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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Are all terrorists Muslim?

Are All Terrorists Muslims? It’s Not Even Close
by Dean Obeidallah
01.14.15
“Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are
Muslims.” How many times have you heard that one?
Sure, we heard Fox News’s Brian Kilmeade say it , but
to me, that was simply part of the Fox News plan to
make their viewers dumber, as we saw again this past
weekend when its terrorism “expert” Steve Emerson
was caught fabricating the story that Birmingham,
England, is closed to non-Muslims . But more
alarmingly, even some reasonable people have uttered
this statement.
And that comment is often followed up by the
question: Why don’t we see Christian, Buddhist, or
Jewish terrorists?
Obviously, there are people who sincerely view
themselves as Muslims who have committed horrible
acts in the name of Islam. We Muslims can make the
case that their actions are not based on any part of
the faith but on their own political agenda. But they
are Muslims, no denying that.
However, and this will probably shock many, so you
might want to take a breath: Overwhelmingly, those
who have committed terrorist attacks in the United
States and Europe aren’t Muslims. Let’s give that a
moment to sink in.
Now, it’s not your fault if you aren’t aware of that fact.
You can blame the media. (Yes, Sarah Palin and I
actually agree on one thing: The mainstream media
sucks.)
So here are some statistics for those interested. Let’s
start with Europe. Want to guess what percent of the
terrorist attacks there were committed by Muslims over
the past five years? Wrong. That is, unless you said
less than 2 percent .
As Europol, the European Union’s law-enforcement
agency, noted in its report released last year, the vast
majority of terror attacks in Europe were perpetrated
by separatist groups . For example, in 2013, there were
152 terror attacks in Europe. Only two of them were
“religiously motivated,” while 84 were predicated upon
ethno-nationalist or separatist beliefs.
Or what about the (dare I mention them) Jewish
terrorists? Per the 2013 State Department’s
report on terrorism, there were 399 acts of
terror committed by Israeli settlers.
We are talking about groups like France’s FLNC, which
advocates an independent nation for the island of
Corsica. In December 2013, FLNC terrorists carried out
simultaneous rocket attacks against police stations in
two French cities. And in Greece in late 2013, the left-
wing Militant Popular Revolutionary Forces shot and
killed two members of the right-wing political party
Golden Dawn. While over in Italy, the anarchist group
FAI engaged in numerous terror attacks including
sending a bomb to a journalist. And the list goes on
and on.
Have you heard of these incidents? Probably not. But if
Muslims had committed them do you think you our
media would’ve covered it? No need to answer, that’s a
rhetorical question.
Even after one of the worst terror attacks ever in
Europe in 2011, when Anders Breivik slaughtered 77
people in Norway to further his anti-Muslim, anti-
immigrant, and pro-“Christian Europe” agenda as he
stated in his manifesto, how much press did we see in
the United States? Yes, it was covered, but not the
way we see when a Muslim terrorist is involved. Plus
we didn’t see terrorism experts fill the cable news
sphere asking how we can stop future Christian
terrorists. In fact, even the suggestion that Breivik was
a “Christian terrorist” was met with outrage by many,
including Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly.
Have you heard about the Buddhist terrorists? Well,
extremist Buddhists have killed many Muslim civilians
in Burma, and just a few months ago in Sri Lanka, some
went on a violent rampage burning down Muslim homes
and businesses and slaughtering four Muslims.
Or what about the (dare I mention them) Jewish
terrorists? Per the 2013 State Department’s report on
terrorism, there were 399 acts of terror committed by
Israeli settlers in what are known as “price tag”
attacks . These Jewish terrorists attacked Palestinian
civilians causing physical injuries to 93 of them and
also vandalized scores of mosques and Christian
churches.
Back in the United States, the percentage of terror
attacks committed by Muslims is almost as miniscule
as in Europe. An FBI study looking at terrorism
committed on U.S. soil between 1980 and 2005 found
that 94 percent of the terror attacks were committed
by non-Muslims . In actuality, 42 percent of terror
attacks were carried out by Latino-related groups,
followed by 24 percent perpetrated by extreme left-
wing actors.
And as a 2014 study by University of North Carolina
found, since the 9/11 attacks, Muslim-linked terrorism
has claimed the lives of 37 Americans. In that same
time period, more than 190,000 Americans were
murdered ( PDF ).
In fact in 2013, it was actually more likely Americans
would be killed by a toddler than a terrorist. In that
year, three Americans were killed in the Boston
Marathon bombing. How many people did toddlers kill
in 2013? Five, all by accidentally shooting a gun .
But our media simply do not cover the non-Muslim
terror attacks with same gusto. Why? It’s a business
decision. Stories about scary “others” play better. It’s a
story that can simply be framed as good versus evil
with Americans being the good guy and the brown
Muslim as the bad.
Honestly, when is the last time we heard the media
refer to those who attack abortion clinics as “Christian
terrorists,” even though these attacks occur at one of
every five reproductive health-care facilities? That
doesn’t sell as well. After all we are a so-called
Christian nation, so that would require us to look at the
enemy within our country, and that makes many
uncomfortable. Or worse, it makes them change the
channel.
That’s the same reason we don’t see many stories
about how to reduce the 30 Americans killed each day
by gun violence or the three women per day killed by
domestic violence. But the media will have on expert
after expert discussing how can we stop these scary
brown Muslims from killing any more Americans despite
the fact you actually have a better chance of being
killed by a refrigerator falling on you.
Look, this article is not going to change the media’s
business model. But what I hope it does is cause some
to realize that not all terrorists are Muslims. In fact,
they are actually a very small percent of those that
are. Now, I’m not saying to ignore the dangers posed
by Islamic radicals. I’m just saying look out for those
refrigerators.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

