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Banditry: Stakeholders Fault Gov. El-Rufai’s Call For Carpet-bombing Of Forests
Published
4 years agoon
By
Editor
Reactions have continued to trail Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s suggestion that forests inhabited by bandits be carpet-bombed.
The Council of Imams and Ulamas in Kaduna State through its Secretary-General, Dr.Yakubu Yusuf Arigasiyu, believed that the issue of segmented attacks would not yield any positive result, stressing that there is a need for clear tactical plan to understand the strategic locations of these bandits and deal with them once and for all.
According to the Imams and Ulamas, the military know of this and nobody should tell them what to do, stressing that perhaps it is because of personal benefits some people are getting out of it they do not want to see to the end of this calamity.
They believe that three months is too much for the Nigerian military to make banditry history in Nigeria.
According to Dr.Yakubu Yusuf Arigasiyu, “I really appreciate and support the suggestions made by his Excellency the Governor of Kaduna State.”
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The Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN) in Northern states and Abuja, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, while commenting, observed that what many groups including CAN have been calling on the governor to do since 2018 but he (Governor) has always viewed the suggestions as coming from those he has scores to settle with.
He explained that if El-Rufai had done what he is saying now over three years ago, Kaduna state would have been safe and the many lives and properties lost would have been averted.
According to Rev. Hayab, “The Governor’s call now may be coming from fear he is having that he will soon be out of office and be a free citizen like us not knowing what his fate would be with these evil people.”
The state chairman of CAN believed that Governor El-Rufai is championing that they (bandits) should be wiped out completely for self-protection and interest first, not a sign of concern for the suffering of the masses, adding that the governor knows that many will support this suggestion though it is coming late after the state had suffered many losses.
Rev. Hayab added that CAN Kaduna State is urging him (Governor El-Rufai) to go ahead and wipe the bandits and terrorists out of the forest but with less noise since they seem to know what he discusses even in his bedroom, stressing, “We believe the best way to get at these enemies of the people and the state is by action, not noise making.”
On his part, Anthony Sani, immediate past Secretary-General of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), agreed with the strategy of taking the fight to the bandits and smoke them out of their hideouts in the forests, pointing out that such tasks are not as easy as the governor sees it.
He explained, “This is because the bandits and gunmen are all over the forests across the nation while there are not enough trained and equipped security personnel who are well-motivated to secure the whole country. As a result, the spread of the security personnel to man all the communities across the nation are too thin for any serious engagements in asymmetric conflicts.This is not conventional conflicts requiring only the use of hard power of military war but that of guerrilla war where some of the enemies live among the people.”
In the same vein, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum ( AYCF) told Governor Nasiru Ahmad El-Rufai that carpet-bombing has never been a successful military operation in history.
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Alhaji Yerima Shettima, President of the AYCF, in a statement explained that what the governor was advocating as a means of exterminating the bandits occupying the ungoverned forests, could best be described as his personal opinion.
He explained that he sees Governor the El-Rufai suggestion as his personal opinion and not drawn from any example known to historians studying conflicts, insurgencies and banditry bombing campaign.
“So, it is easier said than done and I thought El-Rufai would seek the opinion of historians or run a random search in the archives to find where carpet-bombing has ever succeeded,” he exclaimed.
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Headline
Four Places In The World Without Traffic Lights
Published
18 hours agoon
August 29, 2025By
Editor
In a world where traffic lights are an essential part of road management, a few countries and regions stand out for functioning without them. These places rely on alternative systems ranging from police officers and roundabouts to cultural driving habits to manage traffic. Here’s a closer look at the nations and areas where traffic lights are absent.
Bhutan
Bhutan is famously known as the only country in the world that operates entirely without traffic lights. Even in its capital city, Thimphu, which has witnessed growing traffic due to urbanisation, automated signals have never been adopted. Instead, traffic management is handled by police officers who stand at major intersections, directing vehicles with hand signals.
In 1995, when a set of traffic lights was briefly installed in Thimphu, public complaints led to their swift removal, as locals felt the system clashed with the country’s traditions and culture of cooperation. Bhutan’s reliance on human-directed traffic reflects both its small population and strong sense of civic responsibility.
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Vatican City
Vatican City, the world’s smallest sovereign nation, also operates without any traffic lights. With an area of just 44 hectares and a population of around 800 people, the city-state does not require traffic signals to regulate movement. Roads inside the Vatican are short and few, and traffic is mostly managed by signage and the Vatican’s own police force. However, just outside the Vatican’s walls, in Rome, traffic lights are abundant, highlighting the contrast between the bustling Italian capital and the tranquil governance of the Holy See.
Niue
In the South Pacific, Niue, one of the world’s smallest island nations, also has no traffic lights. With a population of less than 2,000 people and very limited vehicle traffic, there is little need for automated signals. Roads are quiet, and driving is relaxed, with motorists often waving to one another as they pass.
The absence of traffic lights in Niue is less a necessity than a reflection of the island’s lifestyle, where community trust and minimal congestion make formal traffic control unnecessary.
