THE MERCY COVENANT A Policy and Clerical Reform Manifesto for Islamic Scholars in the 21st Century Preamble Islam stands at a defining moment. Across the world, violence committed in its name—often without scholarly authority, lawful mandate, or ethical restraint—has distorted public understanding of the faith and endangered innocent lives, including Muslims themselves. This manifesto affirms that preserving life ( hifz al-nafs ) is a higher objective of Shariah than militant ideology , and that unchecked reinterpretation of jihad by non-state actors is a theological emergency . This document is a call for scholarly courage, moral clarity, and institutional reform . I. FOUNDATIONAL DECLARATION We, Islamic scholars and religious leaders, affirm that: Human life is sacred without qualification “Whoever kills a soul… it is as if he has slain all of humanity.” (Qur’an 5:32) Violence is not the default condition of Islamic faith Peace ( sulh ), merc...

    Anthony Joshua Involved in Lagos–Ibadan Expressway Crash; Reports of Fatalities Emerge Nigerian-British boxing icon and former world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua , was involved in a road accident on Monday at Makun , along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State , sparking widespread concern across Nigeria and the global boxing community. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the accident occurred when the Lexus SUV conveying the boxer, with registration number KRD 850 HN , collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that remain unclear and are currently under investigation by relevant authorities. A source involved in the rescue operation told The PUNCH that Joshua sustained minor injuries , but confirmed that the crash was fatal for others, stating that two persons died on the spot . Another eyewitness, Adeniyi Orojo , said the incident happened just before Danco Filling Station on the busy expressway. As of the time of filing this report, the Ogu...

    When Altars Eclipse the Constitution: Religion and the Power Crisis of the Nigerian State By Sights and Sounds of Ndon-Eyo II Etinan Nigeria proclaims itself a secular republic, governed by a written constitution and a framework of laws. Yet across the nation’s lived reality, another authority often reigns supreme—religion. From the pulpit to the minbar, from church crusades to mosque sermons, faith routinely commands obedience more potent than the directives of the Nigerian state itself. This is not an abstract debate. It is a crisis of power, legitimacy, and national cohesion. Moral Obedience vs Legal Authority Religion in Nigeria enjoys what the state increasingly lacks: moral authority . Millions obey religious leaders instinctively, often without question, while government institutions are met with suspicion, cynicism, or outright defiance. A single sermon can mobilize crowds faster than a presidential address; a prophetic declaration can override a court ruling ...

    RE-GAZETTING A FORGED LAW IS NOT REFORM — IT IS OFFICIALISING CORRUPTION By Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo The recent directive by Nigeria’s National Assembly to re-gazette assented tax reforms due to “unapproved alterations” is not merely a legal embarrassment. It is a flashing red warning light exposing how deeply corruption has penetrated the machinery of Nigerian governance. Let us strip this issue of euphemisms and bureaucratic language. This was not a clerical error. This was not a typographical mistake. This was not an innocent administrative oversight. What occurred was the alteration of a law after it was passed by Parliament and assented to by the President . In plain legal terms—and more importantly, in plain moral terms—that is forgery . And forgery at this level is not just a crime; it is institutional corruption . In any functioning constitutional democracy, the law-making process is sacrosanct. A Bill passed by elected representatives must be i...

  Nigeria’s government has confirmed it cooperated with the U.S. under “structured security cooperation” — including intelligence sharing and strategic coordination that supported the operation. Nigerian officials stated the cooperation was consistent with international law and respect for sovereignty. � ThisDayLive Multiple news reports also note that U.S. officials said the strikes were carried out with Nigeria’s approval and at the request of Nigerian authoritie FOREIGN BOMBS ON NIGERIAN SOIL: WHEN A SOVEREIGN NATION NEEDS OTHERS TO FIGHT ITS WAR By Sights and Sounds of Ndon-Eyo II, Etinan | Front Page | National Security Nigeria has crossed a line it long insisted would never be crossed. On Christmas Day , United States forces struck ISIS-linked terrorist targets inside Nigeria , confirming what many Nigerians have feared but officials have avoided admitting: the war has overwhelmed our borders, our institutions, and our deterrence capacity . Yes, the strikes were coordin...

