₦airaland Forum

Mensah, an illiterate cocoa bean farmer in Ghana, spends strenuous hours under the sun to make ends meet for his family. But he knows that the price of cocoa beans is not dependent on Ghanaians, but rather foreign demand, which sees the cocoa transformed into finished goods such as chocolate bars (which are then sold back to Ghana and Africa-at-large). This disturbs Mensah, but what can a poor farmer do to change the narrative? Like the rest of his countrymen, he blames it all on the government.

So does John Aghile, the author of the 2014 book, Unleashed: A new paradigm of African Trade with the World. In his book, the CEO of African Trade Group, outlines everything that is wrong with the existing narrative on trade within Africa but also proffers solutions.

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There was a time when comic-following culture was a foreign in Nigeria, now, however, there has been a significant evolution in this area as more people are becoming fans of comics, be it a passing interest in the Boondocks or unadulterated love for the Avengers. In addition to this has been a growing fan base for comics created by Nigerians, which is what Jide Martin must have thought when he established Comic Republic in 2013. Comic Republic is an online comic company dedicated to promoting positive attributes of the Nigerian superheroes featured in stories which are free for public consumption.

The superheroes have everyday Nigerian names and this makes it easy for people to identify with them easily. With names ranging from Ireti, Aje, Eru to Avonome, Comic Republic advocates for self-identification and pride in one’s own mother tongue when it comes to their selection of names. In Nigeria, it is normal to find that young people would rather be called by their western names as opposed to their traditional names. Comic Republic is gradually awakening everyone’s consciousness to the fact that we can have cool superheroes with traditional/local names, meaning people with such names can see themselves equally as cool.

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International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director, Ms. Christine Lagarde is on a scheduled visit to Nigeria to discuss with President Muhammadu Buhari and several stakeholders to proffer solutions to the country’s economic challenges. The visit, which will take place between the 4th and 7th of January 2016, will focus on discussing ways of boosting the economy which experts have said is showing signs of distress orchestrated by the falling oil prices. While Christine Lagarde’s visit is ongoing, here are a few key areas Nigerians can expect to be focused on during her second visit to the country.

Economic Diversification

As the main focus of the visit is on the economy, the IMF team may be interested in sharing ideas on how Nigeria can improve its economy by shifting attention to other resources besides crude oil. Although many experts have called for Nigeria to focus less on oil and more on natural resources in order to revive the economy, very few steps have been taken to actualize the goal. The new minister of natural resources, Kayode Fayemi, has been called on to take certain steps on improving the sector. In December, Fayemi said, that he is committed to ensuring the Nigerian economy benefits from the sector within a decade. According to ThisDay, the minister has pledged to focus on employment, block existing leakages to shore up revenue generation and build an industry that would support the country’s industrialization and become sustainable, transparent and environmental friendly.

Advocating for reduction on public spending

Last year, Christine Lagarde alerted the Nigerian government on public spending, advocating the removal of the fuel subsidy. “On the issue of the eight African countries that are oil exporters, some of which actually benefit as a result of dollars appreciation, you get dollar pricing for the oil you export and sometimes this helps to cushion the decline in oil pricing. But the point must also be made that some of these countries also acquire loans which are dollar denominated. They have to try to be cautious with public spending. We will still recommend that any subsidy that is being paid out on physical resources be phased out to the possible maximum extent. This is already happening in Nigeria, but more still need to be done, as quickly as possible, especially if it is not being engaged in sectors of the economy where they are not being done”, Lagarde said at the time.


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The North East Development Commission (NEDCOM) bill, which will reach its third and final reading in Nigeria’s Senate House this month, focuses on rebuilding terror-stricken communities in the North East. The bill, supported by Senator Yakubu Dogara and 32 other lawmakers, seeks to restore 20 communities in Borno state, 6 destroyed communities in Adamawa state and 2 destroyed communities in Yobe state.

This appears to be a good move by the Senate as instability and insecurity in the region has led to the displacement of several indigenous people of the area. In a poll conducted by NOI Polls in 2014 on internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria, North Eastern Nigeria recorded a high number of IDPs as a result of terrorism.

