Below The Headlines - 66
Bitter kola now has bitter prices and you can now buy fufu on Facebook
Hope you had a productive week? If not, never mind. God gave us Mondays so we can always start again.
We published our second read-along of Professor Hopkins book this last week. Next instalment coming soon.
Enjoy!
Inside Nigeria
By now you’re familiar with the pattern: Nigerian agriculture struggles badly with low productivity. Any little change in the market dynamics thus means prices spike:
Bitter kola, also known as Garcinia kola, is gradually becoming one of the highly sought products in Nigeria and other countries across the world. The nut is occasionally eaten by a few people, especially in the northern part of Nigeria as the region doesn’t grow it much, and it was initially sold cheaply as against what is now being experienced. Weekend Trust gathered that the price of the nut is now out of reach of the common man.
Alhaji Usman Dauda is a bitter kola merchant at the famous Mariri Kolanut Market in Kano and according to him, the nut has gradually become one of the nuts in high demand, not only in the local business space, but also in the international market. He explained that though the nut is currently in high demand in the North, it is known to be grown in the South-west, South-south and North-central regions of Nigeria.
He revealed that though the nut is currently highly consumed within the nation, findings have shown that countries like China, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and several Asian countries are taking the nut from Nigeria, hence the hike in the price.
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A visit to the famous Kano Mariri Kolanut Market revealed that, presently, the nut is scarce compared to months ago. Weekend Trust gathered that demand for the nut has made the product scarce, just as the price has gone up. Our correspondent reports that the quantity sold for N25, 000 months ago is now N80, 000.
A funny story from Ekiti where a court has deposed a traditional King for not complying with native customs:
An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, has ordered the deposition of the Oluloro of Iloro Ekiti, Oba Femi Olugbesoye, over non-compliance with the native law and custom as regards coronation rites.
The Ekiti State Executive Council approved the appointment of Olugbesoye as the Oluloro of Iloro Ekiti on December 21, 2019.
The judge, Justice Jide Aladejana, according to a copy of the judgment made available in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, made the pronouncement while delivering judgment in the suit filed by Prince Olakunle Fadare and four others challenging Olugbesoye and four others over his ascendancy to the throne.
Fadare and four others (claimants) had claimed in court that Olugbesoye did not perform the necessary traditional rites, but the defendants dismissed it, adding that the court lacked jurisdiction.
In the judgment delivered on September 30, 2024, Justice Aladejana held, “In the circumstance, the sole issue formulated is resolved in favour of the claimants against the defendants. The action of the claimants succeeds.
“I consequentially declare that the failure and refusal of the first defendant to present himself for coronation rites by the Aoropare in line with the Native Law and Custom of Oluloro of Iloro Ekiti is wrongful.
“I also order the second to fifth defendants to depose the first defendant as the Oluloro of Iloro Ekiti in line with the Customary Law of Iloro Ekiti.
“I make an order of injunction restraining the first defendant from parading himself as the Oluloro of Iloro Ekiti.”
A story that happened in 2023, not 1823:
January 17, 2023 was like any other day for 47-year-old horticulturist Henry Edobor Okunrobo as he had no premonition of the fate that would befall him. If he knew that as he woke up that fateful day he would be abducted on the road, offered as sacrifice to the gods but rejected and would end up in a slave camp, he would not have ventured out of his house in Obadore community, in Igando area of Lagos. His resistance to being abducted infuriated his abductors who gave him deadly punches to his mouth that removed three of his front teeth. As fate would have it, the missing teeth were his saving grace after he was offered to the gods as sacrifice somewhere in Ogun state. He was taken to two ritualists but was considered unfit for sacrifice. He was said not to be incomplete because of the missing teeth.
His abductors then resolved to sell him into slavery and make some money instead of wasting him. He was sold to a farmer who had a large farm with several other slaves. Back home, despite weeks of frantic search for him by friends and family members, his family reported to Igando Police station and filed papers for a missing person. The search spread to hospitals and other police stations all to no avail. At some point, they gave up and considered him dead. Some of his friends and relations even organised a wake keep in his honour believing he was dead. But after one year and nine months, he suddenly appeared like a ghost. He narrated his story to Saturday Vanguard.
What does one say to this?
An Onitsha-based businessman, Chikwado Eze, tragically died during a ritual in Inyi, a community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, Enugu State.
