Bishop David Oyedepo, founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, has arrived in Port Harcourt to lead the dedication of a giant new church auditorium built by Pastor David Ibiyeomie's Salvation Ministries.

The arrival

Oyedepo reportedly landed in Rivers State by private jet on the evening of Thursday, 5 November 2026, and was received by Ibiyeomie and a delegation of ministers. The group then travelled in a motorcade to the cathedral complex, where church leaders welcomed them with cheers. Videos of the arrival have been widely shared online.

The cathedral

The dedication of the Hand of God Cathedral was scheduled for 10am on Friday, 6 November, at the ministry's headquarters on the Port Harcourt International Airport Road in Igwuruta. According to reports, the auditorium can seat up to 120,000 people and covers about 56,000 square metres, with a five-wing design meant to resemble an open hand. Reports have described it as bigger than the 109,000-capacity Ark auditorium built by Oyedepo's church. The church invited worshippers from across Nigeria and beyond to attend.

Background

Ibiyeomie founded Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt and is widely seen as a spiritual son of Oyedepo, which has given the event special meaning for members of both churches. The pastor has been in the news this week over a sermon urging Christians to pay their tithes before spending money on Christmas clothes.

How people reacted

Church members celebrated the occasion online, calling it a historic moment. Others debated the cost of building such large church buildings at a time of economic hardship, while supporters said the project shows what a faith community can achieve.

Suspected terrorists have reportedly killed two people, including a church choirmaster, and abducted 20 others in an attack on a community in southern Kaduna State.

What happened

The attack on Akwando community in Kachia Local Government Area took place on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, according to the Kuturmi Unity Development Association (KUDA). In a statement on Thursday, the association's president, Dr Joseph Ariko, and its publicity secretary said the attack had heightened fear among residents. The association released a list of those it said had been abducted, which includes several members of the same families.

Earlier attacks

KUDA said the attack was the latest in a series on communities in Kuturmi land. It recalled an attack on Ariko community on Easter Sunday, in which five people were reportedly killed at the scene and 17 others later died in captivity, as well as an attack on Awon community in which two people were killed and 11 abducted. Police and the military had not publicly commented on the latest incident at the time of writing.

Background

Parts of Kaduna State have suffered repeated attacks by armed groups for years, with killings and kidnapping for ransom common in rural communities. This week, bandits also demanded more than ₦100 million for the release of Islamiyya students abducted in neighbouring Niger State.

What happens next

The association has called on the federal and state governments and security agencies to rescue the abducted residents and protect communities in the area.

Electricity consumers in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun, Kwara and Oyo states are facing renewed power outages, prompting the federal government to explain the situation.

What the minister said

Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe reportedly blamed the drop in supply on gas shortages, maintenance problems and reduced generation from hydropower plants because of low water levels, according to reports on Thursday, 5 November 2026. The government said there had been no major collapse of the national grid. It also said it had cleared 44 containers of equipment that had been stranded at the ports, which are needed to improve supply.

Impact on customers

The outages have caused particular anger among Band A customers, who pay the highest tariffs in return for at least 20 hours of electricity a day. Ikeja Electric this week issued seven apologies in nine days for failing to meet that promise. Many households and businesses have had to spend more on fuel for generators.

Public frustration

The outages have drawn complaints from well-known Nigerians. On Friday, comedian The Cute Abiola posted a video addressed to President Bola Tinubu, saying his solar system had run down after days of poor supply, that everywhere was hot and that the suffering was too much.

Background

Nigeria's electricity supply has long been unreliable, with generation often far below demand for a population of more than 200 million. Gas supply problems, vandalism of pipelines and weak transmission infrastructure are frequent causes. The government says it is working to expand generation and transmission capacity, while critics, including opposition candidates, say progress has been too slow. Electricity is expected to be a major issue in the 2027 campaign.

What happens next

Consumers are waiting for a clear timeline from the government and distribution companies on when supply will improve.

The kidnappers of a group of Islamiyya students abducted in Niger State have demanded more than ₦100 million for their release, according to their teacher.

What the teacher said

Malam Aminu Bako, whose students were taken while helping him harvest maize on his farm in Rafi Local Government Area, said on Thursday, 5 November 2026, that the bandits had contacted village leaders with the ransom demand. He said 15 children were abducted, and called for urgent military action to rescue them. According to him, only the acting chairman of the local government and the divisional police officer had visited since the abduction, and families were relying on local vigilantes to track the kidnappers.

Where the children may be

Bako said information gathered by vigilantes suggests the children are still in Niger State, held in an isolated building guarded by heavily armed men, possibly without enough food. He said he was under intense pressure from worried parents.

Background

The students were abducted on 31 October from a farm in Tungan-Bako village near Pandogari. Police at the time said 14 students were taken and that a joint security operation had been launched. Rafi and surrounding areas have suffered repeated attacks by armed groups, and kidnapping for ransom remains widespread in north-west and north-central Nigeria. Paying ransom is illegal in Nigeria, although families often feel they have no choice.

What happens next

Families and community leaders are calling on the federal and state governments to step up efforts to rescue the children.