FETUSES REACTS. TO MOTHER'S SMOKING

The impact of a mother's smoking can
be seen on the face of her unborn baby,
new research suggests.
Scientists at Durham and Lancaster
Universities in England performed high-
definition 4-D ultrasound scans on
fetuses between 24 weeks and 36 weeks
gestation and spotted distinctive
differences in those whose mothers
smoked. They say their findings add to
the evidence that smoking may harm a
developing fetus.
"Technology means we can now see
what was previously hidden, revealing
how smoking affects the development of
the fetus in ways we did not realize," co-
author Brian Francis, a professor at
Lancaster University, said in a press
statement.
The study, published in the journal Acta
Paediatrica , involved 20 pregnant
women; four were smokers who
averaged about 14 cigarettes a day, and
16 were non-smokers. Each woman
underwent four ultrasound scans over a
three-month period.
The researchers say the fetuses whose
mothers smoked showed a much higher
rate of mouth movements, suggesting
that their central nervous systems,
which control such movement, did not
develop at the same rate and in the
same manner as the fetuses of non-
smokers.
"Fetal facial movement patterns differ
significantly between fetuses of mothers
who smoked compared to those of
mothers who didn't smoke," said lead
author Dr Nadja Reissland, of Durham
University's Department of Psychology.
"Our findings concur with others that
stress and depression have a significant
impact on fetal movements, and need to
be controlled for, but additionally these
results point to the fact that nicotine
exposure per se has an effect on fetal
development over and above the effects
of stress and depression."
All of the babies involved in the study
were born healthy. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention warns
that smoking during pregnancy
increases the risk of preterm delivery
and low birthweight, which can lead to
a range of health problems.
Previous studies have found that infants
exposed to smoking in utero have
delayed speech processing abilities, and
the researchers say the ultrasound scans
may shed light on that aspect of
development.
"This is yet further evidence of the
negative effects of smoking in
pregnancy," Francis said.
The researchers say more studies are
needed, including a look at the impact
fathers' smoking may have on their
unborn children.
Germanwings airliner crashes in French Alps
24 March 2015 Europe
An Airbus A320 airliner has crashed in the French
Alps between Barcelonnette and Digne, French
aviation officials and police have said.
The jet belongs to the German airline
Germanwings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa.
The plane had reportedly been en route from
Barcelona to Dusseldorf and was carrying 142
passengers and six crew.
French President Francois Hollande said: "The
conditions of the accident, which have not yet
been clarified, lead us to think there are no
survivors."
Mr Hollande said the crash was a tragedy and
called for solidarity with the victims, adding that
the area was very difficult to access.
He said he would be speaking shortly with German
Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The plane issued a distress call at 10:47 (09:47
GMT), according to sources quoted by AFP news
agency.
Search-and-rescue teams are headed to the crash
site at Meolans-Revels, said regional council head
Eric Ciotti.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said he had
sent Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve to the
scene and a ministerial crisis cell to co-ordinate
the incident had been set up.
The interior ministry said debris had been located
at an altitude of 2,000 metres.
Both Airbus and Germanwings have said they are
aware of the reports but cannot yet confirm them.
The Airbus A320 is single-aisle passenger jet
popular for short- and medium-haul flights.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Boy killed over 200 Naira

I was hypnotized, says lady who killed
lover over N200
on march 24, 2015 at 6:46 am in news
Facebook Share Twitter Share

Gift Wahab, the 20-year-old lady, who allegedly
stabbed her boyfriend to death in Ajegunle area of
Lagos last Thursday, said she was hypnotized by a
force she could not resist.
The suspect, who said she was yet to come to
terms with the reality of her boyfriend’s death, said
the argument that resulted in the fight, which led to
her boyfriend’s death, was over N200.
She said: “He usually gave me N200 as feeding
money. On that day, as we were returning from
where we went to drink, I became hungry and
complained to him.
“He got angry and asked why I should complain of
hunger after he had spent the only money he had
on drinks. An argument ensued, during which he
slapped me in the public.
“I got angry and held on to his shirt. He kept
beating me and in the process, he inflicted injury
on my nose.
“It was when I saw blood gushing from my nose
that I ran inside the room and brought out a knife.
He dared me to stab him and I stabbed him in the
neck, not knowing he would die.
‘He removed me
from the streets’
In an emotional-laden tone, she stated that she
owed her boyfriend, Ebi Amadu, a lot, revealing
that he removed her from the streets, after they
met in 2012.
She said: “We met in a hotel in Ojo Road and since
then, I have been living with him and members of
his family, comprising his mother and five siblings
in a one-room apartment at 10 Ligali Street, Off Ojo
Road.
“Along the line I got pregnant but I lost the
pregnancy late last year.
“Though he was not rich, we were managing. He
usually gave me N200 for feeding each day. I
never meant to kill him. It was a mistake.
“In fact, I was under a spell. I was hypnotized. I
have never killed anyone in my life. Why will it be
my boyfriend?“
Vanguard gathered that when the late Amadu was
stabbed, he attempted to remove the knife and in
the process, fell into a drain.
A mob reportedly attempted to lynch Gift, but for
the arrival of policemen from Layeni Division.
The mob, Gift said, “descen-ded on me, saying
they would kill me the same way I killed Ebi. I
passed out when one of them landed a blow on my
nose, which was still bleeding.
“The next time I opened my eyes, I found myself in
the Police Station.
“I sincerely beg for forgiveness from my late
boyfriend’s family. I know this will not bring their
son back. But please let them forgive me.”
The suspect, according to the Police, would be
charged to court at the end of investigation.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Jonathan's rain of dollars on Yoruba obas

The March 28 presidential election has made some traditional rulers in the South-West geopolitical zone millions of naira richer, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.
Findings show that this change of fortunes was brought about by President Goodluck Jonathan’s quest for the support of the traditional rulers and their subjects for his re-election bid.
Jonathan, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, has virtually relocated to the South-West since the Independent National Electoral Commission postponed the general elections. The President has traversed the geopolitical zone, holding series of meetings with traditional rulers, groups and individuals.
Analysts have said South-West voters might determine the outcome of the presidential election. As a result, the All Progressives Congress and the PDP are making strenuous efforts to win the votes of the region.
SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the President and his team doled out various amounts of money in dollars to monarchs during his recent visits to the region. It was, however, gathered that a few of the traditional rulers and chiefs turned down the money.
Competent sources disclosed to our correspondents that a handful of Obas received as high as $250,000 each, while the least paid were traditional rulers of small towns who were given $10,000 each.
Sources say the sum of money given to each traditional ruler is determined by a set of criteria, which range from status and class — whether first-class, second-class, or mere traditional chief — to the popularity and perceived political clout of the monarch.
The traditional ruler of a prominent South-West ancient city, which the President visited was said to have been given $250,000 (N50m) while other traditional chiefs were given $10, 000 (N2.2m).
A prominent lawyer, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCHin confidence, alleged that each of the paramount rulers received about $250,000 (about N50m). He, however, added that some of the senior Obas were expected to share the largesse with their subordinate Obas and chiefs.
He said, “We learnt that the Yoruba Obas in the highest category got $250,000, a part of which will go to the lower Obas. Ironically, a son of one of the prominent Obas is contesting on the platform of the opposition, APC. Interestingly, when the President visited the palace, the father dressed the son with the same attire as the others.”
On February 21, Jonathan after inaugurating the Olorunsogo Power Plant 2, at Papalanto in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, held a private meeting with some prominent traditional rulers in the state.
At the meeting were the Akarigbo of Remoland and Chairman of the Ogun State Traditional Council, Oba Michael Sonariwo; Alake and the Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Olowu of Owu, Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu; Olu of Itori, Oba Fatai Akamo; Oniro of Iro, Oba Adebari; Olu of Owode-Egba, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo; and other traditional rulers, mostly from the Ogun Central Senatorial District.
The Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, and Olu of Ilaro, the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, were absent.
Jonathan returned to Ogun State on Thursday and paid a private visit to the Awujale in his palace at Ijebu Ode.
Also, three weeks ago, the President was in Oyo State, where he visited the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oladunni Ajagungbade, in their respective palaces.
On March 7, the President visited the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, in Ile-Ife, Osun State, to seek the support of the monarch and his colleagues for his re-election.
Apart from the Ooni, the Orangun of Oke-Ile, Oba Adedokun Abolarin; the Owamiran of Esa Oke, Oba Oba Adeyemi Adeniran; the Olufi of Gbongan, Oba Adetoyese Oyeniyi; Alowa of Ilowa, Oba Bukola Ali; the Olojudo of Ido Osun, Oba Adeen Aderemi; and monarchs from the entire Ile-Ife region were at the palace to receive the President.
The President, thereafter, proceeded to Ilesa where he also met with the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, another paramount ruler. Traditional rulers from Ijesaland were also present at the Owa’s palace to receive the President.
In Ekiti State, a similar scenario played out. Jonathan met Ekiti monarchs when he visited the state for the PDP campaign in January, it was learnt on Friday. About 50 traditional rulers were present at the meeting and the President took time to shake hands with all of them.
A source within the PDP told our correspondent that traditional rulers categorised as ‘mere traditional chiefs’ were given $10,000 each by the President’s aides. The monetary gift, it was gathered, was given to “appreciate the presence of the traditional rulers and solicit their support for the President’s re-election.”
Similarly, a source in the palace of a prominent traditional ruler in one of the South-West states, said, “It is true that the President gave out money to the kings. But it was not a huge sum as speculated. Thus, the kings should not be seen as being bought over. Our kings are men of good standing in the public. Their consciences are not for sale and could not have been bought.”
The windfall from the President is not limited to traditional rulers alone as groups and individuals have also benefitted hugely from it.
The groups, which included market women, students, professional and ethnic groups, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt, made between $5,000 and $100,000 in Lagos. All the groups that visited Jonathan at the State House, Marina, went home richer.
The largesse however caused rancour among some of the groups as members accused their leaders of short-changing them.
A member of a popular Yoruba group that visited Jonathan in Lagos said his group received $50,000.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, he said, “We were given $50,000 when we finished meeting the President; but to my surprise, our leader gave me only $500. A lot of us are not happy with what he did.”
The Secretary, Board of Trustees, National Council of Traditional Rulers in Nigeria, Oba Adedapo Aderemi, however, told one of our correspondents on the telephone that he knew nothing about the President’s largesse.
Aderemi, who is the Olojudo of Ido Osun in Osun State, said the monarchs did not collect any bribe, neither were they offered.
He said, “I do not know anything about the bribe. The President invited us and we went to meet him. Jonathan is our son just like Buhari is our son. As the number one citizen of the country, Jonathan invited us and we honoured the invitation.
“There is none of us who is hungry. Obas in Nigeria are not hungry as far as I know.”
Similarly, the Chairman, Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Onitaji of Itaji, Oba Adamo Babalola, said they (kings) did not receive money from Jonathan at any time.
He said, “I’m not aware. Nothing of such happened to my knowledge. If that happened, I was not part of it.”
In the same vein, the Ondo State Council of Traditional Rulers said it did not benefit from Jonathan’s cash gift.
A member of the council, the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Israel Adeusi, said the allegation was an effort to drag the traditional council into politics and tarnish its image.
“This kind of rumour should be stopped. We are not politicians and we should not be dragged into this kind of politics.
“You have a duty to stop this kind of rumours and protect the integrity of the traditional institution,” he said.
On his part, Oba Kayode Olisa, Oba Ajowa Akoko, said he was not at the meeting where Jonathan met with the traditional rulers in the state.
According to him, he had travelled out of the state and was unable to make the appointment.
Asked if anything was sent to him afterwards, he said, “I am not aware if anything was given; only those who attended will be able to confirm what happened.”
Efforts by SUNDAY PUNCH to get the Presidency’s reaction did not yield any positive result on Saturday as calls made to the telephone line of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, did not connect.
Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. Thi

