American rapper, Nicki Minaj has called on more celebrities and influencers to speak out over the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Minaj made the call while speaking at the X Takeover event held at Tesla’s Giga Texas facility in Austin, Texas.

The rapper said her personal connection to Nigeria, through her pastor and Nigerian fans known as Barbs, had drawn her attention to reports of violence against Christians in the country.

She said, “For Nigeria personally, my pastor is from Nigeria, so I have a link to Nigeria because of him and of course, I have a lot of Nigerian barbs but what I started seeing was the brutality in which Christians are being treated there just for being Christians and I thought why isn’t anyone making a big deal out of this?

“You know and sometimes when things aren’t cool like to talk about, people don’t just talk about it so right now.

“Actually I’m hoping that more celebrities or people, influencers, I’m hoping that they come onboards the train to start speaking out about what’s happening to Christians in Nigeria and I look forward to doing more to help in that way in that cause.”

Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has said Nigeria does not currently have enough crude oil to supply the Dangote Petroleum Refinery with its daily requirement of 700,000 barrels.

Oyedele explained that the country was yet to reach a production level that would enable it to meet the refinery’s entire crude oil demand while also satisfying other domestic and export commitments.

“We (Nigeria) are still not at the point where we can give Dangote Refinery 700,000 barrels of crude oil; we don’t have enough to service Dangote Refinery,” he said.

The minister spoke on Friday while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.

His comments come amid ongoing concerns over Nigeria’s crude oil production capacity and the supply of crude to the Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest single-train refinery, which has a nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.

The development also comes as the Federal Government has announced a 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) filling stations, a move aimed at providing temporary relief to motorists and other fuel consumers amid the high cost of petroleum products.

The government said the temporary discount would run for 30 days, raising questions about how the measure would affect pump prices and whether consumers would experience significant relief from the persistent rise in transportation and living costs.

The initiative has also drawn reactions from opposition figures, who have questioned its timing and sustainability, arguing that a short-term price reduction may not address the underlying challenges in the downstream petroleum sector.

Suspected kidnappers have reportedly killed a councillor representing Ogugu Ward III in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Hon. Rosemary Adukwu, days after her abduction.

Hon. Adukwu was said to be on her way to Onitsha market on 30th September 2026, when the kidnappers intercepted the commercial vehicle she boarded around Oji River axis, between Enugu and Anambra states.

The assailants reportedly dragged the councillor out of the vehicle and whisked her to their hideout in the forest.

A week after the abduction, the Chairman of Olamaboro Local Government Area, Dr. Ameh Williams, announced her death in a statement on Friday.

The statement read, “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the sudden demise of our dear sister and colleague, Hon. Mrs. Rosemary Adukwu, the honourable councillor representing the good people of Ogugu Ward III in the eighth Olamaboro Legislative Council.”

The Chairman said the death was confirmed on Thursday while she was still in captivity.

However, the family of the deceased raised concerns over the circumstances of the incident, alleging that the kidnappers singled out the councillor, left other passengers untouched, and did not contact the family for ransom until her death was announced.

A family source said that it was while tracking the victim’s cellphone number that a receiver disclosed she had died in captivity.

The source said, “Hon. Rosemary Adukwu used to board this particular driver’s vehicle to Onitsha market to restock her business. On 30th September, she left for Onitsha after confirming from her usual driver that the market would hold on 1st October.

“At the boundary community between Enugu and Anambra states, precisely around Oji River, their vehicle ran into a barricade mounted by some people. Thereafter, the hoodlums dragged only her out of the vehicle and took her to an unknown destination. The other passengers continued their journey untouched.

“Her abductors did not contact the family for ransom for almost a week. Confused, the family contacted security operatives who tracked her cellphone . On Thursday, a voice announced while receiving the call that the owner of the phone is dead.”

According to the source, the driver of the vehicle and the person who received the victim’s cellphone call had been arrested and were assisting operatives with investigation.

Meanwhile, the President-General and the National Executive of Ogugu District Union (ODU), Deacon Samuel Ige Agada, condemned the “kidnapping and brutal killing” of the councillor, describing it as barbaric.

Agada said, “Hon. Adukwu was a dedicated grassroots leader, a hardworking businesswoman and a devoted mother and wife who was only striving to earn a living for her family. This is a painful loss not only to her family and Ogugu Ward III, but to UBELE District, Ogugu Chiefdom, Olamaboro LGA and Kogi State at large. We condemn this barbaric act in its totality.”

Reports indicated that Hon. Rosemary Adukwu was buried around 1 p.m. on Friday at her family compound in Ogugu Centre.