The Taliban have warned barbers in Helmand province in Afghanistan to desist from shaving or trimming beards.
The Taliban said shaving off beards breaches their interpretation of Islamic law.
In a report by BBC, the Taliban police said anyone caught violating the rule will be severely punished.
According to the report, in a notice posted on salons in southern Helmand province, the Taliban officers warned that hairdressers must follow Sharia law for haircuts and beards.
Some barbers in the capital of the country, Kabul have said they also received similar orders.
“No one has a right to complain,” the notice reportedly read.
The instructions suggest a return to the strict rulings of the group’s past tenure in power, despite promises of a milder form of government.
The Taliban have promised an inclusive government and a more moderate form of Islamic rule than when they last ruled the country from 1996 to 2001.
During their last reign, men were required to grow beards while the women were made to wear an all-encompassing burqa, covering both their hair and face.
Music was banned to prevent the promotion of vulgarity, while citizens could only listen to religious chants.
The Taliban also banned television and cinema, and some electronic products were outlawed as un-Islamic.
The latest development suggests an imposition of former Islamic laws that governed their past tenure.
A barber was quoted as saying the Taliban enforcers keep coming to their shops to monitor them.
“The fighters keep coming and ordering us to stop trimming beards,” a barber in Kabul reportedly said.
“One of them told me they can send undercover inspectors to catch us.”
The barbers reportedly said the new rules are making it hard for them to make a living.
In August, Taliban fighters quickly captured most of Afghanistan last month and celebrated the departure of the last U.S. forces after 20 years of war.
Since then, they have carried out harsh punishments on opponents. On Saturday, the group’s fighters shot dead four alleged kidnappers and their bodies were hung in the streets of the western city of Herat.
In reaction to the mounting controversy over a “so called security guide from NYSC on parents to prepare money for kidnappers for their wards going for mobilization”, the leading civil rights advocacy group; Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has faulted unscrupulous individuals who are doing everything possible to discredit or even scrap one of the most successful public institutions; the National Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC).
In a statement signed by the National Coordinator; Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA expressed worries that a programme, which serves as a bridge between school and real-life of work is battling cocktails of lies, half-truths and speculations orchestrated to sow seeds of doubts and anxiety in the minds and hearts of Nigerians.
“On Thursday, September 23, 2021 a page purportedly containing the advice for the corps and staff on reaching out to the family and friends when plying such routes that the NYSC described as “high risk” had flooded the social media.
“The handbook, which is titled; “Security Awareness and Education Handbook For Corps Members and Staff,” on its page 56, purportedly advised both corps members and staff travelling on “high-risk” roads to alert their family members, friends and colleagues to have someone on hand to pay off the ransom that could be demanded in case they are kidnapped.
“Luckily, the proactive managers of the NYSC have also ably provided responses to this scandal by elements who are assiduously working behind the scenes to sacrifice NYSC to appease their instincts”.
Quoting a statement issued on Friday, which stated that ‘the attention of Management of the National Youth Service Corps has been drawn to a fake release making the rounds on the social media to the effect that Corps Members travelling on ‘high risk roads’ should alert their families, friends and colleagues in order to have somebody to pay off the ransom that could be demanded in the event of being kidnapped’, HURIWA was pleased that the NYSC had described the clause in circulation as the handiwork of mischief-makers.
Continuing, HURIWA enumerated the many lies about the NYSC recently and the responses the management has provided to them which in the rights group estimation are factual and correct. “In July 2021, the National Youth Service Corps, alleged that the reported story that 544 corps members were killed in the Northeast and Northwest in 2021 was nothing but junk journalism and blackmail by a section of the media.
“In the report, the NYSC was also accused of risking the lives of 9,100 corps members deployed to the seven states in the North-West region; where at least, 189 persons have been killed and 376 persons were abducted in Zamfara and Kaduna states alone.
“Reacting to two reports, the NYSC Director, Press and Public Relations; Adenike Adeyemi (Mrs), alleged that the unsubstantiated reports were published to create apprehension in the minds of parents, guardians and other stakeholders.
“Again, on August 5th 2021, the National Youth Service Corps described as untrue claims of COVID-19 positive corps members. The organisation said there were no COVID-19 positive corps members in any of the 37 NYSC orientation camps nationwide. The NYSC Director, Press and Public Relations; Adenike Adeyemi, made the clarification in a statement in Abuja wherein she clarified that there is no red alert in NYSC orientation camps, as all corps members, as well as camp officials admitted in the camps are COVID-19 negative.
