A Kaduna State-based company executive has accused Access Bank of negligence and poor customer experience after N22 million was stolen from his car inside the premises of one of the bank’s branches on July 22.
The customer, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told FIJ that he had gone to withdraw the sum from several banks around the Kaduna metropolis so he could prosecute a project being carried out by his company.
“I had already withdrawn N22 million from other banks within the Kaduna metropolis before visiting the Access Bank branch on Isa Kaita Road, Kaduna, to make further withdrawals,” the customer said.
“I visited the branch because I needed to make additional withdrawals so I could pay the people who were working on our construction sites their wages.
“Despite being a top priority customer, the bank officials wasted my time for close to 35 minutes before they eventually attended to me. All the while, I had my vehicle parked inside their premises.
“After I was eventually attended to, I immediately left the banking hall, only to find that the glass window at the back of my car had been completely smashed open by unknown persons where I had it parked. When I looked closely into the car, the N22 million I kept in two separate Ghana-Must-Go bags had been stolen!”
The company executive said when he explained what had just happened to one of the security guards manning the bank’s entrance gate, the guard said he would have paid special attention to his vehicle if he had known something valuable was kept inside it.
“The truth is, while I was driving into the premises, one of them (the guards) was quite reluctant to let me in. It was at that point that I told him that I had a very serious transaction to carry out and that there was money inside the car,” said the company executive.
“The funniest part is that it was not as if the premises was so busy that a car could not have been allowed to be parked inside or properly monitored.”
The company executive said that since the occurrence, the bank was yet to reach out to him officially on the way forward.
“Some officials of the branch only came out to show concern after the incident happened on that day but that was where it all ended,” he said.
“Since then, none of them has called me, apart from my account officer, to officially tell me what the bank plans on doing concerning the theft. This happened right inside their premises!”
The customer said he had reported the incident to the police and that investigations were ongoing.
When FIJ contacted Access Bank’s customer care desk for comments on the incident on Monday, Ikpe Uchechi, one of the bank’s officials, said the matter had been escalated and that feedback would be communicated to the affected customer.
However, when FIJ reached out to the aggrieved customer on Tuesday, he said he had not received any calls or a message from the bank.
House Speaker defies Chinese warnings NOT to travel to Taiwan as she becomes the most high profile US politician to visit contested island in decades
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lands in Taiwan
A visit to Taiwan by Pelosi, who is second in the line of succession to the U.S. presidency and a long-time critic of China, comes amid worsening ties between Washington and Beijing.
Her Air Force plane - with its distinctive blue and white colors and American flag on the tail - touched down in Taipei at 10:45 pm local time.
She disembarked at 10:53 pm, wearing a pink pants suit and white face mask. A contingent of Taiwan officials, including Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, greeted her on the tarmac.
Crowds of Taipei residents have gathered to watch her plane arrive at Taipei Songshan Airport around 10:43 local time.
Welcome the departure of the first grain shipment from Ukraine & the resumption of the grain trade. Planned departure of more grain should hopefully bring intl. grain prices down, aid humanitarian purchases & have a positive impact on poor people going hungry in poor countries.
Nigerian Shi'ites Accuse Buhari Government Of Placing Travel Bans On Leader, El-Zakzaky, Wife To Eliminate Them
The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), otherwise called Shi'ites movement has described the continued delay of the release of the passport of its leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky and his wife, Zeenat as an attempt to summarily eliminate the couple one year after their acquittal by a Kaduna high court.
The movement lamented the harrowing experience being faced by the couple owing to their deteriorating health conditions following their arrest and incarceration in December 2015 by the Muhammadu Buhari regime.
IMN disclosed this in a statement by Dr. Dauda Nalado on behalf of the Academic Forum of the movement to commemorate one year of their acquittal by the Kaduna high court.
The statement added that the 2015 Zaria massacre by the Nigerian army was an "all-out-war" aimed to eliminate the scholar and stop the Islamic movement from practising their religion.
The statement read, "We would like to inform the public that in spite of the favourable judgment of Kaduna State High Court delivered by Justice Gideon Kurada on the 28th of July, 2021, the Buhari regime has refused to return or reissue the travel documents of Sheikh El-Zakzaky and his wife.
"The historic judgement frees the couple without a single condition attached. But reliable information reaching us reveals that tyrant Buhari has placed a travel ban on the freed, notwithstanding their critical health challenges. It is pertinent to let the public know that the freedom of Sheikh El-Zakzaky and his wife is still on the periphery, cruelly delayed and unlawfully denied.
"The public are fully aware of the 2015 Zaria massacre executed from 12th to 14th December. It was an 'all-out-war' to eliminate the Sheikh and dislodge the Islamic movement under his distinguished tutelage.