Jonathan's rain of dollars on Yoruba obas

The March 28 presidential election has made some traditional rulers in the South-West geopolitical zone millions of naira richer, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.
Findings show that this change of fortunes was brought about by President Goodluck Jonathan’s quest for the support of the traditional rulers and their subjects for his re-election bid.
Jonathan, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, has virtually relocated to the South-West since the Independent National Electoral Commission postponed the general elections. The President has traversed the geopolitical zone, holding series of meetings with traditional rulers, groups and individuals.
Analysts have said South-West voters might determine the outcome of the presidential election. As a result, the All Progressives Congress and the PDP are making strenuous efforts to win the votes of the region.
SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the President and his team doled out various amounts of money in dollars to monarchs during his recent visits to the region. It was, however, gathered that a few of the traditional rulers and chiefs turned down the money.
Competent sources disclosed to our correspondents that a handful of Obas received as high as $250,000 each, while the least paid were traditional rulers of small towns who were given $10,000 each.
Sources say the sum of money given to each traditional ruler is determined by a set of criteria, which range from status and class — whether first-class, second-class, or mere traditional chief — to the popularity and perceived political clout of the monarch.
The traditional ruler of a prominent South-West ancient city, which the President visited was said to have been given $250,000 (N50m) while other traditional chiefs were given $10, 000 (N2.2m).
A prominent lawyer, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCHin confidence, alleged that each of the paramount rulers received about $250,000 (about N50m). He, however, added that some of the senior Obas were expected to share the largesse with their subordinate Obas and chiefs.
He said, “We learnt that the Yoruba Obas in the highest category got $250,000, a part of which will go to the lower Obas. Ironically, a son of one of the prominent Obas is contesting on the platform of the opposition, APC. Interestingly, when the President visited the palace, the father dressed the son with the same attire as the others.”
On February 21, Jonathan after inaugurating the Olorunsogo Power Plant 2, at Papalanto in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, held a private meeting with some prominent traditional rulers in the state.
At the meeting were the Akarigbo of Remoland and Chairman of the Ogun State Traditional Council, Oba Michael Sonariwo; Alake and the Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Olowu of Owu, Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu; Olu of Itori, Oba Fatai Akamo; Oniro of Iro, Oba Adebari; Olu of Owode-Egba, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo; and other traditional rulers, mostly from the Ogun Central Senatorial District.
The Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, and Olu of Ilaro, the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, were absent.
Jonathan returned to Ogun State on Thursday and paid a private visit to the Awujale in his palace at Ijebu Ode.
Also, three weeks ago, the President was in Oyo State, where he visited the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oladunni Ajagungbade, in their respective palaces.
On March 7, the President visited the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, in Ile-Ife, Osun State, to seek the support of the monarch and his colleagues for his re-election.
Apart from the Ooni, the Orangun of Oke-Ile, Oba Adedokun Abolarin; the Owamiran of Esa Oke, Oba Oba Adeyemi Adeniran; the Olufi of Gbongan, Oba Adetoyese Oyeniyi; Alowa of Ilowa, Oba Bukola Ali; the Olojudo of Ido Osun, Oba Adeen Aderemi; and monarchs from the entire Ile-Ife region were at the palace to receive the President.
The President, thereafter, proceeded to Ilesa where he also met with the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, another paramount ruler. Traditional rulers from Ijesaland were also present at the Owa’s palace to receive the President.
In Ekiti State, a similar scenario played out. Jonathan met Ekiti monarchs when he visited the state for the PDP campaign in January, it was learnt on Friday. About 50 traditional rulers were present at the meeting and the President took time to shake hands with all of them.
A source within the PDP told our correspondent that traditional rulers categorised as ‘mere traditional chiefs’ were given $10,000 each by the President’s aides. The monetary gift, it was gathered, was given to “appreciate the presence of the traditional rulers and solicit their support for the President’s re-election.”
Similarly, a source in the palace of a prominent traditional ruler in one of the South-West states, said, “It is true that the President gave out money to the kings. But it was not a huge sum as speculated. Thus, the kings should not be seen as being bought over. Our kings are men of good standing in the public. Their consciences are not for sale and could not have been bought.”
The windfall from the President is not limited to traditional rulers alone as groups and individuals have also benefitted hugely from it.
The groups, which included market women, students, professional and ethnic groups, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt, made between $5,000 and $100,000 in Lagos. All the groups that visited Jonathan at the State House, Marina, went home richer.
The largesse however caused rancour among some of the groups as members accused their leaders of short-changing them.
A member of a popular Yoruba group that visited Jonathan in Lagos said his group received $50,000.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, he said, “We were given $50,000 when we finished meeting the President; but to my surprise, our leader gave me only $500. A lot of us are not happy with what he did.”
The Secretary, Board of Trustees, National Council of Traditional Rulers in Nigeria, Oba Adedapo Aderemi, however, told one of our correspondents on the telephone that he knew nothing about the President’s largesse.
Aderemi, who is the Olojudo of Ido Osun in Osun State, said the monarchs did not collect any bribe, neither were they offered.
He said, “I do not know anything about the bribe. The President invited us and we went to meet him. Jonathan is our son just like Buhari is our son. As the number one citizen of the country, Jonathan invited us and we honoured the invitation.
“There is none of us who is hungry. Obas in Nigeria are not hungry as far as I know.”
Similarly, the Chairman, Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Onitaji of Itaji, Oba Adamo Babalola, said they (kings) did not receive money from Jonathan at any time.
He said, “I’m not aware. Nothing of such happened to my knowledge. If that happened, I was not part of it.”
In the same vein, the Ondo State Council of Traditional Rulers said it did not benefit from Jonathan’s cash gift.
A member of the council, the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Israel Adeusi, said the allegation was an effort to drag the traditional council into politics and tarnish its image.
“This kind of rumour should be stopped. We are not politicians and we should not be dragged into this kind of politics.
“You have a duty to stop this kind of rumours and protect the integrity of the traditional institution,” he said.
On his part, Oba Kayode Olisa, Oba Ajowa Akoko, said he was not at the meeting where Jonathan met with the traditional rulers in the state.
According to him, he had travelled out of the state and was unable to make the appointment.
Asked if anything was sent to him afterwards, he said, “I am not aware if anything was given; only those who attended will be able to confirm what happened.”
Efforts by SUNDAY PUNCH to get the Presidency’s reaction did not yield any positive result on Saturday as calls made to the telephone line of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, did not connect.
Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. Thi

