Below The Headlines - 65
Hisbah reveals cutting edge intelligence tracking capabilities and Spaghetti is an African delicacy
Tobi and I are doing a read-along of Professor Tony Hopkins new book on Nigerian entrepreneurs in Colonial Lagos. We are taking it 2 chapters at a time and will publish our thoughts each week.
Enjoy that and the week’s selection below.
Inside Nigeria
The biggest story about Nigeria this week across the world. Hurricanes and other natural disasters happen in other countries and this many people don’t die:
The driver of a fuel tanker was transporting 45,000 liters of gasoline on an unlit road in northern Nigeria on Tuesday night when a van carrying tomatoes veered into his lane. The driver lost control of his vehicle as he tried to avoid the van.
The tanker capsized.
The driver, Yusuf Mohammad, emerged from the truck uninjured, as did the driver of the van. But within minutes, hundreds of residents swarmed around the overturned tanker to scoop up the spilled gasoline, an increasingly expensive and scarce commodity in Nigeria.
The decision cost them their lives. The tanker exploded an hour later and killed 168 people in the state of Jigawa, according to emergency officials. It was one of the deadliest road accidents ever recorded in Nigeria. Over 90 others remained hospitalized as of Thursday evening.
On Thursday, mourners circled around the area where most of the victims had been buried in the town of Majia, 70 miles away from Nigeria’s second-largest city, Kano.
Meanwhile in the same Kano (emphasis mine):
The Kano State Hisbah Board has confirmed the arrest and detention of Jigawa State Commissioner for Special Duties, Auwal Sankara, in an uncompleted building with a married woman.
The board’s Director General, Abba Sufi, confirmed the arrest of Sankara with the married woman on Friday evening.
He said the arrest was made possible through intelligence tracking after receiving a series of complaints of his relationship with the married woman.
“We have arrested Auwal Danladi Sankara, the Jigawa Commissioner, with a married woman in an uncompleted building that belongs to him, unknown to him that we were tracking him based on reports against him we received,” Sufi said.
According to him, the arrest followed a complaint by Nasiru Bulama, the woman’s husband, who accused the commissioner of engaging in an illicit affair with his wife, Tasleem Baba, the mother of his two children.
This problem will be ‘solved’ by a future governor of the state deciding to build a brand new secretariat:
The Federal Government Secretariat in Benue State is currently facing threats as unchecked overgrown weeds and vandalism take their toll on the facility.
Our correspondent, who visited the secretariat on Wednesday, observed that the building was unkempt with dirt littered around the staircase and the surrounding overgrown with weeds.
Some workers at the secretariat, who preferred anonymity, blamed the situation on neglect by appropriate authorities saddled with the responsibility to tidy the environment and ensure the security of the facility.
“The cleaners no longer come to work. Vandals also cash in on the security lapses within the premises to cart away cables and office equipment. In some of the sections, you hardly find workers too due to economic hardship, which makes it difficult for them to come to work,” one of the workers, said.
Jungle justice is alive and well and note the vandalism of public infrastructure, again:
The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the death of one John Udoh, who was reportedly beaten to death over alleged theft of a motorcycle in Atoyo Okeigbo community, Aruba, in the Sagamu area of the state.
His partner, one Peter Ubong, was said to be critically injured by the mob.
Udoh and Ubong, members of a five-man gang, reportedly invaded the community at about 2: a.m. and attacked one Emeka Ruben, stealing his motorcycle valued at N1.2m.
The spokesperson of the state police command, SP Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a statement sent to journalists on Friday.
Odutola said that Ruben, however, alerted the youths of the community who rose to the challenge at midnight and arrested Udoh and Ubong.
The two suspects were said to have been given severe beatings leading to the death of one of them, as confirmed by a doctor at Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, while the second suspect, Ubong, who was said to be in critical condition, has been hospitalised.
Three other members of the gang, Adaka, Stepen, and Jeresy, were said to have made away with the stolen motorcycle.
The duo of Udoh and Ubong were also said to have confessed that they were part of a five-member group responsible for the theft of 15 solar streetlights previously stolen from the community, as well as two other motorcycles.
I am sorry I laughed at this story. I am really sorry:
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has given the order for the withdrawal of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team that used Euphemie Motel as their base during a peacekeeping mission in Nembe Bassambiri, Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Tribune Online learnt that the order from the IGP was issued after the attempted drag of the Nigerian Police Force to court over alleged unpaid lodging bills incurred by the SWAT team deployed to Nembe Bassambiri for peacekeeping from the 12th of August, 2023, till date.
