Jesus came into the world as a heavenly commando sent by God to destroy the works of Satan single-handedly. The devil holds men in bondage through the singular sin of the love of life; the foundation of all sin. We steal, cheat, fight, kill and commit adultery to save our lives. God required Jesus to call us to repentance and tell us about His glorious kingdom. He then demonstrated that our fear of death is baseless by laying down His life and then rising from the dead.

Hebrews says of Jesus: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

Exposed Secret Agent

But how can Jesus survive in Satan’s kingdom on earth when His arrival as a baby was broadcast by angels?  How can He survive when wise men from the East were foolish enough to make enquiries about Him in the king’s palace? 

Herod’s response on hearing of the birth of a rival “king of the Jews” was to kill all the infants in Bethlehem. However, God was always one step ahead of Jesus’ adversaries. An angel forewarned Joseph to flee with Mary and Jesus to Egypt for refuge. Thereafter, the devil is bound and rendered powerless for the duration of Jesus’ ministry. (Matthew 12:29).

Jesus was not secretive about His mission on earth. He preached about the establishment of His alternative kingdom everywhere He went. He also validated His message with supernatural signs. He cast out demons, demonstrating the overthrow of the kingdom of Satan. He raised the dead, signaling the triumph of life over death. He healed the sick, announcing the end of human suffering. He multiplied loaves of bread, pointing to the satisfaction of all physical need. He stilled the storm, heralding the emergence of peace on earth. And He forgave sins, proclaiming the dawning of righteousness.

Recognising Jesus’ superior authority and powers, the devil quickly sought an unholy alliance with Him. He appealed to the pride of life in Jesus by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world, if He would join His rebellion against God. He said to him: “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” (Luke 4:6-7).

But when Jesus refused the offer, he resorted to his time-honoured strategy of employing the fear of death against men. He threatened Jesus’ life; knowing Jesus could easily save it. But if Jesus saved His life, He would be entrapped by the word of God which says: “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it.” (Luke 17:33).

The devil even attempted to use one of Jesus’ disciples against Him. When Jesus revealed that God’s plan was for Him to be killed and then rise from the dead, Peter objected, saying this should not happen to Jesus. But Jesus rebuked him sharply. He said to him: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23).

A house divided

In Satan’s camp were the Jewish pastors who were incensed that the more Jesus preached, the more He exposed their ungodliness. If He were to continue unabated, they feared they would soon lose their meal ticket – the goodwill of the people.

They were also concerned that Jesus’ popularity would grow into a revolutionary fervour against Roman occupation, prompting Caesar to crush it with characteristic ruthlessness. Since this would jeopardise their privileged position under Roman rule, they decided to save their lives by accusing Jesus to the Roman authorities of plotting to overthrow Caesar, which was a crime punishable by death.

However, Jesus knew Satan had no interest in killing Him; he only wanted Him to save His life. Satan knew he could not kill Jesus. Any attempt to kill Him would prompt the rescue of angels. Satan said to Jesus: “It is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear You up, lest You dash your foot against a stone.’” (Matthew 4:6).

But Jesus was determined to allow Himself to be killed so that Satan’s captivity of men through the love of life and the fear of death would finally be broken. When Satan realised this was Jesus’ resolve, he decided to call the whole thing off at the last minute. Pilate, another one of his agents, looked desperately for a way to free Jesus, declaring Him innocent. He said to Jesus’ accusers: “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.” (John 19:4). He then sought to release Him through a clemency order in honour of the Passover.

However, the pastors, Satan’s other agents, would not consent to Jesus’ release, insisting He must be crucified. In effect, Jesus’ non-resistance divided Satan against himself. Jesus says: “Every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” (Matthew 12:25). To save his life as Governor by avoiding a riot, Pilate had to succumb to the demands of the pastors.

Provoking righteousness

But Satan had one last gambit. He engineered the rulers of the Jews, as well as passers-by, to mock Jesus, hoping to provoke Him to jump down from the cross and save His life. They taunted Him, saying: “If you are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” (Luke 23:37). “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” (Luke 23:35). Even God had to restrain Himself from saving Jesus when Jesus cried out: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).

However, the love of God for man ensured Jesus was forsaken on the cross. Jesus paid the full Satanic ransom of laying down His life as a man. Thereby, He pioneered the fulfilment of the word of God that says: “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:25). This ushered in a new era of the resurrection of the dead unto eternal life with God. (John 6:38-40).

Thus, Jesus’ defeat was paradoxically His greatest triumph. Once He willingly laid down His life for God, the devil’s stranglehold on the lives of men was broken for the very first time. With Jesus’ resurrection, all the righteous dead began to rise from the dead: “And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” (Matthew 27:52-53).

By overcoming the love of life and the fear of death, Jesus opened “the gates of righteousness,” so that men may thereafter follow His shining example. Thanks to Jesus, we are no longer held captive by sin and Satan: “Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 124:7-8).

