ICC to investigate Nigerian security agencies over ‘crimes against humanity’

 

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a preliminary determination to investigate Nigerian security forces over allegations of “crimes against humanity” and “war crimes”, TheCable can report.

This is coming on the heels of allegations of human right abuses against the country’s security forces in the north-east and other parts of Nigeria.

The determination, issued on Friday and seen by TheCable, was silent on the specifics — such as the Lekki shooting– but declared the allegations “are also sufficiently grave to warrant investigation” by ICC.

The Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC conducts independent preliminary examinations, investigations and prosecutions of the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.

Fatou Bensouda, the outgoing ICC prosecutor, said there is “reasonable basis to believe that members of the Nigerian Security Forces (“NSF”) have committed the following acts constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes: murder, rape, torture, and cruel treatment; enforced disappearance; forcible transfer of population; outrages upon personal dignity; intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such and against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities; unlawful imprisonment; conscripting and enlisting children under the age of fifteen years into armed forces and using them to participate actively in hostilities; persecution on gender and political grounds; and other inhumane acts”.

She added that the allegations “are also sufficiently grave to warrant investigation by my Office, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. My Office will provide further details in our forthcoming annual Report on Preliminary Examination Activities”.

“My Office will continue to take the necessary measures to ensure the integrity of future investigations in relation to the situation in Nigeria,” she said.

“The predicament we are confronted with due to capacity constraints underscores the clear mismatch between the resources afforded to my Office and the ever growing demands placed upon it. It is a situation that requires not only prioritization on behalf of the Office, to which we remain firmly committed, but also open and frank discussions with the Assembly of States Parties, and other stakeholders of the Rome Statute system, on the real resource needs of my Office in order to effectively execute its statutory mandate.

“As we move towards the next steps concerning the situation in Nigeria, I count on the full support of the Nigerian authorities, as well as of the Assembly of States Parties more generally, on whose support the Court ultimately depends. And as we look ahead to future investigations in the independent and impartial exercise of our mandate, I also look forward to a constructive and collaborative exchange with the Government of Nigeria to determine how justice may best be served under the shared framework of complementary domestic and international action.”

The prosecutor said the investigation also showed the involvement of non-state actors such as the Boko Haram sect in crimes against humanity.

The development comes three days after the United States blacklisted Nigeria for “engaging (in) systematic, ongoing, egregious religious freedom violations”.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who announced the measure, said country “will continue to act when “religious freedom is attacked”.

- THECABLE

Lionel Messi told to join Napoli in honour of Maradona

 

Former Ghanaian international, Kevin-Prince Boateng has advised Argentina playmaker, Lionel Messi to join Italian side, Napoli in honour of his countryman, late Diego Maradona.

Maradona died in November 2020 and Messi paid him tributes by removing his Barcelona shirt after scoring a league goal to reveal Newell’s Old Boys jersey.

Newell was the team Messi started playing in as a young boy and Maradona also played a season at the club towards the end of his career.

However, Maradona played out his football career at Napoli and helped the club win two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990.

“Messi’s going to finish his contract at Barcelona, [but] how amazing would it be if he would just call Napoli and say ‘I will come’?” Boateng told ESPN.

”They don’t give out the No.10 shirt anymore, [but] I would love to honour Maradona’s No.10 and I would love to come and play one year or two years at Naples, without thinking about money or nothing, just heart’.”

Boateng, who was at Barcelona on loan and played alongside Messi last season but said it would be like a movie if Messi makes the move.

“But just that story: ‘In honour of Maradona, I will come and play for Naples’, what kind of story would that be for the world, not only for football, for the world?

Boateng believes it would be historic everywhere if the Argentina captain makes the move.

- DAILY POST

NLC kicks against bid to borrow from N17tr pension fund

 

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday rejected a fresh bid by State governors to borrow from the N17 trillion pension funds.

Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, spoke on the rejection at the 47th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) on Thursday in Abuja.

