Are postoralists the new face of Boko Haram?

There has been so much emotionalism developing around the subject of the recent clashes between nomadic pastoralists and farmers, and the seeming emergence of the former as the new Boko Haram, forbidding not Western education this time, but the right of other Nigerians to live in peace and dignity, and to have control over their own geographical territory. From Benue, to the Plateau, Nasarawa, to the South West, the Delta, and the Eastern parts of the country, there have been very disturbing reports of nomadic pastoralists killing at will, raping women, and sacking communities, and escaping with their impunity, unchecked, as the security agencies either look the other way or prove incapable of enforcing the law.  The outrage South of the Sahel is understandable. It is argued, rightly or wrongly, that the nomadic pastoralist has been overtaken by a certain sense of unbridled arrogance arising from that notorious na-my-brother-dey-power mentality and the assumption that “the Fulani cattle” must drink water, by all means, from the Atlantic Ocean.

It is this emotional ethnicization of the crisis that should serve as a wake-up call for the authorities, and compel the relevant agencies to treat this as a national emergency deserving of pro-active measures and responses. It is not enough to issue a non-committal press statement or make righteous noises and assume that the problem will resolve itself. Farmer-pastoralist conflict poses a threat to national security. It is linked to a number of complex factors, including power, history, citizenship rights and access to land. Femi Fani-Kayode in a recent piece has warned about Nigeria being “on the road to Kigali”, thus referring to the genocide that hobbled Rwanda in the 90s as the Hutus and the Tutsis drew the sword against each other. Fani-Kayode needs not travel all the way to Rwanda. Ethnic hate has done so much damage in Nigeria already; all we need is to learn from history and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

Ethnic hate, serving as sub-text to the January 1966 and July 1966 coups, for example, set the stage for the civil war of 1967 -70. The root of Igbo-Hausa/Fulani acrimony can be traced back to that season when Igbos were slaughtered in the North, the Hausa/Fulani were slaughtered in the East and Nigeria found itself in the grip of a “To Thy Tents, O Israel” chorus. Ethnic hate also led to the Tiv riots, crisis in the Middle Belt since then, and the perpetual pitching of one ethnic group against the other in Nigeria’s underdeveloped politics. We should be careful.

We need to remind ourselves that the current friction between the pastoralists and their farming host communities is one of such potential factors that can further tear the nation apart. Nigeria cannot afford a second civil war or mass-scale genocide. Today, every other Nigerian is afraid either of the Boko Haram or the nomadic pastoralist.  It is not likely that the populations south of the Sahel will continue to stand idly by and allow herdsmen to trample upon their lands, destroy their crops, kill, maim and rape and then get away with it. A resort to self-help such as occurred in 1966 could have serious national security implications. With the economy in crisis, with anger in the land, and the people feeling disappointed, we cannot afford any evil trigger to deepen the nation’s woes. So, the state cannot afford to be aloof or indifferent.

Nomadic pastoralism is at the heart of the Fulani cultural lifestyle, and that is why there has been so much labeling of the Fulani in the emerging narrative, whereas the violent herdsmen certainly do not represent Fulani interest. For centuries, the Fulani, living across West Africa, have herded cattle from one part to the other, across borders. In Nigeria, the migration is seasonal or cyclical: as the dry season begins in the North, the herdsmen travel with their livestock down south in search of pasture and water, and to avoid seasonal diseases. After about six months, with the onset of the rainy season and farming in the South, they travel back to the North. Along the route, they sometimes settle down, develop a relationship with the farming communities and function as transhumance pastoralists, in fact, many herders used to pay homage to the local hosts, but over time, the politics of power, identity, and access to land as well as differences in culture, lifestyle and religion began to cause friction. It is an old problem that has gotten worse as the sedentary farmers whose land is violated by the nomads complain and the local power elite who are soon displaced by the settling nomad fight back in protest, thus creating a relationship fuelled by fear and mutual suspicion.

The new phenomenon of the nomadic pastoralist now behaving as a conquering group of invaders, ready to inflict terror, and not ready to ask for permission for land use, is where the big problem lies.  The bigger problem perhaps is the refusal of the nomadic pastoralist to give up an old tradition that....read more here


Source: The Guardian.

Herdsmen, Boko Haram endanger Nigeria, say Soyinka, Ohanaeze

Nigeria is heading towards the precipice if insecurity, reflected in the activities of Boko Haram and herdsmen, is not caged, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko, South East senators and some major groups in the country warned yesterday.

The groups included Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Enugu State chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).

However, Arewa Consultative Forum and a Fulani group urged caution on the part of critics of the herders’ actions, the latter saying that about 16,000 cattlemen have been killed in conflicts with farmers and others.

The apex Igbo socio-cultural Organisation condemned the attack on some communities in Enugu State by suspected herdsmen and urged the Federal Government to urgently address the problem to avoid a situation where ethnic militias will emerge to ensure safety in their environments.
The organization also dismissed the proposed Grazing Bill as anti-federalism and unconstitutional.

The President-General Ohaneze Ndigbo, Dr. Gary Nnachi Enwo- Igariwey, noted in Abuja that the incessant attack on communities by heavily armed herdsmen all over Nigeria threatened national unity and peaceful co-existence as they can destablise the country by a synchronised action if they so decide.

He stressed: “Why is it that the herdsmen are so heavily armed, who is arming them and where are they from? It is time to have proper identification of herdsmen so that they can be tracked. The security challenge is enormous, how do we now know when it is herdsmen and when it is not Boko Haram spillovers from their dislodged bases because the style of attack in some of these communities is the same style of attack by Boko Haram? They sack villages and withdraw. The Federal Government should pay attention to these actions. Government should investigate and find out those behind these killings and bring them to book.”