"The Nigerian Army under Buhari’s direct command invaded the Husainiyyah along Sokoto Road, the Dambo-film-village-farmyard-cum-martyrs' graveyard and Sheikh El-Zakzaky's Gyallesu residence, all in Zaria. They killed his followers in excess of a thousand, and set the house ablaze.
"Against all odds, the prime target, his wife and several other family members survived the arson and all that unprecedentedly brutal attack. Yet, no sooner had four soldiers 'discovered; the whereabouts of the survivors in a laundry room than they started to rain bullets on them, instantly killing three of his sons, leaving the Sheikh and his wife 'waiting to die' from the lethal gunshot wounds, but they are still alive with multiple health complications that could not be treated here in Nigeria, therefore very much in need of urgent medical attention abroad.
"Justice was delayed and prolonged for more than 5 years, but at last the court discharged and acquitted the Sheikh and his wife. Following the court triumph, the couple's immediate preoccupation has been to cater for their medical needs abroad but their passports have been seized and denied for a year now."
The sect, therefore, demanded the immediate release of the passports and other travelling documents of the scholar and his wife to enable them seek medical treatment abroad.
Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland Gani Adams has raised the alarm over the presence of terrorists in Osun and Ogun forests.
He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly stop the country’s drift into destruction.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, Adams said worsening insecurity would cause further harm to the economy.
He urged Southwest governors to recruit, at least, 150 local security personnel in each local government to complement Amotekun.
“For instance, the information reaching me today (yesterday) is that the terrorists are in-between Osu forest and Ile-Ife in Osun State, fully armed with various ammunition.
“They are also present in the forest between Abeokuta and Ibadan planning to attack us in the Southwest. This is one piece of information that we need to act on to avoid a possible calamity.
“Yoruba aren’t cowards. So, let everybody in the Southwest be vigilant and be watchful in checking this insecurity scourge,” he said.
Adams decried the worsening insecurity across the country.
The statement added: “We now have a situation in which family members are being forced to raise N100 million naira to pay as ransom.
“The money is delivered to these terrorists to buy more weapons and the government is merely watching.
“After every abduction, the President will summon Service Chiefs to a meeting, a statement will be issued and that is the end of it. What we will hear next is another abduction or series of kidnappings.
“The insecurity situation has reached its peak with the threat by these terrorists to kidnap the President, governors and lawmakers.
“Presidential advance team was attacked in Katsina and even soldiers guarding the president were attacked in Abuja. Some of them were killed.
“It looks as if this administration has decided to force Nigerians to seek self-help.”
Soldiers of the Guards Brigade, Nigerian army have continued to raided forests in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Niger, Kogi and Kaduna states in search of terrorists, bandits, kidnappers taking refuge their.
The operation followed the ambush of soldiers by terrorists in Bwari Area Council last Sunday. The operations Daily Sun, gathered has yielded positive results with the arrest of several terrorists, destruction of their camps and recovery of arms, weapons, ammunitions and other logistics.
A security source told Daily Sun that the soldiers have taken the fight to the terrorists and would not relent until they are decimated. The source who does not want to be mentioned in print, said the terrorists who are mostly foreigners use power bikes to operate. So far, the source said a good number of the terrorists have been arrested and have made useful statements to intelligence officers.
It was gathered that the suspect arrested revealed on their memberswho are Okada riders, water vendors, wheelbarrow pushers, petty traders, mobile tailors, shoe Coblers among other informants to obtain information on troops movement, security presence among others before carrying out attacks.
When contacted on the operations to flush out the criminals from the forests, the director army public relations Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, did not pick his call.
Submission of Entries for The Kukah Prize for Young Innovators is now OPEN for persons below 30, working on Innovative Ideas/Startups. Click the link to learn more and make submissions.
THE KUKAH PRIZE FOR YOUNG INNOVATORS The Kukah Prize for Young Innovators is an award of recognition for outstanding innovators in the field of technology presented to young Africans who show exceptional promise as developing leaders in digital transformation. Bright young minds with creative technological ideas/solutions to developmental challenges both in their communities, and the world at large will be evaluated by judges in the startup and tech space across the continent for the most innovative digital ideas/solutions in the form of startups or initial concepts meeting global developmental challenges
Please find a Press Release by the Nigeria Embassy in Italy on the killing of Alika Ogorchukwu.
PRESS RELEASE ON THE BRUTAL KILLING OF A NIGERIAN IN CIVITANOVA MARCHE IN MARCHE REGION OF ITALY
The attention of the Embassy has been drawn to the brutal murder of Alika Ogorchukwu.
A 39-year-old Nigerian citizen who was beaten to death by an Italian man on Friday 29th July, 2022, in Civitanova Marche city, located in the Province of Macerata, Marche Region of Italy. The incident occurred on a busy street, in front of shocked onlookers..