Wabba also vowed to mobilise workers nationwide to protest any move to borrow from the money, adding that it was the retirement benefit of workers.

Recall that the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) had endorsed two proposals to borrow N17 trillion from two sources for infrastructural development.

“Pension money isn’t for borrowing. Pension money is the retirement savings of workers,” Wabba said.

“It can’t be borrowed, you must go through the bank, and in this case, you must go through the PFAs and their guidelines; even the guidelines they want to play down, but to the glory of God, the board of PenCom has been constituted.

“I stand here to represent all of you. We’re not going to agree; less than five per cent of the states are keying into the contributory pension.

“Yet they want to borrow the money. The bulk of the money is from Federal Government workers and private-sector workers. So how do you want to borrow from where you haven’t sown?

“It is not free money and let me sound a bit of warning. Any day that we hear the pension fund, our money has been borrowed, I’ll declare a protest, and everybody is going to be on the streets to protect our hard-earned money.”

Wabba added: “The money belongs to workers. We contribute that money so that when we retire, we can have something for retirement.”

- DAILY POST

Anthony Joshua, Pulev in near bust up at weigh-in

 

Anthony Joshua had to be pulled away from Kubrat Pulev at their Friday weigh-in as the Saturday fight threatened to start early.

Joshua, 31, got his giant right hand on the Bulgarian’s left shoulder after the 39-year-old veteran overstepped the mark as a war of words broke out in a chorus of screams and shouts from his team.

Joshua weighed-in at 17st 2lbs, three pounds heavier than he was for the rematch win over Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2019, The Sun reported.

And after both fighters completed the formalities, they broke out into a battle of shouting and finger wagging, following by a round of fist punching.

Eddie Hearn later confessed the brawl was NOT staged and he ‘has the skid marks’ to prove it as security guards held back members of Pulev’s team.

On the scuffle, AJ said: “I don’t know what sparked that. That’s just how we are.

“He has spoken a lot of rubbish and now he has to back it up.

“I have seen so many fighters talk a load of rubbish and then get smacked up.

“If you don’t know boxing then that sort of thing could intimidate you but I could have whacked him up there but I have to save it for tomorrow.”

Hearn then revealed what was said, revealing: “Pulev just kept saying ‘tomorrow, tomorrow’, so Joshua went ‘What do you mean tomorrow?’

- PM NEWS

‘They were secretly recording’ — Mbaka defends attack on BBC reporters

 

Ejike Mbaka, a Catholic priest in Enugu state, says a team of BBC reporters were attacked after they were suspected to be assassins.

The journalists – Chioma Obianinwa and Nnamdi Agbanelo – were reportedly attacked by Mbaka and some men at his residence over a “negative” reportage about the priest.

They had gone to the adoration ground with one Cajethan Obiekezie, a Catholic priest, to interview Mbaka on Wednesday when the altercation occurred.

But Maximus Ugwuoke, spokesman of Mbaka’s ministry, said the “estranged” Obiekezie “came with some persons with an unknown identity who were secretly recording the day’s ministry programme”.

The spokesman said it was at that point, the ministry’s security guards “accosted” the reporters.

“We make haste to state that the report was a carefully crafted mendacious narrative calculated to tarnish the image of Fr Mbaka who in his amiable nature could not have done or directed any of those alleged acts of assault on the BBC team or anyone as alleged against him,” Vanguard quoted him as saying.

“An eye witness account of what happened reveals that one Fr Obiekeze (Cajetan) who estranged himself from the ministry and made a viral video with BBC recently abusing Fr Mbaka and his perceived romance with President Mohammadu Buhari, came to join Fr Mbaka at the altar during his last Wednesday’s weekly ministry programme.

“Unknown to anyone in the ministry, the said priest came with some persons with an unknown identity who were secretly recording the day’s ministry programme until they were accosted by the ministry security suspecting them to be assassins on a surveillance mission. The said ministry security seized the equipment of the strange fellows and sought to know their identities.

