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The latest version of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, strips 1.9 million of citizenship.

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The US says the Adrian Darya 1 is being used by Iran to fund "illicit activities" in the region.

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Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and four other men face the death penalty if found guilty.

 

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre has said that Nigeria has returned to dictatorship where the police and other security agencies arrest and detain journalists over unfavourable reports.

Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of RULAAC, made the statement while commenting on the arrest of Agba Jalingo, Publisher of Cross River Watch by the Police.

Jalingo had published an article claiming that Governor Ben Ayade approved and diverted N500m meant for Cross River Microfinance Bank.

In the article, Jalingo said the microfinance bank had been rendered non-functional as money earmarked to start its operation was not released.

Commenting on the arrest of Jalingo, Nwanguma said, "The police should not allow themselves to be used to harass and intimidate journalists or critics.

"We are back to the era of dictatorship where police will arrest a journalist and detain him indefinitely, acting at the behest of a state governor who finds a report unfavourable."

Nwanguma therefore called for the immediate release of Jalingo, adding that his arrest and continued detention was a threat to press freedom.

 

Free Speech Human Rights Journalism MEDIA News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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A young lady, Nofisat Ibrahim, has been killed by some gunmen in Akure, Info State.

Ibrahim was killed on Wednesday at the Oke Ogba area of Akure South Local Government Area of the state around 7:30 pm. 

Sahara Reporters gathered that the victim operated a 'Point Of Sale' outlet at the Oja Oba area of Akure before her death.

Aminat, a relation to Ibrahim, confirmed the incident  to our correspondent on Friday.

She said, "The three guys entered the shop where Nofisat transacts with her POS machine at Oke Ogba.

"They pretended as if they wanted to carry out a transaction and immediately pounced on her and strangulated her.

"In the process she managed to escape but they chased her to the point where she was shot to death."

The victim has since been buried according to Islamic rites while the case had been reported at the Fanibi Police Station in Akure.

Spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Femi Joseph, confirmed the incident when contacted by Sahara Reporters.

He said, "I learnt that the incident happened on Wednesday and we have already started our investigations on it.

"I can assure the public and family members of the victim that we would arrest the perpetrators."
 

CRIME News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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A young lady, Nofisat Ibrahim, has been killed by some gunmen in Akure, Info State.

Ibrahim was killed on Wednesday at the Oke Ogba area of Akure South Local Government Area of the state around 7:30 pm. 

Sahara Reporters gathered that the victim operated a 'Point Of Sale' outlet at the Oja Oba area of Akure before her death.

Aminat, a relation to Ibrahim, confirmed the incident  to our correspondent on Friday.

She said, "The three guys entered the shop where Nofisat transacts with her POS machine at Oke Ogba.

"They pretended as if they wanted to carry out a transaction and immediately pounced on her and strangulated her.

"In the process she managed to escape but they chased her to the point where she was shot to death."

The victim has since been buried according to Islamic rites while the case had been reported at the Fanibi Police Station in Akure.

Spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Femi Joseph, confirmed the incident when contacted by Sahara Reporters.

He said, "I learnt that the incident happened on Wednesday and we have already started our investigations on it.

"I can assure the public and family members of the victim that we would arrest the perpetrators."
 

CRIME News AddThis :  Original Author :  SaharaReporters, New York Disable advertisements : 
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No fewer than 57 sailors have been arrested in Rivers State by the Nigerian Navy for allegedly smuggling crude oil and illegally refining diesel.

The sailors, including a Ukrainian, a Mexican and 55 Nigerians, were arrested between August 11 and August 25 onboard four vessels, two wooden boats and a barge, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

Capt. Adegoke Ebo, Executive Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, spoke in Onne, Rivers, while handing over the suspects and items to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday.

He said, “The suspects were intercepted by the NNS Pathfinder patrol team around Onne Anchorage and Okochiri creek in Okirika Local Government Area of Rivers.