Some of whom made videos of the attack, with little or no attempt to prevent it.
His Excellency, Ambassador Mfawa Omini Abam has condemned the gruesome murder and has commiserated with Mrs. Charity Oriachi, wife of the deceased and the rest of his family.
His Excellency has directed the provision of immediate consular assistance as appropriate.
The Embassy is currently collaborating with relevant Italian authorities to ensure justice is served and to provide succour to the family of the deceased.
Ambassador Abam wishes to enjoin members of the Nigerian community in Italy to remain calm and to refrain from taking laws into their hands. His Excellency wishes to reassure Nigerians in Italy that citizen's diplomacy remained the key thrust of his administration and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all Nigerians in Italy receive timely, efficient and professional consular services.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has requested the extradition of journalist Azuka Jebose from the United States embassy over alleged defamation and cyberstalking of billionaire Ned Nwoko.
“REQUEST FOR THE EXTRADITION OF AZUKA JEBOSE IN A CASE OF CYBERSTALKING FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO NIGERIA” reads the title of the document seen by Peoples Gazette.
The extradition request CAU/EXT/175/21 was signed by Akutah Pius Ukeyima, Head, Central Authority Unit for the AGF on June 27, 2022.
“I am directed by the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice of the Federation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to present his compliments and forward the attached request for Extradition to Your Excellency for onward transmission to the United States of America Department of Justice.”
Mr Nwoko in July 2020 sued the U.S.-based journalist who accused him of complicity in the murder of one Ogogo Blessing.
In a Facebook post, the journalist claimed Mr Ogogo’s corpse “was found floating inside the pool” of a building that belonged to the former lawmaker.
He further accused the sacked lawmaker of using his wealth and influence to stall the investigation of the matter.
Mr Nwoko in reaction filed a lawsuit alleging defamation of character and demanded N2 billion damages including a “public apology to be published by the defendants in at least two national daily newspapers circulating in Nigeria and social media platforms.”
According to Mr Nwoko, the defamatory publications in several online blogs and other social media platforms were aimed at denigrating his reputation.
Honourable Minister of Aviation Federal Ministry of Aviation Annex 3, Federal Secretarial Complex Shehu Shagari Way Maitama, Abuja Nigeria
Your Excellency, Greetings from Dubai. We trust this letter finds you well.
It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you of planned reductions in Emirates' operations to Nigeria. With effect from 15 August 2022, Emirates will be forced to reduce flights frorn Dubai to Lagos from 11 per week to 7 per week. We have had no choice but to take this action, to mitigate the continued losses Emirates is experiencing as a result of funds being blocked in Nigeria.
As of July 2022, Emirates has US$ 85 million of funds awaiting repatriation from Nigeria. This figure has been rising by more than $US 10 million every month, as the ongoing operational costs of our 11 weekly flights to Lagos and 5 to Abuja continue to accumulate.
These funds are urgently needed to meet our operational costs and maintain the commercial viability of our services to Nigeria. We simply cannot continue to operate at the current level in the face of mounting losses, especially in the challenging post COVID-19 climate. Emirates did try to stem the losses by proposing to pay for fuel in Nigeria in Nairas, which would have at least reduced one element of our ongoing costs, however this request was denied by the supplier. This means that not only are Emirates' revenues accumulating, we also have to send hard currency into Nigeria to sustain our own operation. Meanwhile our revenues are out of reach and not even earning credit interest.
Your Excellency, this is not a decision we have taken lightly. Indeed, we have made every effort to work with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to find a solution to this issue. Our Senior Vice-President met with the Deputy Governor of the CBN in May and followed spot the meeting by letter to the Governor himself the following month, however no positive response was received. Meetings were also held with Emirates' own bank in Nigeria and in collaboration with IATA to discuss improving FX allocation, but with limited success.
Despite our considerable efforts, the situation continues to deteriorate. We are now in the unfortunate position of having to cut flights, to mitigate against further losses going forward.
While we appreciate that this issue is primarily a financial one, any support you could kindly provide would be warmly welcomed by Esthetes. We are confident that your valuable involvement would make a real difference in improving this very difficult situation.
Should there be any positive development in the coming days, we will of course re-evaluate this decision. Meanwhile thank you for your understanding and please feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss the matter further.
Yours sincerely, Sheikh Majid Al Mualla DSVP International Affairs
Kadaria Ahmed’s Anti-BBC Article a Disservice to Journalism
Kadaria Ahmed is my senior in the profession for whom I have tremendous respect not only because of her matchless brilliance but also because of the record she set at Bayero University’s Department of Mass Communication from where I also graduated years after her.