Also, it is likely that Nigerians will welcome the introduction of this bill due to the fact that it can represent a way forward, tackling the after-effects of terrorism in the country. In a similar NOI Poll, several Nigerians expressed positivity towards a law that will protect internally displaced people in the country, and the respondents cut across geopolitical zones, age and gender.

Vanguard Nigeria reports that Senate leader, Senator Mohammed Ndume, told newsmen in Maiduguri, over the weekend, that by February this year, the rebuilding of all the destroyed communities will commence under various Implementation and Monitoring Committees (IMMC) in the affected areas. According to the report, Sen. Ndume said the bill, when passed into law, will mirror the existing Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) established in June, 2000 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration to address the Niger Delta militancy issue in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones.

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On my way to the Keffi Maiden Polo Tournament in Nassarawa state, I was curious as to what a polo game would look like as I had never attended one. Prior to this I had read about Uneku Atawodi, who made a name for herself by playing polo internationally and emerging as one of Africa's foremost female polo players. As the Guardian described her in 2013, "Atawodi is part of a wave of rekindled interest in a game once considered a national sport by a burgeoning middle class during Nigeria's petro-boom years of the 1960s."

The tournament was organised in support of education by a former House of Representatives member, Hon. Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, who brought in players from several states in Nigeria, Britain and Argentina to play the sport, the tournament was sponsored by Zenith Bank, Skye Bank and Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc.

Several dignitaries were present during the tournament, which took place between the 15th and 20th of December 2015. Some prominent names include the former governor of Nassarawa state, Emir of Lafia, Emir of Keffi, Alh. Nigeria’s current minister of state for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, owner of MRS Petroleum, Alh. Idris Dantata, the president of the Nigerian Polo Federation, Francis Ogboro and several others.

Knowing more about the sport
I caught up with Ernest Ekpenyong, a Nigerian polo journalist with over 20 years worth of experience in writing about the sport and he gave me helpful tips on understanding the sport better. It turns out that although company executives play golf, owners of companies play polo putting the sport ahead of gold in terms of exclusivity.

The game of polo is a game of equality and there is no goalkeeper, no offside and no corner. In terms of performance, players are given ratings beginning from -2 all the way to +10 (the highest in the world). There are lots of rules guiding the sport, the first of which is the line of the ball, which suggests that no player can dribble from the front of a player in control of the ball, only from the side.

The tournaments featured teams like the Terra E & P, Rubicon, Gamtech, Keffi Ponies, Kano Titans, Bichi Farms and Hamden Trust. They were all competing for the President’s cup, the Queeen’s cup, Speakers cup, Governor’s cup etc.

Like a pow-wow of sorts between friends and family members, polo sport in Nigeria is not only a game of kings, it is a small gathering of professionals and admirers of the sport. I had the opportunity to chat with Hamisu Buba, a professional polo player, who loves his profession and has brought the country a lot of pride in the sport. He said that in any polo tournament, everyone knows everyone. “There is hardly a strange or unfamiliar face in tournaments like these”, Buba said. Here’s a bit more of what he had to say.

Ventures Africa (VA): Give us a little insight into your background and how long you have been playing the game of polo.

Hamisu Buba (HB): I was born and brought up in Jos, Plateau state and I have been an active polo player for about 23 years. As a little kid, there were racing horses in the house as my late dad, Hussein Buba, was a horse racer. Anyway, after picking up an interest in polo, I started practicing with a bicycle instead of a horse, I would play bicycle polo with a mallet, after which I honed my skills with regular horses.

VA: Given the fact that you have spent so many years as a professional polo player in the country, you will no doubt have certain defining moments in your career. Can you tell us about one?

HB: Well, I can tell you about two defining moments. The first was when I had the opportunity to win the most prestigious polo cup in Nigeria in 2004, I won the Georgian Cup. As you know, the Georgian cup was introduced into Nigeria in 1919 and has been the biggest cup in the game for over 90 years. Also, in 2012, I was handpicked by the Nigerian Polo Federation to represent the country in the 2012 World Cup, it was a great honor to be selected.

VA: What has been the greatest challenge you encountered as a professional polo player?

HB: Playing polo is a risky game. A few times, players are subjected to little accidents on the field where they sustain injuries, just like in any other sport.