But the Arewa leaders have asked Nigerians to resist attributing ethnic and religious connotations to the various crises.

They unanimously condemned the attack by some herdsmen on the Ukpabi Nimbo Community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, as “most unfortunate and barbaric.”

They ACF, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim, said “criminals hiding under whatever guise and committing heinous crimes against innocent people and the state should be treated as such and in accordance with the law.”

ACF called on Nigerians “to be more patient and show understanding with one another, especially now that President Buhari is determined and committed to the war on insurgency and corruption”.
According to the Nobel laureate, the Federal Government’s quest to diversify the economy through culture and tourism is endangered by insecurity.

The literary giant spoke yesterday in Abuja at the National Summit on Culture and Tourism in his capacity as the chairman of the first plenary session with a presentation entitled, ‘‘The killing culture of the neo-nomadic.’’

Soyinka, represented by the Director, Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), Osogbo, Osun State, Dr. Wale Adeniran, located insecurity as “principal enemy” of the quest.

He noted that “culture is closely intertwined with tourism – the former, in fact, often drives the latter,” stressing that “the destination uppermost in the minds of most tourists we know is  – Culture.” Soyinka insisted that both share friends and – enemies.

He went on: ...read more here

Same sex marriage legalized in Colombia

Colombia became the fourth South American country to allow same-sex marriage when the constitutional court definitively legalized it on Thursday.

The Catholic country follows Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay in formally recognizing the rights of same-sex couples to marry.

“The judges affirmed by a majority that marriage between people of the same sex does not violate constitutional order,” presiding Judge Maria Victoria Calle told the court.

“The current definition of the institution of marriage in civil law applies to them in the same way as it does for couples of different sexes.”

Although previous rulings allowed gay couples to formalize their unions before notaries and judges, same-sex marriage had remained a legal gray area and appeals had been launched against it.

Many officials had refused to register such marriages since congress had failed to pass legislation enshrining equal marriage rights in law, prompting protests from gay rights campaigners.

On April 7, the constitutional court dismissed a petition against equal marriage rights for heterosexual and homosexual couples.

That paved the way for Thursday’s ruling, which definitively establishes that the constitution guarantees such equality, giving gay couples the legal right to marry.

The decision is set to be recorded as an irrevocable constitutional ruling within a month, making it legally valid.

Six of the court’s nine judges approved the ruling that “all people are free to choose independently to start a family in keeping with their sexual orientation… receiving equal treatment under the constitution and the law.”

State judges, notaries and clerks “must ensure that citizens’ fundamental rights are observed and that they are all granted equal treatment,” the court ruled.

– Honeymoon at last –
Some 70 unions previously registered only as civil partnerships will now be automatically converted into full marriages under the new ruling, the judge who presented the motion, Alberto Rojas, told reporters.

Same-sex marriage supporters applauded the decision.

“Today we can say with certainty that the Colombian courts have approved equal marriage rights,” Marcela Sanchez, leader of the campaign group Colombia Diversa, told AFP.

“We are very happy because Colombia has taken a step toward diversity,” said Adriana Gonzalez, who had campaigned for the right to marry her female partner.

“These have been difficult years of uncertainty and frustration, but at last we are going to have the honeymoon we have longed for.”

The constitutional court had already ruled last year that same-sex couples may adopt children even when neither member is the biological parent.

Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage in July 2010 with a vote in parliament.

Lawmakers in Uruguay followed in 2013.

Brazil authorized same-sex marriage under a court ruling the same year.

In Mexico, gay marriage is legal in the capital and a handful of states. The Supreme Court there has also offered its de facto backing by declaring it unconstitutional for Mexican states to ban same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriages are also legal in various other countries including Britain, Canada, South Africa and the United States.

Australia’s attorney-general said last month that the government would hold a plebiscite on legalizing same-sex marriage this year if re-elected.

Liberia needs to muster the courage to ban FGM

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has called on others to ban female genital mutilation, yet her country is poised to miss an opportunity to end the practice

When Nobel peace prize laureate Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was elected Africa’s first female head of state in 2005, expectations were high. Throughout both her terms as president, she has talked about her firm commitment to women’s rights, coming out strongly in favour of the health and safety of women and girls.

Last year, at an international event on gender equality, President Johnson-Sirleaf said: “Too many of our countries have yet to muster the courage to ban the irreparable harm inflicted by genital mutilation on young girls in traditional societies.” It was a controversial statement, as Liberia is one of the states yet to do so – half of Liberian women and girls (pdf) are estimated to have undergone this extreme form of violence.

Following bans last year in Nigeria and The Gambia, Liberia is now one of only three countries in west Africa yet to ban FGM – the others are Mali and Sierra Leone.

In Sierra Leone and Liberia, the Sande female secret society promotes and carries out FGM as part of a rite initiating girls into womanhood. FGM is ataboo subject (pdf) and it is forbidden to talk about secret societies and their practices with non-initiated people.

Punishment for such violations include physical abuse, forceful initiation and death threats – something Ruth Berry Peal, a woman in northern Liberia who was forced to undergo FGM, and other women have faced for years after standing up against it.

Liberia’s media has been silenced on the issue too – and the lives of journalists who speak out are put at risk. Mae Azango was forced into hiding in 2012 for writing about the issue in Front Page Africa.

Things appeared to be changing last year when, in response to many years of international and national pressure, adomestic violence bill was finally introduced to strengthen legislation on violence against women and girls – including, for the first time, a ban on FGM.

The proposed measures on the latter were, though, extremely weak. The bill regarded FGM as an offence only when performed on a girl under the age of 18 – or a person 18 or older without their consent. This would provide a loophole for parents or guardians to grant consent on behalf of their daughters, leaving those most at risk unprotected. The bill also included ineffective penalties for perpetrators, where counselling and fines could be arbitrarily determined by a judge.

