Geo-spatial distribution of Brucella melitensis infection in selected local government areas of Katsina and Sokoto States, Nigeria

Brucellosis due to Brucella melitensis infects mostly small ruminants and has been reported to be the most invasive and pathogenic species for humans. A cross-sectional sero-geospatial study was conducted in 4 and 3 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Katsina and Sokoto States, Nigeria respectively. Sera were analysed using c-ELISA while A Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver was used to take geographic coordinates of all sampling points. Data were analysed with SPSS version 20. Chi-square test was used to measure associations among categorical variables. ArcGIS 10.3 was used to map the geospatial pattern of distribution of B. melitensis. Three-dimensional analysis was also performed using the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation to determine the distribution pattern of B. melitensis in unsampled LGAs. Six (10.52%), 11 (20.0%), 11(2.0%) and 23 (23.0%) sera were positive from Bakori (n=57), Baure (n=56), Daura (n=55) and Funtua (n=101) LGAs of Katsina State respectively while 4 (12.5%), 1 (5.6%), 13 (14.8%) were positive from Illela (n=22), Tambuwal (n=19) and Yabo (n=90) LGAs respectively in Sokoto State were positive for B. melitensis antibodies. All the variables tested were not statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). The geospatial maps for both States were produced to show the prevalence of B. melitensis using c-ELISA throughout the LGAs sampled and extrapolation was done for other unsampled LGAs. Small ruminants in the study areas harboured antibodies to B. melitensis. The maps may serve as an excellent tool for active surveillance and control strategies for livestock diseases like brucellosis in the study area.Keywords: Brucella melitensis, Small Ruminants, Nigeria, c-ELISA, GI

Comparative Analysis of Road Traffic Accidents Occurrence between FCT Abuja and Kogi State, Nigeria

In view of the fact that road traffic accident has become a major cause of deaths in Nigeria, this study was set out to analyse the spatial variation in the occurrence of the phenomena, using two contiguous geographical territories that are politically different in terms of roles. Data on reported cases of road traffic accidents was obtained from the Federal Road Safety Commission and was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, particularly the student’s t – test. The findings revealed that there was indeed a significant difference between Abuja (the Federal Capital Territory -FCT) and Kogi state in terms of the frequency of accidents, with the former having a higher rate of occurrence. Again, it has revealed that while the casualty rates (i.e. those either injured or killed) has remained fairly stable in Kogi state, the figures have been increasing around the FCT, over the period of study

‘They are not Muslims. They are monsters’: The Accidental Takfirism of British Political Elites

It has become increasingly common for British political elites to engage in takfir, the process by which individuals are declared not to be Muslims despite their self-proclaimed Islamic faith. This apparently accidental takfirism denies that members of Salafi-Jihadist groups are themselves Muslims in contrast to more nuanced approaches taken by ‘mainstream’ Sunni religious and political figures. This paper draws on constructivist and poststructuralist approaches to discourse analysis alongside discussions of Islamic jurisprudence in order to examine and problematise the use of takfirist discursive practices by British political elites. This paper contributes to the literature on British political elites' discursive construction of the threat posed by Salafi-Jihadist terrorism and subsequent policy responses. This paper also contributes to constructivist and postructuralist approaches within Critical Terrorism Studies by analysing discursive practices used by British political elites to police the boundaries of religion. This paper focuses on statements made by British politicians which utilise takfirist discursive practices in different contexts and for a range of purposes, analysing why and how British political elites have engaged in these practices. It further suggests that this analysis has important policy implications, arguing that these discursive practices incur potential risks of which policymakers appear to be unaware