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; www.femiaribisala.com  

We asked older men of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what things younger men do that confuse them. Here's what leaves them bewildered the most:

1. "I don't get that seemingly every teenage guy has the exact same haircut now, and it bugs the crap out of me. Big and poufy up top, with permanent hat hair because the tips swoop up at the bottom. They all look like they're wearing helmets and haven't showered in weeks. I just want to pull them aside and ask if girls actually like that, because you don't see a single man over 25 with that haircut."

—dustable

2. "Why do so many of them wear wool beanie caps in 90-degree weather?"

—zeakins
3. "I'm surprised by the popularization of younger men eating women's asses. It is awfully confusing and extremely unappealing to me, though I know plenty of people have their kinks. Nothing wrong with it. But them being so publicly open about it is the part that is mind-boggling to me."

—Anonymous

4. "I don’t get 'thirst traps.' What is the appeal of taking a picture of yourself in nothing but your underwear, grabbing your 'bulge,' and posting it for the whole internet to see?"

—Anonymous
5. "I totally do not understand why younger guys are wearing dressy pants that are WAY too short and not wearing socks."

—Anonymous
6. "I'm baffled by how tentative younger men seem to be about defining relationships. If you like someone, tell them. Tell them that you are focused on getting to know them and let them get to know you. Don't muddy the waters with always hanging out in groups or quasi-dates."

—Anonymous
7. "In the men's locker room, many young men wrap a towel around their waist to change into their underwear. I don't get it."

—Anonymous
8. "Growing up, I was taught to be self-sufficient and do most things for myself. I fix my cars, do most of the electrical stuff in the house, can cook, and can tie a bow tie. Style is style — I get that, and I'm cool with people expressing themselves however they like. But I'm a little confused by the lumbersexual fad. All these burly-looking dudes who look like the offspring of Jason Momoa and Burt Reynolds, but they can't seem to change a tire, fix a leaky toilet, or iron a suit for a job interview."

—Anonymous
9. "A lot of younger men wear underwear under their swim trunks... Why?"

—Anonymous
10. "I don't get them wearing suit jackets that are so tight they can't be buttoned. Also, I don't get wearing sneakers with a suit jacket."

—Anonymous
11. "I am quite perplexed by younger men’s unwillingness to 'make a move' when they feel some chemistry with a person. I understand dating is hard and there is a risk of rejection, but I have seen my younger brother basically get through high school without ever once kissing a girl or having a date because of this anxiety about being rejected. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. As long as you can take no for an answer and not have an overreaction to it, there isn’t nearly as much risk as some would have you believe."

—Anonymous
12. "They almost always post even their trivial ideas on any social media platform to ingratiate themselves."

—Anonymous
13. "I don't understand them wearing impractical clothing, like baggy pants and a black hoodie in Phoenix in July. 'I’m sweating like a pig, but at least I look cool :).'"

—Anonymous
14. And lastly, "I don't get guys thinking that a smartphone will sustain a relationship with their guy friends. For god's sake, start meeting up with your friends in person more often. Talk with other humans in person and make real connections. Phones do not truly keep you connected on a level that is required for deep, meaningful relationships."

—Anonymous

Buzzfeed

Between 10,000 and 15,000 people were killed in one city in Sudan's West Darfur region last year in ethnic violence by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied Arab militia, according to a United Nations report seen by Reuters on Friday.

In the report to the U.N. Security Council, independent U.N. sanctions monitors attributed the toll in El Geneina to intelligence sources and contrasted it with the U.N. estimate that about 12,000 people have been killed across Sudan since war erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese army and the RSF.

The monitors also described as "credible" accusations that the United Arab Emirates had provided military support to the RSF "several times per week" via Amdjarass in northern Chad. A top Sudanese general accused the UAE in November of backing the RSF war effort.

In a letter to the monitors, the UAE said 122 flights had delivered humanitarian aid to Amdjarass to help Sudanese fleeing the war. The United Nations says about 500,000 people have fled Sudan into eastern Chad, several hundred kilometers south of Amdjarass.

Between April and June last year El Geneina experienced "intense violence," the monitors wrote, accusing the RSF and allies of targeting the ethnic African Masalit tribe in attacks that "may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity."

The RSF has previously denied the accusations and said any of its soldiers found to be involved would face justice. The RSF did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Reuters.

"The attacks were planned, coordinated, and executed by RSF and their allied Arab militias," the sanctions monitors wrote in their annual report to the 15-member Security Council.

'SHOT TO THE HEAD'

Reuters last year chronicled the ethnically targeted violence committed in West Darfur. In hundreds of interviews with Reuters, survivors described horrific scenes of bloodletting in El Geneina and on the 30-kilometer (18 mile) route from the city to the border with Chad as people fled.

The monitors' report included similar accounts. They said that between 14-17 June, some 12,000 people fled El Geneina on foot for Adre in Chad. The Masalit were the majority in El Geneina until the attacks forced their mass exodus.

"When reaching RSF checkpoints women and men were separated, harassed, searched, robbed, and physically assaulted. RSF and allied militias indiscriminately shot hundreds of people in the legs to prevent them from fleeing," the monitors said.