Equality Now and its local partner, theWomen of Liberia Peace Network, with funding from Comic Relief, have been working to ensure that a total ban on FGM is included in the bill instead – as required by the Maputo protocol, the African women’s rights legal framework, which Liberia has ratified.

This week, things seem to have taken a turn for the worse as legislators decided to delete the FGM provision entirely. A debate will now be held on Thursday on the bill in its current state. As this provision was the most controversial measure, the domestic violence bill could pass without any mention of FGM.

At a time when the Africa-led momentum to end FGM is growing, it is vital that we do not lose the opportunity to protect more girls and women from this huge violation of their rights. Unlike neighbouring countries such as Guinea and Sierra Leone, Liberia has already managed to significantly reduce(pdf) FGM prevalence from 85% for middle-aged women to 44% for girls aged 15 to 19. However, unless tough legislation is enacted and properly implemented, it may be difficult to accelerate this change and the lives and wellbeing of millions more girls will be put at risk.

Johnson-Sirleaf is well positioned to “muster the courage” to do what is necessary to ensure that Liberia bans FGM – either as part of the current domestic violence bill, or as a standalone bill, as a matter of urgency.

There has been too much discussion and not enough action. Liberia cannot afford to keep making statements to make it seem like it is doing something, without following through and putting real measures in place, which promote and protect the rights of its girls.

Source: Mary Wandia via Guardian

Nigeria must stop unsafe abortions killing women

‘It is pure madness that Nigeria accounts for less than 1% of the global population but is responsible for 14% of global maternal deaths.’ Photograph: Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters

I will never forget the 19-year-old who died after she endured an abortion performed with the spoke of a bicycle wheel

It was a cold, rainy, early morning. The rain had started late that night and the downpour was torrential. I had been awake through it all studying for an exam and was about to get some sleep.

Just as my head hit the pillow, an ambulance siren tore into the night and grew louder and louder. I turned in the bed hoping for it to be something else. I was the physician on call and it had been largely uneventful so far at the hospital where I was working in southern Nigeria. I got out of bed.

It was a case of a 19-year-old who was rushed in to hospital because she had had severe weakness, dizziness and fainting spells for three days. She told me she hadn’t had her period for three months and had had an attempted abortion. She was too afraid to tell her parents about her pregnancy – they were prominent churchgoers and held in high regard in the community.

Legal abortion wasn’t an option for her as her life was not deemed to be in danger, a pre-requisite in Nigeria. Single parenthood would have ruined her and her highly placed family’s reputations. Her mother had earlier regaled her with tales of virginity and how she should remain chaste for her husband.

When she went for an abortion, she had been led into a dimly-lit, dingy room with a small bed in the middle where the medicine dealer, popularly referred to as the “chemist” in local parlance, used a bike wheel spoke to get rid of her baby. She had been bleeding consistently since then but had been afraid to present at the hospital. Now, it was dawning on her that she might die. Her boyfriend was 21 and he was scared for her. They had been having sex for about six months, relying on condoms and chance to prevent pregnancy. Alas, they ran out of luck.

I started resuscitative measures and diagnosed her with septic abortion with shock. She had a burning fever. All attempts to save her life were eventually futile and she gave up within three hours.

It has been four years since that night, but I still see her face clearly. I am haunted by her pleas not to let her die. I was born a Catholic and I grew up hearing that abortion is wrong; they told me the same about contraceptives.

Unsafe abortions remain the leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity in Nigeria killing an estimated 50,000 women a year. The lack of documentation and the also the fact that a lot of these procedures take place in unorthodox settings – by traditional healers, roadside medicine dealers and poorly trained physicians who are not up to date with current abortion procedures – contribute towards the burgeoning figure. Poverty is also a factor, as many families living on less that a dollar per day cannot afford contraception.

Despite the apparent restrictive abortion laws in Nigeria, very few people have actually been prosecuted due to the lack of diligence in gathering evidence, perpetual delays in the courts, and the fact that it is not a reportable crime; people only tend to report when things go wrong because of the fear of stigmatisation within society.

The complications resulting from unsafe abortions are multiple and include sepsis, severe haemorrhage and, at worst, maternal death. Those who survive may have to deal with pelvic inflammatory disease, adhesions and secondary infertility in a country where a high premium is placed on fertility and childbearing. Guilt also has a lasting effect on such women.

Every day some confused girl gets pregnant when she is not ready to have a baby. She could be anyone; a girlfriend, wife or sister.

As I left the 19-year-old’s fixed and dilated pupils staring at me as if accusing me of not doing all that I could to save her, I wondered if there was anything Nigeria could do to save her people from preventable causes of maternal mortality? It is pure madness that a country that accounts for less than 1% of the global population should be responsible for 14% of global maternal deaths. Can we do better or are we going to continue like this?

Lifted from The Guardian

Monarch jailed for raping teenage school girls

                                                
An Osun State High Court, Ilesa Division, yesterday sentenced a septuagenarian, who is also a traditional ruler in Ijesha land, to seven years in prison for raping two secondary schoolgirls.

The monarch, Loja Araromi Otokobo, Oba Moses Adeniyi, sexually assaulted the 13 and 14 years’ old girls when he offered them a ride from their school, St. Margaret Girls School, Ilesha, on the pretence that he would take them to their houses.

One of the girls was said to have lived in the same area with the traditional ruler in the past, which made them trust him. But the monarch drove them to his hotel, Prince Way Hotel, where he assaulted them sexually.

After sleeping with them, Adeniyi cleaned their private parts with a white handkerchief and warned them not to tell anybody. He also warned that if they told anyone, they would die mysteriously. Scared of the threat, the girls were unable to tell anyone for a few weeks.