The lodging bills, according to reports, were incurred by the Police Special Squad identified as SWAT led by one CSP, Silas Adebayo, for a reported sting operation in the Opu Nembe community ahead of the last governorship elections in the area.
[…]
Inemoye Esq., however, called on the IGP and Chairman, Police Service Commission formation, to attend to the second prayer in the petition of his client, demanding N625,000,000 covering the lodging bills from 12th August, 2023, to 12th September 2024, and be paid within six weeks upon receipt of his request.
Recall that the popular hotel owner, Euphemie Motel, had, through his lawyer, informed the IGP and Chairman, Police Service Commission, that the 50-room hotel with a lodging fee of N25,000 per night and two conference rooms of N100,000 per day was forcefully occupied by the team without payment for over 13 months.
Is this a skit? I don’t think it is a skit:
The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) says it is investigating allegations that some actresses had romantic relationships with Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In July, a blog claimed that Dakore Egbuson-Akande, Nancy Isime, and Ini Edo were involved in affairs with Akpabio, but the senate president denied the allegations.
Akpabio stated that his wife was enough for him, while Egbuson-Akande threatened to sue the blog for defamation.
In a memo released on Friday, the AGN confirmed that the actresses are on its “watchlist” and are being “investigated” by its secret panel.
“On behalf of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, I commend the professional and incisive work done by members of the secret investigative panel,” the statement reads in part.
“However, some female members on the watch-list are being investigated by the secret panel, especially in the recent release of names purported to have had dealings with the Senate President.”
Young men in Nigeria’s north west are heading to the Sahel in pursuit of a gold rush in rebel controlled areas:
With a bag full of dreams, fewer clothes to avoid suspicions, and some food, the journey began just a few walks outside the central motor park in Gusau, Zamfara state capital. A minicab was waiting to transport them to Sokoto. The northwestern state is approximately 103 kilometres from the neighbouring Niger Republic. The bustling border town of Illela is just a stone’s throw from the Birni-N’Konni area of Niger’s Tahou region.
“Where is the job in the country?” Bashir protested. He had recently returned from a trip to assist his family during the annual planting season. “It might be a little dangerous working in the mining sites, but it’s nothing compared to staying here idle and getting killed by the terrorists.”
Outside Nigeria
Did you know that spaghetti is culturally African?
A football coach argued that spaghetti and chopped tomatoes were “culturally” African ingredients in a legal row with the sport’s governing body over expenses.
Christina Oshodi was challenged by officials at the Football Association over expenses for meals she ate while working from home as a county coach developer.
A tribunal heard Oshodi responded that she was buying “culturally specific” ingredients as she ate “food of African origin”. However, a receipt showed that Oshodi had purchased “mainstream” items such as spaghetti, chopped tomatoes and jumbo prawns from Sainsbury’s.
Update on the Nigerian nurses accused of cheating on their exams to get into the UK:
A group of more than 100 Nigerian nurses have called on the health secretary to help them correct “a significant injustice” after the nursing regulator accused them of cheating in tests to practise in the UK.
The nurses said their lives were destroyed when the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) accused them of fraud, having concluded that the computer-based tests in numeracy and clinical practice were completed implausibly quickly.
The NMC said last May that widespread fraud had been identified at the Yunnik Technologies test centre in Ibadan, Nigeria, which was overseen by the NMC’s test provider, Pearson Vue.
The nurses claim that many retook the tests in the UK and completed them in similar times. They said they had no need to cheat as the tests were simple, and they called on the NMC to provide forensic evidence that they had cheated.
In a letter to Wes Streeting, the nurses say: “We are concerned that although there are irregularities with the test centre, the action taken by the Nursing and Midwifery Council means an unjust collective punishment of all of us. This means that many of us have lost our jobs, our livelihoods and our reputations.”
Since being accused of cheating, many of the nurses have been banned from practising and have had to take lower-paid jobs as care workers. “I face bullying, insults, shame, disgrace in my office and ward,” said one. “My career has been on hold for more than 13 months, even after passing the new test. People treat me as a fraud and without respect. It has been hell on earth.”
Been a while we saw a pangolin smuggling story:
On a single day in August, Nigerian officials recovered more than 9 tons of illicit pangolin scales. The stockpile would be worth an estimated $1.7 million in East Asia, where pangolin scales are sold for their use in traditional medicine.
On August 8, customs officials raided a warehouse in Kaduna, Nigeria, which held 2.3 tons of scales, acting on intelligence provided by the Wildlife Justice Commission, a nonprofit working to disrupt wildlife trafficking. That same day, officials also recovered 7.2 tons of scales from a warehouse in Ogun, Nigeria, also with the help of the WJC.
