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31 October, 2008
30 October, 2008
The arrest, detention and release of Mr. Elendu of Elendu Reports.com
The arrest, detention and release of Mr. Elendu of Elendu Reports.com presented Nigerians in Diaspora with a great chance to make a difference and to affect the nation we call motherland in a positive way. Based on the comments written on the list services that I read, Diaspora Nigerians rose up to the challenge BUT crushed under the same weight that makes ruling in Nigeria such a challenge.
On the rising UP to the challenge section I record the many positive articles written by Nigerians of all ethnic nationalities in favor of immediate release or charge to court if a crime was established. In this case the writers noted that the freedom of speech was enshrined in our existing constitution and an arrest must be followed by a presentation to a judge in an open court of the arrested and charges entered against the defendant. And that the defendant's attorney and families would have access to him/her. When this does not happen a writ of habeas corpus would be allowed. These were the most popular positions held. This school of thought also held that Diaspora Nigerians owes a duty to Nigeria to press for his release.
Then there were positions held by others that Elendu was held because he is of Igbo heritage and that his arrest had nothing to do with his journalism. This school sighted examples of others who have written essentially in Elendu's vein but have escaped arrest. This view promoted initially by some Igbo's was waning towards the end of the debate. I post this view on the positive side of rising up to the challenge. It is positive in the sense that all Igbo's or Nigerians need not have the same point of view. This group also felt that something needs to be done to free Elendu.
The third positive thing that the Elendu's case brought to light was the need for Diaspora Nigerians to be able to act in concert over common Nigerian interest. This incident made it glaringly clear that Nigerians in Diaspora do have interests that transcend our usual differences and can best be solved by linkage of resources. It is therefore fair to say that the arrest, detention and release of Elendu did have some silver linings.
Like all things in life this incident also brought out some of the reasons why the labors of Zik, Awo, Abubakar, et al seem some times to me as labors lost. It highlights why after almost fifty years as an independent nation Nigeria has not moved far from its humble beginnings. The issue is ethnic commotion. We kind of generally agreed that Elendu deserved our attention, and effort for a united action collapsed under the mechanism to achieve it. Some people suggested that NIDOA was the instrument to accomplish this. But some NIDOA members led by Igietsmene argued that NIDOA was NOT the vehicle because the charter is only or primarily economic and that it is in coalition with the government and cannot work "against" the government, Mr. Igietsmene suggested that Nigeria lawyers association take the lead.
The matter while it has some import to the legal profession is an affair that concerns Nigerians of all works of life. The services of lawyers were likely to be needed, but the championing of the course of freedom of the speech goes beyond lawyers. Then came Igbo Defense League apparently an affiliate of CISA. This organization came under fire because it was an Igbo organization and was perceived to inject ethnic element into it. So in the end the Diaspora Nigerians did not do anything. But fortunately Mr. Elendu gained his freedom and that should be the end of it.
But should it? I hope not. We have seen a need, but have not solved the road blocks that caused us to fail or rise fully to an opportunity that arose. If we do nothing, we will be exactly where we ended with the Elendu crisis as toothless bulldogs or what some like Moa Tse Tong called a giant with feet of clay or paper tiger or most appropriately "the giant of Africa ." Mr. Clayton's call for Diaspora Nigerians to join NIDOA to strengthen it seems to be a step forward. But Igietsemene' s objection on the grounds that the charter prohibits it from doing political work remains. NIDOA's dependence on government also provides limitations to its ability to oppose government actions. What shall we do? This should be the subject of further discussions in this forum.
Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba
Boston, Massachusetts
October 29, 2008
GreaterAwguLeadershipForum@yahoogroups.com
28 October, 2008
NIGERIANS &OTHER CITIZENSHIPS
Confused Nigerians in Denmark: Dumping Nigerian nationality
Written by Harry Nasir Dirisu
Twice annually, Nigerians nationalizing in Denmark are asked to relinquish their Nigerian nationality as a prerequisite besides other ordeals they go through as immigrants – sadly, they do the renunciation voraciously damming all consequences accrued – perhaps, they simply do it out of ignorance, confusion or desperation! Ironically, these people cannot proudly refer to themselves as Danish when white-Danes ask them of their nationalities! Meanwhile, they will proudly tell Nigerians they are Danish. However, the constitution of federal republic of Nigeria chapter 3, 29(1) states, any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation. Thus, the people in the above context are acting legally within the Nigerian constitutional frame, no doubt.
Religiously, legally, morally and culturally, I strongly believe that nationality is more than literally words enshrined in print. But why should somebody dump his or her birthrights? To some this question might sound faddish, absurd or narrow-minded – maybe its better felt than imagined – Again, I am patriotically convinced that a person’s birthplace is too crucial to be discarded. Above all, some countries would naturalize people through parliamentary and constitutional laws and still restrict the same people constitutionally owing to their birthplace: chapter 6 of Nigeria constitution under presidency states, a person shall be qualified for election to the office of the president if he or she is a citizen of Nigeria by birth. And the United States constitution, article 2 states, no person except a natural born citizen … of the United States … shall be eligible to the office of the president. These constitutions obviously distinguish citizens by birth, naturalisation, adoption etc. In other words, they simply depict the importance of birthplace that must not be dumped..