But when they summoned enough courage, the girls were said to have confided in one their schoolmates who alerted one of the victims’ parents who in turn reported the case to the school authorities.

Worried by the development, the school authorities dragged Adeniyi to court. On March 28, 2011, the monarch was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on rape and indecent assault.

The court established that the traditional ruler’s actions were contrary to sections 358 and 360 of the Criminal Code Cap 34, Vol. 11, Laws of Osun State.

In her ruling, Justice Kudirat Akano held that the prosecution team from the Ministry of Justice, comprising Tijani Adekilekun and Folashade Adekomi, proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. Akano therefore passed a guilty verdict against Adeniyi and sentenced him to seven years in prison.



Source: New Telegraph

“He removed my gown and my pants and raped me." 12-year-old Pupil narrates her ordeal.

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old scrap collector, Nurudeen Owolabi, for allegedly raping a 12-year-old pupil, Ngozi (pseudonym) in the Bariga area of the state. According to Punch Metro learnt that Owolabi lived in the same neighbourhood with the parents of the victim. He was said to have tricked her into his apartment on Alhaji Yinu Street, Bariga, on Thursday and raped her, giving her N200 and telling her not to disclose the incident to anybody.

However, the victim’s mother was said to have noticed a whitish substance on her private parts and after much prodding, Ngozi opened up on the incident. A police source said the case was immediately reported to the police, leading to the arrest of the Ilorin, Kwara State indigene.

The source said, “The girl’s mother was away that Thursday; her grandmother sent her on an errand and the suspect tricked her into his room, where he raped her.

“When the girl’s mother returned, she noticed that Ngozi’s pants were wet and she became suspicious. She asked her what happened to her, and she said it was Owolabi that raped her.”

The source said the suspect was arrested and taken to the Bariga Police Station. The case was transferred to the Gender Office, Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja. The victim was also taken to the Mirabel Centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where a series of tests were conducted on her. The results reportedly showed that her hymen had been broken.

Ngozi, who is in primary 5, said, “I went to buy rice and I passed through Brother Nuru’s (Owolabi) house. He called me and dragged me inside his room.

“He removed my gown and my pants and raped me. He begged me not to tell anybody. I did not tell my mother because I was afraid she would beat me.”

The suspect told PUNCH Metro he was formerly dating the victim’s sister before he got another girlfriend. He added that since his separation from Ngozi’s sister, she had drawn close to him and he always gave her money. He said he was tempted to sleep with her because his new girlfriend had not visited him for a month.

 He said, “I had a girlfriend on my street, who is about 21 years old, and anytime she came to my apartment, I would sleep with her and pay her N500. But for about a month, she didn’t come.

“I saw her (the victim) passing by that Thursday and I called her to come in. I had sex with her. I then gave her N200.

“Later, her mother barged into my house on Saturday and started crying that I wanted to destroy her daughter’s life. It wasn’t my fault; the devil made me do it.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, warned paedophiles to change their ways.

She said, “We want to appeal to parents of victims to speak up and report to the nearest police station. They must also keep watchful eyes on their children to protect them from sexual abuse. The Lagos State Police Command will not spare rapists.”

PHOTO: 60 yr old woman arrested for buying 5 babies for N5million

                                         

Asabi Adebayo, a 60-year-old woman, has been arrested by the  Oyo state police command for allegedly buying five babies for N5million from Port-Harcourt, Rivers state. According to Nigerian Tribune, she claimed to have given birth to in a fertility clinic, after paying N1million for each child, adding that the five children were born from two pregnancies as twins and triplets and were aged between two and one. The ages of the babies, (two boys and three girls) range from two years, eight months, seven months, six months and four months.

Leye Oyebade, the Commissioner of Police in the state, said she was suspected to be part of a baby sale syndicate who sell children to people residing abroad. The commissioner of police who paraded the suspect and the babies yesterday at the Eleyele Police Headquarters, said the woman would have escaped if not for the patriotic behavior of the officials of the orphanage, who reported the matter at the Iyaganku Police Station. Oyebade speaking on how the woman was apprehended, said that Iyaganku division of the command received a report from the proprietress of an orphanage in Ibadan on April 14, 2016, that the 60-year-old requested her to assist in getting a police report to fly her five children abroad.

The suspect, who said she hailed from Lagos State, is also a British citizen. Asabi, who was disturbed about her arrest, narrated how she got the children that led to her arrest. According to her: “I had been looking for fruits of the womb for many years until I reached menopause. Over two years ago, someone introduced me to a woman at Ikorodu, Lagos State, who could facilitate pregnancy through herbal concoction, so I and other women went there and were given the concoction.”  “We took the concoctions for nine to 10 months before we delivered. For delivery, we were taken to Port Harcourt.

I delivered twins from the first pregnancy over two years ago. I got pregnant the second time and had triplets about a year ago. I paid N1million for the treatment on each of the children. In total, I paid N5million. I breast-fed my children for three months before weaning them as babies. ”  On why she had to pay N1million on each child since multiple births could come from any pregnancy, the suspect said that the woman who gave her treatment told her ahead of delivery that she would pay according to the number of babies from each delivery.

She insisted that she did not buy the babies, contrary to her initial statement at the police station in which she was reported to have confessed paying N5million to get the five children. She said that she took the police to the place where she delivered the babies in Port Harcourt but the operators of the fertility clinic, a couple, were nowhere to be found.

The babies have been taken to the Ministry of Women Affairs, Child Welfare while the suspect is assisting the police in their investigation. Meanwhile, a woman identified as Mrs Abigail Brown, allegedly collaborated with her husband’s former driver, to kidnap her two children in order to get her husband to pay ransom for their release. Brown who initially denied kidnapping her own children, admitted that she committed the crime out of frustration since her husband had abandoned her and their children to suffer. Brown said she considered the kidnapping as the only avenue to extort money from her husband.