But her fuzzy attempt to criminalize BBC’s—and Daily Trust’s— praiseworthy investigative reporting on the heartrending terroristic banditry in Zamfara, her home state, which gave the inept federal government the justificatory lifeline it needed to muzzle the media is a huge disservice to the profession. If I were her, I’d be ashamed of that article. She is more worried about the uncomfortable truths revealed in the BBC report, which most of us already know and which journalists are professionally obligated to report, than the government’s crying ineptitude.
If you don’t like what you see in the mirror, breaking, covering, or ignoring it won’t change anything. If the horrors of terroristic banditry weren't ignored or covered by the gov't, reporting on it wouldn't have come across as glorification of banditry. It isn't light's problem that it reveals what's in the dark.
The BBC in Nigeria: Between reporting and propagating terror, By Kadaria Ahmed
The unfolding anarchy and violence in Nigeria are serious matters, and every attempt must be made to keep the public informed. A documentary that investigates and examines government failures, while centring on victims and their families would have done that. Giving boastful, bloodthirsty criminals a global platform serves only two purposes. It provides free publicity for terror and enables the BBC to push viewership figures on social media.
It has simply gotten out of hand.
Journalists and now a global media organisation of repute, the BBC, which should know better, are becoming tools for terrorists, even if unwittingly, by amplifying the faces, voices and stories of killers and marauders who are still operating with impunity across Nigeria.
The public interest argument seems to have been misunderstood, some may even say misrepresented, to enable sensationalist reporting that is very unlikely to be allowed on screens in the United Kingdom. By not upholding the same standards as they would uphold in the UK, in their work in Nigeria, the producers of BBC Africa Eye, in their latest documentary titled “The Bandits Warlords of Zamfara”, have provided a global platform to terrorists and can be accused of becoming an accomplice to terror in the name of reporting it.
When Communications Professor at the University of Toronto, Mahmoud Eid, coined the term ‘Terroredia’, in his book Exchanging Terrorism Oxygen for Media Airwaves, Eid argues that there is now a “relationship between terrorists and media professionals in which acts of terrorism and media coverage are exchanged, influenced, and fuelled by one another.” Since it was written seven years ago, it would appear the case Eid was trying to make is now quite self-evident, especially in Nigeria, where, increasingly, propaganda videos and statements by terror groups, as well as features on terror leaders, are finding their way into mainstream media. We can now easily identify, for example, the faces of the major kingpins responsible for the widespread kidnappings and killings that are occurring on a daily basis in the Northern part of Nigeria, no thanks to having their pictures and videos splashed all over the pages of newspapers and on our television screens, almost as if they are Nollywood A-listers.
None of this has ‘helped’ our inept government, led by President Muhamadu Buhari, to find and arrest these blood-thirsty criminals. The ‘pressure’ has also not stopped the administration from playing ostrich and finding an effective way of tackling insecurity. These are some of the public interest arguments put forward by those defending the featuring of predatory criminals on national and now international media platforms.
The arguments also include an assertion that hearing from terrorists helps us understand the conflicts better and therefore come up with solutions. Under the guise of public interest, this is the argument that BBC Africa Eye seems to be presenting, to justify its decision to actively give copious screen time to self-confessed murderers and kidnappers, who are still actively involved in attacking communities, killing, kidnapping, pillaging and generally making life brutish and a living hell for the people of Nigeria’s North-western state of Zamfara and beyond.
The two promotional clips released for the documentary, the “Bandits Warlords of Zamfara”, feature a marauder who should remain nameless here, confirming that he was part of those who raided Jengebe girls’ secondary school in the state, abducting over 300 students, with the attendant horror these sorts of crime normally entail, and releasing them, after the payment of ransom. Evidently, the BBC Africa Eye team also had no problem utilising footage that appears to have been shot by these self-confessed criminals, because this makes it into the second trailer. No media of repute would take this decision because it is generally understood that these sorts of videos are recorded by terrorists for one thing only: propaganda.
Reports of the documentary in national newspapers also quote one of the featured criminals boasting, in the documentary, that he only kills, and doesn’t kidnap for ransom. This is the nature of the programme that the ‘reputable’ BBC Africa Eye is positioning as having a public interest imperative.
To be clear, the current state of insecurity and all that it entails is the fault of the Federal Government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, and he must be held responsible for the carnage and state of anarchy engulfing the nation. That does not however mean irresponsible reporting by the media, which after all should champion the common man, should not be challenged.
If terrorists were killing and kidnapping British citizens, especially young children, the BBC would not enable interviews by the perpetrators, particularly if they were still roaming footloose and fancy-free, without an iota of remorse for their crimes. The trauma to the psyche of the British public will be unbearable, and the BBC would not be willing to pay that price, or risk the legal consequences sure to ensue.