The above instance might sound some hypothetical! Hypothetical in the sense that one out of million people has a change of being a president. And Nigeria being forty-eight-year old has recorded thirteen rulers if you count Baba Obasanjo twice, while United States has recorded forty-three since 1789. I find it difficult to reconcile why somebody should renounce his birthplace “nationality” for a country that practically would never accord, respect and treat you like other citizens: A country where fellow citizens would constantly ask you, where are you from? A country that many jobs could be out of your reach owing to the colour of your skin! A country where you might be living in isolation! A country where people might distance themselves from you in public places! Eligibility for naturalisation means individual in question has a permanent resident for life – suffice it to say, it is not necessary rubbing yourself of your birthrights if you already have life permanent of your host county – the only difference is you are not allowed to cast some vote in that country. Why worry, Nigeria need that vote. If nobody wants to be a Nigerian whom are we pushing our responsibilities to?
Countries like Denmark, Japan, Singapore and India regard multiple or dual citizenships undesirable, they try to minimize it legally. And multiple or dual citizenship is a status in which a person is regarded as a citizen under the laws of more than one country. Multiple or dual citizenship does have mix blessings: it increases opportunities for citizens to compete and build global contacts thereby facilitating trades and amplifying economical growth of states. On the other hand it could result to additional tax liability: some countries uses three factors in determining how their citizens pay taxes, such as: residence, sources and citizenship. This implies that a person holding the United States and Australia citizenship – lives and work in Australia – would be liable to both countries’ taxes because, Australia taxes her residents while the United State taxes her citizens. Acquiring dual or multiple nationalities by birth also has its shortcomings! For instance, Section 44 of Australia constitution forbids people holding foreign citizenship from sitting in their parliament. Iran, Mexico and many Arab countries’ consulates officials may not have access to their citizens if they also hold local citizenship. And in most cases, many countries even those that permit dual or multiple citizenship would treat a person either as a citizen or not!
Lost in thought of patriotism as I am writing this controversial and difficult theme: had Koffi Anan renounced his Ghanaian nationality! Dr. Martin Luther King his United States nationality! Nelson Mandela his South Africa nationality! Mwalimu Julius Nyerere his Tanzanian nationality! Mahatma Gandhi his Indian nationality! Paradoxically, Nigerians who have either renounced Nigerian nationality or have dual nationality are very good at blaming their leaders for not finding pragmatic solutions to their problems. Some of the so-called illiterates who write about Nigerian problem have secured solid homes abroad forsaking their fatherland. They exacerbate the matter by dwelling on issues that will divide us instead of focusing on our common grounds that will unite us. Apparently, throwing missiles from air is safer than being physically present on a battlefield; Nigerian problems remain Nigerians’. Harry Nasir Dirisu writes from Denmark and can be reached at hnd@...
Written by Harry Nasir Dirisu
Twice annually, Nigerians nationalizing in Denmark are asked to relinquish their Nigerian nationality as a prerequisite besides other ordeals they go through as immigrants – sadly, they do the renunciation voraciously damming all consequences accrued – perhaps, they simply do it out of ignorance, confusion or desperation! Ironically, these people cannot proudly refer to themselves as Danish when white-Danes ask them of their nationalities! Meanwhile, they will proudly tell Nigerians they are Danish. However, the constitution of federal republic of Nigeria chapter 3, 29(1) states, any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation. Thus, the people in the above context are acting legally within the Nigerian constitutional frame, no doubt.
Religiously, legally, morally and culturally, I strongly believe that nationality is more than literally words enshrined in print. But why should somebody dump his or her birthrights? To some this question might sound faddish, absurd or narrow-minded – maybe its better felt than imagined – Again, I am patriotically convinced that a person’s birthplace is too crucial to be discarded. Above all, some countries would naturalize people through parliamentary and constitutional laws and still restrict the same people constitutionally owing to their birthplace: chapter 6 of Nigeria constitution under presidency states, a person shall be qualified for election to the office of the president if he or she is a citizen of Nigeria by birth. And the United States constitution, article 2 states, no person except a natural born citizen … of the United States … shall be eligible to the office of the president. These constitutions obviously distinguish citizens by birth, naturalisation, adoption etc. In other words, they simply depict the importance of birthplace that must not be dumped..
The above instance might sound some hypothetical! Hypothetical in the sense that one out of million people has a change of being a president. And Nigeria being forty-eight-year old has recorded thirteen rulers if you count Baba Obasanjo twice, while United States has recorded forty-three since 1789. I find it difficult to reconcile why somebody should renounce his birthplace “nationality” for a country that practically would never accord, respect and treat you like other citizens: A country where fellow citizens would constantly ask you, where are you from? A country that many jobs could be out of your reach owing to the colour of your skin! A country where you might be living in isolation! A country where people might distance themselves from you in public places! Eligibility for naturalisation means individual in question has a permanent resident for life – suffice it to say, it is not necessary rubbing yourself of your birthrights if you already have life permanent of your host county – the only difference is you are not allowed to cast some vote in that country. Why worry, Nigeria need that vote. If nobody wants to be a Nigerian whom are we pushing our responsibilities to?