Source: Naij.com

Female lawmaker beaten at National Assembly

                             
                                

A female lawmaker, Hon. Onyemeachi Mprakpor was allegedly assaulted by security operatives attached to the convoy of the comptroller-general of prisons, Dr. Peter Ezenwa Ekpendu, on Wednesday evening, April 20. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Mprakpor was assaulted for overtaking the convoy of the Comptroller-General of prisons She was maltreated for overtaking the convoy of the prisons comptroller-general of the within the premises of the National Assembly, This Day reports.

Narrating what happened, Mprakpor, representing Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency of Delta state, said she was going for mid-week service at about 4pm and because there were two lanes, she decided to overtake three green vehicles. As she overtook the convoy, some of the vehicles in the convoy moved to her right side and told her she was supposed to give way for the convoy of the comptroller-general. “Initially, I thought that my vehicle hit them, then I just wound down to apologise. When they saw it was a woman, they called me a useless prostitute, don’t you know that this is the convoy of the comptroller-general of prisons,” she explained. They descended on her and she was said to have been slapped by one of the aides, while Ekpendu sat inside his vehicle watching the assault.

 She said the matter, which lasted between 10 and 15 minutes, might have been a result of transferred aggression over the petition against him by an officer with Nigeria Prisons Service. Ekpendu had come to the National Assembly on invitation by the Uzoma Nkem-Abonta-led public petition committee over allegation of fraud against him by an officer. Hon. Leo Ogor, the minority leader brought a petition before the House of Representatives at plenary Thursday over the assault.
 “They blocked her car, and started bashing her car. When she wound down the windows, an aide slapped her in the face. The CG sat in the comfort of his car while this happened,” he narrated.

 The House summoned Ekpendu, and the minister of interior, Abdulraman Dambazau, to appear before its committee on interior over the assault, Vanguard reports. Also summoned are the security agencies within the National Assembly, such as Department of State Service, Nigeria Police; Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps; Federal Road Safety Commission, and Sergeant-at-Arms, who were said to be watching when the alleged assault took place in the presence of the prisons comptroller-general. The House called for the immediate sack of the comptroller-general, despite its resolution to give him fair hearing, adding that said his action was tantamount to assault, battery, inflicting of bodily harm as well as violation of the right of the woman.

 Contributing to the motion, the House leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, said: “This is the time we need to rally behind her not just because she is a member but because she is a human being and a woman. I am not interested in the issue of fair hearing. The man, as far as I am concerned, is guilty of assault, battery, bodily harm and violence against women.” The House mandated the committee to expedite action on the investigation so as to submit its report on Tuesday, April 26. 

Man Stabs Girlfriend To Death Over WhatsApp Text Describing His Small Penis

             
A man who allegedly stabbed his lover to death when he found her chatting on WhatsApp is under police guard in hospital after he also tried to kill himself.

It is believed the man got enraged when he checked his girlfriend’s phone and saw that she was telling her best friend about his small p_enis. The message read: ‘Aww shame une pipi elincane’

The 37-year-old man from AA section in Umlazi, who worked in the same building as his dead girlfriend (27), allegedly strangled her first before he pulled out a knife and stabbed her to death on Monday.

It is suspected that the couple had a heated argument at the girlfriend’s workplace, which is on the fourth âoor of a building on Smith Street at the Durban CBD. Witnesses told cops that the man who works at a lawyers’ offce in the building had suspected his girlfriend of cheating on him.

Police spokesman Captain Khephu Ndlovu told reporters that according to what the police were told at the scene, the man had accused his girlfriend of cheating on him. Ndlovu said the suspect reportedly stabbed his girlfriend from Siyanda near KwaMashu to death. “He allegedly first grabbed her by the throat and strangled her before stabbing her once in the chest. She died on the scene.

“After that he tried to kill himself by stabbing himself on the neck. He did not die and was taken to a local hospital, where he is under police guard. Once the suspect has recovered enough, he will make his first court appearance to face a charge of murder,” said Ndlovu.

Senator Abaribe - Senators fear Gender Equality Bill will turn women to prostitutes, lesbians

                        

The senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Eyinnaya Abaribe, has said the Senate rejected the Gender Equal Opportunities Bill because some lawmakers feared the legislation could give women unfettered freedom to engage in immoral activities.

Mr. Abaribe said many senators expressed deep concerns over the blanket freedom the bill would give women because many of them would ignore their immediate responsibilities and turn to prostitutes and homosexuals, urging the proponents of the bill to find a way of replacing some of its languages.

Mr. Abaribe spoke during a forum on political rights of women in Nigeria organised by the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) on Wednesday in Abuja.
“The bill was defeated at the second reading when its details were highlighted to the senators,” Mr. Abaribe said. “Some lawmakers started expressing deep worries about some parts of the bill that they think could give women too much freedom and lead them to prostitution, lesbianism and other social vices.”

Mr. Abaribe called on all those championing the bill to make efforts at modifying some aspects of it in order to make it acceptable to all lawmakers for passage.
“The reason why we’re here is that we think that we should be able to restrategise, we should be able to look at the bill again and see those contentious areas we may need to modify. We should be able to find those critical constituencies within the senate that we must have to address.

“We should be able to look at the narrative of the bill and how it is being presented to the public and change that narrative and make it a positive narrative.
“For example, the bill is not a north versus south bill. The bill is not a Christian versus Muslim bill. The bill is not a male versus female bill. The bill simply seeks to extend to every Nigerian all the rights that are they should enjoy. And if women by virtue of our culture, by virtue of our historic antecedents are being behind, then we need to also drag them into the economy by giving them every right that they can use to be productive members of the society and that is all that we’re trying to do.