In the era of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), for example, the group didn’t make it onto the airwaves of the BBC. Indeed, reporting of the activities of the political party seen as the political arm of the IRA, Sein Fein, was heavily censored. Every time they spoke, the BBC deleted their voices and replaced them with those of actors, in obedience to British Government directives, which were put in place because the authorities believed publicity is like air for ‘terrorists’ groups, helping them to grow and thrive. And even though Sein Fein shared what many might argue is only an ideological position with the IRA, they were denied a presence on British airwaves in substantial ways.
The public’s right to know is a sacrosanct tenant of journalists who are not and should not be in the job of censoring news. Finding the balance between that and ensuring media platforms do not provide the oxygen of publicity for terrorists and criminals is not easy, but it is at these difficult junctures that good journalism needs to stand its ground.
Here in Nigeria, concerns about the impact that the amplification of the voices of terrorists will have on victims, their families and the public, appear to be a secondary consideration to the BBC’s insistence on hearing from the bandits’ first-hand accounts and justification for their murderous activities.
There is no good argument that can justify the damage this is doing to the public that includes the school girls in Jangebe, who can now, in perpetuity, watch the story of their abductions from the mouth of their abductors and relive the attendant trauma of that horrible crime.
For all of these school girls, victims and their families, the BBC Africa Eye has confirmed their attackers’ invincibility. By documenting and handing over on a platter of gold, one of the most respected media brands in the world to justify their actions, the BBC has iconised violent men leading marauding militias that are killing, abducting, maiming and leaving terror in their wake across large sways of Nigeria and who are clearly neither sorry for their crime nor looking to stop anytime soon.
It is hard to see how this will not contribute to deepening fear, mistrust, hopelessness and damage to the national psyche, while undoubtedly helping with recruitment – all ingredients that actively contribute to successful outcomes for terror groups.
The public’s right to know is a sacrosanct tenant of journalists who are not and should not be in the job of censoring news. Finding the balance between that and ensuring media platforms do not provide the oxygen of publicity for terrorists and criminals is not easy, but it is at these difficult junctures that good journalism needs to stand its ground.
Recognising the importance of getting it right globally, experts, including those at the BBC, have taken the trouble to develop guidelines for reporting difficult stories, including stories of conflict and terrorism. The German Press Code, for example, says that, “in reporting actual and threatened acts of violence, the Press should carefully weigh the public’s interest in information against the interest of victims and other people involved. It should report on such incidents in an independent and authentic way, but not allow itself to be made the tool of criminals. Nor should it undertake independent attempts to mediate between criminals and the police. THERE MUST BE NO INTERVIEWS WITH PERPETRATORS DURING ACTS OF VIOLENCE.”
The German guidelines are unequivocal about not giving airtime to criminals involved in ongoing criminal activities and for very good reason. The BBC’s editorial guidelines are more watery, perhaps explaining why the BBC Africa Eye team is able to be cavalier about such a critical issue. But even these guidelines say, “any proposal to approach an organisation (or an individual member of an organisation) designated a ‘terrorist group’ by the Home Secretary under the Terrorism Acts, and any proposal to approach individuals or organisations responsible for acts of terror, to participate in our output must be referred in advance to Director Editorial Policy and Standard and also any proposal to broadcast content made by perpetrators of a hijacking, kidnapping, hostage-taking or siege must be referred to a senior editorial figure.” The questions to answer therefore include: Did senior people in London at the BBC fully understand that they were authorising the recording of terrorists who are still active and who between them have been responsible for the abduction, rape and killings of thousands of people including school children?
There are other questions.
When homeland terrorists committed the inconceivable crime of hacking British soldier Lee Rigby to death in May 2013, would the BBC have considered it in the public interest to interview these terrorists? To compare apples with apples, imagine that hero Rigby’s murderers were never held for their crimes, continued butchering people and collecting seven figure ransoms, would the BBC dare to send reporters to film the murderers gloating about collecting ransom, and then hold Twitter Spaces and bask in views, clicks and likes?
The answer is NO. The BBC would never dare this.
Why then is the BBC okay to fund, then publicise the glorification of practicing murderers still butchering hundreds across Nigeria and the Chad Basin? How did this three-year disregard for African lives come about, and why is this acceptable?
Given the programme’s track record of dubious editorial decisions and accusations of unethical behaviour, including by local reporters who worked with them, BBC managers in London should also explain if the decision to put this documentary out on social media was designed to ensure its producers are not held to the high global broadcast standards the BBC is known for and which are applicable to content broadcast within the UK?
