Below The Headlines - 58
The devil made Kehinde do it and Iyanu coming soon to shock them, somehow
This newsletter will be going on a summer break in August. We shall return on September 7th insofar as Nigerians continue to do Nigerian things.
In the meantime, enjoy this week’s selection of stories and see you soon!
Inside Nigeria
As a sage famously said on twitter - Nigerians bear false witness against the devil almost as a national past time:
Responding to questions from journalists, Kehinde, who claimed to be an herbalist, admitted killing the deceased, adding that he used the throat for money ritual soap.
He said I am a herbalist. “The deceased was my friend. I could not tell what came over me. I met him sick, and I attacked him and killed him for a money ritual. The devil pushed me to kill my friend for a money ritual. After killing him, I removed his throat and used it to prepare a soap for money ritual, which I had. I have done similar soap for four Yahoo boys before. Devil pushed me to do it.”
God knows how much damage would have been done if the troops hadn’t intervened here:
Troops of Sector II Joint Task Force in the North-East Operation “Hadin Kai” on Friday, defused an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted at the Buni Yadi Cattle Market in Yobe.
Capt. Mohammed Shehu, Spokesperson of the sector, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu that the IED was planted by suspected Boko Haram insurgents, targeting vigilante members.
He, however, said another IED planted at the market, sadly, exploded injuring a minor who was hawking sachet water.
Also confirming the incident, DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, Spokesman of the Police Command in the state, said the 12-year-old victim sustained a fracture in her leg as a result of the explosion.
News from the Customary Court in Ibadan:
Abass explained that he never enjoyed his marriage to his wife because his father-in-law was always indulging his wife and interfering in their affairs.
According to the defendant, the plaintiff and his father encouraged their male child to engage in Yahoo Yahoo and further went to make ritual for him.
He added that his wife joined a ladies’ club known for engaging in immorality and that she became defiant and rebellious in the home.
Aminat testifies, “My husband is selfish and inhumane.
“He showed no interest in my welfare and of our children and consistently starved us.
“My husband was hardly ever at home, and any time he was home, our children go into hiding because of his harsh and hostile nature
“He once beat our first child, who was then four years old to a pulp for failing to attend Arabic lesson and sent her out of the house.
“I am the one paying our children’s school fees and meeting their other needs.
“He refused to make funds available for our first child to further her education after graduating from the secondary school, and she ended up being impregnated.
“My husband once abandoned me and our children, and I had no other choice than to move back to my parents’ house.
I cannot help but wonder how a jobseeker like this has N210,000 to risk in this manner. And what would he have become had he gotten in to become an Army officer:
The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old man, Aminu Mohammed, for allegedly impersonating a Nigerian Army personnel for two years in Magaji Quarters, Bauchi Local Government Area.
The command’s spokesperson, Ahmed Wakil, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday, stating that the suspect’s actions violated Sections 110(1) and 251 of the Criminal Code.
According to Wakil, the suspect was apprehended by operatives of the Tafawa Balewa Housing Estate Divisional Police “C” Division on Monday, following a complaint filed against him.
The suspect allegedly collected N210,000 from an unsuspecting individual, promising to assist in securing a job with the Nigerian Army.
Wakil revealed that the suspect directed his victim to meet his friend, currently at large, to facilitate entry into the Nigerian Military School in Zaria, Kaduna State.
This seems like a desperate/hungry scam but then the article goes on to say N7.5m was recovered from them. So maybe its that ‘lucrative’:
According to EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the suspects were caught for their involvement in a scam where they would collect mutilated naira notes from various banks, remove a few notes from each bundle, and then deposit the reduced amount into their bank accounts.
Lawal, the banker, would allegedly receive the money and record it as the original amount, allowing the group to profit from the difference.
The EFCC has confirmed the arrests and is investigating the suspects for their shady bank transactions and money laundering activities.
“The suspects were perpetrating the fraud by going to their respective banks, requesting a certain denomination (in this case N200 notes) and carefully removing a few notes from each bundle. Thereafter, they would hand them over to their accomplice at the bank.
“The accomplice will collect the money and make entries as filled in the tellers without counting them on the agreement that they would later give him his share of the money they removed,” Oyewale said.
Sodiq has no fear of God. SMH:
The Police on Friday arraigned a 19-year-old man, Karim Sodiq, before an Ona-Ara Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, for allegedly stealing a cell phone inside a mosque.
Sodiq, whose address was not provided, was charged with stealing and house breaking, to which he, however, pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecutor, Insp Adeshina Folaranmi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on May 21, at about 7.50 p.m. at Oju-Aba Mosque, Moniya area of Ibadan.
Folaranmi said that the defendant constructively broke into the mosque and stole an Infinix smart 6 phone, worth N100,000, belonging to one Akorede Suliyat.