      “Every gift comes with a price.” This simple line carries a deep philosophical, moral, and even spiritual weight—one that cuts across personal life, politics, religion, and history. At its core, the statement challenges the illusion of free benefit . Nothing of real value arrives without consequence. The price may not always be immediate, visible, or monetary—but it always exists. 1. The Hidden Cost of Blessings Gifts often arrive wrapped in celebration, but their costs unfold later. Talent demands discipline. A gifted mind pays in isolation, pressure, and expectation. Power demands sacrifice. Authority extracts loyalty, sleepless nights, and moral compromise. Wealth demands vigilance. Riches invite envy, fear, and the burden of preservation. What we call a “blessing” frequently becomes a test. Many are not destroyed by lack, but by abundance they were unprepared to carry. 2. The Moral Price Every advantage shifts responsibility. To receive without accoun...

      “Of Making Many Books There Is No End” — Ecclesiastes 12:12 and the Tyranny of Endless Information By Sights and Sounds of Ndon-Eyo II, Etinan “Of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.” — Ecclesiastes 12:12 Thousands of years before smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence, and 24-hour news cycles, the writer of Ecclesiastes saw it coming. With startling clarity, Ecclesiastes 12:12 reads today less like ancient poetry and more like a diagnosis of modern life. We live in an age drowning in information but starving for wisdom. An Ancient Text, A Modern Crisis When the Teacher (Qoheleth) spoke of the endless making of books, he was addressing a world of scrolls, scribes, and scholars. Yet the insight transcends its era. Today, “books” have multiplied into tweets, posts, blogs, videos, podcasts, opinion pieces, leaked documents, conspiracy theories, AI-generated texts, and viral misinformation. The result? A...

  December 25: The Birthday That History Refuses to Confirm An interfaith editorial for Sights and Sounds of Ndon-Eyo II Etinan Every December, the world pauses. Streets glow, churches overflow, carols rise, and a single claim hums beneath it all: Jesus was born today. But history clears its throat and quietly says: We don’t know that. This is not an attack on faith. It is a confrontation with comfort. And in an age where religion is increasingly weaponized, truth—especially inconvenient truth—matters. When Faith Outran Memory The earliest followers of Jesus did not celebrate his birthday. They preached his message. They remembered his death. They expected his return. For nearly three centuries , Christians argued over when —or whether—Jesus’ birth should even be marked. There was no sacred date passed down, no whisper from Bethlehem carefully preserved. If December 25 were known, it would not have taken Rome 300 years to find it. The truth is uncomfortable but clear: D...

  **Joe Igbokwe vs Enyinnaya Abaribe:   When Loyalty to Power Collides with Loyalty to the People** Nigeria is not suffering from a shortage of voices. It is suffering from a shortage of courage.   The public sparring between Joe Igbokwe and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe is not a petty quarrel between two men. It is a mirror held up to the Nigerian political soul — exposing the eternal conflict between those who defend power and those who interrogate it. Joe Igbokwe speaks loudly. Abaribe speaks authoritatively. That difference matters. The Politics of Noise vs the Politics of Mandate Joe Igbokwe i s a party man — unapologetic, relentless, and fiercely loyal to the ruling establishment. His relevance flows not from the ballot box but from proximity to power. Television studios, radio stations, and social media platforms serve as his parliament. His duty is simple: defend the system, no matter how broken it looks. Enyinnaya Abaribe, on the other hand, is not paid to shout...

No Total Freedom anyway   Thinking Out Loud!    When freedom is unregulated, the powerful trample the weak and call it competition. The corrupt steal and call it survival. Politicians weaponize ethnicity and religion and call it free speech. Social media amplifies ignorance and calls it expression. In the end, the common man is left more trapped than before—economically, psychologically, and morally. Ironically, absolute freedom often births tyranny. Hard-Hitting Editorial   for Sights and Sounds of Ndon-Eyo II ABSOLUTE FREEDOM IS BONDED SLAVERY   Hard-Hitting Editorial   by Sights and Sounds of Ndon-Eyo II   There is a lie that has quietly gained popularity in our age: that freedom is best expressed when it is absolute—when nothing restrains desire, speech, behavior, or power. It sounds revolutionary. It sounds progressive. But history, culture, and human experience tell us something far less flattering. Absolute freedom is not libe...