Eze, originally from Ugbaike community, had secured a visa for an overseas business trip and sought fortification from a native doctor to ensure success. The native doctor instructed that Eze be buried alive for one and a half hours as part of the ritual.
On the day of the ritual, Eze, accompanied by his father Uwakwe, was buried in a grave for the specified time. However, when exhumed, instead of being fortified, Eze was weak and drenched in sweat. Despite the native doctor’s attempts to revive him with incantations, Eze remained unresponsive and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Both the father and the native doctor have been arrested by the police for interrogation. Uwakwe, previously ostracized by the Ugbaike community for involvement in dangerous charms, denied forcing his son into the ritual, stating that Eze had already prepared everything before inviting him.
Police uncovered a Yahoo School in Plateau:
He explained that two suspected internet fraudsters had trafficked and confined nine boys, largely secondary school leavers, in a building.
He further explained that the suspected fraudsters were teaching the young boys how to defraud innocent citizens using various means.
“The suspected fraudsters who are both 23 years of age, confined these young boys, largely secondary school graduates, to a secluded residence.
“They locked the boys up, seized their phones, and taught them how to masterfully defraud people through romance scams and other cyber-related frauds.
“They forced the boys to go into the internet and continue to defraud would-be victims, and in the event that they refused to cooperate, the ring leader beat them mercilessly with a horsewhip.
“Upon receipt of this information, we immediately mobilised our men, raided the hideout and arrested 11 suspects, including the two principal suspects,” he said.
Public infrastructure damage watch:
No fewer than seven persons have been arrested in Adamawa State over alleged vandalisation of ‘critical structures.’
Operatives of the state Police Command, who made the arrest, have indicated the critical structures as pipelines belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
The Adamawa State Police Command, in a statement obtained Saturday by DAILY POST, said 53 pieces of vandalized pipelines were recovered.
I join all Nigerians in welcoming Rubi to Lagos:
Rubi Rose, the US rapper and internet personality, has arrived in Lagos for her beach event.
The 27-year-old Kentucky-born video vixen landed in Lagos on Friday afternoon — much to the excitement of her Nigerian fans.
Some fans who welcomed her at the airport shared photos and videos that quickly went viral on social media.
The rapper and model will headline the ‘Save the Summer’ event scheduled for October 27 at 5pm. The event will take place at Athena Beach in Lekki.
Nigerians are built different when it comes to risk assessment:
A video of residents scooping fuel from a fallen tanker in Cross River State is circulating on social media.
According to Agba Jalingo, the publisher of CrossRiverWatch, a tanker loaded with fuel was involved in an accident on Wednesday evening at Small Iwuru, Akamkpa local government area of the state.
In a 42-second clip Jalingo shared on his Facebook page at 7:08 pm on Wednesday, residents hold kegs and buckets of various sizes as they rush to the accident scene.
This happened exactly one week after a tanker explosion killed scores in Jigawa State as they scooped leaking fuel. The death toll from that incident had risen to 181 at press time.
Outside Nigeria
In Colorado, they are talking about Colorado:
Colorado is a local name in Nigeria for a group of potent synthetic cannabinoids that have been linked to hallucinations, seizures, mental health disorders and even deaths. “On Colos” was popular slang in Nigeria in 2023, used to describe someone high on the drug.
The drug is meant to mimic the effects of cannabis, which is illegal in Nigeria.
Leo Igwe is doing God’s work:
Activist Leo Igwe is at the forefront of efforts to help people accused of witchcraft in Nigeria, as it can destroy their lives - and even lead to them being lynched.
“I could no longer take it. You know, just staying around and seeing people being killed randomly,” Dr Igwe tells the BBC.
After completing his doctorate in religious studies in 2017 he was restless. He had written extensively about witchcraft and was frustrated that academia did not allow him to challenge the practice head on.
The BBC has seen evidence of Pentecostal pastors in Nigeria holding services targeting alleged witches, a practice Dr Igwe says is not unusual in a country where many people believe in the supernatural.
Warning: This article contains details some readers may find disturbing.
So Dr Igwe set up Advocacy For Alleged Witches, an organisation focussed on “using compassion, reason, and science to save lives of those affected by superstition”.
Dr Igwe’s prevention work also extends to Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe and beyond.
One of the people the organisation has helped in Nigeria is 33-year-old Jude. In August, it intervened when he was accused and beaten in Benue State.
