Saudi Arabia has broken its own record for executions carried out in a single year, according to an AFP tally, after authorities said three people were put to death Monday.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The kingdom has killed 340 people so far this year, according to AFP’s count, and has in recent years trailed only China and Iran among countries carrying out the death penalty.

The toll marks the second-straight year Saudi Arabia has broken its own record since rights groups first began documenting the number of executions in the 1990s.

It executed 338 people in 2024.

A statement by the interior ministry carried by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said three individuals were executed in the Mecca region for murder convictions.

Since the start of 2025, Saudi Arabia has executed 232 people in drug-related cases, constituting the majority of the 340 executions carried out so far, according to AFP’s tally, based on ministry and SPA announcements.

Analysts largely link the surge in executions to the kingdom’s ongoing “war on drugs” launched in 2023, with many of those first arrested only now being executed, following legal proceedings and convictions.

Saudi Arabia resumed executions for drug offences at the end of 2022, after suspending the use of the death penalty in narcotics cases for around three years.

The Arab world’s largest economy is also one of the biggest markets for captagon, an illicit stimulant that was Syria’s largest export under Bashar al-Assad — according to the United Nations. Assad was ousted last year.
– War on drugs –

Since launching its war on drugs, the country has increased the presence of police checkpoints on highways and at border crossings, where millions of pills have been confiscated and dozens of traffickers arrested.

Foreigners are largely bearing the brunt of the campaign to date.

Saudi Arabia has long relied on millions of foreign workers to help build its vast infrastructure projects, to serve as domestic help for families and to staff hotels and the hospitality industry.

The kingdom also faces sustained criticism over its use of the death penalty, which rights groups have condemned as excessive and in marked contrast to the country’s efforts to present a modern image to the world.

“These are not violent criminals, and most are foreign nationals. Executing them is against international law mandating that the death penalty only be used for intentional homicide,” said Harriet McCulloch of the Reprieve rights group.

Activists say the kingdom’s continued embrace of capital punishment undermines the image of a more open, tolerant society that is central to de-facto leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Vision’s 2030 reform agenda.

Saudi Arabia is spending big on tourist infrastructure and top sports events such as the 2034 World Cup as it tries to diversify its oil-reliant economy.

Authorities in the kingdom, however, argue the death penalty is necessary to maintain public order and is only used after all avenues for appeal have been exhausted.

Amnesty International began documenting executions in Saudi Arabia in 1990. Figures dating from before then are largely unclear.

Saudi Arabia remained the third-highest executor of death sentences worldwide in 2022, 2023, and 2024—after China and Iran—according to Amnesty International.

A silent emergency is unfolding in Omerelu, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, where Government Secondary School, Omerelu, has become a stark symbol of neglect, insecurity and lost educational opportunities.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Once a thriving centre of learning, the public school has reportedly been taken over by suspected herdsmen, forcing academic activities to a halt and replacing classrooms with grazing fields. Today, cattle roam freely within the school premises, while teachers and students stay away in fear.

The situation came into public focus on Thursday, December 11, 2025, when displaced students and a prominent community opinion leader briefed journalists shortly after the commissioning of the Egbeda–Omerelu Link Road by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Residents described the irony of the moment as painful: a newly constructed road meant to open up development now leads directly to an abandoned and vandalised school struggling to survive.

Located along the newly inaugurated road, Government Secondary School, Omerelu, presents a disturbing sight. Dilapidated classroom blocks, broken windows and collapsing roofs point to years of neglect. Inside the classrooms, broken desks lie scattered, many allegedly burnt and used as firewood by the occupying herdsmen.

Community members said the charred remains of school furniture are daily reminders of the destruction of a public institution meant to secure the future of local children.

Students who recently visited the premises described an environment too hostile for learning, citing fear, intimidation and the absence of security. Teachers, it was gathered, have abandoned the school due to safety concerns, while parents have withdrawn their children en masse.

Some families now send their wards to distant communities, while others keep them at home, uncertain of what the future holds.

Speaking on behalf of the affected students, community leader Mr. Obinichi Amadi described the situation as an educational emergency with serious security implications. He warned that the continued occupation of the school by suspected herdsmen exposes children to grave danger and could trigger wider conflict if left unaddressed.

According to Amadi, the school was established to serve Omerelu and neighbouring communities along the Egbeda axis. However, years of infrastructural decay, lack of fencing and absence of security gradually weakened the institution, creating room for illegal occupation.

He said repeated appeals to relevant authorities produced little response, allowing the problem to worsen quietly over time.

“The contradiction is painful,” Amadi said. “A fine road now leads here, yet our only secondary school lies in ruins. Development without education is empty and dangerous.”