“It has been rejected but we’re talking to the senators who are supporting the bill to know how we could move forward. It’s not easy to say the bill can pass tomorrow, but we will continue to plead with other members for their support on this bill.
Mr. Abaribe, who is a member of the Senate Constitutional Review Committee, also said the bill may need to be incorporated into the Constitution as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process in the National Assembly.

“Since we’re doing constitutional review, I will advise that we find a way of putting this bill directly into the Constitution because if we just make it as part of electoral law, it could be challenged at the courts and get struck down.”
The bill, which has continued to stoke widespread emotions amongst women, was introduced by Senator Biodun Olujimi and it aimed to achieve, among other purposes, equal access to education, strengthening of the laws on violence against Women, ending abduction of girls, sustenance and promotion of entrepreneurship opportunities, gender mainstreaming and gender equality, as well as female participation in governance.

Teenage pregnancy on the increase in a South African secondary school as boys compete to father babies

                                 

When kids are not aware of the responsibilities attached to bringing up children, you have this kind of thing happening. Having babies in secondary school is a status symbol. A way to feel 'cool'. Who do we blame for this? The society, the school or parental failure?

About 30 girls at a secondary school in South Africa are pregnant.

Why?  Because, according to the kids, competition among boys at this school is said to be the ­reason for the high number of pregnant girls!

When Daily Sun visited the school recently, they saw about 10 pregnant girls. Apparently others were on maternity leave.

The People’s Paper spoke to pupils who said boys at the school thought having a baby made them cool.

They said the competition was serious because some of the boys laughed at those who didn’t have children.

One boy, who has a four-month-old baby, said the competition started getting intense last year.

“If you want to be cool and respected you must have a child,” he said.

One pregnant girl said a fellow pupil was the father of her unborn child but she wouldn’t comment on the competition.

A parent, Nozizwe Zondi, 46, said she was aware of the competition.

“We need to join forces with teachers and the department to deal with it,” she said.

KZN Education spokesman Muzi Mahlambi said girls should not be in sexual relationships while they are still at school.

“That’s the only thing to beat the high rate of pregnancy,” he said.

He said the department had spoken to some of the teachers at the school and agreed that they would advise pupils not to date before they had finished school.


Source: Laila's Blog

Landlady wanted by the Police for setting tenant's apartment on fire

                         

Lagos police has declared Mrs Nike Azeez wanted for setting her tenant’s apartment ablaze in order to eject him from the house. Mrs Azeez reportedly stunned residents of Ijegun community in the morning of Tuesday, April 12, after she poured some petrol in Adeleke Shakiru’s apartment and set it ablaze destroying the property inside the apartment. The police said they have arrested her husband Jamiu Azeez and detained him at Isheri Oshun division for his alleged involvement in the arson by his wife.

The police have also discovered ashes of burnt N250, 000 kept in the house by the victim Adeleke Shakiru. According to The Gazelle news, the victim said he slept outside with his family because he was still at loss on what to do. He said the money he kept in the house was burnt and he was not owing the landlord before the incident happened. He said he really needs the help of Nigerians to assist his family.

How rescued Chibok girls are stigmatized within their communities

                    

A 17-year-old girl simply identified as Zara who was abducted by Boko Haram terrorists and was freed by soldiers has confessed that she is still in love with her terrorist husband. In a reports by BBC, Zaha is not one of the famous abducted Chibok girls but is going through a traumatic period due to the ordeals she went through in the hands of her captors.

She said that when they were abducted they were given the chance to either be slaves or brides. “They gave us a choice – to be married, or to be a slave. I decided to marry,” she said. Zara said life was tough but freedom came when Nigerian soldiers bombarded Sambisa forest and rescued them. Mohamed Umaru who is Zara’s uncle said when she returned, she was already pregnant.

“The women in our family realized she was three months pregnant,” “In our family it happens that some of us are Christians and some are Muslims. She was a Christian before she was kidnapped but the Boko Haram who married her turned her into a Muslim.” The family was divided about what to do to with the pregnancy and after a vote, they agreed to keep it. “She said her husband’s father is called Usman, so that is how she named the child,”

 The 17-year-old mother said people started insulting her because her child was fathered by a Boko Haram terrorist. “People call me a Boko Haram wife and called me a criminal. They didn’t want me near. They didn’t like me.” “They didn’t like my child. When he fell sick nobody would look after him,” The nine month old child however was bitten by a snake one night while sleeping with Zara outside the house and died. “Some were happy that he died. They were happy the blood of Boko Haram had gone from the family.” Mohamed said some were glad the child had left which affected Zara. “They said thank God that the kid is dead, that God has answered their prayers.

                     

“Sometimes she says she wants to go to school and become a doctor and help society, but sometimes, when people insult her, she says she wants to go back to the Sambisa Forest. READ ALSO: Hillary Clinton writes BBOG group “She always talks about her husband who happens to be a Boko Haram commander. She says the guy is nice to her and that he wants to start a new life with her.” He says he fears she will kill herself one day. “She will, she will, she will definitely do that if she gets the chance,” he added. Zara says her longing for the forest where she was freed has increased because of the stigmatization from the community.

 “The feeling for the forest is strong now, but it will go away. I will forget the time with Boko Haram, but not yet.” Her uncle says stigmatizing the children abducted by Boko Haram will only create more problems worse than the one they went through. “People should understand that these children didn’t create this, but if we continue to stigmatize people with such trauma we might create something much, much bigger than Boko Haram in the future.

