quarters.
Meanwhile, the family of the deceased has approached the court to stop the autopsy, but experts tell Business Post that the family has no authority to file an affidavit, as this is a case of suspected murder against the state and not the family.
Mr Umahi has also called for a probe.
The Ebonyi Police Command said the autopsy was necessary to establish the cause of death and support its ongoing investigation, despite objections from the deceased’s family.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, stating that the police had commenced a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms Habila’s death.
Mr Ukandu said preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased and a colleague were members of the medical team attached to the Minister of Works and had accompanied him to his hometown in Uburu, where she later died in a room within the compound of his residence.
According to him, detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) have visited the scene, documented relevant evidence and obtained statements from persons connected to the incident.
He added that the command had concluded arrangements to engage a qualified pathologist to carry out a post-mortem examination, which it considers crucial to determining the actual cause of death.
Mr Ukandu explained that the police became involved in the matter after receiving a distress call on June 27, 2026, from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ohaozara Division, informing the command of a medical emergency involving Habila and requesting his presence at the David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, Uburu.
“On arrival, the DPO was informed by hospital authorities that Miss Mary Habila had been brought in dead.
He immediately briefed the Commissioner of Police, who directed that the matter be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for thorough investigation,” the statement read.
The police spokesperson disclosed that while the family of the deceased had opposed the conduct of an autopsy, the command considered the procedure necessary in view of the circumstances surrounding the death.
“The Command therefore awaits the attendance of the family or their duly appointed representative, as their presence is essential to the conduct of the post-mortem examination,” Mr Ukandu said, assuring the public that the investigation would be conducted professionally, transparently and without bias, stressing that every necessary step would be taken to uncover the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death.
Mr Ukandu further assured that the command would continue to provide updates as the investigation progresses.
Family Seeks to Stop Autopsy
The family of the deceased, who is a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences and was seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works, formally requested the withdrawal of further investigation into her death and declined an autopsy.
In an affidavit titled Affidavit of Withdrawal of Case filed before the High Court of Justice of Ebonyi State, her father, Tanko Habila Wisdom, said the family was not alleging any foul play in her death and wished to proceed with her burial.
According to the affidavit, Mary Habila died on June 27, 2026, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The deponent stated that before her death, Habila was a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences and had been seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works in Mabushi, Abuja, where she served in the Office of the Minister of Works for about three years.
By Adedapo Adesanya
A Federal High Court in Apo, Abuja, has ordered the final forfeiture of billions of Naira worth of assets linked to businesswoman and socialite, Ms Aisha Achimugu, to the federal government.
Justice Jude Onwugbuzie granted the order following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), directing the permanent forfeiture of jewellery valued at N4.645 billion, 11 exotic vehicles worth N4.293 billion, $50,000 and N30 million in cash.
The ruling followed the EFCC’s request for the final forfeiture of the assets, which the commission said were linked to Ms Achimugu.
The forfeited assets include: Jewellery valued at N4,645,170,294.90; 11 exotic vehicles worth N4,293,000,000; $50,000 in cash; and N30,000,000 in cash.
The court’s judgment vests ownership of the assets in the federal government, bringing the forfeiture proceedings to a close.
In March, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed the final forfeiture of $13 million linked to the Lagos socialite. However, in an interview in April, she denied that $13 million was discovered by the EFCC in her residence, describing the claim as inaccurate and misleading.
Justice Nwite had, on August 22, 2025, granted the anti-graft agency’s motion ex parte for an interim order forfeiting the sum of $13 million linked to Oceangate Ltd to the federal government over allegations that the fund was proceeds of unlawful activity.
The judge had then directed the commission to publish the order in a national daily for interested people to show cause within 14 days why the fund should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
In 2024, the businesswoman gained significant media attention for a seven-day birthday celebration in Grenada, which was attended by high-profile guests, reportedly including Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The socialite also defended her widely publicised birthday celebration, noting that it had been “planned for 10 years” and was not funded with any money under investigation.
1 Comment