Celebrated scientist James Watson, who shared a Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking DNA discovery, has di£d at the age of 97.

The de@th of Watson was confirmed by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, where he worked and researched for decades.

The American pioneer’s co-unearthing of the double helix structure of DNA in 1953 helped spark a revolution in medicine, crimefighting, genealogy and ethics.

The DNA breakthrough – made Watson was just 24 – turned him into a respected figure in the world of science for decades.

However, near the end of his life, he faced condemnation and professional censure for offensive remarks, including saying Black people are less intelligent than white people.

Watson shared a 1962 Nobel Prize with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins for discovering that deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a double helix, consisting of two strands that coil around each other to create what resembles a long, gently twisting ladder.

That realisation was a breakthrough. It instantly suggested how hereditary information is stored and how cells duplicate their DNA when they divide. The duplication begins with the two strands of DNA pulling apart like a zipper.

Even among non-scientists, the double helix would become an instantly recognised symbol of science, showing up in such places as the work of Salvador Dali and a British postage stamp.

The discovery helped open the door to more recent developments such as tinkering with the genetic makeup of living things, treating disease by inserting genes into patients, identifying human remains and criminal suspects from DNA samples, and tracing family trees.

But it has also raised a host of ethical questions, such as whether we should be altering the body’s blueprint for cosmetic reasons or in a way that is transmitted to a person’s offspring.

“Francis Crick and I made the discovery of the century, that was pretty clear,” Watson once said. He later wrote: “There was no way we could have foreseen the explosive impact of the double helix on science and society.”

Watson never made another lab finding that big. But in the decades that followed, he wrote influential textbooks and a best-selling memoir, and helped guide the project to map the human genome. He picked out bright young scientists and helped them. And he used his prestige and contacts to influence science policy.

His initial motivation for supporting the gene project was personal: His son Rufus had been hospitalised with a possible diagnosis of schizophrenia, and Watson figured that knowing the complete makeup of DNA would be crucial for understanding that disease – maybe in time to help his son.

He gained unwelcome attention in 2007, when the Sunday Times quoted him as saying he was “inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa” because “all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours – where all the testing says not really.”

He said that while he hopes everyone is equal, “people who have to deal with black employees find this is not true.”

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General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye has urged President Bola Tinubu to take urgent and diplomatic action to address security challenges.

Adeboye gave the advice on Friday during the November Holy Ghost Service while reacting to recent threats issued by US President Donald Trump.

He recommended a 90-day deadline for security chiefs to eliminate terrorist groups or face dismissal.

Adeboye also suggested that President Tinubu engage diplomatically with US President Donald Trump to secure a 100-day grace period before any international action is taken against Nigeria.

“Let the government use diplomatic methods to convince President Trump to give us 100 days of grace. All our service chiefs, fortunately, are new, should perform within three months, or resign,” he said.

Adeboye emphasised the importance of identifying and exposing sponsors of terrorism and insurgency, regardless of their influence.

He warned that if America attacks Nigeria, no foreign power, including China and Russia, would come to Nigeria’s aid.

“When giving orders to the service chiefs this time around, we should make it clear to them that they are not only to eliminate the terrorists but also their sponsors, no matter how influential they may be.

“When I say our leaders should move fast, move diplomatically, and move wisely, we must take note of the fact that if America should attack us, China is not coming to defend us. Russia will not come to defend us.

“All the so-called world leaders will talk, they will condemn what America has done in the strongest terms, that’s all they will do. Britain is not going to come and help us. No other foreign power will come to our aid.

He stressed that this is not a time for debates or arguments, but for practical action to protect lives.

“This is not the time for joking. This is not the time for drama. This is not the time for semantics. This is not the time to begin to argue, is it suicide or kidnapping or whatever name they call it? And this is not the time to say, ‘Ah, it’s not Christians alone, Muslims are also involved.’ The point is, people are dying. Innocent people are dying”, he added.

In his advice, Adeboye drew from his experience with past administrations, including that of late President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he advised to take decisive action against terrorism.

Unfortunately, those efforts were not sustained to achieve lasting peace.

Read Also: Adeboye to pray for singles, waiting mothers, families
“This is not the time for apportioning blame. Our President inherited this problem, it started before him.

“Some of you will remember who called the service chiefs together and said, ‘I give you three months, get rid of all these Boko Haram people or resign. It’s not allowed to tell you who gave him that advice. He ran with that advice, but he didn’t follow it through, because he gave the order as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and the security operatives moved fast.

“But three months went by, and the work was not done. So I went to see him. It wasn’t unusual. This time, somehow, the press got to know that I visited him. Of course, they were not there when we talked.

“Unfortunately, like I said, he’s not alive now. I would have asked you to go and ask him, ‘Sir, why didn’t you follow through? Because when three months passed and the work wasn’t done, why didn’t you proceed with your, are we going to call it threat?’

“I won’t tell you the details, but one thing came out of that meeting,” he said.

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The US President subsequently threatened that if the Nigerian government fails to address the killing of Christians, the American military will intervene.

Islamic groups in Kano State have taken to the streets in protest against recent moves by U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene in Nigeria’s security situation.

The protesters trooped out on Saturday to counter Trump’s claim of Christian genocide in Nigeria.

They were seen displaying placards with different inscriptions such as ‘We condemn Trump’s threat to attack Nigeria’, ‘There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria’, ‘America wants to control our resources’, amongst others.

Recall that Trump recently designated Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ over the alleged persecution of Christians in the country.

The US President subsequently threatened that if the Nigerian government fails to address the killing of Christians, the American military will intervene.

The Nigerian government has since denied the alleged Christian genocide, describing it as false.

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