“Later in the evening after Fr Mbaka was through with the programme and retired to the parish house to continue his consultation with worshippers waiting to see him, altercations between the fellows and the security men at Fr Mbaka’s parish house drew Fr Mbaka’s attention to them and his timely intervention helped to save the situation.

“Fr Mbaka was surprised when the unknown fellows identified themselves as coming from BBC with Fr Obiekezie. Surprised by such obvious betrayal and stage-managed visit from a fellow priest, Fr Mbaka directed that every of their seized equipment be returned to them and made sure no one hurt either the priest or the unknown visitors he surreptitiously came with.”

Ugwuoke added that Mbaka did not invite the BBC team and was notified of their presence at the venue.

- THECABLE

Yuletide: Police ban fireworks, ‘knockouts’, others

 

The Bauchi State Police Command, on Friday, banned the use of fireworks and explosives, otherwise known as knockouts during Yuletide celebrations.

The Command also said it is not leaving any stone unturned in ensuring hitch-free celebrations.

These were contained in a press release signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police, CP Lawan Tanko Jimeta and made available to DAILY POST in Bauchi on Friday.

The release assured the people of the state that the command was ready to perform its statutory responsibility of protecting lives and property of the people.

“In view of the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations coming up on 25/12/2020 and 01/01/2021 respectively, the Bauchi State Police Command, under the leadership of CP Lawan Tanko Jimeta, psc, wishes to assure the good people of the state of its readiness to perform its statutory responsibility of protection of lives and property of innocent citizens during the celebration.

“The Command will collaborate with sister security agencies and all critical stakeholders to ensure that, the celebration is peaceful and hitch-free,” Wakil, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) stated.

He informed that CP Jimeta had ordered the deployment of police personnel to places of worship and venues of events in the state, adding that the personnel had been instructed to be civil but firm in the discharge of their duties.

“To this effect, the CP has ordered the deployment of officers and men consisting of conventional police and other tactical teams of the command as well as necessary logistics to all churches and venues of events in the state.

“Personnel deployed for this critical assignment are under strict instruction of the Commissioner of Police to be civil but firm in the discharge of their duties.”

While declaring the command’s readiness to deal with hoodlums and disgruntled elements who may want to foment troubles during the festive period, the state police image maker stated that the ban on use of fireworks, bangers and other explosives is still in force in the state.

“The ban on the use of fireworks, bangers and other explosives during festivities is still in force. As such explosives are capable of causing fire disasters, among other threats.

“Furthermore, the command is prepared to deal with hoodlums, political thugs and other disgruntled elements that may attempt to cause breakdown of law and order before, during and after the festive period.”

DSP Wakil stated that CP Jimeta sent his warm greetings to Christian faithful and other citizens in the state on the occasions of Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The police boss, according to the PPRO, however, enjoined people of the state to cooperate with police and other security agencies in their efforts towards ensuring peaceful celebrations and report any suspicious person or object to the nearest police station or call the Command emergency phone number 08151849417.

- DAILY POST

Enugu Poly rector Nwankwo jailed for scamming students

 

Dr Isidore Ojukwu Nwankwo, a former rector of Enugu Polytechnic has been sent to to prison for scamming his students.

Justice N.I. Buba of the Federal High Court, Enugu handed over the sentence on Thursday.

Nwankwo was prosecuted by the Enugu Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a six-count charge, bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N1,153,700.00.

The money was obtained by fraud from some students of the school in contravention of Section 1(1)(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the Same Act.

Nwankwo’s journey to prison began when one Eze and 19 other students of the school petitioned the Enugu Zonal Office of the EFCC, alleging that they were deceived into believing that the school was partly owned by the Enugu State government and accredited by the appropriate authorities.

Based on the false belief, the students paid the sums of N5, 000 for admission form, N10, 000 for acceptance fee and N35, 000 for first semester school fees.

