During the New Year Eve Service of 2025, Dr. Abel Damina, the renowned preacher and founder of Power City International, made a statement that has stirred intense criticism in the church community.

Speaking to his congregation, Dr. Damina declared that smoking cigars or cigarettes is not a sin.

He further clarified his position on alcohol, stating, “You cannot be a sinner by eating and drinking. I told you before, alcohol is not a sin.”

Dr. Damina emphasized that his role as a man of God is to preach salvation, not morality.

“You didn’t come here for me to teach you morality; you came for me to teach you salvation by faith through Christ,” he said.

However, he didn’t shy away from addressing the consequences of certain actions.

“You should have your own sense to know that if you smoke, your body will be affected.

If you drink alcohol, you may lie down inside a gutter.

These are lessons you should have learned from your mother’s house.”

Known for his bold and unconventional teachings, Dr. Damina’s remarks have sparked both criticism and support.

While some argue that his statements could encourage moral laxity, others applaud his focus on spiritual growth over personal judgment.

As 2025 begins, Dr. Damina’s message challenges believers to take responsibility for their actions and understand that salvation is his primary mission.

His bold approach ensures his teachings will remain a significant topic of discussion in the year ahead.

The Spiritual Director of Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, Anambra State, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, has revealed how he paid N1million to the police to rescue a colleague priest kidnapped after returning to Nigeria from overseas.

Fr Obimma, popularly known as “Father Ebube Muonso” who introduced the kidnapped Catholic priest as Fr. Nonso stated that after he spent one week in the forest with the kidnappers, he decided to lead the rescue operation with his adoration security.

He said the police authorities told him that they could rescue him, but lacked logistics.

According to him, the victim was abducted on December 17 shortly after his return from overseas for the Christmas holiday and was released by the kidnappers, a week after.

Presenting Fr Nonso to the congregation during the ministration in a video which has gone viral, Fr Obimma said, “For a week, Fr Nonso was in the hands of kidnappers. Government could not do anything, it got to a point where I had to use my arsenal to rescue him.”

Lamenting the deplorable state of insecurity in the country especially in Anambra State, the Catholic priest wondered what the governor did with the billions of naira collected every month in security vote.

He said that the hopelessness of the situation forced him to “approach a state outside Anambra and begged them to use their tracker to find my brother priest”.

He added, “They tracked him and sent the full location to me. I sent it to security people and they asked me what I wanted them to do with the information. I told them to go after the kidnappers and rescue our priest, but they told me they didn’t usually go into the forest.

“I volunteered to lead the operation. I called the Chief Security (Officer) of Adoration Ministry and told him to assemble his men, let those who had cutlasses bring their cutlasses and those who had guns should bring them, I would lead the operation. When they saw that I was serious, that was when the police told me I should not worry that they could rescue him, just that they lacked logistics.

“I had to send N1million to them. This is a state where we have a governor who receives security votes, but it is individuals who are now funding security.”

He noted that all the while he was in kidnappers’ den, his mobile phone line remained open and the kidnappers never bothered to put it off or even dispose of it, knowing that they could be tracked through it.

“They knew that there is no security in this state. That was why I said there is no security in Anambra State. Imagine using a tracker from another location to trace kidnappers, yet, the security agencies refused to act until I opted to use my security to rescue the victim, and later they accepted and I still paid them N1m for mobilisation. Only God will lead us,” the priest added.

However, the Anambra State Police Command confirmed the rescue of the priest and promised to investigate Fr Obimma’s revelation.

The Command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Itam, had ordered a full-scale investigation into the allegations.

“We are aware of the allegations and the CP has directed the investigation, please. I will get back to you as soon as an investigation is concluded,” he said in a text message.

Explosions boomed across the morning sky as Ukraine’s air force warned of drones approaching the capital and Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defences were repelling an enemy attack.

Russia launched a drone strike on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, early on Wednesday, killing one person, wounding six others, and damaging buildings in two districts, city officials said.

Explosions boomed across the morning sky as Ukraine’s air force warned of drones approaching the capital and Mayor Vitali Klitschko said air defences were repelling an enemy attack.

Two floors of a residential building were partially destroyed in the strike, Klitschko said. The body of a woman was later pulled from the debris, the city’s military administration said.

Photos posted by the State Emergency Service showed firefighters dousing a gutted corner of a building and rescuers helping elderly victims.

The National Bank of Ukraine said in a statement that one of its buildings had been damaged by debris from a downed drone.

Debris also damaged a non-residential building in a different neighbourhood, Klitschko added.

“Even on New Year’s Eve, Russia was only concerned about how to hurt Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on social media in response to the strike.

Russia has carried out regular air strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities far behind the front line of its nearly three-year-old invasion.