“You are creating a more dangerous thing than Boko Haram if you grow up not welcomed by society and with nobody wanting to help you. “My prayer is for the government to do something. They should come to their aid and reintegrate them and show them love.” In a video purportedly released by Boko Haram, it showed some as he girls alive raising hope that they could still be rescued. However, The Nigerian army raised doubt about the authenticity of the video but assured that it will not relent in its effort.


Source: Naij.com

Woman attacks maid, burns her breasts for waking late

A pregnant mother in Abuja faces criminal charges for a vicious early morning attack on her 16-year-old house help, who she attacked with steaming water, severely injuring the girl for waking late.

Kemi Egbukole, 36, poured boiling water on Hope David, badly burning her breasts, neighbours and officials said.

Police said Mrs. Egbukole, 36, would be charged after investigations are concluded.

Mrs. Egbukole is being investigated for child abuse and trafficking offences by the Police, National Human Rights
Commission and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP.

The mother of one said she attacked Hope because she failed to wake up early. She had earlier denied responsibility for the assault.
According to the Deputy Director, Protection and Investigations, National Human Rights Commission, Lambert Oparah, Mrs. Egbukole later admitted the attack, but claimed it was an accident, and that Hope was immediately taken for medical treatment.

Mr. Oparah however noted that the medication given to Hope was faulty.
“She was taken to a chemist, they put plasters around her breast which was not quite good,” he said.

Neighbours at Minta 1 Estate, Lokogoma, Abuja, where the family lives, said Mrs. Egbukole had been a notorious child abuser, who repeatedly attacked Hope with dangerous objects including rods.
The latest attack happened on March 3, they said.

Testimonies of a neighbour:
One of the neighbours who reported the matter to the National Human Rights Commission and the National Agency for the prohibition of Trafficking in Persons told PREMIUM TIMES that she took the decision after seeing the serious injury inflicted on Hope’s breast.

The neighbour told PREMIUM TIMES that she was startled by Hope’s screaming on March 3 morning, when the girl ran out from her home.
“She ran out of the house and came to my side,” the neighbour said. “Mrs. Egbukole was still trying to flog her with a mop stick.”

The neighbour said she followed similar treatments by Mrs. Egbukole on Hope for the two years the girl lived with Egbukoles.
The neighbour said at first she thought Hope was attacked with pepper or cold water as in the past.
“I thought it was just water and pepper, or something, until the girl screamed back again in my room and I shouted, ‘What!’ the breast has pilled already
.
“So I shouted and said ‘Come you did this thing to this girl and you still want to flog her again?
“I will report you to the police and NAPTIP; at that point she started begging and immediately she started telling lies,” the neighbour said.
Mrs. Egbukole claimed Hope poured herself water, according to a neighbour.

But the woman had a history of abusing the girl, the neighbour said, citing how Mrs. Egbukole a day earlier had hit Hope with a curtain rail, injuring her in the head.

Hope’s journey to Abuja
Mr. Oparah said the commission suspected Hope was trafficked to Abuja.
He quoted Mrs. Egbukole, who refused to speak to PREMIUM TIMES, as saying that the girl was handed to her by a pastor who usually supplied girls from Nasarawa State to Abuja residents seeking house helps.

“She said she does not know the girl’s parents,” Mr. Oparah said.
According to Mr. Oparah, the commission immediately reported the matter to the Commissioner of Police, Abuja, who directed further investigations on the matter.
He said the investigation revealed that Mrs. Egbukole will most likely be charged for abuse of the Child Rights’ Act, 2003.

“The Child Rights’ Act clearly states the responsibility of parents or wards, as well as government or other agencies involved; regarding the dignity of the child, as well as the child’s right to
adequate health and health services, which have both been abused in this case,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES reached Mrs. Egbukole and her husband but they refused to speak about the matter.
The police said the duo had been at the FCT police command for interrogation and would be required to return intermittently till the end of the investigation.
The Abuja police spokesperson, Manzah Adjuguri, said Mrs. Egbukole told the police that the pastor who allegedly brought Hope from Nasarawa was her uncle.

He said the police were yet to contact the girl’s parents. He however assured the matter will be charged after investigation.
“It is a matter of concern to the command based on the rate of injuries that has been sustained by the girl. And for us, here at the command, justice must take its full course,” he stated.

Mr. Adjuri said the command was still in touch with Hope and following her recovery at NAPTIP’s shelter.
The spokesperson of NAPTIP, Joshua Emerole, said Hope would remain under the agency’s care until the end of the investigation.
According to Mr. Emerole, Mrs. Egbukole will face other charges including the violation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, 2015

Source: PremiumTimes

'Women will be exposed to evil if they drive' - Saudi Arabia's top cleric

                                                    

Saudi Arabia's most senior cleric, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin-Abdullah al-Sheikh has defended the kingdom's ban on female drivers on the grounds that they will be 'exposed to evil' if allowed to drive. He said men “obsessed with women” and with "weak spirits" could end up causing female drivers harm and that male relatives would not know their whereabouts.

Although women driving in Saudi Arabia is not against the law, in practice women are unable to obtain driving licences.  Exceptions are occasionally made in rural areas if a woman needs to drive for her family life.

Despite stifling conservative norms, the Kingdom has made some progress in women rights, women were allowed to vote for the first time last year.

                              

In February 2015, Saleh al-Saadoon, a conservative historian, sparked an outcry by saying that women in Saudi Arabia should not be allowed to drive on the grounds that they might get raped if their cars broke down.

Western women drove, he explained, because rape was not such a big deal to them.


Source: LIB

(PHOTOS) Man throws mother into well; throws bricks at her to kill her

                          
A man who has allegedly killed his two siblings by throwing them in a well and set their house ablaze went crazy again and threw his mother into the well then went ahead to throw in bricks to ensure she dies. The 30 year old man identified as Ejike Nwankwo Ohagba from Ezigbo village Ugbo Ukwu community Aguata Local Goverment Area of Anambra State on Thursday 7, went crazy and threw his mother in the same well he allegedly threw his siblings into which led to their death.