By their own admission, the BBC Africa Eye producers claim their reporting occurred over three-years. This is clearly well before the crime against the school girls in Jangebe occurred. These bandits and their factions commit cross-border crimes. Therefore, as a matter of urgent national and regional security, other questions which the BBC must answer publicly, in the actual interest of the public include:
1. In all these years it was conducting these ‘investigations’ of terrorists, did the BBC harbour information on potential criminals or actual crimes they happened on? Did the BBC withhold this information from the relevant African security authorities?
2. After the particular interviews in which the murderers admit their collection of ransoms, and committing acts of kidnap, did the BBC hand over any of this footage to the authorities, and do so in a timely manner?
3. What footage and information has the BBC handed over to law enforcement, since the publication of this documentary?
In covering a subset of criminals for three years, the BBC has brazenly admitted that it was shooting criminals before, during and after the commission of dastardly crimes that have destroyed generations, present and unborn.
The BBC Africa Eye documentaries series have been designed specifically for release on social media platforms (Facebook and YouTube). Given the programme’s track record of dubious editorial decisions and accusations of unethical behaviour, including by local reporters who worked with them, BBC managers in London should also explain if the decision to put this documentary out on social media was designed to ensure its producers are not held to the high global broadcast standards the BBC is known for and which are applicable to content broadcast within the UK?
When BBC Africa Eye did a story on drug addiction in Nigeria, there were attempts by a producer to sensationalise some of the reporting, to make it more gripping. On that occasion, he was working with a seasoned and brave journalist who pushed back. When they did a story on Sex for Grades, the two reporters responsible for the story ended up trading blame on social media over sex-for-by-line allegations. Again, the producers didn’t come out smelling of roses. An investigative report by them on a popular talk show host in Nigeria, who is revered by millions, saw the journalist who did that reporting flee his home together with his family as a result of threats to his life. The BBC failed in its duty of care to this local journalist and in the end fellow journalists had to rally around to provide him with safe spaces.
In all, the team at BBC Africa Eye appear to be striving to do reporting that would be unacceptable in the UK for being unethical and transparently against public interest. The problem is they have capitalised on the justified anger of the people and the inconceivable failure of the government to, once again, resurrect the ugliest vestiges of colonialism, which one had hoped were long buried.
The unfolding anarchy and violence in Nigeria are serious matters, and every attempt must be made to keep the public informed. A documentary that investigates and examines government failures, while centring on victims and their families would have done that. Giving boastful, bloodthirsty criminals a global platform serves only two purposes. It provides free publicity for terror and enables the BBC to push viewership figures on social media.
It does nothing for public service. Even if it does not realise it, the BBC’s reputation for stellar public service journalism is being damaged.
Black lives, their humanity and national security, should matter more than clicks.
Hopefully someone in London will take note.
Kadaria Ahmed was a Senior Producer at the BBC in London and is now CEO at Radio Now 95.3FM Lagos.
Nigerian Legal Practitioner and former APC National Legal Adviser DH Bwala has joined the PDP after resigning from the APC.
Bwala had on 10th of July announced his resignation from APC in protest against Muslim-Muslim ticket following the announcement of Senator Shettima as VP candidate.
Announcing that he has joined the PDP, Bwala wrote:
Today I officially joined @OfficialPDPNig for the following reasons; 1. PDP presents a clear vision for one Nigeria 2. PDP is the party with the realistic chance of defeating APC 3. Atiku is the only candidate with superior experience to lead Nigeria out of the woods
Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to financial institutions: "immediately cease and desist from dealing with Flutterwave and Chipper Cash. You are thereafter required, within seven days of the date of the letter to confirm to CBK your compliance with the directive."
TO ALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF COMMERCIAL BANKS, MICROFINANCE BANKS AND MORTGAGE FINANCE COMPANIES
FLUTTERWAVE PAYMENTS TECHNOLOGY LTD AND CHIPPER TECHNOLOGIES KENYA LTD
It has come to the attention of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) that Flutterwave Payments Technology Limited (Flutterwave) and Chipper Technologies Kenya Limited (Chipper) have been engaging in Money Remittance and Payment Services without licensing and authorisation by CBK.
Money Remittance Services in Kenya are regulated pursuant to the Central Bank of Kenya Act and the Money Remittance Regulations, 2013. Further, Payment Services in Kenya are regulated pursuant to the National Payment System Act and the National Payment System Regulations, 2014.
You are therefore directed to immediately cease and desist from dealing with Flutterwave and Chipper.
You are thereafter required, within seven (7) days of the date of the letter to confirm to CBK your compliance with the directive.
NO fewer than 320 Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, have been discovered in an uncompleted building in a forest along the Immiringi/Ogbia Road in Bayelsa State.
The PVCs, which were stashed in a bag by hoodlums were discovered by the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service, during their routine patrol in the area on Tuesday.