"Young men were particularly targeted and interrogated about their ethnicity. If identified as Masalit, many were summarily executed with a shot to the head. Women were physically and sexually assaulted. Indiscriminate shootings also injured and killed women and children," according to the report.

Everyone who spoke to the monitors mentioned "many dead bodies along the road, including those of women, children and young men." The monitors also reported "widespread" conflict-related sexual violence committed by RSF and allied militia.

NEW FIREPOWER

The monitors said the RSF takeover of most of Darfur relied on three lines of support - Arab allied communities, dynamic and complex financial networks, and new military supply lines running through Chad, Libya, and South Sudan.

The U.N. missions for Chad, Libya and South Sudan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Complex financial networks established by RSF before and during the war enabled it to acquire weapons, pay salaries, fund media campaigns, lobby, and buy the support of other political and armed groups," wrote the monitors, adding that the RSF used proceeds from its pre-war gold business to create a network of as many as 50 companies in several industries.

Since the war started "most of the gold which was previously exported to UAE, was now smuggled to Egypt," the monitors said.

The new firepower acquired by the RSF "had a massive impact on the balance of forces, both in Darfur and other regions of Sudan," the report found.

The RSF has recently made military gains, taking control of Wad Madani, one of Sudan's major cities, and consolidating its grip on the western region of Darfur.

In December the United States formally determined that warring parties in Sudan committed war crimes and that the RSF and allied militias had also committed crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.

The war has left nearly half of Sudan's 49 million people needing aid, while more than 7.5 million people have fled their homes - making Sudan the biggest displacement crisis globally - and hunger is rising.

The sanctions monitors told the U.N. Security Council that "an excess of mediation tracks, the entrenched positions of the warring parties, and competing regional interests meant that these peace efforts had yet to stop the war, bring political settlement or address the humanitarian crisis."

 

Reuters

How much politicians in Nigeria care about national insecurity has long been correlated with how close it gets to their mansions in Abuja, the capital. On its outskirts on January 2nd a father and his six daughters were kidnapped, prompting a rare outcry on high. A crowdfunding effort to pay the ransom was even backed by a former minister. But the kidnappers instead killed one of the girls and demanded more cash. The wife of President Bola Tinubu publicly lamented a “devastating loss”. Yet such horrors are still appallingly frequent—and largely ignored by politicians. In one incident last week in the south-east 45 people were kidnapped and are still missing, yet few leaders spoke out.

The deadliest zone is the north-east, where jihadists linked to Islamic State attack the army and villages. The north-west, too, is riddled with gangs that routinely kidnap for ransom. A decades-long conflict between mostly Muslim herders and largely Christian farmers rumbles on in the country’s centre, where on Christmas Eve gunmen mowed down at least 160 people. Separatist violence still smoulders in the south-east.

At his inauguration last May Tinubu declared security his “top priority”. Yet more than 3,600 people were kidnapped in 2023, the most ever, according to ACLED, a global monitor of conflict. The snatching rose sharply after Tinubu took office. And almost 9,000 Nigerians were killed in conflict last year (see chart).

The government stresses that, in its most recent budget, spending on defence and the police took the biggest share, about 12% in all. Defence got a fifth more than it did last year. Yet inflation is running at 29%, so in real terms the defence budget has actually fallen.

The government tends to splurge on fancy weapons systems that fail to tackle the roots of the problem, which is poverty, poor education and anger at army atrocities. The latest budget includes funds for six T-129 Turkish attack helicopters on top of the 12 costly Bell choppers bought last year from America for $1bn, not to mention 12 Super Tucano attack aircraft. Buying strike drones has become so popular that the army actually runs its own fleet alongside that of the air force.

But drones are not much good at guarding schools from kidnappings, and heavy weaponry risks disaster. A drone recently killed at least 85 civilians at a festival in Kaduna state—not the first such cock-up. The army promised to “fine-tune” its operations, but more radical change is needed. The police, well equipped but able to use better human intelligence, should lead on domestic security, not the army, which has been deployed in all 36 of Nigeria’s states.

Another huge problem is graft in security spending. “Defence is a really prime part of the budget where you can take large quantities of money out without people being any the wiser,” says Matthew Page of Chatham House, a think-tank in London. Much of the budget, he says, is still about rewarding those who paid to get Tinubu elected. Sometimes the army fails to receive its budget allocation.

This is worsened by a system known as “security votes”, whereby parts of defence spending are deemed too sensitive to require public oversight. The practice, which accounts for perhaps $700m a year, increased sharply under the last president and may well jump more under Tinubu. The defence budget has nearly tripled since 2019. But thanks to inflation, wasteful purchases and corruption, Nigerians do not seem safer.

Christopher Musa, chief of the defence staff, appears to understand the roots of the insecurity. “Military effort alone is incapable of restoring enduring peace,” he says, adding that the army helped build hundreds of schools under his command in the north-east.