VA: Will you encourage your kids to play the sport regardless of how risky it is?

HB: Given the fact that I have about ten more years in active polo, it will be a thing of pride to encourage my kids to follow in my footsteps. As you may have noticed, a few times, the love for polo is passed down from fathers to their children, so I would definitely encourage them to partake if the interest is there.

*****

During the tournament, Nasir Lukat a professional polo player fell from his horse and sustained an injury to his leg, however he won a trophy for his team. Here’s what he had to say about his determination which has contributed to his emergence as a +1 rated player in a short period of time.

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In the field of politics, women are beginning to emerge as forces to be reckoned with in several countries around the world. However, assessing gender equality goes beyond the realm of politics. Here's our look at key events in 2015 in Nigeria and our assessment of whether or not they pushed for gender equality in the country, or not.

The VAPP Bill
On the 25th of May 2015, former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, signed the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill into law. The act prohibits all forms of violence against persons in public and private life. It seeks to protect vulnerable persons in the country from persecution and victimization, particularly women and children. After several years of activism by the civil society, the bill was first presented to the House of Representatives in May 2002, the Bill on Violence Against Women became a Bill on Violence Against Persons in 2008 when it was harmonized with 8 other Bills on gender-based violence in the National Assembly. Although it took seven years for the bill to become law, it shows the Nigerian society seeks to protect women from violence directed at them disproportionately, exhibiting concern towards the future of its citizens who are considered most vulnerable.

Score - YES

President Buhari's appointment of women within his administration
Muhammadu Buhari officially assumed the position of president of Nigeria in May 2015. Before this, he promised to implement the National Gender Policy which recommends 35 percent affirmative action in favor of women to bridge gender gaps in political representation in both elective and appointive posts at all levels by 2015. However, he failed to fulfill his promise as he appointed just three women into these positions, amounting to a mere 15 percent as opposed to the recommended percentage.

The poor representation of women in President Buhari's cabinet suggests that the president does not have as much faith in the abilities of women as he claimed to after being raised by his grandmother. This may indicate a step backward for the country as the immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan, had a cabinet with 33 percent of women by 2013.

Nigerians have, in the past, expressed some faith in the capability of women occupying key positions in government. Against the backdrop of the 2015 International Women’s Day celebrated on the 8th of March, NOIPolls conducted a poll to gauge the perception of Nigerians on Women in Governance.

The poll revealed that more female (70 percent) than male (53 percent) Nigerians appreciate the idea of women contesting for political positions in the country to a very large extent. Analysis by geo-political zone revealed that the South-East zone (70 percent) accounted for the largest proportion of Nigerians who support the idea of women contesting for political positions in Nigeria to a very large extent. In addition, respondents aged 61 years and above showed the highest level of support for women contesting for political positions.

Score - NO

Film making
2015 was a landmark year for several women in the film industry, new ventures became laudable successes. Take Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji for instance, this year she produced her own movie, Road to Yesterday.

Also, Stephanie Okereke-Linus produced, Dry, which was centered on the effects of child marriage resulting in Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF). Dry went on to win a 2015 Best of Nollywood award for the best social message, due to the awareness on VVF it created.

Everyone knows Mo Abudu is the Queen of chat, she has been able to navigate her way through hosting a talk show, Moments with Mo, as well as launching African entertainment television, EbonyLife Tv. This year, EbonyLife Tv produced Fifty, a movie set in Lagos, Nigeria, focused on women and their lifestyles. Themes surrounding love and lust, faith and reason, reality and obsession, power and vulnerability, wisdom and youth, were all explored in the film. Fifty was the only movie selected from Nigeria (and one of only five films from the entire continent of Africa) from the 238 films selected globally for screening at the 2015 British Film Institute London Film Festival. Also, the movie, Fifty will be featured on Netflix to over 65 million global audiences in 50 countries from December 28, 2015.

Score - YES

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Although Oscar Pistorius’ case was one of the highest profile events of 2015 in South Africa, it was one amidst many that shaped the year in one of the continent's 'big four.' Here are a some of the other interesting things that happened, just in case you missed them.

