Pope Francis has been laid to rest at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica.

The late pontiff’s entombment was a private event which allowed those close to him to pay their last respects.

This was after a funeral Mass at the Vatican.

Thousands of people, including world leaders and monarchs witnessed Pope Francis’ funeral mass at St Peter’s Basilica on Saturday.

From there, the coffin carrying the pontiff’s corpse was transported to Santa Maria Maggiore basilica where it was entombed.

Mourners queued up along the streets to witness as his corpse was moved from the Vatican to his final resting place.

The late Argentine is the first in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican.

Speaking during the funeral, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, said the Catholic pontiff “touched minds and hearts” and wanted to “build bridges, not walls.

”Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. In his final moment, the deceased suffered a stroke, coma, and a heart failure.

Burying Pope Francis at St. Mary Major in the Pauline Chapel followed the request he wrote in his spiritual testament.

The Pauline Chapel houses the ancient icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani.

His death was confirmed through electrocardiographic thanatography.

Pope Francis was admitted at Gemelli hospital in Rome on February 14 after suffering from pneumonia in both lungs.

The Vatican, however, claimed that the Pope was making progress in recent days that followed.

He was later allowed to return home after his health condition improved.

Panic and fear have gripped residents of Musukwani area in Jakara, Kano Municipal Local Government Area, following the mysterious disappearance of two young boys believed to have gone missing inside a large, deep ditch in the neighborhood.

The alarming incident has raised fresh concerns, with locals linking the location to possible supernatural forces due to repeated strange occurrences in the area.

Eyewitnesses say the latest case happened on Monday, April 21, 2025, when one of the boys reportedly removed his clothes and wallet — which contained money — and handed them over to some people nearby before entering the ditch.

“We were sitting here when the boy came, took off his clothes, including his wallet with money, and asked us to keep them for him. He said he was going into the ditch to check something, as they usually store things like rods inside.

He never came back. Even after nightfall, we closed our shops and went home. The next morning, there was still no sign of him. His belongings are still with us,” Abdul Basit Yusha’u Safiyanu said.

This is not an isolated incident. Just a few days earlier, another boy named Dan Sani also entered the same ditch with a friend and was never seen again. His disappearance remains unresolved.

Musa Hamza, a community leader and maternal uncle of (Dan Sani) one of the missing boys, expressed deep concern and frustration.

“He’s my nephew, about 12 years old. He and his friend came to the ditch. He told his friend to wait while he went in. When the friend noticed he wasn’t coming back, he ran home to tell us. We searched everywhere — even the mortuary — but nothing.

All we have now are rumors and fear. Even the fire service officers who entered the ditch struggled to get back out,” he lamented.

Efforts to rescue the boys were made by the Kano State Fire Service. According to the commission’s spokesperson, Saminu Yusuf Abdullahi, the service received a distress call at exactly 3:55 p.m. on April 21.

“In response to a call from one Hamisu Wakili, our team rushed to the site in Jakara, but unfortunately, we could not find the missing individuals, and had to call off the operation,” he confirmed.

Residents, however, believe the ditch may have more than meets the eye. Some, like Sadam Saraki, linked the area to paranormal activity, claiming it has long been known as a hub for spiritual and mysterious happenings.

Now, the people of Jakara are calling on the Kano State Government and emergency agencies to urgently investigate and take action before more lives are lost.

“People are scared. We can’t sleep with both eyes closed anymore,” one resident said.

The fate of the missing boys remains unknown, as the community anxiously awaits answers.

Sole Administrator Ibok-Ete Ibas has requested more time from the House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on Rivers State to properly brief the lawmakers on developments in the state.

Ibas made the request at a meeting with the committee in Abuja on Friday. He had earlier failed to appear before the committee on April 17 and 24.

He expressed regret over his failure to honour previous invitations by the committee.

Ibas held a closed-door meeting with members of the ad hoc committee on Rivers State on Friday.

The committee called the meeting as part of efforts to take over legislative duties in Rivers State.

The declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State had to the suspension of the legislature, Governor Sim Fubara and his deputy.

Speaking at the meeting with the committee, Ibas said: “I have always held the National Assembly in the highest regard.

I recognise the importance of your oversight responsibilities and your interest in the progress being made in Rivers, which is presently relatively calm, but still fragile.

“I remain fully committed to cooperating with the committee and to ensuring that all relevant information is made available in due course to support your important work.

“I only request the understanding and the indulgence of this committee to grant me additional time to adequately prepare and present a comprehensive and constructive briefing, given the complexities and sensitivities surrounding the current transitional period in Rivers.

“It is important that any engagement with this committee is done with the depth, accuracy, and clarity it rightfully deserves.

“I remain fully committed to cooperating with the committee and to ensuring that all relevant information is made available in due course to support your important work.”