Yet many politicians seem keener to spend on themselves, rather than create the conditions for peace or fill the country’s fiscal hole. Even if Tinubu resists the temptation to reinstate the petrol subsidy that he largely removed last year, debt servicing alone in 2024 may gobble up 61% of revenue.

In November the national assembly approved new SUVs for all 460 lawmakers, at a reported cost of $150,000-plus per car. In two months the government has budgeted $31m to improve accommodation for the president and vice-president—in a country of around 220m people where more than 80m are reckoned to live on less than $2 .15 a day and many fear being kidnapped.

 

The Economist

•Regret that no President has been decisive with military and consequences of their failure since 1999
•Want definitive order to security chiefs
•Say current strategies weak, already known to terrorists, bandits

Following the spate of killings and kidnappings across the country, Saturday Vanguard got some retired generals of the Nigerian military to bare their minds on the unending menace and what should be done to tackle the scourge. The retired Generals and their equivalent in the Navy and Airforce agreed to speak only on conditions of anonymity. we obliged them.

One retired Airforce Generals said: “One of the reasons insecurity is not going away is because since 1999 when democracy was re-birthed, no President, no commander in chief has given a direct, definitive order for terrorists or bandits to be decisively dealt with. What we usually get is open-ended directives. No timeline to get things done and no consequences for not getting things done.

“What President Bola Tinubu should do as C in C is to give a definitive order to the Minister of Defence, the CDS, the Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police, that this insecurity should end in three or four or six months. If after the time frame given, the criminals are not cleared out, the Minister, CDS and Service Chiefs should be asked to go. I bet you, you will see a change”.

A retired army general said alternatively, Tinubu and the Chief of Defence Staff/Army Chief can direct a “Scotch Egg Approach” operation where the adversaries, criminal elements will be boxed into a dead end and taken out. In the military, from the rank of the highest general to the least personnel, everybody is a soldier. Take Birnin Gwari forest for example, in one division area of responsibility, which is infested with terrorists, bandits/kidnappers. It stretches from Kaduna to Niger and parts of Plateau state. The government can order everybody in 1 division, Kaduna to close the office, give them arms and enough ammunition, led by the GOC to move from the Kaduna axis, the GOC of 3 division, Jos will also move with everybody from the Jos axis, any terrorists or whatever they call themselves within sight should be taken out since they would have been circled from all angles. This is because it is unacceptable that these terrorists and bandits are not only killing innocent Nigerians in droves, our officers and soldiers are being killed with little or no consequences. Since the terrorists have said they are mad, our men should be enabled to clear their doubts. If the President takes such steps, I give you six months, insecurity will go away.”

Speaking on kinetic efforts, an Airforce general said: “A mistake was made a long time ago and we keep making the same mistake with the military. Originally, the role of the military is to defend the territorial integrity of the country. The police are meant to handle law and order. It is not true that the police and other para-military agencies can’t handle internal security, law and order. What we need is a comprehensive reorientation of the police. The word ‘Force’ should be removed, it should be called Nigerian Police Service like their counterpart all over the world because they are there to serve the people. There should be joint combat training for the lower cadre of the police, the military, NSCDC, Immigration, Customs and others for them to know themselves and to be able to work together. A Joint Counter Terrorism Training Centre for all Para-Military personnel can be established in the country for this purpose. This is because the officers of the military, police and para-military have always had joint training sessions at their levels beginning from the armed forces command and staff college and other senior institutions, so the officers can easily work together but it is not the same for lower ranked personnel. Moreover, right now, the military is very weak because of too much involvement in internal crises and taking over police duties. Consequently, discipline is going down every day.

Another retired Airforce general called on Tinubu to consider applying the Operation Sweep Strategy employed by Mohammed Marwa when he served as military governor of Lagos state whereby every nook and cranny of the state was reached and criminals smoked out by the joint security operatives. He said, “The problem of insecurity is caused by political vendetta and economic empowerment. You are somebody because you want to get to a position and after achieving your goal, you turn your back on them. Now, with those weapons, they go back and everybody becomes their enemy including their opponents. They become emboldened and go to mineral areas to capture lands for tapping solid minerals and kill citizens for refusing to be pushed out of their lands.

“We need political will, as well as the will of the people. Nigerians should start seeing the kidnapping or bandits’ attacks on their neighbours as something that can happen to them and therefore join hands in fighting, resisting the menace.

“As a young officer, I worked with ‘Operation Sweep’ in Lagos which was successful because the then military governor, Marwa, identified what was needed to contain and curtail the insecurity. He provided the required logistics, equipment and communication to get the job done. Response time to criminal attacks was real-time, and when criminals were caught, there was no escape from prosecution and going to jail. The intelligence aspect was taken care of because people were asked to volunteer information about criminals on lines that could not be traced or linked to anyone for vendetta. Under Marwa’s ‘operation sweep’, there was nothing like one godfather or a sponsor somewhere coming to intervene or facilitate the release of any criminal. With ‘Operation Sweep’, a robber knew that if he went out to steal, he would most likely not escape to enjoy his proceeds of crime, that he would be caught. Another thing we did was that we advised people living in housing estates on certain measures. Everybody staying in an estate must have an alarm system which should be placed outside and once it was triggered, the whole estate would come out and act. At the same time our patrol teams in the location would be alerted and would move immediately. This will stop the trend today where kidnappers and robbers will go to people’s houses, spend hours, do whatever they like and still get away. The day Nigerian citizens will say enough of these kidnappings, it will end. We know what the problems are and we know what to do but the politicians will not allow the right things to be done”.