An interesting article which speaks to people who have participated in the dispensing of jungle justice in Nigeria:
It could be “Thief! Thief!!“, “She stole my genitals!” or “He’s gay” – just any indicting phrase that could cause a victim to be crushed under dozens of feet, beaten to a pulp, stripped naked or even burned to death. It is called jungle or mob justice, and it is popular among several Nigerian communities in a hurry to bring to justice a suspect whose actions are deemed anti-social.
All it took Daniel Chibuzor, a 30-year-old commercial bus driver in Lagos, to be lynched was an accusation of theft from a couple he had only overtaken in traffic. He had never met them until February 27, when the incident happened.
Chibuzor told FIJ that the couple had stalked him for some good distance without his knowledge until they got to a junction where traffic had built up and they pounced on him with the accusation, “Thief! Thief!”
“The woman and her husband were waiting for me at the junction after I overtook them, unknown to me. I arrived there just after making a delivery run for a colleague, and she jumped out of their vehicle, opened the passenger door of my mini-bus and began to shout, ‘Thief! Thief!’”
Chibuzor said the alarm was attractive, as it instantly sent dozens of people to the scene.
“These people didn’t come empty-handed. They came prepared with bottles, planks, wood and all sorts of weapons they could lay hands on. I was in shock,” he said.
“I saw my life flash before my eyes and started to run with my bus.”
Ginger is out:
The southern part of Kaduna State has long been the largest ginger production belt in Nigeria, producing over 70 per cent of the country’s 726,000 metric tons of the crop.
This year, however, the landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation as farmers, overwhelmed by skyrocketing costs and the lingering effects of a devastating fungal disease, move towards a broader array of crops.
Last year, a severe fungal disease swept through Southern Kaduna, decimating ginger yields and leaving farmers with significant losses. The aftermath of this calamity has been compounded by soaring prices for essential farming inputs.
Fertilisers, herbicides, and ginger seeds have become expensive, making ginger farming a risky endeavour for many farmers in the area.
Cowpea is in:
Farmers in Benue State are now reaping the reward of their hard work as they enjoy a bountiful cowpea harvest from the crop they planted in the onset of the rainy season.
Our correspondent, who went around some farms at the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JOSTUM), formerly Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi (FUAM), reports that harvest was going on in fields where early maturing cowpea seeds were cultivated.
Young women and men working as harvesters in some of the fields expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the harvest, pointing out that it was a huge success.
Outside Nigeria
Another Nigerian animated story coming soon:
Lion Forge Entertainment's "Iyanu," an animated series based on Roye Okupe's Nigerian superhero graphic novel, is set to debut in 2025.
The show will be available on Showmax across 44 African countries, while U.S. audiences can access it on Cartoon Network and Max.
Set in the magical kingdom of Yorubaland, "Iyanu" follows an orphan who must uncover the mystery behind her newfound powers to save her people from an ancient curse. The series is adapted from Okupe's graphic novel series "Iyanu: Child of Wonder," published by Dark Horse Comics.
This story has been all over the foreign media this week. If Nigeria is unable to deal with the problem internally, then it will be done for her:
It has become one of the fastest-growing scams on social media and has led to untold tragedy.
Financial “sextortion” has run rampant in recent years on platforms like Instagram META and Snapchat SNAP, often targeting men and encouraging them to share nude photos which are then used for blackmail.
This type of shakedown has largely been the specialty of a loosely connected network of scammers based out of Nigeria known as the Yahoo Boys, who share notes and work together to exploit their victims.
The scams often have devastating consequences. In 2022, a 17-year-old high school student in Michigan named Jordan DeMay committed suicide after falling prey to a group of Nigerian sextortion artists, who posed as a young woman on Instagram and then threatened to send the nude photos he had shared to all his contacts unless he paid up.
DeMay sent $300 but was unable to come up with more, and within hours had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
The love affair between Nigerians and Guinness Book of Records is still going strong:
Nigerian artist Fola David is seeking the Guinness record for the largest drawing by an individual after spending six days on his piece in a stadium in the commercial capital Lagos.
David, also a medical doctor, said his 1,050-square-meter “Unity in Diversity” artwork, showing two giant hands holding Nigeria’s map, was meant to showcase the country’s cultural heritage.
And another one:
A Nigerian man has shattered a Guinness World Record for gaming by playing for a whopping 75 hours straight.
Oside Oluwole, 24, successfully embarked on a three-day binge of football videogame Dream League Soccer from his home in Ogun state, Nigeria, using just his iPhone connected to a TV screen, reported Guinness World Records.
The qualified biochemist, fondly known as 'Khoded', scorched the previous record of 50 hours set by British player David Whitefoot in 2022 by a whopping 25 hours.