State Commandant, Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service, Moses Okano, who disclosed this in Yenagoa, yesterday, while handing over the recovered PVCs to Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Bayelsa State, noted that upon arrival at the scene, the hoodlums absconded, leading to their discovery of the PVCs.
Okano said: “In our routine patrol, I led the operation on Tuesday. We have been combing the bushes because of the happening we have been hearing in the bushes. We started from Azikoro went through Elebele.
“In the course of our going round, we ran into an uncompleted building in the bush and we had some noise and with our usual way of operation to ascertain those who are there, the people on sighting started jumping out through the windows of the uncompleted building.
“So, we were able to enter into the building and what we saw was the abandoned voters cards. So, knowing fully well that these are Federal Government property and the only authority empowered or authorized by law to keep custody of these items is INEC, so we have to recover them and decided to bring them to the commission.”
Receiving the PVCs on behalf of the Bayelsa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, the Administrative Secretary of the commission, Okop Umo-Obong, commended the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service for bringing the cards to the commission and for keeping the neighborhood safe.
Umobong said he will hand over the cards to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Alex Hart, assuring that the Commission would investigate the circumstances that led to the cards being found in the forest.
He noted that an investigation would determine whether the PVCs were abandoned in the process of printing or they belong to genuine voters.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) said it will sueGovernor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government over the sentence of human rights lawyer, Ihibehe Effiong.
The group made this disclosure in a statement issued via its verified Twitter handle on Wednesday.
The statement reads, “We’re suing Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel and the Buhari administration over the unlawful detention of human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, and the apparent misuse of the justice system.”
Recall that the Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Ekaette Obot had sentenced Effiong to one-month in prison.
Prior to his sentence, Effiong was handling a case for his client before Justice Obot’s court in Uyo.
Effiong claimed in a tweet that he was sentenced to Uyo prison by Justice Obot for defending Leo Ekpenyong in a libel suit filed by Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Justice Obot in previous proceedings had ordered court officials to temporarily seize phones from reporters and others in the courtroom.
Photos: Protests rock different states in Nigeria, as NLC fulfils promise
Barely few minutes that Vanguard reported the protest rocking Lagos, another protest has reportedly commence in Ondo state.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Sunday promised to embark on a two-day nationwide protest in solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and other affiliate unions over the lingering industrial action in public universities in Nigeria.
The national president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba in a statement told fellow workers that the national days of protest was in support of unions in Nigeria’s public universities who are fighting for quality education.
“In line with the decisions of the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Nigeria Labour Congress held on the 30th of June 2022, we have scheduled as follows the national days of protest to get our children back to school and support our unions in Nigeria’s public universities fighting for quality education.
“You are requested to immediately convene the meetings of your SAC to disseminate this information and to fully mobilize workers in the states for this very important protest for good governance,” Comrade Wabba said in the circular jointly signed by the NLC general secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja.
In line with the agreement, Members of the Congress, Tuesday stormed the streets of Lagos, with placards emblazoned with different inscription.
Some of the inscriptions are: “Nigeria at 60 years Independence, More hunger in the land”. “Reduce the costs of governance now. Save the masseuses from poverty and hunger”. “Stop importation of petrol, revive the refineries”.
In Ondo their placards read: “ASUU FUTA says, End ASUU Strike Now”. NASU says, Get our children back to school. Grant our demands Federal Government of Nigeria.” ETC.
Christy O is a beauty entrepreneur who runs a cosmetics business. This outspoken 24-year-old also models in her free time, and believes in giving people second chances.
She describes herself as a “funny, smart and hardworking extrovert” and admits you are more than likely to find her “where the fun is” on any given day. When she’s not hiking or enjoying a picnic with her close friends, Christy O makes time to write poems.
Her major weakness? “I’m a perfectionist, which means I’m usually not satisfied with a result, especially when a task has been performed by someone else”. She is also argumentative and sarcastic, traits that may annoy her fellow Housemates.
Despite all this, Christy O feels she’s the right person for this experience. “I am excellent at putting on a good show. Big Brother Naija is about entertaining, educating and being creative. I think I can be great at that,” she says.
When she’s not writing poetry, acting, or singing, you’ll find 22-year-old Daniella working out and staying fit. She hates bullies with a passion and believes in fair play, so she usually steps in as “the defender” during heated arguments.
Daniella loves meeting new people and describes herself as resilient, energetic and observant. She has a twin brother, five older brothers and a younger sister, and loves being part of a big family. Although she just got out of a toxic relationship, Daniella still believes in love and is open to finding it one day. When quizzed on habits that could possibly annoy her fellow Housemates, she says: “Based on research, it would be my sensitivity. I’m very aware of verbal and non-verbal communication. My pettiness would be another, even though I don’t like drama. Also, I am quite unpredictable”.