The blade runner was found guilty of murder

Following his release from prison on October 19, 2015, Oscar Pistorius was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp by a constitutional court, in Bloemfontein, South Africa in December 2015. Pistorius shot Steenkamp four times, back in 2013 through a closed toilet door. Although the minimum sentence for murder in the country is 15 years, the BBC reported that South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that the lower court did not correctly apply the rule of ‘dolus eventualis’ - whether Pistorius knew that death would be a likely result of his actions. The date for his new sentencing is yet to be set. “As a matter of common sense, at the time the fatal shots were fired, the possibility of the death of the person behind the door was clearly an obvious result. And in firing not one but four shots, such a result became even more likely”, said Justice Eric Leach.

Ntombi–futhi Samantha + Chris Rock adoption scandal

In 2008, when she was barely a year old, Samantha Ntombi-futhi was taken by Hollywood actor Chris Rock and his wife, Malaak Compton-Rock, to the United States of America on a tourist visa and the couple began raising her as their own daughter. A divorce and seven years later, South Africa filed a lawsuit against the celebrity asking why no legal adoptive process was instituted to make Samantha a member of the Rock family, formally. Over the years, the Rock family have said Samantha was the child of a South African family friend who Compton-Rock met through her charity endeavor, it turns out the bubble burst when Compton-Rock began a legal process to formally adopt the 7-year old girl. The United States authorities alerted South Africa’s Hawk police department and they have been trying to determine if the case is in anyway related to child trafficking. According to News Dze Zimbabwe, the South African child adoption process goes thus; the prospective parents will submit an application through an accredited adoption agency, then they get screened by a social worker and will have to go through medical examinations, marriage and psychological assessments, home visits and police checks, they are put on a waiting list, then they appear at a children’s court where their application is subject to approval by a presiding judge.

South Africa Day is launched

November 12, 2015 was the day South African business leaders came together to host the first South Africa day. Henceforth, it will be celebrated every second Saturday of November and will provide motivation for South African businesses to work within and support their local communities. The national coordinator, Bheki Shongwe said, “South Africa Day will focus on making a contribution to the country and will put South Africa first. It will signify the creation of social cohesion, celebrating the country, its people and achievements and the day will take pride in its people and country.” Archbishop Thabo Makgoba appealed to businesses to support the South Africa Day Bursary Fund which will raise funds to support deserving students and pupils in South Africa.

H&M twitter controversy

A South African national, Tlalane Letlhaku, mentioned H&M South Africa on twitter for their lack of diversity on the models used for their campaign while advising them to diversify so as to appeal to everyone.

@hmsouthafrica I was at your CT store. Most, if not all your posters in store have no black models. Please work on that to appeal to everyone.

— Tlalane Letlhaku (@Tlaly_Branch) November 2, 2015


The response she got was rather controversial as the store insisted their campaign was dedicated to promoting a positive and inspiring image. Dazed Digital reports that H&M said its marketing is supposed to be “inspiring” and that it’s essential for them to “convey a positive image” suggesting that white models embody the positivity the brand seeks to present. Of course there was backlash on social media for the seemingly inappropriate response. After which the store offered an apology, saying it embraces all people who are inspired by fashion, regardless of ethnic background, gender or culture.

Residents at iThemba Lam get a chance to develop their spirituality

iThemba Lam is a safehouse located on the outskirts of Cape Town which offers refuge to homosexuals who have suffered any kind of persecution from friends and family members. They get to stay for up to three months at iThemba Lam (meaning My Hope in Xhosa). The center has been operational since 2006, however, it recently had the opportunity to develop the spirituality of its residents when the Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM) created an outreach program for the people at the center. Michelle Boonzaaier is a Dutch Reformed Church minister who conducts clergy outreach for the group. She is also actively involved in identifying potential “change agents” within congregations, setting up trainings around sexual orientation and gender identity expression and using those opportunities to open dialogue about LGBTI inclusion. Also, a pentecostal minister, Rev. Zongamele Baliso, decided to bring Grace Community Church to the center. His action bordered on the fact that iThemba Lam was dedicated to feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, which lines up with the charitable works preached in the Christian religion.