During the incredible record attempt, Oside managed to play a total of 500 football matches, taking only five minutes of rest per hour for things like food and bathroom breaks.
Oside, who also sells used luxury cars such as Mercedes and Lexus from Lagos, Nigeria, told the publication that while the ordeal was no easy feat, it was 'all fun'.
Please clear August 3rd in your diaries. It promises to be a feast for sore eyes:
A pageant highlighting the beauty and talents of Nigerian-American women is back in the spotlight. Miss Diaspora Nigeria USA is returning to the Chicagoland area for its second year on August 3. It will take place at 4 p.m. at the Midwest Conference Center, located at 401 W Lake St, Northlake, IL.
Pageant president Emmanuel Osagie hopes to empower and promote self-confidence and self-esteem among young women, especially those of color. This yearly competition, also highlighting the importance of education and career development for young women.
You can purchase tickets to this year's Miss Diaspora Nigeria USA pageant at www.missdiasporanigeriausa.com.
Mercury kicked Nigerian companies off its banking product saying they were too much compliance trouble:
Ukraine is not the only country impacted. Mercury has also included Croatia and Nigeria on its list.
Two Nigerian founders living in the U.S. narrated similar experiences to TechCrunch. According to the founders, who asked not to be named, Mercury will close their accounts in the next 30 days despite their startups being domiciled in the U.S. It’s unclear if Mercury is using passports, rather than local addresses, in making such decisions. In an updated policy, Mercury said, “If you are domiciled outside of one of these countries, please reach out to support@mercury.com for assistance in opening your account.”
For the founders in Nigeria, this isn’t their first rodeo with Mercury. In 2022, Mercury restricted almost 30 accounts linked to tech startups in Nigeria and other African countries, most of which had already gone through U.S.-based accelerators, including Y Combinator and Techstars.
Nigeria and some affected countries on Mercury’s list, including Croatia, are on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “grey list,” which means they’re subject to additional scrutiny because of deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.
We will probably hear more about this soon:
The Nigeria women’s basketball team wasn’t allowed to board the delegation’s boat for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, said a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Friday condition of anonymity because the Nigeria delegation has not publicly commented.
Once the team made it to the area where it was supposed to board the boat for the ceremony, the group was denied entry by a Nigerian official who told the players and coaches there were too many people on board. The team then made its way to the athletes village after being turned away. The rest of the Nigerian delegation shared a boat with Niger and Norway.
A new biography of Kemi Badenoch is coming out soon, published by Lord Ashcroft. It has a few quotes from me. Excerpt in the Daily Mail:
By 1995, Nigeria was considered a pariah state and was suspended from the Commonwealth for human rights abuses. Kemi's parents, once prosperous but now living in reduced circumstances, began making plans to remove their eldest daughter from the turmoil to live abroad.
'Anyone who had the chance to get out of Nigeria left,' says Feyi Fawehinmi, a distant cousin.
Lawlessness — with 'jungle justice' common when someone caught stealing risked being doused in petrol and set on fire by a vigilante mob — hastened many people's departure.
The 16-year-old Kemi achieved high enough marks to win a partial scholarship to study medicine at Stanford University in California. But her parents couldn't afford to send her to America and decided instead to take advantage of the fact that she had been born in London.
Last time I was in Nigeria, it was so unbelievably hot I kept wondering how anyone could get any work done in such conditions. It remains a mystery how the Emperor’s palace during the Tang dynasty in China had airconditioning while Africans today struggle to master cooling technology on their own. Naturally Westerners view the issue from their own perspective:
As the sun blazes down in Abuja, Ahmed Bukar turns on his home air conditioner to a blast of hot air. The cooling gas that the appliance runs on is leaking from the charging valve on the unit. A technician had recently helped him refill the air conditioner with gas, but he didn't test for possible leaks.
In Abuja and across Nigeria, air conditioners sprout from the walls as the appliance turns from a middle-class luxury into a necessity in an increasingly hot climate. The industry is governed by regulations prohibiting the release of cooling gases into the air - for example, by conducting leak tests after an appliance is fixed. Still, routine release of gases into the atmosphere because of shoddy installations, unsafe disposal at the end of use, or the addition of gas without testing for leaks is a common problem in Nigeria, though unlawful.
The cooling gases, or refrigerants, have hundreds to thousands of times the climate warming potency of carbon dioxide, and the worst of them also harm the ozone layer. Following global agreements that promised to limit these gases from being spewed into the air, like the Montreal Protocol and Kigali Amendments, Nigeria has enacted regulations guiding the use of these gases. But enforcement is a problem, threatening Nigeria's commitments to slash emissions.
"Those laws, those rules, nobody enforces them," said Abiodun Ajeigbe, a manager for the air-conditioning business at Samsung in West Africa. "I have not seen any enforcement."