Headlines

Evelyn, late TB Joshua’s widow, relieves memorable experience with her late hubby.

Evelyn Joshua and late TB-Joshua

By Owolola Adebola

The auditorium hall of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) was full to its capacity on Sunday during the memorial service for late Prophet TB Joshua as his wife, Evelyn Joshua, took to the podium to relieve intimate moments with her late husband.

Amidst thunderous ovation, Evelyn told the congregation that she was no longer mourning but celebrating a man that had shown millions of people how best to relate to each other.

” My husband was a total man.He was a father. He was everything to have in a man.He was the father of my three promising children”.

Speaking further, she said “SCOAN as is it today has its own history.

“Everything to the glory of God. Yes, we had our own fair share of the challenges of life.

“Of course, we were satisfied with the way things were going, thereafter, we started the church.

“We used to sit on the mat, or on a wooden chair and I became the first Sunday School teacher in the church and here we are today. Everything to the glory of God”.

According to her, love was tested and she fought for love and attention, and then appreciated two elderly women whom she said became their counselors.

“I fought for love and attention and today I want to appreciate two virtuous women who became our counselors and I had the two elderly women as friends.

“Mama Victoria Akinola and Mrs. Felicia Olowofekun who has passed on.

She added “I remembered one Sunday, I went to his office and I said you are not to attend to anybody today but me, he brought Mrs. Akinola who guided me with wisdom that kept me from the path of error.

” I want to say thank you for wisdom and motherly love advice and Mrs. Felicia Olowofekun of blessed memory.

“When I look back now, I realized that there are so many important things than those concerns of mine then.”

“I remember one year cross over night, I had cooked my rice, stew and chicken when TB Joshua who walked into the room with a long face, came with papers and threw them on the floor and I summoned the courage to pick the papers.

” On the front page was his face with horns, sleeping with all kinds of animals. I faced him and said they are not speaking to him and I received an embrace.

“For the first time, I saw tears in his eyes, I want to thank God for his wonderful memories,” she said.

Evelyn stated further that, as a man of prayer, every morning he had his morning devotion with two songs he never missed and that as a young lady of about 21 or 22, she began to analyse the meaning of the songs and that prophetically, they all came to pass.

According to her, the second song (Whatever that can hinder me from the salvation of God should be removed), if it is going to be money, fame, children and wife, the holy spirit should remove him from it.

” The passion with which this young man sang that song, I knew, I was in for something.

“But I knew we were in this together until death do us part.”

Pastor Evelyn Joshua, while speaking as the leader of the church, said, “Speaking as the leader of this great commission, SCOAN, a year ago, today my heart was broken because I knew I will be called a widow.

“A year ago,TB Joshua, finished his race and left us, we wept, worried.

” But today we have gathered here not to mourn but to return all glory to God.

“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Here is the morning. Distinguished members and Emmanuel TV partners, I call unto you all to access our journey so far.

” We celebrate a friend to widows, a hard-working man, and father to the fatherless. he has always told us to be prepared and focused so as not to be excluded from heavenly blessings.

” We are all witnesses to all that has been happening since the church reopened, on December 5, 2021, exactly 6 months after TB Joshua passed on to glory.

“The vision has been carried on, the mission has remained the same and the Lord had been faithful in all ways.

” God has been at the centre of it all, despite what the ministry had been through, we are inspired and energised by the strong arms of God and the powerful sustaining spirit of partners and members all over the world.

” The ship of the ministry is being steered by the God of T.B. Joshua as he has always done.

“We thank God for security and peace with which he blessed us with, sealing us with His precious blood. Our services have been growing in spiritual depth, divine impartation, healings, deliverances, and other areas.

“The SCOAN, the mountain is an assured place of meeting God through prayers and our partners have not stopped visiting the serene site I order to encounter God, we give glory to the name of the Lord for the marvelous miracles and deliverance taking place every moment at the mountain.

“We are determined to broaden the scope and relevance of Prophet TB Joshua’s legacy.

“We are equally committed to building a strong, Godly foundation for the Youths whom we call ” The Seed of Tomorrow” through the education department.

” We hope to reach our youths through our partners and members all over the world, we are equally determined to progressively mobilize our women and groups in the ministry towards a special relationship with Christ.

Meanwhile, the epitaphs for service to humanity through “TB JOSHUA Foundation was unveiled during the remembrance celebration to great applause and praises from the mammoth crowd.

The memorial service was of course delivered by dignitaries from across the globe.

“Goodwill messages were actually delivered by – Rev. Bukola Adeleke, representing Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State,and Ondo state Deputy governor represented the governor, was Hon. Lucky Orimisan Ayedatunwa, Hon. Senator Alice Dube, member of parliament Zimbabwe, Ghana delegates, Hon. Elvis Ankrah Afriyie, and a host of others.

Customs

Tinubu celebrates Adeniyi on his 59th birthday

–lists his achievements

Funso OLOJO

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has joined millions of well wishers across the globe to celebrate Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi as he turns 59 years on Sunday, January 19th, 2025.