They later discovered that the school was an illegal institution.

Investigation by the EFCC, revealed that the state government has no business with the school; and that the school is neither recognized by the state government, nor registered with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

Justice Buba noted that the prosecution counsel, Michael Ani Ikechukwu, proved his case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubts.

Buba then convicted and sentenced Nwankwo him to one year imprisonment and further ordered him to restitute the students, the sum of N1,153,700.00.

- PM NEWS

How 20-year-old herbalist killed Ogun hotelier Jimoh Bello

 

                  Late Jimoh Bello and Misipode Dosu a 20-year-old herbalist

Ogun State Police Command has arrested Misipode Dosu, a 20-year-old herbalist, who was last seen with slain hotelier, Jimoh Bello.

The arrest came seven months after Bello, the owner of a popular hotel in Owode-Yewa, was found dead in the boot of his Toyota Camry parked at the Omo-Ilu Owotedo area, via Idiroko town.

Jimoh Bello found dead

DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the arrest on Thursday said Bello’s corpse was found on May 29, 2020, adding that residents who noticed his car parked in their area became suspicious when an offensive odour started coming out of the vehicle.

He said they subsequently reported at the Idiroko police divisional headquarters.

“When the police got to the scene, the car door was forced open and the corpse of the deceased was discovered in the boot of the car.

“The case was subsequently transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation with a clear mandate to fish out the killers.

“The CSP Femi Olabode-led team embarked on intelligence and technical-based investigation, which led them to the arrest of a 20-year-old herbalist, Misipode Dosu, who happened to be the last person that was seen with the deceased,” he added.

However, Oyeyemi revealed that the 20-year-old herbalist confessed during interrogation that the deceased contracted him for a money-making ritual, for which he billed him the sum of N300,000.

He added that the suspect claimed the victim paid him N250,000.

According to the PPRO, after some time, the deceased started pressuring Dosu that he had not seen the positive outcome of the ritual.

“Out of fear that the deceased might report him to the police for obtaining money from him under false pretenses, he invited him to come for the final stage of the ritual at Idiroko.

“On getting there, he gave him a concoction prepared with a poisonous substance to eat and the man slumped and died immediately he ate the concoction.

“The suspect there and then put the deceased into the boot of his car drove the car and parked it at the place where the corpse was recovered,” he added.

He said the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, had directed that the suspect be arraigned as soon as the investigation was concluded.

- PM NEWS

CBN approves new licence regime for payment systems

 

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved new licence categorisation for payment systems across Nigeria.

This was contained in a circular released on Thursday, to all payment service providers, banks and other financial institutions and signed by Musa Jimoh, director of payments system management department of CBN.

CBN says this approval is in line with its commitment to promote a strong and credible payment system as it offers clarity for new and existing market participants based on the significant evolution and innovation in Nigerian payments system.

According to the apex bank, these payment system licensing has been streamlined according to permissible activities in four broad categories, which include: switching and processing; mobile money operations (MNOs); payment solution services (PSSs); and regulatory sandbox.

The minimum capital requirement for MMOs is N2 billion; switching and processing (N2 billion); PSS (N250 million); super agent (N50 million); payment solution service provider (N100 million); and payment terminal service provider (N100 million).

There is no minimum capital requirement applicable for operating regulatory sandbox.

CBN said payment service providers and stakeholders should note that: “Only MNOs are permitted to hold customer funds; companies seeking to combine activities under the switching and MNO categories are only permitted to operate under a holding company structure with the subsidiary entities.

“Payment system companies in the PSS category may hold any of payment solution service provider (PSSP), payment terminal service provider (PTSP) and super agents license or a combination of all.

“All licensed payment service providers are required to obtain a no-objection from the payments system management department.

“Collaborations between licenced payment companies, banks and other financial institutions in respect of products and services are subject to CBN’s prior approval.”