Yet another retired general in his contribution called for the total overhaul of the security architecture of the country, noting that non-state actors, particularly terrorists, bandits and kidnappers have studied and understood the modus operandi of security operatives, and they can pre-empt our strategies and even use our strategies against us. According to him, “the criminal elements have studied and discovered our weaknesses which they are exploiting and using our tactics such as ambushes, IED, night strikes traps and many others against our troops. It shows we have to go back to the drawing board. Importantly also, before policies are initiated and put in place for implementation, the federal government should also think of the consequences of such policies on the society.”

A retired Navy Rear Admiral and an Intelligence Chief said, “The situation we find ourselves can easily be tackled by bringing insecurity to a manageable level. One, you need the right persons at the right place. At our level of patriotism and experience, we should allow professionals do the work while the politicians should restrict themselves to providing the leadership for the country to develop. Also, we need more boots on the ground. For now I can tell you without mincing words that the personnel are overwhelmed. We need to recruit more (both military and Police). I don’t think they are lacking funds but I believe there are duplication of both duties and equipment. I think we have more than enough equipment to monitor and follow these criminals. All we need is collaboration with dedicated personnel. The operations can be divided into six zones representing the geopolitical areas because each zone has similar security challenges. The governors of those states can have a pool where their contributions will go into for common utilization to minimize fraud. Let them allow villages and towns to have local vigilantes (equipped with Dane Guns and Double Barrels Guns) to defend their localities to prevent a repeat of the Plateau scenario”.

Asked to proffer the way out of the security debacle, a retired Air Vice Marshal said, “Everything in life has a foundation. You cannot use the same foundation you used to build a house in a dry land to build another house in a marshy, swampy terrain. The foundation of our democracy ab initio was faulty. They got it wrong from the start. We took the American Constitution hook, line and sinker without minding our diverse social, and cultural environment and differences. The constitution never considered our traditional rulers. The issue of States/Local Government Joint account which was unheard of in any democracy anywhere in the world is the order of the day in Nigerian democracy.

“The local governments in the past who were closer to the people in the villages and grassroots are no longer functional. These days traditional rulers, and emirs are put under the authority of the local government chairman, to the extent that before an emir travels, he must seek permission from the local government chairman, who most times are in the cities. Again, the basic ingredients of democracy which are free, fair and credible elections are no longer there. If the foundation is weak, what follows are the consequences and their implications which are an increase in violent conflicts, erosion of human dignity, high inequality in society, corruption as well as manipulation and control of the public. What we are practising is what I call Kakistocracy or Kleptocracy. To worsen matters we have now graduated to Judiciocracy. This has brought us to a system of quantity, no longer quality or merit, job for the boys, where you see 50, 100, 200 Special Assistants, etc. They are not providing service for humanity but jobs for the boys. This has led to corruption and electoral fraud among others”.

Speaking on solutions, a retired general said, “One way out is to apply a soft approach by embarking on deliberate provision of sporting facilities to engage the energy, intelligence and smartness of our youths. An example of soft approach success is Morocco where despite the fire of the Arab Spring in Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia and other countries in that area, Morocco experienced peace and progress because the youths had facilities to engage their energies which is why they are doing so well in sports today. Our youths are idle and have nowhere to direct their energy, that is why they engage in drugs, criminal acts and illicit sexual escapades. There should be youth inclusiveness. Technical and vocational schools should be built. If we really want to move forward as a country, we must apply meritocracy. We must go back to the drawing board. But if we don’t want meritocracy we can then look at militocracy.

 

Vanguard

Unilever Nigeria says it has stopped production and sales of home care and skin cleansing products — 10 months after the company announced plans to exit both markets.

The company disclosed this in its unaudited interim financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023, published on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) on Wednesday.

On March 17, 2023, Unilever Nigeria revealed its intention to discontinue production of its homecare and skin-cleansing brands, which include Omo, Sunlight and Lux.

In a statement in the company’s earnings report, Unilever Nigeria said production and sales “ceased in December 2023”.

Unilever said the factory used to produce the home care and skin cleansing products has been leased out to a third party.

“Subsequent to the company’s exit from the Home Care and Skin Cleansing categories, the factory buildings have been leased to a third party for a duration of 10 years, with annual rental payments,” the company said.

Unilever Nigeria’s exit from the homecare and skin-cleansing markets leaves the company with just the foods, beauty and wellbeing, as well as personal care products.

Prior to Unilever Nigeria’s exit from both markets, the company reported a decline in revenue and an increase in losses.