“Also, there was a certain disturbing effort to spread some toxic rumours that the DG of NYSC was against Christian worships within the NYSC Camps. Ironically, the Director General, though a sound and good Moslem is married to a Roman Catholic Christian adherent and so cannot possibly be categorized as a hater of Christians”, HURIWA highlighted.
Furthermore, HURIWA asserted that that these regime of rumours targeted at the NYSC which are meant to sow a sort of anxiety in the minds and hearts of Nigerians are really not strange. This is because educational institutions and certificate-awarding professional bodies such as the NYSC have been platforms some politicians manipulate to forge certificates to meet essential conditions of qualification and eligibility to hold public office.
“But much as Nigerian politicians dread the disgraceful outcomes of certificate forgery upon discovery, the habit is still pervasively endemic in the polity. The hapless ones have been caught, time and time again. But others have escaped or still dodging the eagle eyes of the law and have continued to roam the corridors of power with mercurial elegance”.
While noting that certificate forgery has become an unfairly massive trend among some Nigerian politicians, HURIWA explained that they always get caught, especially when NYSC is factored into the forgery racket, as it has always refused to bulge to inducements.
“That is the mystery and credibility of NYSC which dubious characters today are finding it extremely difficult to penetrate or manipulate to their favour. And there are many such veiled violators of the sanctity of the NYSC in the corridors of power who are dead scared of the next action which might consume and throw them out of their juicy positions. So, they have waged war against NYSC’s continued existence.
“If Nigerians recollect vividly, about five months ago, a member of the Federal House Representatives; Hon. Awaji-Inombek Abiante from Rivers state, backed by co-travelers moved to cause a scrapping of the NYSC scheme citing spurious, hollow and comedic reasons for the action.
“Nigerians rose in unanimous uproar and objections. Abiante’s dream to edge the NYSC out of relevance and save the scheme’s certificate forgers from any nightmare, crashed after the obnoxious bill reached the second reading.
However, HURIWA observed that some political elements are still very energetic, tireless and have continued to explore unimaginable fields in the desire to conquer at all cost. Therefore, the rights group is of the firm belief that the whole drama of the spread of fake news and rumors exudes with manifestation the orchestrated plots, and a carefully crafted agenda in the aggressive pursuit of the destruction of the shadows of NYSC scheme in order to cripple it’s efficacy or render it legally impotent requirement in public service.
“The high and mighty who did not participate in the NYSC scheme, and haunted by the phobia of Kemi Adeosun’s fate befalling them in the nearest future and possibly, send them packing from public office are leaving nothing to chance. They are still assiduously working behind the scenes to sacrifice NYSC to appease their instincts and protect their offices.
“Incidentally, the incumbent NYSC Director-General; Brigadier Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim is more determined than any of his predecessors in fighting the menace of fake NYSC certificates. He actually started fighting this forgery syndicate about two years back by blocking fake results holders from being called to orientation camp, after flushing out internal collaborators”.
Beyond this, HURIWA identified that though the task of galvanizing the interest of the youths and strategically re-channel them to national pursuits that will culminate in development and national integration, thus setting the pace for a violence free Nigeria is arguably complex and challenging, Brig. Gen. Ibrahim has remained focused in actualising his vision for the scheme’s mandate through his policies.
“Since assuming office on the 19th day of May, 2019, he has proactively steered the national integration and youth development visions of the founding fathers of the NYSC scheme through pro-activeness, passion, motivation, teamwork, communication, objectives and fashioning out new vistas of engagement through encouraging innovation and creativity to reach a desired goal.
“His vision and ambition aimed at repositioning the scheme for continued relevance of the scheme in developing the Nigerian youths and in bridging the inter-ethnic and religious divides in Nigeria had informed his decision to initiate a five-point policy thrust upon assumption of office.
“Based on his five policy thrust, the Director General has continued to advance his commitment to addressing the challenges of relevance of the NYSC in a fast-changing world, which include inadequate motivation and welfare for Corps Members and staff of the Scheme; and unemployment among the youths after the mandatory one year national service”, HURIWA asserted.