La Liga opens in Johannesburg

The Spanish football league, La Liga, opened its first African office in Johannesburg, South Africa, this year in an effort to get closer to fans and broadcasters. According to sportindustry.co.za, the La Liga president, Javier Tebas, was in Johannesburg for the opening, alongside representatives of Spanish companies and South African institutions, members of the PSL and other personalities including the Spanish ambassador to South Africa, Juan Sell. “It is a historic day for La Liga. We are very happy to open this office in Johannesburg and to be closer to our loyal fans and broadcasters. To La Liga, being here is a strategic move and we want to be even more present in the future”, said Tebas. He also pledged that the LFP World Challenge will become present on the continent. LFPWC is a La Liga initiative which was launched in 2014 to feature friendly matches in Europe, North and South America and Asia in order to promote Spain overseas.

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Branded 'the most hated man in America' by the BBC, Martin Shkreli, a former hedge fund manager and Turing Pharmaceutical CEO, has been arrested for fraud allegations. The 32-year old pharmaceutical entrepreneur is accused of illegally using funds from Retrophin, a biotechnology company he founded in 2011, to pay off debts from his failed hedge fund, MSMB Capital Management.

He was in the news in September 2015 for hiking the price of Daraprim, a 62-year old drug that fights against the life-threatening parasite toxoplasmosis and protects cancer and AIDS patients. He increased the price from $13.50 to $750 per tablet regardless of the fact that Daraprim costs $1 to produce. For the first course of treatment, about 100 tablets are required.

According to the BBC, the roughly 5,000 percent increase and his brash defence of the decision has made him a pariah among patients-rights groups and politicians. In October 2015, Shkreli donated $2,700 to Bernie Sanders' campaign but Sanders rejected the offer which led to Shkreli accusing him of being a demagogue.

According to the New York Daily news, Shkreli boasted the possibility of raising the cost of Daraprim even higher. “I could have raised it higher and made more profits for our shareholders, which is my primary duty. No one wants to say it, no one is proud of it, but this is a capitalist society, capitalist system and capitalist rules and my investors expect me to maximize profits,” he said.

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Mirror.co.uk recently reported that British property developer, Ehsan Abdulaziz, 46, who was on trial for raping an 18-year old has been cleared of a rape charge, following evidence submitted to Judge Martin Griffiths, which supports the claim that he accidentally tripped and penetrated her. The teenager in question met Abdulaziz on August 7, 2014 at an exclusive club in the company of a 25-year old female friend. After a night out, Abdulaziz took both ladies to his home with the intent to have sexual relations with the 25-year old young lady, only, who he had known before that night.

The teenager slept on Abdulaziz couch in an effort to sleep off the alcohol in her system. She told the court she woke up to find her host, forcing himself on her on the sofa of his Maida Vale flat. He, however, said she tried seducing him when he went to wake her to offer her a T-shirt to sleep in or a taxi ride home. According to him, he just finished having sex with her friend and his penis was still protruding so he accidentally penetrated her when she placed her hand behind his head, causing him to fall on her. “I'm fragile, I fell down but nothing ever happened, between me and this girl nothing ever happened,” he insisted. The jury is reported to have spent about 30 minutes deciding which way to vote in the case.

In the United Kingdom, rape is an offence punishable by prison term. According to Wikipedia, the offence is created by section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003:

“ 1 (1) A person (A) commits an offence if—

(a) he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person (B) with his penis,

(b) B does not consent to the penetration, and

(c) A does not reasonably believe that B consents.

(2) Whether a belief is reasonable is to be determined having regard to all the circumstances, including any steps A has taken to ascertain whether B consents.

(3) Sections 75 and 76 apply to an offence under this section.

(4) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable, on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life.

Also, in January 2015, by way of moving rape allegations into the 21st century, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) issued a new document to all police forces and prosecutors. It instructs that the context of rape must be exhaustively examined. It insists that behavior such as staying silent or using contraception does not signify consent. Director of Public Prosecutions in the UK, Alison Saunders, made it clear that it was time to move beyond the ‘no means no’ debate and accused perpetrators will have to prove they got consent from the victim.

According to the BBC, the document also specifies that consent cannot be given in a case where a person is incapacitated through drink or drugs or where a suspect holds a position of power over the potential victim such as a teacher, an employer or a doctor. Furthermore, the document states that the ability to consent to sex should also be questioned where someone has mental health problems, learning difficulties or was asleep or unconscious at the time of an alleged attack.