Daniella believes Big Brother Naija is the perfect stage to showcase her creativity. “I want to be in the entertainment industry. I strongly believe I belong here”.
Art lover, movie junkie and music freak Cyph, hails from Imo State and studied Electrical Engineering at Madonna University. He loves food, travel, fashion and cruise, and admits he can be quite enigmatic. “I’m goofy, sociable and playful too though, so that balances it out,” he says.
His motto is: ‘You only live once’ and Cyph ensures he remembers this when he has disagreements with loved ones by hashing out any differences immediately. This 27-year-old is the first to admit he loves being happy, but is prone to crying if someone makes him extremely angry. Although not in a relationship, Cyph has his eyes set on someone outside the House currently.
Why sign up for Big Brother Naija? “I’ve always wanted to be seen or known beyond the comfort of my home, phone and friends. I have a lot to give to society and I see BB Naija as that first step”.
Licensed pharmacist, Pharmsavi, is a confident multitalented extrovert with “an amazing sense of humour”. He is passionate about life and acting in particular, and would like to pursue the craft as a profession in the near future.
Pharmsavi enjoys travelling, dancing and playing video games, and has a large network of friends, courtesy of his boisterous, friendly personality. He dislikes hypocrisy and deceit and considers himself emotional and competitive. He loves graphic design and when he has time, you will find Pharmsavi playing table tennis.
Habits that could possibly annoy his fellow Housemates during his time in the House? “I am a perfectionist. People always say I suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) because I like things to be clean and in order,” he says.
Pharmsavi hopes Big Brother Naija will help him kickstart his dream of becoming a professional actor. “I also want to create awareness on drug abuse and misuse, especially among the youth”.
Artist, fashion entrepreneur and model Groovy, is an ambitious 26-year-old from Anambra State. He has a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University of Lagos and loves working out and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. He describes himself as “a positive, self-sufficient, supportive person” and believes his winning mentality never fails to push him and those around him to greater heights.
Groovy reckons his argumentative nature could rub his fellow Housemates up the wrong way. “I don’t back down if I feel I’m right about something, unless the facts state I’m wrong. I’m also very principled, so I hardly bend my will to please others, unless it’s the right thing to do.
He has been running a clothing and accessories business for the past four years, and also dabbles in music, and feels Big Brother Naija will help him make a name for himself.
“I want to be famous, wealthy, influential and powerful. I want to be a voice for change in my country and in the world and this show is the platform to showcase who I am, and who I can be to the world.
Singer and songwriter Bryann counts Wande Coal, Vybz Cartel and Angelique Kidjo as some of his musical influences. The 24-year-old who hails from Imo State started releasing music in 2019, and finally put out a full-length project in 2021.
Although down-to-earth and sometimes reserved, Bryann enjoys meeting new people, partying and watching movies. “I would call myself an extravert; which is a mix of both an introvert and an extrovert. I have random bursts of energy and I have low-energy days, but I understand how to navigate people in either of these situations,” he says.
Bryann is at his happiest when he is being creative and hopes Big Brother Naija will give him the platform to interact with people, raise his social currency and also create awareness about his music.
His fellow Housemates, however, might take exception to his chronic late-coming and his bad memory. “I’m super forgetful, so I sometimes forget to pitch for meetings on time,” he says with a chuckle.
Khalid doesn’t like to beat around the bush when it comes to relationships, and his idea of fun is hanging out with the right people, having meaningful conversations and engaging in extreme sports.
He enjoys archery, skateboarding, basketball, watching anime and also has a keen interest in mythology. This 22-year-old freelance graphic designer and muralist from Plateau State loves to try new things and considers himself charismatic.
Khalid, who describes himself as “chronically single”, is not looking for love at the moment, but feels like he hit the jackpot where friendship is concerned, which is more than enough. He sees the Big Brother Naija House as a platform to advertise himself and meet amazing new people.
“With my talents, I know I'm supposed to do greater things than I am doing right now. My friends and family never fail to remind me, so I owe it to them and myself to be great,“ he says.
Full Name: Ijeoma Josephina Otabor Ijeoma describes herself as “allergic to malice”. She is short-tempered and can fight with a person one minute, then talk to them the next, like nothing happened.
She is single and believes she is a born entertainer. “My view on relationships is: Na mumu dey fall in love”.
This 25-year-old hype girl considers herself jovial, and maintains she is allergic to gossip. “I don’t condone gossip, and a lot of people know I hate it. You can never gossip about someone to me,” she says.
One of her talents is repairing home appliances and she counts her graduation as one of the best moments of her life. “I never thought I would be able to further my education in a higher institution of learning”. Phyna has set her sights on the Big Brother Naija House because of one simple reason; she wants to make a difference.
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