Jonathan's rain of dollars on Yoruba obas

The March 28 presidential election has made some traditional rulers in the South-West geopolitical zone millions of naira richer, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.
Findings show that this change of fortunes was brought about by President Goodluck Jonathan’s quest for the support of the traditional rulers and their subjects for his re-election bid.
Jonathan, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, has virtually relocated to the South-West since the Independent National Electoral Commission postponed the general elections. The President has traversed the geopolitical zone, holding series of meetings with traditional rulers, groups and individuals.
Analysts have said South-West voters might determine the outcome of the presidential election. As a result, the All Progressives Congress and the PDP are making strenuous efforts to win the votes of the region.
SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the President and his team doled out various amounts of money in dollars to monarchs during his recent visits to the region. It was, however, gathered that a few of the traditional rulers and chiefs turned down the money.
Competent sources disclosed to our correspondents that a handful of Obas received as high as $250,000 each, while the least paid were traditional rulers of small towns who were given $10,000 each.
Sources say the sum of money given to each traditional ruler is determined by a set of criteria, which range from status and class — whether first-class, second-class, or mere traditional chief — to the popularity and perceived political clout of the monarch.
The traditional ruler of a prominent South-West ancient city, which the President visited was said to have been given $250,000 (N50m) while other traditional chiefs were given $10, 000 (N2.2m).
A prominent lawyer, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCHin confidence, alleged that each of the paramount rulers received about $250,000 (about N50m). He, however, added that some of the senior Obas were expected to share the largesse with their subordinate Obas and chiefs.
He said, “We learnt that the Yoruba Obas in the highest category got $250,000, a part of which will go to the lower Obas. Ironically, a son of one of the prominent Obas is contesting on the platform of the opposition, APC. Interestingly, when the President visited the palace, the father dressed the son with the same attire as the others.”
On February 21, Jonathan after inaugurating the Olorunsogo Power Plant 2, at Papalanto in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, held a private meeting with some prominent traditional rulers in the state.
At the meeting were the Akarigbo of Remoland and Chairman of the Ogun State Traditional Council, Oba Michael Sonariwo; Alake and the Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo; Olowu of Owu, Oba Adegboyega Dosunmu; Olu of Itori, Oba Fatai Akamo; Oniro of Iro, Oba Adebari; Olu of Owode-Egba, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo; and other traditional rulers, mostly from the Ogun Central Senatorial District.
The Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, and Olu of Ilaro, the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, were absent.
Jonathan returned to Ogun State on Thursday and paid a private visit to the Awujale in his palace at Ijebu Ode.
Also, three weeks ago, the President was in Oyo State, where he visited the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oladunni Ajagungbade, in their respective palaces.
On March 7, the President visited the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, in Ile-Ife, Osun State, to seek the support of the monarch and his colleagues for his re-election.
Apart from the Ooni, the Orangun of Oke-Ile, Oba Adedokun Abolarin; the Owamiran of Esa Oke, Oba Oba Adeyemi Adeniran; the Olufi of Gbongan, Oba Adetoyese Oyeniyi; Alowa of Ilowa, Oba Bukola Ali; the Olojudo of Ido Osun, Oba Adeen Aderemi; and monarchs from the entire Ile-Ife region were at the palace to receive the President.
The President, thereafter, proceeded to Ilesa where he also met with the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, another paramount ruler. Traditional rulers from Ijesaland were also present at the Owa’s palace to receive the President.
In Ekiti State, a similar scenario played out. Jonathan met Ekiti monarchs when he visited the state for the PDP campaign in January, it was learnt on Friday. About 50 traditional rulers were present at the meeting and the President took time to shake hands with all of them.
A source within the PDP told our correspondent that traditional rulers categorised as ‘mere traditional chiefs’ were given $10,000 each by the President’s aides. The monetary gift, it was gathered, was given to “appreciate the presence of the traditional rulers and solicit their support for the President’s re-election.”
Similarly, a source in the palace of a prominent traditional ruler in one of the South-West states, said, “It is true that the President gave out money to the kings. But it was not a huge sum as speculated. Thus, the kings should not be seen as being bought over. Our kings are men of good standing in the public. Their consciences are not for sale and could not have been bought.”
The windfall from the President is not limited to traditional rulers alone as groups and individuals have also benefitted hugely from it.
The groups, which included market women, students, professional and ethnic groups, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt, made between $5,000 and $100,000 in Lagos. All the groups that visited Jonathan at the State House, Marina, went home richer.
The largesse however caused rancour among some of the groups as members accused their leaders of short-changing them.
A member of a popular Yoruba group that visited Jonathan in Lagos said his group received $50,000.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, he said, “We were given $50,000 when we finished meeting the President; but to my surprise, our leader gave me only $500. A lot of us are not happy with what he did.”
The Secretary, Board of Trustees, National Council of Traditional Rulers in Nigeria, Oba Adedapo Aderemi, however, told one of our correspondents on the telephone that he knew nothing about the President’s largesse.
Aderemi, who is the Olojudo of Ido Osun in Osun State, said the monarchs did not collect any bribe, neither were they offered.
He said, “I do not know anything about the bribe. The President invited us and we went to meet him. Jonathan is our son just like Buhari is our son. As the number one citizen of the country, Jonathan invited us and we honoured the invitation.
“There is none of us who is hungry. Obas in Nigeria are not hungry as far as I know.”
Similarly, the Chairman, Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Onitaji of Itaji, Oba Adamo Babalola, said they (kings) did not receive money from Jonathan at any time.
He said, “I’m not aware. Nothing of such happened to my knowledge. If that happened, I was not part of it.”
In the same vein, the Ondo State Council of Traditional Rulers said it did not benefit from Jonathan’s cash gift.
A member of the council, the Olufon of Ifon, Oba Israel Adeusi, said the allegation was an effort to drag the traditional council into politics and tarnish its image.
“This kind of rumour should be stopped. We are not politicians and we should not be dragged into this kind of politics.
“You have a duty to stop this kind of rumours and protect the integrity of the traditional institution,” he said.
On his part, Oba Kayode Olisa, Oba Ajowa Akoko, said he was not at the meeting where Jonathan met with the traditional rulers in the state.
According to him, he had travelled out of the state and was unable to make the appointment.
Asked if anything was sent to him afterwards, he said, “I am not aware if anything was given; only those who attended will be able to confirm what happened.”
Efforts by SUNDAY PUNCH to get the Presidency’s reaction did not yield any positive result on Saturday as calls made to the telephone line of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, did not connect.
Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. Thi