The raid in Ogun was the largest seizure globally since January 2020, when officials discovered 9.5 tons of pangolin scales at an abandoned warehouse in Lagos, Nigeria. Campaigners say that Nigeria is a major exit point for African pangolin scales being trafficked to Asia.
Some craftspeople have done a lot of restoration work on the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove. Article has lots of lovely photos too:
A Unesco World Heritage site spanning roughly 75 hectares, the Oṣun Osogbo Sacred Grove is a treasure trove of biodiversity. It harbours upwards of 400 species of plants, with more than 250 known for their healing properties. The river itself, nourished by the roots of these medicinal herbs, is believed to carry potent, curative powers. And alongside nature’s bounty, a proliferation of man-made sculptures honouring various Yorùbá deities can be counted among the grove’s riches too.
[…]
‘Mama believed everyone to be an artist,’ says the current chief priestess of Oşun, Adedoyin Faniyi, one of Wenger’s several adopted children – the activist/ artist Nike Davies-Okundaye (Wol Nov 2023) is another. ‘So, she gathered various artisans working in different parts of Osogbo and nurtured their creativity. These people came to be known as the New Sacred Art Movement, some of whom are still alive today.’
The group included dozens of artisans with diverse artistic languages, all of whom were mentored by Wenger. Among the founders were Akanji, her closest associate and artistic leader; Sàngódáre Gbádégesin Ajàlá, a textile artist from a lineage of Sàngó (the god of thunder) priests and another of Wenger’s adoptees; and the carpenter Buraimoh Gbadamosi. Also included were Foyeke Ajoke and Songo Tundun, who specialised in shrine paintings, an art form traditionally associated with women in Yorùbá culture.
News from Houston:
A southwest Houston lounge opened in early September, joining the many established in the city as means of bridging cultures.
However, Lahor Lounge has made a name for itself after owner Princepaul O Agbonlahor wanted to bring the community together of different backgrounds and cultures to a fun time full of nightlife, entertainment and fine dining. The lounge is located at 11235 Southwest Freeway.
"I go to different lounges and I discover that in most areas ... you probably find it difficult to fit in," he told the Chronicle. "My vision is simple, to create a world-class experience that brings everyone together."
The space will feature modern decor, food and music from different genres, including live jazz performances, Afrobeat, Hip-Hop, Latin and more.
"Lahor Lounge is more than just a place to unwind. It’s a hub where culture, entertainment, and the Houston spirit meet," Agbonlahor said.
Agbonlahor is a Nigerian entrepreneur who has been known for his other business virtues including Lahor Music WorldWide, Lahor Studios, Lahor Waters and more. All of them are named after part of his last name — Lahor, which expresses how grateful a person is for another person or anything in life.
Bringing his culture to Houston has been an exciting opportunity as some of the Lagos music artists under Lahor Music WorldWide got to experience Lahor Lounge during the grand opening in early September. Some of the visitors included Davido, KCee, KoKo Master and more.
Interlude: Play a game of spot the difference
Chiney Ogwumike has signed a new contract with ESPN:
Chiney Ogwumike is the rare ESPN on-air talent with prominent assignments across both women’s basketball and the NBA — and those assignments are going to continue for the next four years.
ESPN will announce later today that Ogwumike has signed a multi-year extension to remain with the company. Her deal is for four years.
“I came into this environment as a young athlete and this might sound silly but I saw it as a place of opportunity, a place where I knew I could make an impact because my point of view was not really that available,” said Ogwumike, who joined ESPN in 2017 to co-anchor SportsCenter across Africa and as a part-time WNBA and NBA in-studio analyst, and one year later became one of the only full-time professional athletes to hold a full-time national sports media position. “It felt like family and it’s the home for the NBA and the NBA Finals, the WNBA, women’s college basketball and March Madness. To be where the main event is, and to have a part of shaping narratives, telling stories and advocating for players, to be able to show my joy for everything that comes from basketball which has transformed my life, I feel like I am of service in this space.”
Oxford University is looking for a new Chancellor. The final list of candidates was released a few days ago:
Another candidate who did not make the list was Onyeka Nwelue, 36, a self-published author and filmmaker. Originally from Nigeria, he made headlines last year after allegedly misrepresenting himself as a visiting professor while having only an honorary doctorate. Nwelue said: “It is unclear why I was excluded. I do not want to blame it on racism as I should have or as expected. I wish other candidates well.”