Conclusively, HURIWA called on those who want the NYSC scheme dead to turn a new leaf as Nigerians will never allow anyone who is afraid of the successes of the NYSC to kill the scheme.
COMRADE EMMANUEL ONWUBIKO: NATIONAL COORDINATOR; HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA). SEPTEMBER 27TH 2021.
No fewer than 30 people have been confirmed killed during a Sunday evening attack in Madamai and Abun communities under Malagun in Kaura local government area of Kaduna state, sources told MBT.
The attackers suspected to be Fulani terrorists invaded the communities at about 6pm Nigerian time and began shooting sporadically at the villagers.
A Catholic Priest serving in the community, who spoke to MBT on telephone but craved anonymity confirmed the attack, saying “it was a massacre against the natives”.
“The Herdsmen came in in large numbers and began shooting at anything on sight.
“As at this morning we have counted 30 dead bodies mostly women and children, 3 still missing while 5 are receiving treatment in the hospital.” He said.
The Priest also confirmed that at least 20 houses were burnt during the 2 hours attack.
“When they came in, they first went to houses of people they know usually help in coordinating local security in the communities and killed them alongside their families before proceeding to other areas.
“The attackers obviously had a prior knowledge of who and who to kill before coming.” He said.
It would be recalled that few weeks ago, a similar attack took place in Madamai leading to the death of some villagers and destruction of houses.
In March 2014, over 200 people were killed by suspected herdsmen when 3 villages were attacked by suspected herdsmen in Bondong district of Kaura local government area of Kaduna state.
Southern Kaduna has been the epicenter of terrorist herdsmen attacks which intensified awhe APC led government took over power in 2015.
The Kaduna state government has been criticized for its poor handling of the violence including payment of compensation to the killer herdsmen in 2016.
Reports reaching MBT confirmed that bandits over the weekend attacked a Nigerian security base in Sokoto, killing at least 17 security forces consisting of 9 soldiers, 5 Mopols and 3 Civil Defense members, according to BBC Hausa.
The attack was believed to have been carried out by Bandit commander, Kachalla Turji.
Sources in Zamfara said that Turji has moved his bandit camp from Fakai in Zurmi of Zamfara to East of Isa, Tozai in Sokoto over continued air raids by the Nigerian Airforce from Katsina, The new camp is lessthan 45KM away from the attacked military formation.
This attack according to sources is to eliminate all forms of military presence from their new operational base in sokoto.
“the bandits encircled a primary school where the military resides before shooting sporadically, many soldiers escaped with gun shots to basira in Niger Reublic.” A Zamfara resident told MBT
According to this source the bandits set ablaze a military vehicle, took away another vehicle, military patrol motorcycles and many arms belonging to the military.
MBT also gathered that soldiers in Basira, Guidan Roumji in Niger Republic have rescued 9 Nigerian Soldiers who escaped the bandit attack from Gatawa forest in Sokoto.
The latest attack by Kachalla Turji and his gang further raises questions on the effectiveness of the ongoing military operations in the North-West where the military claims to be dealing a serious blow on the bandits yet the bandits keep launching attacks on villagers and even military formations.
Engineer Salasi Musa of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has dealt his All Progressives Congress’ counterpart a bloody nose in the just concluded Chikun local government Chairmanship election. Salasi was declared winner on Monday morning having scored the highest number of votes in the polls.
The Peoples Democratic Party candidate scored a total of 19,402 votes to clinch the Chairmanship position ahead of his main rival Honorable Samaila Leeman of the All Progressives Congress APC.
Announcing the results at the local government secretariat, the returning officer, Dr Sanusi Gambo said the All Progressives Congress candidate scored a total of 14,829 to come second in the keenly contested election. The PDP also won 8 out of the 12 Wards in the local government while the APC won 4.
Chikun local government has been without an elected Chairman since 2015 following the cancellation of the 2018 Chairmanship election where the Peoples Democratic Party were believed to be on it’s way to victory before thugs loyal to the APC disrupted the process leading to the cancellation of the polls and subsequent appointment of caretaker Chairman over the council, a decision recently declared nullity by a Kaduna High Court.
The election was adjudged free and fair by residents of the council as they say that attempts to rig the election were vehemently resisted by the electorates who did not only vote but stood to defend their votes and ensure they count.