Friday, March 13, 2015

Test as prerequisite for wedding

Indian bridegroom dumped over failed maths
test
13 March 2015 India
Most marriages in India are arranged by the
families of the bride and groom
An Indian bride has walked out of her wedding
after her bridegroom-to-be failed to solve a simple
maths problem, according to police in Uttar
Pradesh.
The bride asked the groom to add 15 and six.
When he replied 17, she called off the marriage.
Reports say the groom's family tried to convince
the bride to return, but she refused saying the man
was illiterate.
Local police said they mediated between the
families, and both sides returned all the gifts given
before the wedding.
Most marriages in India are arranged by the
families, and it is common for a bride and groom
to get married without spending time in each
other's company.
A police official of Rasoolabad village where the
incident happened told BBC Hindi that local
resident Mohar Singh had fixed his daughter
Lovely's wedding to a man called Ram Baran.
"But just before the marriage ceremony Lovely
came to know that Ram Baran is illiterate and she
refused to marry," he said.
Mohar Singh told the Associated Press news
agency that the "groom's family had kept us in the
dark about his poor education".
"Even a first grader can answer this [the maths
test]," he said.
Last month, another bride in Uttar Pradesh married
a guest at her wedding after her groom-to-be had
a seizure and collapsed.
Reports said the groom was epileptic and he had
kept the information from the bride and her family

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Words on marble

Abraham Lincoln, a former American
president once wrote to his son's teacher and it
reads:
"He will have to learn, i know, that all men are not
true. But teach him also that for every Scoundrel
there is a hero, that for every selfish politician,
there is a dedicated leader.
.Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.
.Teach him that a dollar earn is of more value
than five found.
.Teach him to learn lose and to enjoy winning.
.Steer him away from envy if you can.
.Teach him the secret of quiet laughter.
.Teach him the wonder of books. But also give
him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of
birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a
green
hillside.
.In school,teach him to know that it is more
honorable to fail than to cheat.
.Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if
everyone tells him they are wrong. Teach him to
be gentle with gentle people and tough with tough
people.
.Try to give him the strength on the bandwagon.
.Teach him to listen to all men but teach him also
to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take
only the good that comes through.
.Teach him how to laugh even when he is sad.
.Teach him there is no shame in tears.
.Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob
and to stand and fight if he thinks he is right.
.Treat him gently but do not cuddle him
becauseonly the test of fire makes fine steel.
.Let him have the courage to be impatient and let
him have the patience to be brave.
.Teach him always to have sublime faith in his
creator and faith in himself too, because then he
will always have faith in man kind..."

Boko Haram and ISIS

ISIS accepts Boko
Haram's plea of allegiance...
According to AFP , ISIS has now accepted the
allegiance of Boko Haram.
The Islamic State group has welcomed a
pledge of allegiance to it made by the
Nigerian jihadist organisation Boko Haram,
according to an audiotape Thursday
purportedly from its spokesman.
"We announce to you to the good news of
the expansion of the caliphate to West Africa
because the caliph... has accepted the
allegiance of our brothers of the Sunni group
for preaching and the jihad," IS spokesman
Mohammed al-Adnani said in the message,
using the Arabic name for Boko Haram.
Itself a radical Sunni Muslim movement, IS has
seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria and
declared an Islamic "caliphate" there, and has
also drawn expressions of allegiance from
jihadists in Egypt and Libya.
On Saturday, an audiotape attributed to Boko
Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said "we
announce our allegiance to the Caliph of the
Muslims, Ibrahim ibn Awad ibn Ibrahim al-
Husseini al-Qurashi," referring to IS leader Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Shekau has previously mentioned Baghdadi in
video messages yet stopped short of pledging
formal allegiance.
But there have been increasing signs that the
Nigerian militants, whose six-year insurgency has
claimed more than 13,000 lives and left 1.5
million people homeless, have been seeking a
closer tie-up.
IS spokesman Adnani urged Muslims to join
militants in West Africa and insisted that the
caliphate was growing.
"Our caliphate is resisting and it is advancing in
the right direction. We are fighting the Crusaders
and the rafidah (Shiites) and day by day the
Islamic State is becoming strong," he said.
He insisted that the jihadist group is "sure of its
victory" regardless of the challenges it is facing.
For months, IS has been targeted with air strikes
from a coalition led by the United States and
suffered territorial setbacks in Syria and Iraq.
And Iraqi government forces have closed on the
city of Tikrit this week in a bid to retake it from
the group.