As is the trend these days, critics have responded on social media. This tweet however hints that the justice system in the United Kingdom (UK) is apparently just as lax as in Saudi Arabia, where justice is incredibly sexist.

I'd assumed this actually happened in Saudi Arabia, where justice is somewhat, let's say, sexist, but

— Wings Over Scotland (@WingsScotland) December 16, 2015

Statista states that rape in England and Wales has been on the rise between 2003 and 2014. The rise in the crime for the latest period was particularly large, with an increase of 8,517 offences (41 percent).

Regardless of how weird Abdulaziz’ case is, a few experts have written in favor of this same situation in the past. In February 2015, public access barrister, David Osbourne, published an article on his blog called “Gagging for it”, where he emphasized that the act cannot be considered rape if the alleged victim was drunk at the time of commission. Mirror.co.uk published a part of the write up; “In my book, consent is consent, blind drunk or otherwise and regret after the event cannot make it rape....I have a very simple solution which I hope you will agree is fair. If the complainant (I do not refer to her as the victim) was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or both, when she was ‘raped’, this provides the accused with a complete defence. End of story and a victory for fairness, moderation and common sense!”

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The Vanguard reports that the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Zone 12, in charge of Bauchi, Yobe and Borno states, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin, has pledged to meet the December deadline given by the president to end the Boko Haram insurgency. He made this declaration during his courtesy visit to the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwan Suleiman Adamu, in his palace. “We are happy that the end of insurgency in the country, particularly the North-East, is very close and the terrorists are currently on the run” he said.

AIG Ogunsakin was in the news earlier in the year when he was reportedly sent out of Rivers state by the presidency for allegedly being 'anti-PDP'. In April 2015, while he was still the AIG of Zone 6 in Calabar, Ogunsakin was asked to leave Rivers state where he had gone to oversee governorship and state assembly elections. This was after he reportedly ordered investigations into reports that PDP supporters were thumb-printing ballot papers en masse in some locations in the city. He also ordered the arrest of some political thugs who planned to disrupt the elections.

Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe are the states that make up northeastern Nigeria. In the last five years, the Boko Haram sect has launched several attacks, particularly, in these states within the country, resulting in scores of deaths and mass migration of people who lived in those areas.

Regardless of the efforts made by Nigerian law enforcement agents, members of the Boko Haram sect appear to be winning the ongoing war between terrorism and justice. In September 2015, the Nigerian Observer noted; “Nigerian soldiers deployed to the North-East region have several times complained that the terrorists are better armed with high-powered assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and even armored personnel carriers.”

In October 2015, President Buhari asked the military to crush insurgency in the country by December 2015. Although, on December 7, he reportedly said the timeline was only meant as a guideline to ensuring the complete elimination of insurgency in the country.

“Let me emphasize that the time frame given should serve as a guide and if exigencies of multiple operations across the country requires modification, the Federal Government will not hesitate to do so in order to address the flash points that are emerging in parts of the country. The Nigerian Army must, therefore, develop strategies to address the current challenges facing the country and ensure total elimination of the insurgents.”

However, the pledge AIG Ogunsakin gave, ensuring that the police could meet the December deadline, might suggest a new battle line being drawn between the Nigerian Police Force and Boko Haram terrorists. There are only two weeks left in December, how will the national police force be able to achieve this goal? According to the 2015 Global Terrorism Index, Nigeria ranks third with a score of 9.213, it also features Nigeria as one of the countries with the highest number of deaths from terrorism.

The report also specifies Boko Haram attacks as concentrated mainly in the north eastern part of Nigeria where Boko Haram is based, with 40 percent of attacks in their home state of Borno. The most attacks occurred in Maiduguri, the regional capital of Borno State and Kano, which is the second largest city in Nigeria.

In September 2015, Leadership Nigeria reported that 4,000 police operatives were deployed to aid the Nigerian military in the battle against insurgency in the north east. The Zone 12 command, under AIG Ogunsakin, has achieved some level of success against Boko Haram in the past and this suggests that the members of the force under him are committed to the fight against the terror sect regardless of challenges ahead. Last month, Zone 12 police officers arrested a Boko Haram fighter, Muhammed Usman, who had been declared as a wanted person by the Nigerian Army earlier. After Usman’s arrest, he was handed over to the army.