In his birthday message made available through his Special Adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu lauded the innovative and inspiring leadership of Adeniyi which he noted has impacted greatly on the image and performance of the service.

While listing the achievements of the customs in terms of revenue generation, trade facilitation, automation and digitization of the service, anti- smuggling activities as well as bolstered staff morale under the dexterious guidance of Adeniyi, President Tinubu wished him divine wisdom, robust health, and continued strength as he serves the nation.

“Under his guidance, the agency has witnessed significant progress through the steady digitalisation and automation of its operations, a renewed commitment to professionalism, and an uplift in officers’ morale, enhancing high performance.

“His leadership has enabled the NCS to surpass revenue targets substantially and bolstered trade facilitation, yielding widespread positive effects on the national economy.

“President Tinubu applauds the innovative anti-smuggling strategies initiated by the Customs Chief.

“These strategies encompass equipping the youth with new skills for alternative livelihood opportunities, fostering engagements with traditional institutions, and nurturing a culture of effective communication and mutual respect.

“The President recognises the Comptroller-General’s other notable achievements, including the remarkable seizures of arms and ammunition and the revitalisation of the Comptroller-General’s Annual Conference, which aims to assess and enhance the agency’s operations.

“President Tinubu affirms that Adeniyi’s extensive experience of over 30 years in service and adaptability to change has greatly enriched the Customs Service.

“The President offers prayers for divine wisdom, robust health, and continued strength for Comptroller-General Adeniyi as he serves the nation.

Headlines

EFCC discovers Yahoo training school in Benin city

-arrests 25 students undergoing training in cybercrimes

Funso OLOJO

The operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has on Thursday January 16th, 2025, uncovered a Yahoo academy in Benin city, Edo State, where young Nigerians are undergoing training in the act of internet fraud.

During the raid, the anti- graft agency arrested 25 suspected internet fraudsters in the cybercrimes training centre

The suspects’ arrest at their hideout was triggered by credible intelligence that indicated the apartment being used as a yahoo academy or training school for internet-related fraud and other fraudulent activities.

Items recovered from the suspects include six exotic cars, laptops and phones.

The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

Customs

Onyeka, Tin Can CAC, set to pursue revenue generation aggressively

— vows to surpass 1 trillion naira revenue record

Funso OLOJO

The Area Controller of the Tin Can island command of the Nigeria customs service, Comptroller Frank Onyeka, has set an ambitious goal of meeting and surpassing the one trillion naira revenue mark achieved last year by his predecessor, ACG Dera Nnadi.

It would be recalled that the command was given a revenue target of N1.4 trillion in 2024 while it realized a little about N1.226 trillion ,an unprecedented record that was never achieved in the history of the command.

Meanwhile, Comptroller Onyeka, has vowed to sustain the revenue momentum as he would aggressively pursue revenue collection.

Speaking while playing host to the Executive council of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria(MARAN) which paid him a courtesy visit in his office on Friday, January 17th, 2025, the Customs chief disclosed his strategy to carry out his assignment.

According to him, he would facilitate legitimate trade, ensure 100 percent examination of all imports while he would energise his men and officers to key into his vision.

“I’ll facilitate trade, but it has to be legitimate trade. That’s what I feel I should do in the strict sense.

“You know, I’m coming from the aspect of revenue. So, it is my prayer and my hope to meet my target and surpass it.

“But principally, what I am going to fight is the ability to do this job without examination.

“I have appealed to my officers, whatever it is they have to do, let them see the containers, once we’ve examined them, everything should be on cruise control because if you examine, you’ll now know if it’s supposed to go out or not.

“I’ve involved Customs Intelligence Unit, CIU, I’ve involved Valuation Unit, I’ve spoken to all relevant Units and it’s my prayer, by the grace of God, that all of us will be on the same page to make sure that the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is brought to fruition” he noted.

He was full of gratitude to the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi , for the confidence reposed in him and vowed never to disappoint him.

“I also appreciate the fact that our indefatigable Comptroller General Of Customs, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi to whom I’m very grateful.

“He needs to be made to know that he didn’t make any mistake for him to have brought me here.

“I am very grateful to him and his management team, and I need to make him proud” he enthused.

Comptroller Onyeka also vowed to build on the foundation that has been laid by his predecessor, Assistant Comptroller General Dera Nnadi.

“In anti-smuggling, he did well. In revenue generation, he did superbly well, same goes for infrastructure development.

“His Public Relations was top-notch, which I’m going to leverage.

“He was fortunate to have what I consider a very fantastic rapport with the media because that’s his background. I intend to leverage that. I intend to do better in that aspect” he added.

Earlier, in his address, the President of MARAN, Mr Godfrey Bivbere expressed the willingness of the association to partner with the CAC and the Command to achieve the target ahead of the command.

He reiterated the firm resolution of the association to accord Comptroller Onyeka the same support accorded to his predecessor.