“The four vessels, MV Western Orient, MV Temile, AHT Ajemisan and Jascon 23 as well as two large wooden boats and a barge, Ana Marine, all had 57 crew members onboard.

“They comprised of 55 Nigerians, one Mexican and one Ukraine nationals. 

"The crews did not have clearance to transport petroleum products in the nation’s waters.”

Ebo said the vessels and wooden boats were laden with unspecified quantity of petroleum products suspected to be crude oil and illegally refined diesel.

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No fewer than 57 sailors have been arrested in Rivers State by the Nigerian Navy for allegedly smuggling crude oil and illegally refining diesel.

The sailors, including a Ukrainian, a Mexican and 55 Nigerians, were arrested between August 11 and August 25 onboard four vessels, two wooden boats and a barge, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

Capt. Adegoke Ebo, Executive Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, spoke in Onne, Rivers, while handing over the suspects and items to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday.

He said, “The suspects were intercepted by the NNS Pathfinder patrol team around Onne Anchorage and Okochiri creek in Okirika Local Government Area of Rivers.

“The four vessels, MV Western Orient, MV Temile, AHT Ajemisan and Jascon 23 as well as two large wooden boats and a barge, Ana Marine, all had 57 crew members onboard.

“They comprised of 55 Nigerians, one Mexican and one Ukraine nationals. 

"The crews did not have clearance to transport petroleum products in the nation’s waters.”

Ebo said the vessels and wooden boats were laden with unspecified quantity of petroleum products suspected to be crude oil and illegally refined diesel.

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My friend Grace Withers wore black to the Bristol Pride Protest march on 12th of July, the significance of her choice of clothes was first lost on me as I had always associated Pride with every colour on the rainbow spectrum. She went on to educate me on why she chose to look sombre, when she was done, I decided I would wear black for Nigeria’s first Pride protest march. But before I tell you why, allow me to bring you up to speed with the LGBTQ situation in Nigeria.

In 2013, a colleague – Rashidi Williams and I received a grant towards carrying out a community-based project, aimed at empowering young activists undertaking direct work with minority and marginalised groups such as persons with disabilities and those from the LGBTQ community. What we set out to do was simple, equip these activists on the frontlines with the tools they needed to promote and uphold the human rights and civil liberties of everyone irrespective of their sexual orientation, identity or disability, and to signpost service users to the most relevant organisations should a breach of these rights occur.

The reality, however, was a far cry. For the first time, the implication of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2013 (SSMPA) which took effect in 2014, registered on me. This draconian law, according to Human Rights Watch, ‘presented opportunities for people to engage in homophobic violence without fear of legal consequences and contributed significantly to a climate of impunity for crimes against LGBTQ people.’ It was the permission some people and members of the Nigerian Police force needed to justify lynching, physically and sexually assaulting, extorting and the arbitrary arrest and detention of law-abiding citizens going about their daily lives, on suspicions of being gay or queer or ‘other’,

Even worse, organisations providing healthcare services to men who have sex with men and those advocating the fundamental human rights and civil liberties of the LGBTQ community were also targeted.

My recent conversation with Williams suggests the situation hasn’t changed on the frontlines. Between 2014 till date, his organisation, Equality Triangle, has handled more than 800 cases of human rights violation due to sexuality and gender identity. He estimates that seven persons have lost their lives as a result of homophobic attacks in Lagos and Delta State alone.

Yet, some people still argue homophobia is not ‘Nigerias’ problem. If upholding the rights and dignity of the most vulnerable and at risk among us is not Nigeria’s problem, what is?

Is LGBTQ Rights Nigeria’s problem?

I will go out on a limb and agree Nigeria has other pressing issues that needs to be tackled, such as insecurity, nonexistence of healthcare and mental health services, crippling lack of infrastructure, youth unemployment, inaccessibility of justice, widescale corruption, the list goes on. However, if one dared, a straight line could be drawn from the point where denigration of people because of their ‘otherness’ to blatantly trampling on the rights and the systemic erosion of the liberties of just about anyone who looks, acts or even presents a differing opinion becomes the norm.