According to Sunday Sun, The man disappeared after killing his siblings and setting the house ablaze an only reappeared last week to kill his mother. “The suspect’s mother, late Mrs Christiana Nwankwo Ohagba, a widow, took off from where she was taking refuge since her family house was burnt to do some farming with a 14-year old boy, Chiemerie at the family compound. Meanwhile, the source said, the suspect was hiding somewhere within the compound, with his mother completely unaware of the danger lurking around the premises.” Chiemerie spotted the suspect and alerted the deceased.

Chiemerie escaped but unfortunately, the deceased could not as the suspect attacked her, Sunday Sun reports. “After wrestling with him to free herself in vain, she was thrown into the well by the suspect who went ahead to gather blocks and started throwing them into the well to ensure that she did not survive. The little boy who was with her now raised alrm after running from the scene of the incident but before help could come the woman was already dead and suspect vanished again.

The traditional ruler of Igbo-Ukwu community, Igwe Martin Eze, Idu of Igbo-Ukwu, who confirmed the tragic incident said he was shocked, adding that the case has been reported to the police. While urging the federal and state governments to set up rehabilitation centers in many communities where people could be rehabili­tated when they begin to exhibit unusual behaviour, he also said that jobs should be created to get the youths employed to reduce the level of hardship which he noted was responsible for increase in crime in the society. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Ali Okechukwu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police said he was yet to confirm the incident.


Source: Laila's blog

(PHOTOS) Woman who couldn't afford hospital bill gives birth outside a hospital in Gabon

 According to this incredible post shared on Facebook, on Thursday, 7 April, this woman gave birth in the open air on the grass outside the regional hospital of Mellen in Gabon. The woman was taken to the hospital to give birth but refused to pay the amount the hospital asked for the delivery. The hospital then refused to attend to her and shut their doors on her. While outside the hospital, the baby came...and some women around helped her. See more photos after the cut...

 Source: Alain Fabrice Koumba Pambou/ Facebook

British mums who 'breast iron' their daughters may now be prosecuted

According to reports released last week, thousands of British mums across the UK practice the act of "breast-ironing" their daughters using rocks, hammers and spatulas in a ritual which they say prevent their daughters from looking attractive to boys.
A British MP, Conservative MP Jake Berry has now called  for "breast-ironing" to be made a criminal offence.

When MP Jake Berry heard about this practice, he was so shocked that he tabled a parliamentary debate on it last week saying he that he wanted the practice to become a criminal offence in the UK.

                     

“The words ‘culture’, ‘tradition’ or ‘religion’ might come up when trying to explain this absurdly harmful practice, but as in the case of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation), these words are only thinly veiled excuses for a ritualised form of child abuse .”He told the Commons:
His said research has shown that 15 per cent of UK police forces have never heard of the procedure while four in 10 wanted more advice on how to tackle it.
Adding that no one really knows how widespread it is because no official figures are kept and many victims aren't speaking out.
He said:

“This hidden abuse is happening here in Britain and we have to seek out the abusers and push for prosecution.

"The Government needs to work across departments and with GPs and hospitals, including extending mandatory reporting, to shine a light on it.

“Not one person has ever been convicted of this crime in the UK. The lack of prosecutions partly stem from a fear by the victim of reporting a family member.”

Breast ironing is a barbaric act practiced in parts of Africa, especially in Cameroon. but those at the ­frontline of child protection say it is also happening in African communities in the UK.
The ritual involves pounding the breasts of little girls as soon as they begin to develop any, with objects that have been heated over hot coals. Some women use rocks, others hammers and spatulas.

One victim told told Sky News:

"They put the spatula on the fire and then they press it on the breast and yes, it hurts.

"Then it goes weak, it's like melting, fat melting and you can feel the breast going back… one of my breasts is bigger than the other one."

The reason behind this idea is that by removing their breast tissue, young girls will be less sexually attractive and less likely to get pregnant at a young age, ­preventing them from bringing shame on their families.

Margaret Nyuydzewira, founder of the CAME Women and Girls Development Organisation, a UK charity campaigning on behalf of victims said:

“Yes, it is happening in the UK. We have not done any studies to discover the prevalence at the moment, but we know it is happening through members of our community. “The idea is that mothers are worried their children are developing at a faster rate.

“It is brutal. There is a lot of trauma. Mothers are doing it with good intentions, to protect their daughters from sexual harassment, but it does not fit with British values.

“Women need to understand that what they are doing is harmful to their children and it may have a long-term impact. “I cannot walk alone. We need the government’s support. We need to spread the word and talk to others.”

Cameroonian Marie Laure Jatsa, who has interviewed 6,000 women to understand the breast ironing culture said:

“Some parents believe that Europe should not get involved in their tradition. It’s ridiculous they live here and still have those barbaric customs. “What’s incredible is that it is a woman doing it to another woman. Mothers truly believe that this is going to help their daughters to avoid an early pregnancy.”

Cathy AbahFouda is a survivor of breast ironing who works for an NGO called RENATA, which campaigns against breat ironing.

She said: “I started growing breasts when I was 10. "My mother explained to my sister that I was growing breasts too early and that I would attract boys.”

Cathy said she underwent breast ironing at 10 but when she turned 11, her breasts grew again and because she was ashamed she began to carry out the procedure on herself.
She added:

“Breast ironing, however, did not prevent me from getting pregnant at the age of 16 and leaving school.” 

Her breasts were so damaged she needed surgery and was unable to breastfeed her baby.


Source: LIB