    **Stability by Force, Freedom by Fire: What Nigeria Can Learn from Tajikistan’s Fear of Religious Extremism** By Sights and Sounds of Ndon-Eyo II History does not punish nations the same way. Some are punished with chaos. Others with silence. Nigeria and Tajikistan are two countries that walked through civil war, tasted blood, and survived. Yet, standing today, they made opposite choices —and now live with opposite consequences . Where Nigeria chose freedom at all costs , Tajikistan chose order at all costs . Where Nigeria allowed religion to flourish publicly, Tajikistan locked religion behind the walls of the state. One is noisy, divided, and bleeding. The other is quiet, controlled, and tense. The question is no longer who is right — but who is learning from history, and who is repeating it. Two Civil Wars, Two National Traumas Nigeria’s civil war (1967–1970) taught the country a single lesson: No group must ever dominate the others again. Federalism, ...

    The Cultural, Spiritual, and Feminist Dangers of Harboring a Man Who Is Not Your Husband   By Sights and Sounds of Ndon-Eyo II   In African societies, a woman’s home has never been a casual space. It is sacred ground—where culture, lineage, morality, and identity intersect.    Long before modern debates about feminism, independence, and personal freedom, our ancestors understood one truth: boundaries protect dignity.   Today, however, economic pressures, emotional loneliness, and shifting social values have normalized what used to be approached with caution—harboring a man who is not one’s husband, especially by single mothers, spinsters, or unmarried women. This conversation is not about judgment. It is about consequence, context, and consciousness. Culture Speaks: What Our Traditions Warned Us About In most African cultures, cohabitation without marriage was not merely frowned upon—it was seen as inviting instability into the home. Our elders und...

Who Are the Muslim Brotherhood? Who Are the Muslim Brotherhood? The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna . Its main aim was to promote Islamic governance, social reform, and the application of Sharia law in political and social life. Over the decades, it has grown into a political and social movement , establishing schools, charities, and political parties in many countries. Core Ideals: Islam as a comprehensive guide for life, including politics. Social justice, charity, and education as key tools for societal reform. Opposition to Western secular influence in Muslim-majority countries. Influence in Africa and Nigeria: In Africa, the Brotherhood’s ideology influenced Islamist movements in countries like Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, and Somalia. In Nigeria , its influence is largely ideological and philanthropic rather than political. Some local Islamist groups have adopted MB principles, especially regard...

AI generated    Although embedding RFID chips in paper has been demonstrated , no major currency in the world currently uses it as a standard feature. For example, the Bank of England — issuer of British pound notes — says clearly that their banknotes do not have RFID or any tracking technology embedded.  There are microchips (specifically small RFID-type chips) that could be embedded into paper, including banknotes, but in practice they are rarely used (if at all), and there are serious technical, cost and privacy challenges. Here’s a breakdown of the situation. ✅ What technology exists (or has existed) for embedding chips in paper/currency-like objects A major electronics company, Hitachi, developed a micro-RFID chip (sometimes called a “µ-chip”) small enough to embed in paper, documents or banknotes. Researchers (for instance at North Dakota State University, NDSU) have demonstrated methods — such as a laser-based assembly technique (called “LEAP”) — for embeddin...

 For nearly two years, Ndon-Eyo II in Etinan LGA of Akwa Ibom State lived under fear. Once peaceful, the village became a hub for drug activities and kidnappers. Over 90% of residents—including the village head—fled for safety. When a Village Falls Silent: The Untold Story of Ndon-Eyo II   Ndon-Eyo II in ELocal Etinan Government Area of Akwa Ibom State endured one of the darkest chapters in its history. A once peaceful and orderly community was overtaken by hoodlums who converted the area into a hub for drug activities and a haven for kidnappers. The security situation deteriorated so severely that more than 90 percent of residents—including the village head—were forced to abandon their homes in search of safety. In response, the state government deployed a joint security task force to restore law and order and, where possible, effect arrests. However, efforts were repeatedly frustrated. Each time security operatives approached the village, informants within the community al...