Lifestyle
PHOTOS: Satanic priest who ‘sold his soul to devil’ becomes newest saint in the Catholic Church
Pope Leo XIV has officially declared Bartolo Longo, along with six others, as a new saint for the Catholic Church.
Longo was born in 1841 in Latiano, Italy, and trained as a lawyer. After the de@th of his father, he became involved in occult practices and reportedly served as a Satanic priest, engaging in extreme fasting and allegedly making a pact with a demon.
Satanic priest who
He later turned his life around before eventually being guided back to the Catholic faith by Professor Vincenzo Pepe.
After renouncing Satanism, Longo took a vow of celibacy and devoted himself to charitable works.
He founded the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii, as well as an orphanage for girls in 1887 and an institute for the sons of prisoners in 1892.
In 1922, he established another institute for the daughters of prisoners. He also volunteered for two years at the Neapolitan Hospital for Incurables.
Longo d!ed in 1926 and was remembered for his dramatic transformation from a life of darkness to one of faith and service, ultimately earning sainthood in the Catholic Church.
He was canonized along with six others, including three nuns, a Venezuelan ‘doctor of the poor’, and an archbishop killed in the Armenian genocide.
Pope Leo said on October 19: ‘Today we have before us seven witnesses, the new Saints, who, with God’s grace, kept the lamp of faith burning.
‘May their intercession assist us in our trials and their example inspire us in our shared vocation to holiness.’
Prior to his death in 1926, Longo did a great deal of the Lord’s work.
By 1871, he had become a third-order Dominican and was feverishly working to encourage people in Pompeii to return to their faith.
He went on to receive a portrait of Our Lady of the Rosary at Pompeii, and according to the Catholic News Agency, ‘miracles started to happen’.
On the first day Longo unveiled the picture to the public, a 12-year-old girl who suffered from ‘incurable’ epileptic seizures was said to have been ‘completely healed’.
Archbishop Tommaso Caputo of Pompei told EWTN of the saint’s work: “Longo arrived in Pompeii to take care of the properties of the countess and, walking through those streets – dangerous because of the presence of bandits and malaria – he felt an inner inspiration.
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Lifestyle
PHOTOS: A Biafran Armoured Vehicle at the National War Museum, Umuahia: Ingenuity in a Time of Siege
Displayed at the National War Museum in Umuahia, Abia State, this armoured vehicle stands as a striking material reminder of the technological improvisation that characterised the Biafran side during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970). The vehicle is commonly identified as an up-armoured T16 Universal Carrier, adapted and deployed by Biafran forces in the face of severe resource constraints.
The Nigerian Civil War in Context
The Nigerian Civil War, often called the Biafran War, erupted in July 1967 following the secession of the Eastern Region of Nigeria as the Republic of Biafra under the leadership of Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. The conflict was rooted in a complex mix of political instability, ethnic tensions, economic disputes, and the fallout from the 1966 military coups.
The federal government imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on Biafra, drastically limiting access to weapons, fuel, spare parts, and food. This blockade forced Biafran engineers, mechanics, and technicians to rely heavily on local innovation and adaptation to sustain their war effort.
The Up-Armoured Universal Carrier
The vehicle shown in the museum is believed to be based on the T16 Universal Carrier, a light tracked armoured vehicle originally designed during the Second World War. Universal Carriers were widely used by Allied forces and were present in Nigeria during the colonial era.
During the war, Biafran forces modified available carriers by:
Reinforcing them with improvised armour plating
Adapting engines and mechanical components using locally available materials
Reconfiguring them for reconnaissance, troop movement, or limited combat roles
Although such vehicles could not match the firepower or durability of modern armoured tanks, they represented a pragmatic response to isolation, allowing Biafra to maintain some level of mechanised capability.
Ingenuity Under Pressure
The armoured carrier exemplifies what many historians describe as Biafran wartime ingenuity. Alongside makeshift armoured vehicles, Biafra also produced:
Locally assembled rockets and mortars (such as the Ogbunigwe)
Modified civilian vehicles for military use
Small-scale refineries and workshops to support logistics
These efforts were driven by necessity rather than abundance, highlighting the role of technical skill and improvisation in asymmetric warfare.
Human Cost and Global Attention
The war resulted in devastating human losses. Scholarly estimates suggest around 100,000 military deaths, while civilian deaths range from approximately 500,000 to over 2 million, largely due to famine and disease exacerbated by the blockade. These figures vary widely among historians and humanitarian organisations, reflecting the difficulty of precise wartime accounting.
Notably, the Nigerian Civil War was among the first conflicts to receive extensive global television coverage. Images of starving Biafran children broadcast internationally shaped global humanitarian awareness and influenced the development of modern relief organisations.
Preservation and Historical Memory
Today, the presence of this armoured vehicle at the National War Museum, Umuahia serves an educational purpose rather than a celebratory one. It invites reflection on:
The realities of civil conflict
The limits and possibilities of local technological innovation
The enduring human and social consequences of war
As an artefact, it underscores how material culture can help future generations understand both the creativity and tragedy that emerge under extreme historical conditions.
Sources
National War Museum, Umuahia (museum displays and archival descriptions)
Nigerianland, Nigeria History Makers – Pictures
Falola, T. & Heaton, M., A History of Nigeria (Cambridge University Press)
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The city of Oyo is currently witnessing an influx of political figures and traditional rulers for the installation of new high-ranking chiefs by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade.
Seyi Tinubu, accompanied by his wife, Layal, arrived at the palace of the Alaafin on Sunday.
Alaafin confers chieftancy titles on Seyi Tinubu. Credit: X|adejare_stephen
Alaafin confers chieftancy titles on Seyi Tinubu. Credit: X|adejare_stephen
PUNCH reports that Seyi, the son of President Bola Tinubu, will be installed as the “Okanlomo of Yorubaland,” a title which translates to “the beloved child” or “the one dear to the hearts of all Yoruba people.”
The title is said to symbolise a custodian of Yoruba values, unity, and cultural heritage.
The Senator representing Zamfara West and a former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdul’Aziz Yari, has also reportedly arrived in Oyo, accompanied by a delegation of northern senators and political figures.
Alaafin confers chieftancy titles on Seyi Tinubu, Senator Yari. Credit: X|adejare_stephen
Yari will also be installed as the “Obaloyin of Yorubaland” on the same occasion by the Alaafin.
The Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin, Bode Durojaiye, in a recent statement, reportedly stated that the ‘Obaloyin of Yorubaland’ title represents love, compassion, justice, and a bridge between physical and spiritual realms.
Both titles are said to come with responsibilities that include promoting Yoruba culture, advising the Alaafin, fostering unity, and advancing education and social welfare.
Alaafin confers chieftancy titles on Seyi Tinubu, Senator Yari. Credit: X|adejare_stephen
Videos circulating on social media reveal that the venue of the event is set, capturing the presence of several notable figures, including former Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, lawmakers, and a diverse assembly of traditional rulers and chiefs.
Watch videos below:
Credits: PUNCHNG
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