Revenue fell by 45.1 percent year-on-year to N16,48 billion in 2023, from N23,92 billion grossed between January to December 2022.

Also, loss increased to N3.72 billion last year, compared to the previous year’s N1.49 billion.

 

The Cable

A group of youths took to the streets on Friday to protest the verdict affirming Abdullahi Sule as governor of Nasarawa state.

Channels Television reported that the protesters burnt tyres at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Lafia, capital of Nasarawa state.

They also erected bonfires and blocked a highway that empties into Jos, the Plateau state capital.

The activities of the protesters led to the abrupt closure of schools and businesses in Lafia, a town conterminous with the federal capital territory (FCT).

BACKGROUND

Following a petition by David Ombugadu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nasarawa governorship election tribunal sacked Abdullahi Sule as governor of the state.

The tribunal also declared Ombugadu as the duly elected governor of Nasarawa.

However, Sule appealed the ruling and the judgment of the tribunal was reversed.

Dissatisfied with the appellate court’s verdict, Ombugadu filed an appeal at the supreme court.

‘ONE TERM IS GOOD ENOUGH’

In 2020, Sule said he was not bothered about a second term in office.

Speaking during an event to mark his first year anniversary in office, Sule said one term in office is “good enough”.

“One thing I have never been threatened about in life is my second term as governor. Let me tell you, in 1998, while working in the US, I felt I was bored”, he had said.

“I took my early retirement package from an oil company, I went and set up our small company and we were running our business.”

Sule was first elected governor on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019.

 

The Cable

Biden and Netanyahu have finally talked, but their visions still clash for ending Israel-Hamas war

President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally spoke Friday after a glaring, nearly four-week gap in direct communication during which fundamental differences have come into focus over a possible pathway to Palestinian statehood once the fighting in Gaza ends.

Biden and his top aides have all but smothered Netanyahu with robust support, even in the face of global condemnation over the mounting civilian death toll and humanitarian suffering in Gaza as the Israelis have carried out military operations in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

But the leaders’ relationship has increasingly shown signs of strain as Netanyahu has repeatedly rebuffed Biden’s calls for Palestinian sovereignty, gumming up what the U.S. president believes is the key to unlocking a durable peace in the Middle East — the oft-cited, elusive two-state solution.

Neither side shows signs of budging.

Friday’s phone call came one day after Netanyahu said that he has told U.S. officials in plain terms that he will not support a Palestinian state as part of any postwar plan. Biden, for his part, in Friday’s call reaffirmed his commitment to work toward helping the Palestinians move toward statehood.

“As we’re talking about post-conflict Gaza ... you can’t do that without also talking about the aspirations of the Palestinian people and what that needs to look like for them,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.

The leaders spoke frequently in the first weeks of the war. But the regular cadence of calls between Biden and Netanyahu, who have had a hot-and-cold relationship for over three decades, has slowed considerably. Their 30- to 40-minute call Friday was their first conversation since Dec. 23.

Both sides are hemmed in by domestic political considerations.

The chasm between Biden, a center-left Democrat, and Netanyahu, who leads the most conservative government in Israel’s history, has expanded as pressure mounts on the United States to use its considerable leverage to press Israel to wind down a war that has already killed nearly 25,000 Palestinians.

There is also growing impatience with Netanyahu in Israel over the lack of progress in freeing dozens of hostages still held by Islamic militants in Gaza.

“There is certainly a reason to be concerned,” says Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S.-Israeli relations at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University, “The more and more we see political considerations dominating the relationship between Biden and Netanyahu, which is likely to continue because of the upcoming presidential election and the weakness of both leaders, the more we will see them pulling apart.”

In their most recent calls, Biden’s frustration with Netanyahu has grown more evident, even though the U.S. leader has been careful to reaffirm his support for Israel at each step, according to U.S. officials who requested anonymity to discuss the leaders’ private interactions.

Yet, Biden, at least publicly, has not given up on the idea of winning over Netanyahu. Asked by a reporter on Friday if a two-state solution is impossible while Netanyahu is in office, Biden replied, “No, it’s not.”

Aides insist Biden understands the political box Netanyahu finds himself in with his hard-right coalition and as he deals with ongoing corruption charges that have left the prime minister fighting for his freedom, not just his political future.

Biden, meanwhile, faces American voters in November, in a likely rematch with former President Donald Trump. Netanyahu and Trump forged a close relationship during the Republican’s term in office. Biden faces criticism from some on his left who believe he hasn’t pushed the Israelis hard enough to demonstrate restraint as it carries out military operations.

Key Democratic lawmakers, including Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, this week warned that Netanyahu’s position on statehood could complicate negotiations in the Senate on a spending package that includes military aid for Israel.

Expect Netanyahu to “use every trick that he has to keep his coalition together and avoid elections and play out the clock,” said Michael Koplow, chief policy officer at the Israel Policy Forum. ”And I’m sure that part of it is a conviction that if he waits until November, he may end up with Donald Trump back in the Oval Office.”