- THECABLE

Dele Alli, Kante, others make FIFA and FIFPro’s top 55 players in world [Full list]

 

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, Dele Alli, has been named in the top 55 players in the world by FIFA and FIFPro.

Alli, who has not played for Jose Mourinho’s side in the league since October, made the list alongside Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.

FIFA and FIFPro announced their top 55 players in the world on Thursday via its official website and Alli was a shock inclusion.

FIFA and FIFPro’s list of 55 players:

Goalkeepers:

Alisson Becker (Liverpool FC, Brazil)

Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium)

David de Gea (Manchester United, Spain)

Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan, Italy)

Moraes Ederson (Manchester City, Brazil)

Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur, France)

Keylor Navas (Paris Saint-Germain, Costa Rica)

Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern Munich, Germany)

Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid, Slovenia)

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (FC Barcelona, Germany)

Defenders:

David Alaba (FC Bayern Munich, Austria)

Jordi Alba (FC Barcelona, Spain)
Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur, Belgium)

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool FC, England)

Dani Alves (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Jerome Boateng (FC Bayern Munich, Germany)

Alphonso Davies (FC Bayern Munich, Canada)

Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool FC, The Netherlands)

Kalidou Koulibaly (SSC Napoli, Senegal)

Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus FC, The Netherlands)

Marcelo (Real Madrid, Brazil)
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid, Spain)
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool FC, Scotland)

Thiago Silva (Chelsea, Brazil)
Raphael Varane (Real Madrid, France)

Midfielders:

Thiago Alcantara (FC Bayern Munich, now Liverpool), Spain)

Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur, England)

Sergio Busquets (FC Barcelona, Spain)

Casemiro (Real Madrid, Brazil)

Philippe Coutinho (FC Bayern Munich, now FC Barcelona, Brazil)

Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)

Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)

Leon Goretzka (FC Bayern Munich, Germany)

Jordan Henderson (Liverpool FC, England)

Frenkie de Jong (FC Barcelona, The Netherlands)

N’Golo Kante (Chelsea FC, France)

Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, Germany)

Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern Munich, Germany)

Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)

Thomas Muller (FC Bayern Munich, Germany)

Forwards:

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City, Argentina)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal, Gabon)

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)
Serge Gnabry (FC Bayern Munich, Germany)

Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund, Norway)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan, Sweden)

Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur, England)

Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern Munich, Poland)

Sadio Mane (Liverpool FC, Senegal)

Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain, France)

Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona, Argentina)

Neymar Junior (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus, Portugal)

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool FC, Egypt)

Son Heungmin (Tottenham Hotspur, South Korea)

- DAILY POST

Neymar wants Messi to join PSG

 

Neymar has finally made it clear that he is very happy in Paris and not thinking about leaving his club for Barcelona or anywhere else.

The PSG star made this known a week after creating headlines by admitting he wanted to be on the same team as Lionel Messi next season.

Messi, 33, is out of contract at Camp Nou next summer and is free to talk to other clubs from January onwards.

“What I want most of all is to play with Messi again, to be able to enjoy him once again on the pitch,” Neymar told ESPN last week.

“He can play in my place, I have no problem with that! But I want to play with him next year, for sure. We have to do it next season.”

The statement by Neymar raised questions about whether he wants to return to Barcelona or wants Messi to join him at PSG.

However, Neymar this week made it clear that he has no intention to leave the club next season, which implies that he was calling Messi to join him in Paris.

“I am very happy here in Paris, at the club, with my teammates, so the idea of leaving is not going through my head, but people need things to talk about,” he told broadcaster RMC Sport.

“I am really happy and settled so let’s see what happens in the future.”

PSG President has also confirmed that the club are in talks with Neymar and Mbappe and it’s clear they both want to stay.

“We have started talking. It is all confidential but we are confident, both of them want to stay,” said Nasser al-Khelaifi.

- PM NEWS

World Bank: 20m more Nigerians to become poor by 2022

 

The World Bank projects that the number of poor people in Nigeria will increase by 20 million by 2022.