Countries like Denmark, Japan, Singapore and India regard multiple or dual citizenships undesirable, they try to minimize it legally. And multiple or dual citizenship is a status in which a person is regarded as a citizen under the laws of more than one country. Multiple or dual citizenship does have mix blessings: it increases opportunities for citizens to compete and build global contacts thereby facilitating trades and amplifying economical growth of states. On the other hand it could result to additional tax liability: some countries uses three factors in determining how their citizens pay taxes, such as: residence, sources and citizenship. This implies that a person holding the United States and Australia citizenship – lives and work in Australia – would be liable to both countries’ taxes because, Australia taxes her residents while the United State taxes her citizens. Acquiring dual or multiple nationalities by birth also has its shortcomings! For instance, Section 44 of Australia constitution forbids people holding foreign citizenship from sitting in their parliament. Iran, Mexico and many Arab countries’ consulates officials may not have access to their citizens if they also hold local citizenship. And in most cases, many countries even those that permit dual or multiple citizenship would treat a person either as a citizen or not!
Lost in thought of patriotism as I am writing this controversial and difficult theme: had Koffi Anan renounced his Ghanaian nationality! Dr. Martin Luther King his United States nationality! Nelson Mandela his South Africa nationality! Mwalimu Julius Nyerere his Tanzanian nationality! Mahatma Gandhi his Indian nationality! Paradoxically, Nigerians who have either renounced Nigerian nationality or have dual nationality are very good at blaming their leaders for not finding pragmatic solutions to their problems. Some of the so-called illiterates who write about Nigerian problem have secured solid homes abroad forsaking their fatherland. They exacerbate the matter by dwelling on issues that will divide us instead of focusing on our common grounds that will unite us. Apparently, throwing missiles from air is safer than being physically present on a battlefield; Nigerian problems remain Nigerians’. Harry Nasir Dirisu writes from Denmark and can be reached at hnd@...
Nigeria & the Under 17 world cup
The BBC has learned that Nigeria's Football Federation (NFF) has told Fifa it wants to pull out of hosting the Under-17 World Cup in 2009.
The host of the 2009 under-17 World Cup is unclear after Fifa confirmed that Nigeria wants to pull out of hosting the event.
Click HERE for the whole story.
The host of the 2009 under-17 World Cup is unclear after Fifa confirmed that Nigeria wants to pull out of hosting the event.
Click HERE for the whole story.
23 October, 2008
Why Elendu Was Arrested-PM News
http://saharareporters.com/www/news/detail/?id=751
By Jide Osokoya
Our Note:
The cowardly act of harassing and arresting citizens for exercising their fundamental freedoms is totally condemnable and we hope that Nigerians at home and abroad we condemn the violation of the rights of Mr. Jonathan Elendu by the illegitimate Yar'adua regime. However, we should state that Mr. Elendu is not connected with the SaharaReporters in any shape or form, he publishes an independent blog (Elendureports) that predates SaharaReporters, arresting, detaining and harrasing an innocent Nigerian based on the suspicion that he works for SaharaReporters is not only condemnable, but also fruitless, since no amount of such callous acts will deter or restrict the publication of hard -hitting evidence-based reports from our ever reliable team members.
http://saharareporters.com/www/news/detail/?id=751
By Jide Osokoya
Fresh reports reaching P.M.News from Abuja this morning has revealed that the publisher of an online news agency, Mr. Jonathan Elendu, was arrested for sponsoring a guerrilla news agency.
It was gathered that the United States-based online publisher, who was arrested on Saturday on arrival in Nigeria, was allegedly linked to Saharareporters, an online Nigerian news agency.
Our source revealed that Sahareporters which is known for alleged subversive reports against the federal government and important personalities in the country, was allegedly the brain child of Elendu.
It was further learnt that when Elendu was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja as soon as he arrived via KLM Airline around 7.30 p.m. on Saturday, he was immediately whisked away to the SSS headquarters, Asokoro, Abuja.
Said our sources: "The hefty publisher was accosted on arrival by two SSS operatives who told him that he was being invited for a chat with their boss, he responded that since it was an invitation, they should give him time to go home and freshen up.
"The security operatives turned down his request, seized his international passport and whisked him away, only for him to remain incommunicado since then."
Elendu's family members expressed concern and worry over the state of his health, as nobody has been able to communicate with him since Saturday.
As at the time of this report, his lawyers were preparing papers to fight for the enforcement of his fundamental human right.Our Note:
The cowardly act of harassing and arresting citizens for exercising their fundamental freedoms is totally condemnable and we hope that Nigerians at home and abroad we condemn the violation of the rights of Mr. Jonathan Elendu by the illegitimate Yar'adua regime. However, we should state that Mr. Elendu is not connected with the SaharaReporters in any shape or form, he publishes an independent blog (Elendureports) that predates SaharaReporters, arresting, detaining and harrasing an innocent Nigerian based on the suspicion that he works for SaharaReporters is not only condemnable, but also fruitless, since no amount of such callous acts will deter or restrict the publication of hard -hitting evidence-based reports from our ever reliable team members.