According to the police, the arrest was facilitated mostly by members of the public, who work closely with the police to ensure terror suspects were caught by the authorities. Perhaps this success is something that can work in favor of the AIG Ogunsakin-led Zone 12 police command. ‘The police is your friend’ mantra may not be so overrated in Nigeria after all.

In African China's "Mr. President" the first verse features the Nigerian artist singing, "poor man wey thief maggi, omo dem go show him face for crime fighter, rich man wey thief money omo we no dey see their faces for crime fighter!" The song illuminates that in Nigeria, low class theft is more dangerous than high class theft. In situations involving the latter, the culprit is usually met with a pecuniary fine. In low class theft, however, the punishment is brutal.

In Ekiti state, David Olugboyega faces death by hanging because he stole N14, 570 from three people in 2003, Vanguard reports. Specifically, he robbed Kola Owolabi of N8,000; Beatrice Olawumi of N5,000 and Idowu Abiodun of N1,570. During the court proceeding David confessed to armed robbery, as he was in possession of a gun and a machete. Justice John Adeyeye sentenced David to death by hanging for the armed robbery committed on March 20, 2003. However, what does such an excessive fine suggest about the law in Nigeria?

In Nigeria, petty crimes often attract mobs who carry out jungle justice on the perpetrator(s). Jungle justice refers to when a criminal is punished through severe means by those present at the scene where the crime was committed, such as burning perpetrators with petrol. An example of this is the ALUU 4, where four male students were killed by a mob after being accused of robbery.

Survey company, NOI Polls, conducted a poll on jungle justice in 2013, which revealed that 94 percent of Nigerians agree that there is a high prevalence of jungle justice in Nigeria. However, 51 percent of the respondents, attributed the prevalence of jungle justice in the country to a "lack of trust in the law enforcement agencies". According to the survey, 43 per cent of Nigerians have personally witnessed these acts of jungle justice while 16 percent have known the victims of jungle justice/mob attacks.

While jungle justice might seem appalling, the law in Nigeria supports the notion that some of these punishments are acceptable. For example, in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano and other Northern states, the law allows the limbs of petty thieves to be cut off, regardless of how minor their crimes are, which underscores that jungle justice is only a by product of an inadequate legal system. In fact, it's hard to differentiate between jungle justice and the law in the case of David Olugboyega.

What the law says:

Section 403 (1) and (2) of the Criminal Code stipulates that;

(1) Any person who with intent to steal anything, assaults any other person and at or immediately after the time of assault, uses or threatens to use actual violence to any other person or any property in order to obtain the thing intended to be stolen shall upon conviction be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than fourteen years but not more than twenty years.
(2) If-

(a) any offender mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, is armed with any firearms or any offensive weapon or is in company with any other person so armed; or

(b) at or immediately before or immediately after the time of the assault the said offender wounds or uses any other personal violence to any person, the offender shall upon conviction be sentenced to imprisonment for life with or without whipping.

David Olugboyega's sentence is also disturbing when we consider public officials who have misappropriated outrageous amounts of money but have merely endured a ‘slap on the wrist’ for their actions. For example, Nigerians were shocked when John Yesufu Yakubu’s was granted bail and a fine of a mere N750,000 over a N32.8 billion police pension fund that was allegedly misappropriated when he was Director of the Nigerian Police Pension Fund. Justice Abubakar Talba of the Abuja High Court released Yakubu after a plea bargain. In addition to the fine, he sacrificed N325 million worth of property to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which was purchased with the stolen funds.

The question is why do Nigerians have such a skewed vision of theft? If the justice system supports death sentencing as a viable punishment for petty theft while allowing public officials and those with means to bypass the law to no avail, jungle justice will continue to thrive. Further, those citizens who misstep and commit such crimes will continue to face unjust and excessive punishment. We need to problematize a legal system, which continues to support the inequality that is currently ravaging our country. Perhaps the first step to this is repealing these laws, which ironically pave the way for a lawless society.