Jude, a glazier, who also works part-time in a bank, says he was on his way to work one morning, when he met a boy carrying two heavy jars of water which prompted him to comment on the boy’s physical agility.
The boy did not take the comments kindly, but he went on his way.
Later, Jude was followed by a mob of about 15 people throwing stones at him. Among them was the boy he had greeted earlier.
“Young men started fighting me as well, trying to set me ablaze,” Jude says.
He was accused of causing the disappearance of the boy’s penis through witchcraft, an accusation that shocked him and is untrue.
Abula is now available in Leicester. Spread the word:
A new restaurant showcasing the very best of Nigerian cuisine has opened in Leicester city centre. A.G.G has arrived in Leicester after successfully having a restaurant in Coventry for the past decade.
The new eatery, opposite Leicester Magistrates’ Court in Pocklingtons Walk, will offer a wide range of Nigerian cuisine for the food lovers of Leicester. Grilled catfish, jollof rice and yam porridge are among the items on the menu which boasts "high-quality" ingredients.
An A.G.G. spokesperson said: “Our commitment to high-quality food, employment creation, and community development has been the foundation of our success, and we are eager to bring these values to Leicester. We founded A.G.G out of a deep love for real African Nigerian food, for food that is fresh, healthy, and authentic that is better catered towards, family, students and working professionals."
A.G.G, which will also serve the popular Nigerian dish of abula , says it always strives to make each plate on offer a "wholesome expression" of their love for "African Nigerian food, life, and living". The spokesperson added: "In addition to our menu items, we also offer daily specials inspired by seasonal ingredients, the weather and how we are feeling."
The science of omugwo:
The tradition sets out to smooth the transition for new mothers and show the mother that she is not alone, she has a community of women who support and love her and her baby.
Omugwo can last from one to six months depending on the person administering this care. A few decades ago when most mothers were housewives, they were able to stay longer but now that mothers are also career women, they stay for about one to two months.
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New mothers are also advised to be intentional about their nutrition. A meal popularly prepared during this period is Peppersoup with a lot of traditional herbs and spices. Obianuju suggests using a spice called Uyaya from Akwa-Ibom to cook this dish.
“The last time I went for Omugwo; I noticed my daughter’s stomach was still big for a pregnant woman and her legs were swollen”, she says. “So I cooked Peppersoup with a spice, Uyaya, from Akwa Ibom and my daughter said, 'Mother it’s like I'm contracting and going to have another baby'. Her stomach was moving up and down and by evening, she went to the bathroom to excrete a lump of blood with the retained placenta. And the swollen legs went down immediately.”
Mrs Obianuju also suggests the consumption of Jollof rice, Bitterleaf soup, Coconut and ‘Pap’ aka cornmeal porridge to aid in breast milk production, fruits and vegetables to help in healing and avoiding sodas, as sugar helps to induce bleeding.
British Home Office recently carried out some deportations:
The Home Office told the Guardian on Friday evening that the Nigeria and Ghana deportations were part of a “major surge” in immigration enforcement and returns.
Since Labour came to power in July, 3,600 people have been returned to various countries, including about 200 to Brazil and 46 on a flight to Vietnam and Timor-Leste. There are also regular deportation flights to Albania, Lithuania and Romania.
Deportation flights to Nigeria and Ghana are relatively rare, with just four recorded since 2020, according to data released under freedom of information rules. The previous flights had far fewer people onboard, with six, seven, 16 and 21 respectively. Friday’s flight had more than double that number removed on a single flight.
The Guardian spoke to four Nigerians while they were held at Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick before their deportation. One man due to fly tried to kill himself. His cellmate, who witnessed the attempt, said he was “very traumatised” by what he had seen.
Can I interest you in some egusi soup:
I wanted to cook a traditional dish and went for egusi soup. It’s a dish I’ve eaten but never tried cooking myself. For the uninitiated, it’s a revelation – deeply savoury, nutty and layered with flavour. It takes its name from egusi: dried melon seeds that are toasted before being ground into a paste. They’re sold in shops selling Afro-Caribbean ingredients and you can also find them online.
The recipe was easy to follow and a joy to make, especially using ingredients I had never cooked with. Given the depth of flavour, it was surprisingly straightforward and the joy of cooking something that is perceived as too complex from an unfamiliar cuisine never gets old. The sisters held my hand throughout, and the result was everything I could have hoped for.