According to the bank’s Nigeria Development Update (NDU), an average Nigerian may witness a setback of decades of economic growth and the country could enter its deepest recession since the 1980s.

Shubham Chaudhuri, the bank’s country director for Nigeria, said: “Nigeria is at a critical historical juncture, with a choice to make. Nigeria can choose to break decisively from business-as-usual, and rise to its considerable potential by sustaining the bold reforms that have been taken thus far and going even further and with an even greater sense of urgency to promote faster and more inclusive economic growth.”

Figures from the 2019 poverty and inequality in Nigeria report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show that 40 percent of the total population, or almost 83 million Nigerians, live below the poverty line of N137,430 per year.

The World Bank in its update warned that the economy may shrink up to 4 percent in 2020 due to the COVID-19  pandemic and weak  oil prices.

It noted that food insecurity has escalated while “economic precarity is on the rise because unemployed workers have migrated to the low-productivity agricultural sector.”

Marco Hernandez, World Bank’s lead economist for Nigeria, said: “Nigeria can build on its reform momentum to contain the spread of COVID-19, stimulate the economy, and enable the private sector to be the engine of growth and job creation. It can also redirect public spending from subsidies that benefit the rich towards investments in Nigeria’s people and youth in particular, and lay foundations for a strong recovery to help make progress towards lifting 100 million people out of poverty.”

The bank recommended that the Nigerian government persist in managing the domestic spread of COVID-19 until a vaccine is available for distribution, enhancing macroeconomic management to boost investor confidence, as well as safeguarding and mobilizing revenues.

It advised that national revenue should be earmarked for critical development expenditures, encouraging economic activity, providing relief items and access to basic services in rural communities.

- THECABLE

Reps vs Buhari: Okupe narrates how concubines, aides, wives, others influence presidents’ decisions

 

Doyin Okupe, an ex-aide to former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, has narrated how aides, family, security details, friends and even allies, influence Presidents’ decision, action or inaction at the Presidential Villa.

Okupe gave the narrative while hinting at what may have prevented President Muhammadu Buhari from honouring the invitation by the House of Representatives.

Recall that the House of Representatives had on December 1, invited Buhari to address them over the issue of security challenges bedevilling the country.

Reacting, Buhari’s aide, Lauretta Onochie had confirmed that Buhari would address a joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday (yesterday)

But, the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami had faulted the invitation, saying the lawmakers had no powers to invite Buhari.

However, Buhari did not show up when the House of Representatives commenced plenary, on Thursday.

But Okupe, who served as a presidential spokesperson under the administrations of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, said the Presidents of Nigeria and many other Presidents in the World are subject of very severe and intense manipulation.

He said that this affects even those Presidents who appeared very strong willed.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Okupe said the “Strongest among the manipulators are the 1st ladies, top aides, favoured ministers, senior government officials, old friends and school mates, traditional and religious leaders and even concubines!”

He explained that in case of a presidential movement, the head of the security apparatus is more influential.

According to the former presidential aide, security chief can stop a president from attending a function “based purely on his own personal interest or program or disposition.

“Equally important are the ADCs and CSOs who often times determine access to the Presidents,” he noted.

“Most of the time, the President is a powerless hostage cordoned off in the Presidential villa often times doing the bidding of his subordinates! This is incongruous but very true.”

Okupe further pointed out that the President is also highly influenced by not too visible set of people, being those who parley with him when he indulges in his past times.

- DAILY POST

Hisbah, Death for blasphemy reasons U.S. blacklisted Nigeria

By Fredrick Nwabufo

 Nigeria is an exceptionally intolerant country – religion-wise. In fact, the country is next to Iran on the religious intolerance threshold. You could get killed, threatened, hounded, harassed and victimised for going against the religious orthodoxies. The two major religions in Nigeria – Christianity and Islam — bubble with the most fanatical of followers who elect themselves ‘’defenders of God’’. In their inquisition, death is the penalty for every perceived breach of the holy canons. There is no other way.