http://saharareporters.com/www/news/detail/?id=751
22 October, 2008
How to say I Luv U in Nigeria
How to say I Luv U in Nigeria
It begins: "I swear, I will make sure I give you HIV..." But it's not an abusive threat, it's a "romantic" text message copied from a book on sale all over Nigeria that professes to give young people the words they need to court the woman or man of their dreams. "H is for Happiness and joy forever with an I: Incomparable love that will never V: Vanish until death do us part. I love you," the message concludes. The book, called "Touching the heart through unforgettable text messages (vol.2)" is one of several on sale in markets around the country that give suggestions to tongue-tied young lovers. Text compulsion Nigerians are compulsive text senders. Corny "romantic" messages and jokes are constantly being sent, received and recycled.Many men complain that women send them "hot" text messages, but all they really want is money, while women say they are pestered by men sending "romantic" texts when all their suitors really want is sex. But the book's author, 33-year-old entrepreneur Femi Emmanuel, says he writes text messages for people who are too busy, or illiterate, to properly express what is in their hearts. He is not married but says he sends "special" text messages to his girlfriend - original ones, not out of his books. The sale of all four volumes has been such a success he has bought a car with the proceeds. "People have really embraced the mobile phone here in Nigeria, but they may not be smart enough to know what to say in these kind of situations, or maybe they're too busy, running an office or whatever," he said. 'Bollywood' inspired He gets inspiration from Indian "Bollywood" films and Mexican or Nigerian soap operas.
"I thought 'that's good,' I paused the DVD and copied down the subtitles." The text message threatening HIV was inspired by watching a Nigerian film. "In the film, a man threatened a woman with giving her HIV. I thought how could I turn this acronym into a message?" "You could send the first sentence on its own," he says. "You are putting them in suspense, to create fear, and then you follow up with the interpretation that will give them joy and happiness." The BBC asked people on the streets of the capital Abuja what they thought of the message. Ferdinand Nwonye, 36, a civil servant, said he thought the message was funny. "The person would first be scared, and then as they went through it they would start laughing," he said. He added that the text books are mostly used by teenagers. "I like sending romantic texts to my wife, but I think of my own, I don't need one of these books." But not everyone sees it that way. Businesswoman Janet Babalola, 35, says she gets romantic text messages from her husband. "But if I got something like that I would be shocked," she says. Mr Emmanuel, who paid for his high school education by selling newspapers at the roadside, borrowed 75,000 naira ($637; £363) from his brother to publish the first book. He sold thousands of copies in cities all over the country. Cheesy? What may appear cheesy and ridiculous to western eyes may not be so creepy to Nigerians, says a well-known agony aunt. Nana, who answers readers' questions about relationships in the Weekly Trust newspaper, says Nigerians might see the words differently to native speakers of English. "I think this boy who wrote these texts is a bit of a poet," she says. "A lot of us in this part of the world are translating in our heads constantly from our local languages to English." "A lot of Nigerian languages don't have a difference between 'love' and 'like', so a lot of these messages will come across as a love proposition when what the sender really means is 'I like you'." But the texts can also serve as "adverts" which people can use to attract attention to themselves, with seedy intent, she says. "Many girls and boys too are out on the road looking for customers, and it is only natural that technology has made that a bit easier. -------------------------------------------------------------- |
The following are unsolicited text messages received by one woman:
- Call me, I love you
- When you see d sun shine, dats me smiling at u. When d bird chirps dats me singing softly to your ear. If d clouds should release a few drops those r my tears bcos I'm missing you &when u feel d wind blow, dats my sweet breath whispering I love you. please reply
- Hello my sweet luvn sugar coated choco mallow milky shaky honey dipped chiz meltin orange juicy mozzarella pepperoni spicy icy friend, how r U?
- Good morning. I just woke up from a dream that I am in an aircraft and someone like you is in the cock pit. A U a pilot pls?
- How I wish I cud hold u so close 2myself.. caress your feminin body during ds drizzlin. Bet u r goin to luv it hun!! Hop ur enjoyin ur sleep. I KIA!
- Pls I say open the door to you heart for me to come in, I promise from dat day dat we meet till d end I will always make you smile. I really love you.reply...cheers
19 October, 2008
Nigerian transnational human trafficking industry
Inside the Nigerian transnational human trafficking industry
By Musikilu Mojeed
Nwadinma, 15, a pupil of UBE Primary School, Gwarimpa, Abuja, was distraught and sullen that Friday afternoon. She had just returned from school and was deeply saddened by the strike notice that teachers in Nigeria had then just served on the government over alleged poor condition of service.The primary six pupil is disturbed that the strike might cause a postponement of her school leaving certificate examination and keep her longer in school. "My prayer is that the government will attend to the demands of our teachers and avert the strike. I am tired of being in primary school and will not like a strike to prolong my stay there," she said fearfully.
Nwadinma's agitation was understandable. She is 15 and most children her age were through with or on the verge of completing senior secondary education. But delayed education is one of the setbacks that Nwadinma had to suffer for being a victim of human trafficking.
At age five, she was taken off her parents in Abia State, South-East Nigeria, by a man she called 'Uncle' and whisked off to Gabon where, as a domestic servant, she was abused and dehumanised until she was rescued by the Nigerian Embassy in Gabon and brought home six years ago. "The years I spent in Gabon were a total waste. I was made to hawk all manners of commodities on the streets of Libreville. I was maltreated, starved and tossed around like a football," she recalled.