There is so much more I want to cook from this cookbook. It draws you in and makes you excited about food in general. If you’re already a fan of Nigerian food, or are intrigued by it and would like to know more, I cannot recommend this book enough.
Sybil Woodroffe is 90:
In Nigeria in the 1960s it was rare for a woman to have financial independence, and so when Sybil Sapara, a modern languages graduate and teacher, decided to leave the country — and her marriage — she knew that it would not be easy. Unable to access the joint bank account, she sold her car to buy tickets to London for herself and her four children, and used her maiden name so that she could not be tracked.
By good fortune, in London she was able to return to the same inner London comprehensive she had worked for in earlier years as head of modern languages. Her new role would be as head teacher. It led to a position as an inspector for the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) and eventually her appointment as the first non-white HM inspector of schools. Throughout this time, she also worked for the Centre of Urban Education, an innovative charity focused on improving educational outcomes for children from minority backgrounds.
Sybil Blair was born in 1934 in Georgetown, Guyana, the daughter of John Blair, Georgetown’s superintendent of police, and Inez Farnum, a governess who in the first few years of Sybil’s life brought her up as a single parent.
[…]
Returning to London in the early 1960s, she met Mobolaji Adeboye Sapara, an accountant, while sheltering in a doorway from heavy rain. They married soon after, and had four children: Titi-Lola, Adebayo, Bosede and Bola. The move to Nigeria was intended to provide a better lifestyle, but ended with Sybil’s dramatic flight to Britain. In the mid-1970s she met and married Bev Woodroffe, an ILEA inspector.
Fun article about how people are now selling food on Facebook Marketplace in the US. Features this woman. She’s not Nigerian but she sells ‘West African food’:
Mrs. Dion moved to New Jersey from Ivory Coast when she was 25, and settled in Hutto in March. It’s hard to find great fufu in Texas, she said.
“They have African restaurants, but they have more Ethiopian, Nigerian,” said Mrs. Dion, a stay-at-home mother.
Ms. Webb started looking for a side gig after feeling the pressure of pandemic-era inflation, and Mrs. Dion was looking for ways to make money at home. Both were skilled cooks, but opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant was prohibitively expensive and neither could pick up work that took them away from their children.
Mrs. Dion began advertising the food she cooks at home — a tropical smattering of flavorful rice, juicy chicken thighs, stewed meat and caramelized plantains — to Marketplace in June. Now she has 30 loyal customers who buy her fufu, okra stew, peanut butter soup and whole fried tilapia. She charges $15 a plate for pickup and an additional fee for delivery.
The most pointless saga has finally come to an end:
After eight months in custody in Nigeria, an American working for the cryptocurrency firm Binance is coming home, ailing but alive, in a case that had strained U.S. ties with one of Africa’s most influential countries.
Tigran Gambaryan, a compliance officer for Binance, had been held on money-laundering charges as part of a sweeping Nigerian government case against the company.
On Thursday, a plane equipped with medical equipment departed Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to bring him back to the United States. During his detention, Mr. Gambaryan had contracted malaria and double pneumonia, and he has a herniated disk.
His release came after months of diplomatic pressure by the United States and in return for American promises of an improved partnership with Nigeria, including on cybercrime investigations.
Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, called Mr. Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki Gambaryan, on Thursday morning to let her know that Nigeria had released her husband. Mr. Sullivan said Mr. Gambaryan was being flown back to the United States for “needed medical attention.”
Hijack 93 is now on Netflix. Daily Mail digs into the true story behind it:
On 25 October 1993, four teenage boys boarded a Nigeria Airways flight from Lagos to Abuja with a clear agenda: hijack the aircraft, take all 193 passengers hostage and force the government to bend to their demands.
The moment the pilot told passengers they could unfasten their seatbelts, the young men - aged between 16 and 18 - sprung into action.
After entering the cockpit with a fake gun, the second step of their plan was to declare that the commercial aircraft - which had several leading politicians on board - was now being controlled by the Movement for the Advancement of Democracy (MAD).
'Remain calm, we will not harm you,' they reportedly told the terrified travellers. 'You will be told where the plane will land you.'
But despite their claims that there would be no casualties, the teenagers' carefully constructed plan quickly descended into chaos - culminating in the death of a crew member following four days of tense negotiations.
31 years on from the incident, Netflix has dramatised the case in their film Hijack '93, which lands on the streaming platform tomorrow.