Over the years Nigeria has been on the US watch-list for religious intolerance. I must say, this problem has always been with us, but perhaps it became accentuated with the divisive propensity of the Buhari administration. The blacklisting of Nigeria by the US for violations of religious freedom cannot be argued otherwise. The reasons given by America for its decision are germane – if considered dispassionately.

One of the reasons on which the US situated its action is tolerance for religious violence and support for egregious religious violations by the Buhari administration.

“The secretary and really the world have great concern about what’s taking place in Nigeria at this time, and a number of terrorist groups are organising and pushing into the country. We’re seeing a lot of religious-tinged violence taking place in that country and indeed in West Africa. It’s an area of growing concern about what’s happening, in particular the tension that’s taking place there between religious groups. And it’s often the religious affiliation is used to try to recruit and inspire violent acts,” Samuel Brownback, US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, said.

“You’ve got expanded terrorist activities, you’ve got a lot of it associated around religious affiliations, and the government’s response has been minimal to not happening at all. A number of cases – there have not been criminal cases brought forward by the government. The terrorism continues to happen and grow, in some places unabated.’’

That the Buhari administration harbours religious zealots is indubitable. Bashir Ahmad, personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, did not cloak is religious zealotry and extremist complexion when he declared his support for death against blasphemy.

These are the words of an aide of Nigeria’s president which he wrote on Twitter: ‘’I can’t pretend or keep silent. I support the death penalty for BLASPHEMY. That’s my belief and I do not and will never support #saveKanonine.’’

It is clear that the government at the highest level is tepid about issues of religious extremism. The Buhari administration could well be peopled by sympathisers of extremism. We must not be hypocritical about the US blacklisting of our country. We are an extremist nation. One singer in Kano is still in the gulag for alleged blasphemy awaiting a tragic end. What has the Buhari administration done in the case of this singer despite the global outcry for his release? Nothing!

We must not be hypocritical about the US blacklisting of our country. We are an extremist nation. One singer in Kano is still in the gulag for alleged blasphemy awaiting a tragic end. What has the Buhari administration done in the case of this singer despite the global outcry for his release? Nothing!

Yet, Lai Mohammed, minister of information, claims the government ‘’protects religious freedom jealously’’. Where is the freedom when people are threatened with death for allegedly going contrary to the religious grain? Where is the freedom when an actress, Rahama Sadau, who wore a beautiful dress in a photo shoot, was threatened with death for alleged blasphemy for simply wearing a nice-looking dress? This actress was even reported to the police. How tragic! Where is the freedom when Hisbah, the religious police in Kano, go from house to house looking for sinners; arresting people in hotels and destroying alcoholic drinks? Where is the freedom when a religious law subsists in a country that touts itself as secular?

Let us cut out the bull-crap and face up to the truth. We are an extremist nation. We create the environment for extremists to rise and thrive; a system where a law within the law allows death for blasphemy will fecund extremism. Those holding up death for blasphemy are only pushing the agenda of Boko Haram. How are they different?

The US also cited the government’s vapid response to issues of religious violence, particularly as regards Boko Haram as one of its reasons for giving Nigeria the hammer. Let us chew on this fact. Is the Buhari administration’s decision to rehabilitate and release terrorists into the civil population while an insurgency is still raging not a declaration of sympathy for them and other religious extremists? The government put an extremist label on itself by this deliberate effort.

Let me make it clear, religious extremists abound in Christianity as well. Why we are not having violent fundamentalism is because one pastor, general overseer or bishop has not given his adherents their marching orders. We could, perhaps, have a bigger problem in our hands when Christian fundamentalists bear firearms. So, extremism is not limited to one religion.

Nigeria is an extremist nation. It incubates and nurtures extremists – both Christians and Muslims.

*Fredrick Nwabufo is a writer and journalist. Twitter: @FredrickNwabufo