On her return to Nigeria, she was handed over to Nigeria's anti-trafficking body, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters which in turn, passed her to the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, a non-governmental organisation established by Titi, wife of former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, for rehabilitation.
Initially, WOTCLEF reunited Nwadinma with her parents but later took her off them for fear that they might allow her to be trafficked abroad again. The young girl is now one of the 900 victims of human trafficking that have so far been rescued from traffickers and rehabilitated by WOTCLEF at its rehab centre located in the Gwarimpa District of Abuja.
She is also one of the 19 that are currently been catered for by the humanitarian group. The others include victims that were repatriated from Gabon, Cameroun, Italy, Sudan and Saudi Arabia, where some of them worked as prostitutes and others as domestic servants. Two of the girls, according to WOTCLEF's Executive Secretary, Vero Umaru, are on the verge of completing university education while others are being trained in catering, hairdressing and tailoring.
Trafficking has defied solution in Nigeria
Nwadinma, her colleagues and others in NAPTIP's six rehabilitation centres across the country are however lucky to be back home to chart a fresh course for their lives. "Thousands of others like them, especially girls, who were smuggled across the borders never make it back to live a normal life.
Many of them are still trapped in major European, Asian and American cities, being sexually exploited," Umaru said. Between 2002 and June 2007, the Nigeria Immigration Service said it had rescued 1,366 victims and arrested 16 traffickers.
UNICEF Protection Programme chief, Robert Limlim, believes the problem of trafficking is particularly acute in Nigeria, because the country is also a strategic transit point for traffickers. "There is high demand for cheap, commercial African labour in other countries. Nigeria is the transit centre for this racket. There's a lot of money flowing through here," he said.
A 2003 FOS/ILO National Child Labour Survey estimates that there are 15million children engaged in child labour in Nigeria. These children are also vulnerable to being forced into prostitution, or, in many instances, are trafficked internationally.
To fight trafficking headlong, the Nigerian government established NAPTIP in 2003, after the National Assembly passed the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act, in line with the 2000 United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Crime.
Since its establishment, NAPTIP has, as at May 26, 2008, in 87 court cases, prosecuted 128 persons believed to be engaged in the business of human trafficking in Nigeria. 29 of the cases have been concluded with 27 of the accused persons bagging between six-month and 20-year jail terms.
Those convicted include one Sarah Okoya who was arrested in Benin Republic while trafficking six Nigerian girls to Spain for prostitution; Jean Adjayi and two others who procured some girls from Cotonou in Benin Republic and subjected them to various forms of sexual exploitation; Hussaina Ibrahim who was nabbed after trafficking a girl to Saudi Arabia for prostitution; Franca Asiboja, an ex-victim, who recruited some girls with the help of an agent in Nigeria and trafficked them to Burkina Faso for prostitution.
Maris Akhabue was prosecuted for inducing her niece to travel to Italy for prostitution on the pretext that the victim would work as a baby sitter for one Rosemary Oshodin in Italy; Samson Ovenseri and Samuel Emwirovhanhkoe bagged one and five-year jail terms respectively for trafficking girls to Spain for prostitution through Benin Republic and Libya.
Glory Kehinde and Kate Ehiokpamwan were sentenced to one year imprisonment for trafficking girls to Libya for prostitution, while Monday Arioba and Martins Nwobu were also sent to jail for organising foreign travels for girls to travel abroad for prostitution.
But the convictions appear to have failed to deter the human merchants as the trafficking trade, according to Mohammed Babandede, NAPTIP's director of investigation and monitoring, has only assumed a more sophisticated dimension.
Babandede said investigations by his agency had shown that human trafficking in Nigeria had become a multi-million naira business with transnational traffickers having developed into a sophisticated mafia group.
"It is a big business and the traffickers are very organised. The merchants have recruiters and patrons. They have collaborators among embassy, immigration, border and security officials," he explained.
Umaru expressed a similar sentiment. "The human trafficking business is a syndicate. You have those who specialise in procuring fake passports and visas while there are those whose speciality is in bribing security and immigration officials at the border posts. It is a whole complicated chain," she said.
An official of NAPTIP, who pleaded not to be named said when his agency raided a trafficker's haven in Lagos in 2005, it found to its dismay that traffickers had developed manuals which they give to their victims to study. The manuals, he said, contained step-by-step precautions that the girls that were being trafficked abroad had to take to avoid being detected or arrested in transit and in their destinations. As part of their orientation programmes, the girls are reportedly given the manuals to study. "Human trafficking has become such a hydra-headed problem in Nigeria and we badly needed a hydra-headed solution to combat it," Umaru said.
The traffickers and their tactics
A repented ex-trafficker, who pleaded not to be named for fear of being stigmatized, explained that transnational traffickers usually work on the psyche of their victims and their relatives. They tell the victims and their relatives that there are better opportunities abroad. He said recruiters who work for traffickers usually go round collecting young boys and girls, promising them good jobs abroad. The recruiter's job ends after handing over the boys and girls to other members of the syndicate who organizes the foreign trips of the victims. It is these persons who procures passports and visas and organises safe passages across the borders for the victims, bribing all relevant officials and agencies in the process. The source said at times fake passports and visas are obtained for victims from Oluwole, an area in Lagos, notorious for faking documents.