The acid test for how committed a nation is to its growth, development and progress is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens and perhaps, Nigeria’s big problems as some perceive them to be, linger because we have failed woefully at the most fundamental task of being human - preserving and protecting those who otherwise could neither thrive nor survive without timely state intervention backed up by legislation. Those, who, with adequate support, may proffer solutions to some of the issues the nation has been grippling with.

LGBTQ rights and the Nigerian law

Nigeria is one of 70 countries that still criminalises consensual same sex relationships between adults.

Before 2014, when President Goodluck Jonathan signed the SSMPA into law, same-sex relationships were illegal, though violence against the LGBTQ community wasn’t as high as it became afterwards.

The SSMPA provides for prison terms of 14 years for anyone who enters a same-sex marriage or civil union which could be broadly interpreted to include any form of intimate co-habitation.

The law also punishes establishing, supporting, and participating in gay organizations and public displays of affection with up to 10 years in prison.

Many have never had their day in court, others have met violent deaths instead at the hands of a mob of self-appointed judges, jurors and executioners. There hasn’t been any arrests or prosecution related to LGBTQ hate crimes.

The SSMPA contravenes some very basic tenets of the Nigerian constitution and violates several human rights treaties Nigeria has ratified. Calls from the African Commission on Humans and Peoples Rights urging the Nigerian government to ‘review the law, to prohibit violence on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and to ensure access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care services for LGBTQ individuals,’ has been met with resounding silence.

The physical, psychological, or sexual violence against gay men and other men who have sex with men, hinders sustainable responses to HIV. This climate of fear also deters gay men and other men who have sex with men from seeking and adhering to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support services, Human Rights Watch reports.

What is Nigeria’s problem with the LGBTQ Community?

The most common answer I get to this question is ‘it is against our culture and religion…’ and I am tempted to ask, what exactly is our culture or religion? If this so-called culture and religion of ours has suddenly found its voice when it pertains to adults in a consensual same sex relationship, how come its silence is deafening when it involves calling out corruption, inequality, gender based violence, child sexual abuse and exploitation, youth restiveness, inaccessibility of justice for the poor, the brazen violence from herdsmen, a crippling lack of commitment from the government to the development of services and infrastructure, a blatant non-committal attitude towards accountability from public office holders?

Does our collective silence on these issues and disinterest in following through with investigating and prosecuting these cases indicate our culture and religion has acquiesced to us been this way?

The victimization, violence against and extrajudicial killings of members of the Nigerian LGBTQ community, to me, represents the canary in the goldmine, an ominous sign that none of us are neither free nor safe.

When Nigeria has her first Pride protest March, I will, like my friend Grace, wear black. For her education made me realise not just the importance of celebrating hard won victories but honouring those whose lives, death and sacrifices made the victories albeit small, possible.

I will wear black for all who fled for their lives by the skin of their teeth, who have had to relive the horror they thought they’ve left behind over and over again, just so they are believed, so they are not sent back to the places they fled.

I will wear black to mourn those who lost their lives, families, homes and all they held dear, because we first called them ‘other’, then evil, making our inhumane acts of violence against them somewhat easier on our collective consciences.

I will wear black because, while I would be celebrating the hard-earned victory of been able to gather under the inclusiveness of the rainbow, I know how easy it could be to forget those who sacrificed their lives and wellbeing for it, those on whose bones the gratitude alter stands, those whose lynching, whose death could have been prevented had they had access to HIV/AIDS treatment services. Those whose death should be justly nailed to the door of Nigeria lawmakers.

Vweta Chadwick is a Social Worker who has dedicated the last 15 years towards finding solutions to some of the most pertinent problems confronting women and girls in Africa, through Project ASHA.

 

Opinion AddThis :  Original Author :  Vweta Chadwick Disable advertisements : 
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