Saraki on Jonathan's love triangle

'I have no hand in documentary of
'dirty love triangle between Pres.
Jonathan, Patience & Deiziani' -
Saraki
Find the statement below...
The attention of the media office of Senator
Abubakar Bukola Saraki has been drawn to a
purported allegation by Peoples Democratic
Party that Senator Bukola Saraki who is one
of the leaders of All Progressives Congress
and a crusader of change in Nigeria is
sponsoring a "Dirty Love Triangle between
President Jonathan, Patience and Deiziani.
Senator Saraki will like to state categorically
without any iota of doubt that he is not
aware of any love triangle between the
President and the two women in question
and therefore has not been, and he is not
going to be involved in anyway, manner or
process of commissioning of such
documentary.
Senator Saraki has always centered all his
argument on issues that affect the lives of
Nigerians. Such issues include but not limited to
unemployment, mismanagement of public funds,
and non-implementation of the budgetary
provisions just to name a few. These are the
things that affect Nigerians and as a Senator of
the Federal Republic these are the issues
Nigerians want the Senators to debate and not the
private affairs of Mr. President.
On the contrary it has been PDP that has been
attacking the private lives of our presidential
candidate and personal affairs of our leaders in
the APC . We have maintained a certain
respectable decorum in both the use of language
and material in every campaign.
Senator Saraki is aware that the reason
why the PDP is pushing such a ridiculous story is
because it has been the trademark of the PDP of
recent to blackmail members of the opposition
with spurious and cooked-up allegations. For the
avoidance of doubt we have concrete evidence at
our disposal to the effect that the recent bad press
Senator Saraki has been receiving lately
surrounding an old issue of over a number of
years involving a bank loan and company called
Joy Petroleum, are directly orchestrated by the
presidency particularly documents sent by email
to the judiciary correspondents for their use.
Senator Saraki is aware that the PDP has been
going around Kwara State bribing and begging
people to partake in a documentary against him
to cause disaffection in the eyes of the public
having adjudged him a threat in the forthcoming
general elections . So its funny to now hear that
the same party that's organising such a
documentary and from the beginning of this
campaign have threaded on this dishonorable
course using their own words should be accusing
others of what they intend to do.
So this so called alarm on any documentary
targeted at Jonathan, Dieziani is just diversionary
tactics in preparation of what they intend to do.
As stated above Sen Saraki is not aware of any
"love-triangle" existing but unless PDP is aware
of something the public is not aware o , otherwise
this is baseless and lacks substance. I want to
reassure all our supporters that as you know this
is not our trade in stock and should disregard this
false alarm.
Senator Saaki will like to warn all those still
scheming to carry out this false documentary on
him that he will fight back and legally defend
himself and warn those in glass houses whose
past particularly as regards their private lives is
not honorable should steer clear and be warned .
We have restrained ourselves not because we
don't have the capacity but because we have
pledged that this election will be about issues.
Senator Saraki wishes to congratulate Kwaran's
both those in APC and those who are not but have
equally rejected such evil offer because it is
glaring that Nigerians are more concerned about
issues that matter to them such as how to get
jobs for their children, food on their table and
security of their lives and properties and not the
"DIRTY LOVE TRIANGLE OF THE JONATHAN'S or
any of the derogatory attacks and documentary
against opposition being sponsored by PDP.
Senator Saraki once again like to assure his
supporters not to be deterred. Our concentration
must be on the task ahead which is to vote
massively for APC come March 28th and April
11th.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Thoughts

My sister died five years ago and left behind
her husband. They couldn’ t have a child as
a result of certain complications with her
fallopian tube.
Even though her husband was faithful to her
and did everything to assure my sister of
his love , she died from high blood pressure
as a result of her constant worries that her
husband might leave her for another
woman . She became so paranoid that she
fought any woman , including us , her sisters
if we came close to her husband.
She left her job to give her the freedom to
monitor her husband. In fairness to the
husband, not once did he try to resist or
protest her constant harassment of his
freedom . He took everything in his stride .
Not even when his family tried to pair him
up with another woman did he abandon my
sister. He kept telling everybody that he
would never leave her and that in due
course, a miracle would happen.
He kept begging my parents to plead with
my sister not to kill herself for nothing –
that her blood pressure was becoming
alarmingly high . When her condition
became worse , he traveled with her abroad
for treatment. There they also explored
ways they can have a child together. They
found a way around the issue and it was
this pregnancy that actually terminated her
life.
Her blood pressure kept going up and she
resisted attempts by the doctors to
terminate the pregnancy to save her life .
She actually left England without the
permission of her doctors and husband for
Nigeria to ensure her husband didn’ t leave
her in England because of another woman .
It was when she got to Nigeria that she
called her husband from the airport to come
and pick her . She died three days after she
came back because of her blood pressure .
Her pregnancy was only five months .
Since then , the husband has remained
single . Despite pressures from all of us that
he continues with his life , he refused. He
still came to our house and continued with
all his former obligations to us despite
protests from my mother that he shouldn’ t,
he ignored her . Every month, he would
send feeding allowances as well as drugs
for my father. He also never failed to pay
our house rents and other bills .
He called everyday to know how we were
and would come to see things for himself to
ensure we didn’ t lack anything.
After trying to stop him from doing all these
things, my mother gave up and even tried
on several occasions to get him hooked up
with nice ladies she knew .
Around August last year , he came to my
place of work to pick me up for lunch. We
really had a great time . He kept doing this
and honestly , I didn ’ t know when my
feelings for him changed to love . It hit me
like a bolt of lightening that I no longer
regarded him as my elder brother but as a
man.
When he also communicated his love for
me, I was happy and we started a secret
relationship. He wanted us to inform our
parents right away but I kept pleading with
him to give me more time because secretly
I fear our parents may not support the idea .
Without telling me anything, he went ahead
to inform his parents two weeks ago and
my parents last week . Surprisingly none of
them is against the relationship . But how
do I explain to the world that I ’ m in love
with my late sister’ s husband and I am
actually planning to marry him? To me, it is
all wrong. People may think I killed my own
sister to enable me marry him . You know
how people talk .
Agatha , I love him so very much but is it
alright to marry him? Please help me as I
am very confused . The two families have
agreed on a date for the traditional wedding
since neither of us is growing younger . I
would be 30 in September while he is
already 41 .
Laife
Dear Laife,
The truth is , if you don ’ t marry him,
someone else would and you will be the
one left to ponder on your loss , pains and
dreams you have built around him since
you two started dating.
No matter what one does in life , people
would always talk . If a person is too nice
and generous , some mischievous people
would label such person, a fool while a
person who is not too nice is often
branded ; a devil . There is no pleasing
everybody in the choices we daily make in
our lives, so why even attempt it? The
important thing is your conviction that you
are not hurting anybody by marrying this
man. Any objective person would know you
have nothing to do with the death of your
sister. If you had, it won ’ t be five years after
that you and her late husband would be
talking about marriage .
Besides , a clear conscience fears no
accusation. As long as you did not do
anything to compromise your sister’ s
marriage while she was alive or even
contemplated ever dating her husband while
she was still on this side of life , do not be
bothered about the opinion of others . Let
anybody who wants to talk do so , but do
not give up your own happiness for
anything or anybody . Life is too short to
short change yourself in the area of your
happiness and peace in life . If people have
no scruples desecrating the memories of
the dead , how much more you that is alive?
In addition , if people would talk at all , it
would not last for more than a week at
most when someone else would take your
place on the chart of those to be gossiped
about.
Also, a lot of people may have even
forgotten who this man is . Unless your
close family and friends, five years is a long
time for those who are not too close to your
family to even remember your sister, not to
talk of the man who married her .
If those whose business is to object , are all
for you two marrying each other , why are
you concerned about what others would
say? Nobody gives happiness to another
person . You are the only person who can
define your happiness in life and if this man
makes your heart skip beats , give the world
a new meaning for you and answers those
nagging thoughts about men and marriage
which you have even refused to dwell on for
fear of what you would find, then do not
waste any precious moment dwelling on
what is not the business of anybody .
At this point , your major concern should be
what you intend to do with the marriage and
not what people think of you. This is
because, at the end of the day , it is what
would matter the most .
He must have seen something extra
exceptional about you to make him want to
stick around your family so do not waste it
by being anxious over nothing .
Having witnessed first - hand what transpired
between him and your sister, try as much
as possible to avoid making the same
mistakes your sister did so as to give this
man the kind of happiness he deserves in
life and marriage . Learn to trust him
implicitly . Do not forget that he may have
been able to cope with your late sister’ s
massive mistrust of him , he may not be
able to do so anymore; not because he
does not want to but age makes the body
unable to accept what it could when
younger . At 40 , this man needs a lot of
peace in his life and happiness at home .
Be his friend first before becoming his wife ;
this way , no matter what you meet in your
marriage , you will always have the presence
of mind to cope and support him .
No matter what, always give him the respect
due him ; do not forget it is part of the
package he saw in you. Being lovers does
not mean a woman must begin to
disrespect her man; as a matter of fact , it is
the more reason for her to appreciate and
respect him the more .
The bottom line is that you have every right
to be happy . You have all mourned your
sister enough ; it is time to move on
because there is nothing you can do
anymore for the one who is dead . Cruel as
this is , the truth remains, indelible.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Eye for an eye:
Iran blinds acid
attacker
Medics gouge out man’s eye in first
known case where retribution ruling has
been carried out, amid condemnation
from human rights groups