Big time traffickers, the ex-trafficker said, usually fly their victims out of Nigeria while their small time counterparts usually smuggle their wares out of the country by land and water. Apart from using fake passports and visas to pass through the nation's airports, our source said victims are sometimes made to use passports of other people who have facial similarities with them. In situations like this, the Bingo strategy is usually used. Bingo, in human trafficking parlance, means an arrangement where traffickers bribe immigration and airline officials and make their victims to show up at airports only few minutes to the commencement of their flights and rush them through immigration procedures manned by compromised officials.
To enable the victims pass through the borders unmolested, border officials are usually also massively bribed, he said. In taking their victims across the border posts manned by strict, uncompromising officials, traffickers usually make their victims to wear costumes of local communities. The traffickers blend their victims with the local communities and sneak them across the borders in a manner that immigration officials at the borders won't detect.
Traffickers who are daring have often adopted the more risky method of taking their victims to Europe through bush parts and porous desert areas. Under the escort of touts, who are mostly part of the syndicate, they cross the borders through the north of the country and head towards North Africa passing through Mali, Libya, Morocco and Algeria. A substantial part of the journey is made through the desert and some of the traffickers and their victims die on the way out of exhaustion or excruciating heat. Some others are drowned at sea while trying to cross the Canary Island into Spain from where they usually travel to other parts of Europe.
The last people in the chain are the big madams based in the destination countries. On arrival in the destination countries, they seized the passports of the victims and give the boys out as domestic servants to patrons who need their services while the girls are made to work as prostitutes. The traffickers receive payments from patrons while the girls are made to sleep with them. Our source said the girls pay between 60 and 80,000 Euros to their madam to get their freedom.
Dr. Esohe Aghatise, who has done extensive work on trafficking, said when Nigerian girls arrive in Italy, they are taken to the sex market towns of Livorno, Torinto and Genova where they are sold to bosses or madams. "They sold them for 20,000 Dollars and the traffickers make about 90,000-100,000 million Liras from each girl. Most of the girls prostitutes on the rented portions of roads and their clients often have sex with them in the bush or in their cars." The girls, Aghatise says, make daily returns to their bosses or madams who he explains usually employ the services of cult members to enforce compliance.
Also, according to Aghatise, the girls are expected to pay about 516 Euros to their madams per month to rent the roadside spot there they wait for clients in extreme weather conditions. They are also expected to contribute about 36 Euros weekly each for their feeding and buying of provocative clothing. "When we don't earn the money our madam wants, she presses a hot iron on our chests," Aghatise quoted one Stella, a former victim, who was rescued by an NGO, Associatione Papa Giovanni, as having revealed. Between 1994 and 1998, about 116 Nigerian girls are said to have died on the streets of Italy while prostituting.
The routes
Investigations revealed that Nigeria is a country of origin, transit and destination for traffickers and their victims. The country is believed to have an immensely thriving human trafficking industry with a large population of clients, recruiters and intermediaries. Records sourced from NAPTIP indicated that thousands of Nigerian girls are routinely trafficked to work the sex industry in Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Morocco, Spain, South Africa and The Netherlands.
According to the record, girls, mostly between the ages of 18 and 24 years that had been assisted to return home were, in order of prevalence, rescued from Italy, Spain, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands, Libya, united Kingdom, South Africa, Mali and Benin Republic.
The document also indicated that children, mostly from two oil-rich states in the South-South geo-political zones of the country are regularly trafficked to Gabon in droves for forced labour. Most of the children are made to work in plantain plantations in that country. NAPTIP also disclosed in the document that children were being trafficked to Saudi Arabia for begging, domestic servitude and sexual exploitation predominantly from states in the North of the country. The agency also found that the deaf and dumb operate a trafficking ring.
Other disclosures made by the anti-trafficking agency were that Cameroonian traffickers use Nigeria as a transit country to traffic their victims to Algeria via Niger while Togolese and Beniniose traffickers smuggle their victims to Gabon through Nigeria in collaboration with their Nigerian counterparts.
John Egwu, an Assistant Comptroller-General of Immigration and Head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Nigeria Immigration Service, however identified Italy as the major destination for the bulk of Nigerian traffickers and their victims. He quoted Iroko Onlus, an NGO based in Italy as having estimated that 80 per cent of persons trafficked to Italy were Nigerians and that 60 per cent of those trafficked Nigerians were from Edo State.
This investigation is facilitated by the Forum for African Investigative Repor
http://www.punchontheweb.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200810152335195
14 October, 2008
IMMIGRANTS. 13 DEAD DURING CROSSING, 5 ARRESTS IN SIRACUSA
Italy
The survivors told the investigators that they have seen the arrested Nigerians throw some of the 13 victims into the water, after they showed themselves nervous during the voyage. Others would voluntarily have left the boat out of desperation. Once on land the police had already identified and arrested three people smugglers, among also one of the five arrested Nigerians charged with homicide. The other four were detained in the temporary shelter of Cassibile. The arrests were confirmed this morning by the investigating judge of the Court of Siracusa.
http://www.agi.it/italy/news/200810131511-cro-ren0044-art.html
09 October, 2008
07 October, 2008
BIGGER FISH TO FRY ON INDEPENDENCE
I think we should be trying to find ways to solve problems and not compound it. I am getting older and the older I get, the more I want real answers to some of the questions I have had since the 80s when I began to realize what was lacking in Nigerian towns.