In recent weeks, some of the more difficult conversations have been left to Ron Dermer, a top aide to Netanyahu and former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., and Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. The two top aides talk almost daily — sometimes multiple times during a day, according to a U.S. official and an Israeli official, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Other senior Biden administration officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, as well as senior advisers Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein, have been at the forefront of the administration’s push to engage the Israelis and other Middle East allies as the Biden-Netanyahu dialogue has become less constructive.

Netanyahu, who has opposed calls for a two-state solution throughout his political career, told reporters this week that he flatly told U.S. officials he remains opposed to any postwar plan that includes establishment of a Palestinian state.

The prime minister’s latest rejection of Biden’s push in that direction came after Blinken this week said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Israel and its Middle East neighbors had “a profound opportunity” to solve the generational Israel-Palestinian conflict. Asked if he thought Netanyahu was up to making the most of the moment, Blinken demurred.

“Look, these are decisions for Israelis to make,” Blinken said. “This is a profound decision for the country as a whole to make: What direction does it want to take? Does it see — can it seize — the opportunity that we believe is there?”

The Biden-Netanyahu relationship has seen no shortage of peaks and valleys over the years. As vice president, Biden privately criticized Netanyahu after the the Israeli leader embarrassed President Barack Obama by approving the construction of 1,600 new apartments in disputed East Jerusalem in the middle of Biden’s 2010 visit to Israel.

Netanyahu publicly resisted, before eventually relenting to, Biden’s calls on the Israelis to wind down a May 2021 military operation in Gaza. And in late 2019, during a question and answer session with voters on the campaign trail, Biden called Netanyahu an “extreme right” leader.

The path to a two-state solution — one in which Israel would co-exist with an independent Palestinian state — has eluded U.S. presidents and Middle East diplomats for decades.

But as the war grinds on, Biden and his team have pressed the notion that there is a new dynamic in the Middle East in which Israel’s Arab and Muslim neighbors stand ready to integrate Israel into the region once the war ends, but only if Israel commits to a pathway to a Palestinian state.

Biden has proposed that a “revitalized” Palestinian Authority, which is based in the West Bank, could run Gaza once combat ends. Netanyahu has roundly rejected the idea of putting the Palestinian Authority, which is beset by corruption, in charge of the territory.

Netanyahu argues that a Palestinian state would become a launchpad for attacks on Israel. So Israel “must have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River,” Netanyahu said. “That collides with the idea of sovereignty. What can we do?”

White House officials have sought to play down Netanyahu’s public rejection of Biden’s call for a two-state solution, noting that the prime minister’s rhetoric is not new.

They hold out hope Israel could eventually come around to accepting a Palestinian state that comes with strong security guarantees for Israel.

“I don’t think Biden has any illusions about Netanyahu,” said Daniel Kurtzer, who served as U.S. ambassador to Egypt during the Bill Clinton administration and to Israel under George W. Bush. “But I don’t think he’s ready to slam the door on him. And that’s because he gets the intersection between the policy and the politics.”

 

AP

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Kiev has lost nearly 500 pieces of Western war machinery – Moscow

Kiev lost over 500 pieces of military and special equipment while trying to break through Russian fortifications during the course of its largely unsuccessful counteroffensive launched last summer, 

according to the chief of Russia’s Engineering Troops, Lt. Gen. Yury Stavitsky.

Russian defensive fortifications have proven to be highly effective against Ukraine’s hardware, including Western-supplied equipment, he claimed in an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper published on Friday.

Among those losses were over 180 pieces of Western-supplied materiel, including German-designed Leopard tanks and US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Stavitsky said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry estimated earlier this month that Kiev had received more than $203 billion in foreign assistance since the outbreak of the conflict and had been supplied with over 1,600 pieces of missile and artillery equipment, over 200 air defense systems, 5,220 tanks and armored vehicles, and more than 23,000 drones.

Stavitsky noted that Russian military engineers made a “significant contribution” in repelling the Ukrainian counteroffensive and had constructed an impressive defense system, despite harsh weather and the mass use of high-precision weapons and UAVs by Kiev’s forces.

The commander stated that by the time Kiev had launched its summer operation, Russia had already dug out more than 3,600 kilometers of trenches and communication passages, created over 150,000 trench shelters for equipment, and weaponized over 4,500 dugouts and 12,000 reinforced concrete structures.

“Thus, by the time the enemy launched its counteroffensive, there was already a deeply echeloned system of defensive lines, positions and areas in place that was up to 120 kilometers deep along the entire line of combat,” the official explained.

“Considering the scale and timing of the tasks, we can say with confidence that this is an unprecedented case in the history of wars and armed conflicts,” Stavitsky stated. He added that the fortified defense lines have made it possible to “increase the survivability of Russian troops and the effectiveness of the use of weapons and military equipment by five to six times.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed earlier this week that Kiev’s much-touted counteroffensive had “completely failed” and that Ukraine’s statehood was now under threat of being dealt “an irreparable and very serious blow.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry has described Kiev’s losses throughout the conflict as catastrophic, estimating that the Ukrainian military has lost nearly 400,000 troops – killed and wounded – since February 2022, including over 160,000 during its counteroffensive, launched in early June.

