President Bola Tinubu has urged Muslims and other Nigerians to uphold the principles of love, charity, and selflessness practised during Ramadan.
He advised the Muslim ummah not to give up the principles of compassion and community service when the fasting month ended.
Tinubu spoke on Sunday at the Eid Prayer Ground in Abuja, emphasising the significance of carrying the spirit of Ramadan beyond the holy month.
“We give thanks to Almighty Allah. We saw the beginning of Ramadan.
“We started together and ended together in good health and happiness,” he said.
Tinubu urged Nigerians to remain committed to the teachings of the holy month, saying:
“We said prayers for our country, for all our people; we should continue the good deeds as taught by the holy month of Ramadan—care for the vulnerable, the orphans, and the less privileged.
“Everything that we have observed, we should not revert to the path that is not acceptable with the teachings of this month. That’s what I pray for.”
Tinubu emphasised the importance of communal responsibility in promoting peace and national progress, encouraging citizens to embrace the virtues of tolerance, empathy, and selflessness.
The President joined fellow worshippers at the National Eid Prayer Ground on Airport Road to observe Eid-el-Fitr prayers, which marked the end of Ramadan.
He arrived shortly before 9 a.m. and was greeted by key government officials, religious leaders, and dignitaries.
Vice President Kashim Shettima was present, as was Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
Tinubu will hold an Eid-el-Fitr luncheon at the State House later on Sunday, his first since taking office.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