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Tekesi County, China
A unique example of urban planning without traffic lights can be found in Tekesi County, Xinjiang, China. The county town was designed based on the ancient Bagua (Eight Trigrams) symbol from Taoist philosophy. Its distinctive circular and radiating street layout relies on roundabouts to direct vehicles.
In 1996, authorities cancelled the installation of traffic lights in order to preserve the Bagua system, making Tekesi a rare modern settlement that manages traffic without signals. The design has since become both a cultural attraction and a point of pride for residents, who see it as a symbol of harmony and balance.
Headline
Nigerian Student Wins ‘Top In World’ Cambridge IGCSE English Award
Published
18 hours agoon
August 29, 2025By
Editor
A Nigerian student, Kenechukwu Oluwanifemi Uba, has emerged the “Top in World” candidate in the November 2024 Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language (Speaking Endorsement).
Uba, a pupil of Caleb International College, Magodo, Lagos, received the Outstanding Cambridge Learners Award for her performance, which was recognised by Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Spokesperson to the Proprietor and Founder, Caleb Group of Schools and University, Prof. Elvis Otobo, and made available to The PUNCH on Friday.
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The certificate, signed by the Group Managing Director of International Education at Cambridge, Rod Smith, was presented during a ceremony organised by the British Council and Cambridge University Press & Assessment at the Civic Centre, Lagos.
Speaking on the achievement, the Proprietor/CEO of Caleb Group of Schools and University, Dr. Oladega Adebogun, said the recognition reflected the school’s values of integrity, perseverance and innovation.
“We are overjoyed by Kenechukwu’s outstanding performance.
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“Her success embodies our core values of integrity, perseverance, and innovation. We invest heavily in cutting-edge teaching methods—from flipped classrooms to AI-driven language labs—so that every student can discover their potential and lead with confidence,” Adebogun said.
Uba expressed gratitude to her teachers, classmates and family, noting that preparing in the school’s language lab helped build her confidence.
“From the moment I joined Caleb, I felt inspired by teachers who challenged me to think deeply and by peers who encouraged me to persevere. Preparing for the speaking endorsement in our state-of-the-art lab sharpened my confidence. This recognition belongs to everyone—my mentors, my classmates, and my family,” she said.
Caleb International College described the award as proof of its commitment to raising globally competitive students through advanced learning facilities and strong character development programmes.
Headline
Iran Has Executed At Least 841 People This Year — UN
Published
19 hours agoon
August 29, 2025By
Editor
At least 841 people have been executed in Iran since the start of the year, the UN said Friday, decrying “a systematic pattern of using the death penalty as a tool of state intimidation”.
The United Nations’ human rights office said there had been a “major increase in executions” by Tehran during the first half of 2025.
“Iranian authorities have executed at least 841 people since the beginning of the year,” spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.
“The real situation might be different,” she added. “It might be worse, given the lack of transparency.”
In July alone, she said, Iran had executed at least 110 individuals — twice the number of people executed in July 2024.
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“The high number of executions indicates a systematic pattern of using the death penalty as a tool of state intimidation, with disproportionate targeting of ethnic minorities and migrants,” Shamdasani added.
She cited the executions of Afghan nationals, and of Baluch, Kurdish, and Arab citizens.
In the first six months of the year, at least 289 people were executed for drug-related offences.
Shamdasani said the pattern witnessed across multiple countries showed that when their governments perceive threats to their grip on public order, they become increasingly repressive and less tolerant of dissent.
– Hangings before children –
The spokeswoman in particular criticised the staging of public executions in Iran. The rights office documented seven such cases since the beginning of the year — some reportedly in front of children.
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“Public executions add an extra layer of outrage upon human dignity… not only on the dignity of the people concerned — the people who are executed — but also on all those who have to bear witness,” she said.
“The psychological trauma of bearing witness to somebody being hanged in public, particularly for children, is unacceptable.”
The UN human rights office said there were serious concerns over due process in capital punishment cases.
“What we are particularly worried about is that a lot of these death sentences are imposed based on vague laws,” the spokeswoman said, such as charges of enmity against God.
Shamdasani said that 11 individuals were currently facing “imminent execution” in Iran, including six charged with “armed rebellion” due to alleged membership of the exiled opposition People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran (MEK).
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The other five had been sentenced to death over their participation in large-scale protests in 2022, she said. Iran’s supreme court last week confirmed the death sentence against workers’ rights activist Sharifeh Mohammadi, she added.
The UN rights office was urging Iran’s government “not to implement the death penalty against these and other individuals on death row”, Shamdasani said.
“The death penalty is incompatible with the right to life and irreconcilable with human dignity,” she added.
“It creates an unacceptable risk of executing innocent people. It should never be imposed for conduct that is protected under international human rights law.”
UN human rights chief Volker Turk is calling on Tehran to impose a moratorium on the application of capital punishment, as a step towards abolition.
AFP
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