In 2011, Ameneh Bahrami, an Iranian
woman who was blinded in an acid attack,
pardoned her assailant.
.
In a literal application of the sharia law of
an eye for an eye, an Iranian man
convicted of blinding another man in an
acid attack has been blinded in one eye,
marking the first time Iran has carried out
such a punishment.
The convicted acid attacker, who has not
been identified, was rendered
unconscious in Rajai-Shahr prison in the
city of Karaj on Tuesday as medics gouged
out his left eye, according to the state-
owned Hamshahri newspaper.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, from Iran
Human Rights (IHR), an independent NGO
based in Norway, condemned the
blinding as barbaric. “Medical staff who
cooperate with the Iranian authorities in
this act have broken the Hippocratic oath
and cannot call themselves doctors,” he
said.
The man had been found guilty of
throwing acid in the face of his unnamed
victim five years ago in the city of Qom,
blinding and disfiguring him for life. He
was subsequently sentenced to be blinded
in both eyes, paying a fine and 10 years
imprisonment.
Although the convict was sentenced to
lose sight in both eyes on Tuesday, the
victim – who, under Iranian law, has the
final say in the punishment – decided at
the last minute to postpone the blinding
of his right eye for six months. The
attacker will be able to plead with the
plaintiff to spare him from being blinded
fully.
Acid attacks have been rife in Iran in
recent years, usually driven by family
feuds. Hamshahri reported that the man
in this case had been hired by the
relatives of his victim’s wife to take
revenge on their behalf. It was not clear if
he had carried out the attack for financial
gain or whether he was related to the
wife’s family.
Iranian officials, worried about the
increase in the rate of acid attacks, have
endorsed retribution, but human rights
activists condemn it as inhumane.
Islam’s Sharia law allows for qisas
(retribution) but it also advises clemency.
Under Iranian law, victims or their
families have the final say in such cases
and can halt the punishment at any time.
Other acid attackers have also been
sentenced to be blinded in Iran , but this
is the first known case where the
punishment has been carried out. In most
previous cases doctors had refused to
cooperate with the officials.
Raha Bahreini, a researcher with Amnesty
International’s Iran team, said that
punishing someone by deliberately
blinding them is “an unspeakably cruel
and shocking act”.
She told the Guardian: “Blinding is totally
prohibited under international law, along
with stoning, flogging, amputation and
other forms of corporal punishment
provided in Iran’s Islamic penal code and
must not be carried out under any
circumstances.”
Instead of meting out such macabre
punishments, Bahreini said Iranian
authorities “should raise awareness about
violence including root causes, ensure
that perpetrators of acid attacks are
punished with appropriate and
proportionate penalties consistent with
international human rights norms, and
survivors are provided with effective
remedies, including compensation and
psychosocial and medical rehabilitation.”
Another man, identified only as Hamid,
was also scheduled to be blinded in Karaj
on Tuesday, but his punishment was
postponed at the request of his victim,
Davoud Roshanaei.
“Hamid was about to be rendered
unconscious on the bed when his father
entered the room and asked me for more
time,” said Roshanaei, who has been
disfigured and lost sight in one eye as the
result of the assault. “I gave them two
more months to provide me with
compensation for my treatment.”
In a highly publicised case in 2011,
Ameneh Bahrami, a victim of an acid
attack, received international praise after
pardoning her attacker hours before
surgeons prepared to blind the man with
acid. Bahrami was disfigured and blinded
in both eyes because she had repeatedly
spurned her attacker’s offer for marriage.
Last year, a spate of acid attacks on young
women in Iran’s top tourist destination,
Isfahan, caused national horror and
outrage. Activists claimed that unlike
other cases across the country, victims in
Isfahan had been targeted by hardliners
for wearing clothes deemed
inappropriate. The authorities have
vehemently denied this charge. CULLED
Eye for an eye:
Iran blinds acid
attacker
Medics gouge out man’s eye in first
known case where retribution ruling has
been carried out, amid condemnation
from human rights groups

In 2011, Ameneh Bahrami, an Iranian
woman who was blinded in an acid attack,
pardoned her assailant.
.
In a literal application of the sharia law of
an eye for an eye, an Iranian man
convicted of blinding another man in an
acid attack has been blinded in one eye,
marking the first time Iran has carried out
such a punishment.
The convicted acid attacker, who has not
been identified, was rendered
unconscious in Rajai-Shahr prison in the
city of Karaj on Tuesday as medics gouged
out his left eye, according to the state-
owned Hamshahri newspaper.
Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, from Iran
Human Rights (IHR), an independent NGO
based in Norway, condemned the
blinding as barbaric. “Medical staff who
cooperate with the Iranian authorities in
this act have broken the Hippocratic oath
and cannot call themselves doctors,” he
said.
The man had been found guilty of
throwing acid in the face of his unnamed
victim five years ago in the city of Qom,
blinding and disfiguring him for life. He
was subsequently sentenced to be blinded
in both eyes, paying a fine and 10 years
imprisonment.
Although the convict was sentenced to
lose sight in both eyes on Tuesday, the
victim – who, under Iranian law, has the
final say in the punishment – decided at
the last minute to postpone the blinding
of his right eye for six months. The
attacker will be able to plead with the
plaintiff to spare him from being blinded
fully.
Acid attacks have been rife in Iran in
recent years, usually driven by family
feuds. Hamshahri reported that the man
in this case had been hired by the
relatives of his victim’s wife to take
revenge on their behalf. It was not clear if
he had carried out the attack for financial
gain or whether he was related to the
wife’s family.
Iranian officials, worried about the
increase in the rate of acid attacks, have
endorsed retribution, but human rights
activists condemn it as inhumane.
Islam’s Sharia law allows for qisas
(retribution) but it also advises clemency.
Under Iranian law, victims or their
families have the final say in such cases
and can halt the punishment at any time.
Other acid attackers have also been
sentenced to be blinded in Iran , but this
is the first known case where the
punishment has been carried out. In most
previous cases doctors had refused to
cooperate with the officials.
Raha Bahreini, a researcher with Amnesty
International’s Iran team, said that
punishing someone by deliberately
blinding them is “an unspeakably cruel
and shocking act”.
She told the Guardian: “Blinding is totally
prohibited under international law, along
with stoning, flogging, amputation and
other forms of corporal punishment
provided in Iran’s Islamic penal code and
must not be carried out under any
circumstances.”
Instead of meting out such macabre
punishments, Bahreini said Iranian
authorities “should raise awareness about
violence including root causes, ensure
that perpetrators of acid attacks are
punished with appropriate and
proportionate penalties consistent with
international human rights norms, and
survivors are provided with effective
remedies, including compensation and
psychosocial and medical rehabilitation.”
Another man, identified only as Hamid,
was also scheduled to be blinded in Karaj
on Tuesday, but his punishment was
postponed at the request of his victim,
Davoud Roshanaei.
“Hamid was about to be rendered
unconscious on the bed when his father
entered the room and asked me for more
time,” said Roshanaei, who has been
disfigured and lost sight in one eye as the
result of the assault. “I gave them two
more months to provide me with
compensation for my treatment.”
In a highly publicised case in 2011,
Ameneh Bahrami, a victim of an acid
attack, received international praise after
pardoning her attacker hours before
surgeons prepared to blind the man with
acid. Bahrami was disfigured and blinded
in both eyes because she had repeatedly
spurned her attacker’s offer for marriage.
Last year, a spate of acid attacks on young
women in Iran’s top tourist destination,
Isfahan, caused national horror and
outrage. Activists claimed that unlike
other cases across the country, victims in
Isfahan had been targeted by hardliners
for wearing clothes deemed
inappropriate. The authorities have
vehemently denied this charge. CULLED