Students who spoke during the briefing lamented the disruption of their education and the collapse of their dreams. Community elders also warned that prolonged school closure could expose young people to crime, street trading, child labour and other social vices.

They argued that the alleged use of public school property as firewood reflects a complete breakdown in the protection of government assets.

While observers note that many rural schools across Rivers State face similar neglect, they insist that the situation in Omerelu is urgent and worsening.

The community is now calling on the Rivers State Government to intervene immediately by declaring Government Secondary School, Omerelu, a priority project. They are demanding urgent rehabilitation of classrooms, replacement of furniture, restoration of basic facilities, proper fencing of the school and deployment of security personnel.

Amadi appealed directly to Governor Fubara, expressing confidence in his people-centred leadership and urging swift action to reverse years of decay and restore public confidence.

Residents insist that true development must extend beyond road construction to education.

“A road that leads to an abandoned school leads nowhere,” they warned.

It was gathered that the school has been in a deplorable condition for nearly two decades. For the people of Omerelu, the message is clear and urgent: Government Secondary School, Omerelu, must be rescued now, or an entire generation risks losing its future.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has promised to set up a Foundation to commemorate the late Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, that will continue to preach the inter-religious harmony which the learned Islamic scholar was known for in his lifetime.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The Governor made the commitment on Sunday, when he led a 30-member delegation on a condolence visit to the family of the late Tijjaniyya leader who died on November 27, at his family home in Bauchi.

Speaking during the visit, he said that Kaduna State Government will set up a committee comprising the late Sheikh’s family members, his students and various stakeholders, to work out details of the Foundation.

The Governor pointed out that although the late Sheikh was from Bauchi State, Kaduna State will immortalize him more than anyone because of his invaluable contributions to Islam, good governance and peaceful coexistence.

According to him, the Foundation will not only continue with the good works of the late Islamic cleric, it will also implement what he had planned to accomplish.

“I used to consult our late leader and whatever advice he gave me, had positive outcomes. I am part and parcel of the late Sheikh’s family and we have a cordial relationship with members of his household.’’

Governor Uba Sani promised that ‘’we will continue with his efforts at uniting Muslims and ensuring unity amongst adherents of different religions, not only in Kaduna State but the country at large.’’

In his remarks, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Mohammed Auwal Jatau, recalled that Governor Uba Sani was in faraway China on an official assignment when Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi died.

He said that the Kaduna State Governor had phoned his Bauchi State counterpart, Senator Bala Mohammed, from China and offered his condolences.

‘’I want to disclose that, Governor Uba Sani also constituted a special committee in Kaduna to receive condolences from students and well wishers of the late Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi,’’ he added.

Responding on behalf of the family, the son of the late Islamic cleric, Khalifa Sayyid Ibrahim Dahiru Bauchi, reiterated that the Governor has always been close to the deceased, even before he became the number one citizen of Kaduna State.

‘’This is your home. Immediately the death was announced, we spoke on phone. You also sent representatives that attended the funeral prayer and afterwards, you sent a delegation of Malams to condole us.

‘’Today, you have come to pay us a condolence visit. This shows the high esteem with which you held the late Sheikh. May Allah(SWT) bless you. May He also grant you your heart’s desires,’’ he added.

Khalifa Sayyid Ibrahim also thanked Governor Uba Sani, on behalf of the deceased’s 82 children, for promising to rebuild the residence of their grand father, where the late Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi grew up.

Those on Governor Uba Sani’s delegation include the Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Dahiru Liman; the National President of Fityanul Islam of Nigeria (FIN), Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Arabi Abul Fath and Dr. Musa Muhammad from Borno (Deputy National Chairman, Fityanul Islam).

Others are Engr. Mansur Nakande from Plateau State (Secretary-General, Fityanul Islam); Sheikh Salaudeen Inyas; Saiyyida Fatima from Niger State (National Women Leader, Fityanul Islam); Hajia Hadiza Muhammad (National Women Secretary, Fityanul Islam) and the Kaduna State Chairman of Fityanul Islam, Sheikh Rabiu Abdullahi.

Sheikh Abdulkarim Hashim (Chief Imam, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi Mosque, Kaduna); Sheikh Sharu Danlami (National Chairman, Quddamun Nabiyyu); Sheikh Salisu Maibarota; Sheikh Aminu Kasim Kafanchan; Sheikh Ibrahim Mahe and Sheikh Nasiru G. Shehu Dahiru were also on the delegation.

The rest are Kaduna State Chairman, First Aid; and State Chairmen of Fityanul Islam from various states, including Kano, Borno, Adamawa, Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Niger, and Bauchi, as well as other senior officials of the Kaduna State Government.