The World Twins Festival recently held in Igbo-Ora:
Dr. Chinwe Obinwa, a consultant psychiatrist with the NHS, tells her story:
Chinwe recalled how education was held in the "highest regard" when she was growing up. She enjoyed medical school and learning and attended school in Nigeria in the 1990s. She explained how she worked on frontline while dealing with the impact of the HIV pandemic .
She says this background drew her to the public health sector and she discovered psychiatry during her service year. Speaking on her family roots, Chinwe said: "According to the traditions of my family’s Igbo tribe in Nigeria, I am Adaobi. Ada means ‘the first daughter’ while Obi means ‘a King or the Home’.
"This is a position of great privilege and responsibility. Culturally, an Ada is considered a symbol of authority and a broker of peace in the family. This role has created a keen sense of responsibility in me which I have adopted.
"I was also drawn to public services as a way to help patients regardless of their financial position. It is therefore not surprising that I was attracted to the NHS when I emigrated to the UK. The UK is very special to me as it is where I became a wife and mother to my three children and found my speciality within forensic psychiatry and more recently neuropsychiatry.
"Transitioning to life in the UK is probably my greatest challenge in life. Nothing quite prepares you for the enormity of the change you experience in every aspect of life once the excitement of the new adventure wanes. Over the last 20 years, Black History Month has become increasingly poignant and a time of deep reflection for me."
A bit funny that Nigeria does not feature in this ‘battle’:
The English Football Association and its United States counterpart are battling for the international allegiance of the latest teenage prodigy with dual nationality, Landon Emenalo, son of former Chelsea director of football, Michael.
Landon, 16, has been named in the latest England Under-17s squad by coach Neil Ryan for age-cohort Euro 2025 qualifiers this month. Landon, a dynamic centre midfielder who has been at Chelsea’s academy throughout his development, played for the US Under-17s earlier this year in a tournament in the Czech Republic.
The US men’s national team manager Mauricio Pochettino should benefit from a very promising generation of US players coming through at Major League Soccer clubs, and among dual heritage players in Europe.
Russia in Africa with a different kind of ‘open for a surprise’ Japa:
The social media ads promised the young African women a free plane ticket, money and a faraway adventure in Europe. Just complete a computer game and a 100-word Russian vocabulary test.
But instead of a work-study program in fields like hospitality and catering, some of them learned only after arriving on the steppes of Russia’s Tatarstan region that they would be toiling in a factory to make weapons of war, assembling thousands of Iranian-designed attack drones to be launched into Ukraine.
In interviews with The Associated Press, some of the women complained of long hours under constant surveillance, of broken promises about wages and areas of study, and of working with caustic chemicals that left their skin pockmarked and itching.
To fill an urgent labor shortage in wartime Russia, the Kremlin has been recruiting women aged 18-22 from places like Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, as well as the South Asian country of Sri Lanka. The drive is expanding to elsewhere in Asia as well as Latin America.
That has put some of Moscow’s key weapons production in the inexperienced hands of about 200 African women who are working alongside Russian vocational students as young as 16 in the plant in Tatarstan’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone, about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) east of Moscow, according to an AP investigation of the industrial complex.
We have another press release from the US Justice Department:
A dual citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise (BEC) scheme.
According to court documents, Oludayo Kolawole John Adeagbo, 45, conspired with others to participate in multiple cyber-enabled BEC schemes in an attempt to steal more than $3 million from victim entities in Texas, including local government entities, construction companies, and a Houston-area college. Adeagbo and conspirators also defrauded a North Carolina university of more than $1.9 million.
Adeagbo, also known as John Edwards and John Dayo, arrived in the United States in August 2022 after he was extradited from the United Kingdom to face criminal charges filed in Charlotte and in Houston. On April 8, Adeagbo pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his criminal conduct in both cases, following the transfer of the case in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
[…]
Court records show that Adeagbo and his co-conspirators obtained information about significant construction projects occurring throughout the United States, including an ongoing multi-million-dollar project at the victim University. To execute the scheme, Adeagbo, Echeazu, and others registered a domain name similar to that of the legitimate construction company in charge of the University’s project and created an email address that closely resembled that of an employee of the construction company. Using the fake email address, the fraudsters deceived and directed the University to wire a payment of more than $1.9 million to a bank account controlled by an individual working under the direction of Adeagbo and his co-conspirators. Upon receiving the payment, Adeagbo and his co-conspirators laundered the stolen proceeds through a series of financial transactions designed to conceal the fraud.