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

NIGERIA STALLS ONSLAUGHT ON BOKO HARAM

Nigeria stalls
onslaught against
B/Haram – Chad
Category: Lead stories Published on Wednesday,
04 March 2015  Written by Ronald Mutum,

Nigeria had refused to let Chadian troops
continue with their campaign to recapture
territories controlled by Boko Haram,
Reuters reported yesterday.
In a span of six weeks the Chadian troops had
been able to recapture Malam Fatori and Damasak
on the border with Niger Republic and Gamboru
and Ngala on the Cameroonian border.
They also sacked the insurgents from the ancient
town of Dikwa, bringing them within 45 kilometres
of Bama, Borno state’s second largest town.
But diplomats told Reuters it would be an
embarrassment to President Goodluck Jonathan
who is seeking re-election, for a smaller nation to
tackle Nigeria’s security problems.
Reuters said in their forward base in the town of
Gamboru on the Nigeria-Cameroon border, Chadian
soldiers displayed dozens of guns seized from
Boko Haram and a burnt-out armoured vehicle
painted with black and white Arabic script.
“We turned back because Nigeria did not authorise
us to go any further,” army spokesman Colonel
Azem Bermandoa said.
However, Defence Spokesman Major General Chris
Olukolade did not respond to Daily Trust inquiries
on the issue at the time of filing this report.
Nigeria’s spokesman for operations in the
northeast, Mike Omeri, said cooperation between
Chadian and Nigerian forces had brought some
major military adding that successes and any
issues would be resolved via existing command
structures.
But the Chadians say there have been no joint
operations between the two forces. Chad’s offer to
join a Nigerian offensive to capture Baga, site of
one of Boko Haram’s worst atrocities in January,
was rebuffed, Bermandoa said.
Officials from Chad, Niger and Cameroon say lack
of cooperation from Nigeria has for months
hampered efforts to put together a regional
taskforce against Boko Haram.
Chad was compelled to take unilateral action in
January, under a deal that allows it to pursue
terrorists into Nigeria, after Boko Haram violence
started to choke off imports to its economy.
With Niger and Cameroon deploying thousands of
troops on their borders, blocking escape routes for
Boko Haram, the tide may be turning.
Francois Conradie, analyst with South African-
based NKC Research, told Reuters that if the
current offensive could be sustained, Boko Haram
could quickly be driven out of the remaining towns
it holds.
He warned that the sect would, however, remain a
deadly rural guerrilla force.
OPPOSITION CRITICISES RELIANCE ON CHAD
Reuters says many in Nigeria ask why it took so
long to act against Boko Haram which had killed
thousands last year and kidnapped many more in
its six-year campaign.
Niger, Cameroon and Chad say Nigeria neglected
the uprising in northeast, an opposition
stronghold.
According to Reuters, in recent months,
Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler who is
running as the presidential candidate for the
opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), has
gained popularity with voters desperate for tough
policies both on corruption and Boko Haram.
Ernst Hogendoorn, Crisis Group’s Africa deputy
programme director said the government appeared
to have engineered the delay in the election in the
hope the APC would slip up or the military could
boost Jonathan electoral chances by defeating
Boko Haram.
“Boko Haram has certainly suffered a strategic
setback ... Clearly this improves Goodluck
Jonathan’s chances somewhat,” said Hogendoorn.
“The question is do any of these forces have the
ability to maintain this tempo, particularly the
Chadians and to a lesser degree the Nigerians?”
With Chad already squeezed by a slump in the
price of oil, its main export, the government says it
can only sustain the offensive in Nigeria for a
short time, diplomats say.
Buhari, however, has already criticised Jonathan
for relying on Chad to push back Boko Haram,
saying his government would tackle the problem
alone. Many in the military and the government are
keen to limit foreign involvement on Nigerian soil,
diplomats say.
When Chadian forces last month entered the town
of Dikwa, they were told to leave by Nigeria’s
military, which said it was planning air strikes,
Bermondoa said.
After Nigeria’s army retook Baga last month, Army
Chief Lt General Kenneth Minimah said soldiers
would recapture a handful of remaining towns
before the elections, listing Dikwa as one of them.
“The war is almost ended,” he said.
TENSIONS HAMPER REGIONAL FORCE
Boko Haram was long regarded by neighbouring
countries as an internal Nigerian problem, but
attacks in Cameroon and Niger last year prompted
the regional response. Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Benin
and Cameroon agreed in May to join forces against
the militants.
Since then, however, distrust and
misunderstandings have stymied preparations for
the force, due to take effect by the end of this
month. Nigeria initially sent low-level
representatives to planning meetings, angering its
allies.
Cooperation between Cameroon and Nigeria has
been dogged by long-running border tensions,
while Niger accused Nigerian troops of cowardice.
“Nigeria must get involved and honour its promise
of providing between 2,500 and 3,000 to the
multinational force,” said Cameroon’s defence
spokesman Colonel Didier Badjeck.
Cameroon has stepped up its activities since July,
when Boko Haram attacked Kolotafa, the hometown
of its deputy prime minister, killing dozens and
kidnapping his wife.
The government has boosted its security forces in
northern Cameroon from 700 to around 7,000.
“We have to do whatever it takes to make sure the
sect does not occupy any town in Cameroon,” said
Colonel Joseph Nouma, in charge of Operation
Alpha, the mission against Boko Haram.
However, Nouma said he had orders not to enter
Nigeria, and Cameroon had denied Nigerian troops
the right to pursue insurgents into Cameroon.
Along its 400 km (250 miles) border with Nigeria,
Cameroon has created 14 new bases, with heavy
artillery batteries. It has also deployed surveillance
drones, a senior intelligence officer said.
Another senior Cameroon military figure said they
were attempting to choke off Boko Haram’s
revenues, including the trade in fuel with
Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
“All of this looks to be paying off,” the officer said,
with no incursions since mid-February.