 

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russian oil depot on fire after attempted Ukrainian drone attack

Four oil tanks at a large storage facility in the town of Klintsy in Russia's western Bryansk region caught fire on Friday after the military brought down a Ukrainian strike drone there, Alexander Bogomaz, the regional governor, said.

Aided by a specialised firefighting train, firefighters tackled what he said was a serious blaze at the facility controlled by oil major Rosneft. Nobody was hurt in the attack, he added.

"An aeroplane-style drone was brought down by the defence ministry using radio-electronic means. When the aerial target was destroyed, its munitions were dropped on the territory of the Klintsy oil depot," Bogomaz wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

He said air defence units had brought down two other Ukrainian drones on Friday over other parts of Bryansk, a region that borders Ukraine.

Both Russia and Ukraine have targeted each other's energy infrastructure in strikes designed to disrupt supply lines and logistics and to demoralise their opponent as they try to get the edge in a nearly two-year war that shows no sign of ending.

Bogomaz posted footage that showed firefighters directing water hoses at giant flames around the storage tanks, at least one of which looked to have been badly damaged, as thick smoke filled the air.

Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's GUR military intelligence agency, neither confirmed nor denied Ukraine had been behind the attack, but said "such events regularly occur at the aggressor state's military facilities".

Yusov told national TV he expected the incident to complicate logistics for Russian troops, increasing Ukrainian forces' "room for manoeuvre".

Several Ukrainian media, citing sources in the security services, said the GUR, which did not immediately reply to a request for comment, was behind the strike.

A gunpowder factory in the Tambov region had also been targeted and the results of that strike effort were being clarified, the Ukrainska Pravda outlet quoted a source as saying.

Russia's TASS state news agency said the fire at the oil depot covered an area of around 1,000 square metres with other reports saying it was getting bigger.

Earlier on Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry said it had destroyed a Ukrainian drone in the skies over the Bryansk region, where authorities regularly report drone attacks from Ukraine.

A Russian-appointed official said on Thursday Ukraine had tried and failed to target a Russian Baltic Sea oil terminal with a drone, in what appeared to be a rare attempt to strike a facility in St Petersburg.

A Ukrainian government minister was quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday as saying that Ukraine had hit targets in St Petersburg using a domestically produced drone that flew 1,250 km (775 miles).

 

RT/Reuters

The Rail Bus, a pioneering mode of transportation originating in Zhuzhou, China, is a groundbreaking discovery. Introduced by the Chinese manufacturer CRRC, this self-driving vehicle, resembling a train but without tracks, completed its inaugural journey in 2017. The Rail Bus seeks to revolutionise traditional concepts of buses, trains, and trams.

The design of the Rail Bus was presented to the public in June 2023, and remarkably, within a span of fewer than five months, CRRC initiated testing on October 30, 2017. Covering a 3-kilometer route with stops at four stations in Zhuzhou, this marked a significant milestone in transportation evolution.

Operating beyond the confines of tracks, it navigates urban streets by tracing painted road markings. These meticulously designed markings serve as its guide, detected by sensors fitted beneath the vehicle. These sensors, equipped with advanced technology, capture minute details of the road, ensuring an incredibly precise journey with millimeter-level accuracy.

This real-time data is a critical component, continuously transmitted to the train operators, who rely on this information to make swift, informed decisions, ensuring the safety, efficiency, and seamless navigation of this revolutionary mode of transportation. This groundbreaking approach not only redefines the conventional idea of trains but also paves the way for a new era of flexible, urban transit systems.

Implementing this transport scheme costs just 25 percent of the subway system's expenses in China. For example, subway systems in China have an estimated cost between $57 million to $100 million, while the Rail Bus network's construction is estimated to be only 20 percent of this cost. This inspires urban planners and policymakers worldwide to consider adopting this efficient transportation solution.

Positioned as a cheaper alternative to current transportation systems in China, the electric Rail Bus requires only ten minutes of charging to cover 25 kilometres. This cost-effective and sustainable solution can reach speeds of up to 43 miles per hour and has a lifespan of around 25 years.

CRRC envisions full automation of the trains in the future. While a driver is present in the compartments, their intervention is minimal, reducing traffic congestion on roads significantly.

The Rail Bus network commenced operations in early 2018, with each Rail Bus capable of accommodating up to 300 passengers. This unique mode of transport represents a significant step toward the future of sustainable and efficient urban transportation.

China leads among developing economies in innovative transportation. Concepts like those released in 2016, even if unrealized, showcase China's commitment to offering unique modes of transport, such as the Rail Bus. There are only four stations along the 3.1-kilometer stretch where the electric train operates. The train was recently automated and has been in regular service since 2018. There are only four stations along the 3.1-kilometer stretch where the electric train operates. The train was recently automated and has been in regular service since 2018.

 

Times of India