I agree with the suggestion that we should talk about real issues facing our people. I think the biggest is lack of good medicine, the second is lack of infrastructure/technological advancement to compete in the global market place, and the third major one is the lack of love for other fellow Nigerians by those on top. If one really loves another as they love themselves, they will wish for that person to have what they have such as the good things in life. Jesus commanded us to do so. This is exclusive of tolerance for blatant sin or crime.
There are other problems but I will stay with the subject of medicine that I enjoy and because of my concern about health matters. I have heard of and seen several incidences that leave me wondering when a real solution is going to begin in medicine.
How do we begin to address the issues facing us and news we hear from home that are not always pleasant? Issues such as:
A relative died in a car crash. They said it was the work of witch craft. There was no ambulance to take her to the hospital. Why?
Another relative got involved in a car crash and broke his shoulder joint. They say it was the work of witch.
A relative died in a car crash. They said it was the work of witch craft. There was no ambulance to take her to the hospital. Why?
Another relative got involved in a car crash and broke his shoulder joint. They say it was the work of witch.
2 weeks ago, a nurse yanked off a new Born's arm from his shoulder during delivery, the mother thinks it is a broken scapula or shoulder blade, the husband is confused and thinks it could be both but they are both sure the arm is displaced from its socket. Up until now, 2 weeks later, in Lagos, the hospital has not called to checked on them. In the meanwhile, the child cries all day and night.
A cousin went to the hospital for stomach infection or something. The hospital refused him treatment because the mother could not come up with the money they were asking for at the time. He died.
4 of my male cousins were said to be sick of something at different times within the last 2-3 years. 3 from same parents and another from another, and they all died. The one that was in his teen years died earlier (a few years back), 2 were in their 20s and another in his 40s. The mother of the three boys sometimes wonders what really happened.
Another female cousin went to the hospital to deliver a baby and did not make it back. Similar situation was the case for my in law.
50% of the patients in the ward at Agbor, I hear, are amputees from Okada falls. They say bad luck followed them but I say it is from the bad roads and no means of transporting them quickly enough to the hospitals to salvage the limbs.
My uncle's wife tried to give birth to twins a few years ago and it was bye bye to her and the twins in the hopital.
One of my cousin went to fix a catarrach and came back with half past four eye. She was undoubtedly the most beautiful girl in my town until that happened. That led to low self esteem that led to other details I care not to give here.
There are several others like a woman with aids who gave birth t a child without AIDS but was allowed to breast feed her newborn until he got HIV and AIDS and died.
What can we do to provide better education for our doctors in Nigeria and medical technology with which they can work effectively?
People are afraid to visit Naija because most fo the people they know are dead. Can we change that for the junior ones coming up to make it possible to see their friends at age 70, 80, 90, and maybe 100?
Diseases are leaving a lot of our nieces and nephews orphans, fatherless or motherless. What does the future hold for these kids? Are they dying because we have more bacteria than other parts of the world, more careless health habits, witches, poverty, no love from the politicians at the top, untrained doctors, less medical tools to work with, bad roads, infected or damaged foods from no preservation methods, lack of it, or inadequacy of it? Do our people not deserve to see great great great grand children?
I am praying for us and I wish more can be done.
Philo
05 October, 2008
HOMOSEXUALS MUST DIE -- mUSLIM CLERIC
Homosexuals must die – Muslim cleric
By Paul Omo ObadanSunday, October 5, 2008
•Is-haq AkintolaPhoto by: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section
Furious over what seems a bourgeoning community of homosexuals in Nigeria, a Muslim cleric, Professor Is-haq Akintola, has suggested capital punishment for the practice, with recourse to the Holy Qu’ran, which he says prescribes death penalty. “Homosexuality is a great sin in Islam. It is as grievous as adultery, and the punishment is the same. Homosexuals are to be condemned to death,” he told Sunday Sun in an interview in Lagos.But fresh from the Moslem holy ritual of Ramadan, Akintola, a Senior lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Lagos State University (LASU), however advocated flexibility - as a humanist – to give both the gays and lesbians another opportunity to change and lead normal sex lives.“I want to pity the homosexuals because I am a humanist, and I have enough sexual education to know that there are men who do not feel attracted to women. But when their same sex touches them, they feel the sensation. That is quite abnormal. We should get psychologists to talk to them; to advise them what to do such that they would lead their normal lives again, particularly if they are willing not to break the laws of God. So, instead of killing them or putting them in jail, I think the government could put in place a kind of mechanism - rehabilitation center - that such people could go where the government will have its own psychologists, medical doctors and whatever they might need to put them in proper shape so that they might lead normal lives again.” As with several other religious leaders, Akintola’s unsparing remark is informed largely by the recent emergence of a church for homosexuals in Lagos. Only last month, House of Rainbow Metropolitan Church, a yet-to-be-registered church, publicly declared its exclusivity for professed homosexuals, as it organized the first ever conference for the practitioners. Ironically, the gathering, which observers described as debauchery, took place at the United Bible University, the same hall where the faithful of the Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM) conduct their services. On the heels of the gathering came a resounding condemnation from the public, following which security operatives reportedly launched a manhunt for the organizers. Nonetheless, the LASU don remained piqued last week that some Nigerians are copying the wrong values. His views on the issue are indeed no-holds-barred!Excerpts:
What is the stand of Islam on homosexuality?It is very unfortunate because Allah has created everything in the world and also made man and gave injunction that man should subject himself to the rules of Allah. Men continue to bend those rules because they claim to be wiser than Almighty God, and want to use their own wisdom. But Allah’s wisdom is both divine and immutable. Man can make mistakes but God doesn’t make mistakes. God’s wisdom is pervading and overwhelming.If we buy a car, the manufacturer will give you a manual. You look at the manual, you don’t want to do anything outside the manual; you don’t want to do anything the manufacturer says is wrong. This is the radiator, put water. You don’t want to put engine oil inside the radiator. This is the fuel tank, put petrol there; you don’t want to put water inside the fuel tank. So the way the manufacturer built the car and said you should use it, if you use it that way, you will enjoy the car.If you use it in any other way; if you break those rules and try to make your own, you will suffer for it. And that is what has caused all the sufferings in the world because we continue to break the laws of God and we think we are wiser; we think God cannot make laws for us whereas he made the world and he should make laws for them. Homosexuality is a great sin in Islam. It is as grievous as adultery, and the punishment is the same. Homosexuals are to be condemned to death. I want to pity the homosexuals because I am a humanist, and I have enough sexual education to know that there are men who do not feel attracted to women. But when their same sex touches them, they feel the sensation. That is quite abnormal. We should get psychologists to talk to them, to advice them what to do such that they would lead normal lives again, particularly if they are willing not to break the laws of God. So instead of killing them or putting them in jail, I think the government could put in place a kind of mechanism, rehabilitation center that such people could go where the government will have its own psychologists, medical doctors and whatever they might need to put them in proper shape so that they might lead normal lives again.People say it is rampant in the North?It is because the North is a kind of closed society. You don’t have other crimes that are as rampant. A man and a woman cannot just move about as they like, as we do here in Lagos. But when you find a man and a man moving together, nobody suspects. And so they believe they could do it without anybody suspecting. So when a man and his male partner go into an office or go inside a house, nobody suspects that they are going there for any dubious thing.
What should be the role of the family and church in curbing the trend?There should be education. Even within the home - from childhood - we should teach our children the right thing to do. We should let them know what is wrong and right. We should create a conducive atmosphere for them to separate right from wrong. In the Mosques, our clergymen, the Imams, should focus attention on sex education. You need to let teenagers know what is likely to be the result if they engage in amorous activities. You need to let those young boys know that it is heinous and condemned by the Qu’ran for them to engage in sexual activity with their male counterparts. Many of them don’t know, perhaps they think it’s a joke. I don’t agree that it is rampant only in the North; it is rampant all over the country.
Is the arrest of the man with 86 wives justifiable? It is justifiable under the law of Islam for him to be arrested. Chapter 4:3 of the Qu’ran says marry only two or three or four women. But if you feel that you will not be able to give justice to them, marry only one. God who said marry either two or three or four still says that you may not be able to give justice to them. So, how can he say you should marry 86?The man has transgressed and he is a heretic, a renegade and a rebel, and an enslaver of women, and an oppressor. It has exposed the hypocrisy of Western civilisation. It has also exposed many so-called freedom fighters, human right groups. They used to accuse us Muslims that we abuse the rights of women; that we enslave women; that we put them in puddah; that we marry more than one by marrying four, whereas this society in which we live - God himself created man as a polygamous person and many people who are ‘monogamous’ are privately and informally polygamous. We have seen public figures who are not Muslims, who have only one known wife, but whose other wives and children turned up immediately after their death.It is humanly and naturally impossible for him to physically and emotionally satisfy the 86 women. I find it funny that the Western Press should now be fronting for the right of this man, forgetting about the enslavement he has forced on the women. He has imprisoned them. It is denial of their fundamental human rights. Of course, when you marry, you marry for love, partnership, understanding and comfort. How many days in a week will he sleep with any of those wives? It is because the man is rich, you think the women are comfortable. Let them be his concubines or girlfriends. We know people who have more than 70 girlfriends and women will want to die on their neck because they know they can always get money from him. I expect our human rights groups in Nigeria to be fighting and condemning this man because he has enslaved 86 women.
Why is homosexuality spreading in Nigeria?It is spreading because our prison system is barbaric; it is archaic and belongs to the stone age. Our prisons here in Nigeria are not corrective. Our prisons are torture chambers. We have reports of how they are over-populated; how a room in the prison yard meant for five men is occupied by 35 and therein they cannot sleep but only stand and when they want to sleep, they have to sleep in turns and you have to be woken up every thirty minutes. Those who are crowded like that, make body contacts that stir up lust as their emotions, sentiments and sensibilities go hay-wire. So, many come out of the prison as homosexuals even though they did not know anything about homosexuality before being incarserated.
•Is-haq AkintolaPhoto by: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section
Furious over what seems a bourgeoning community of homosexuals in Nigeria, a Muslim cleric, Professor Is-haq Akintola, has suggested capital punishment for the practice, with recourse to the Holy Qu’ran, which he says prescribes death penalty. “Homosexuality is a great sin in Islam. It is as grievous as adultery, and the punishment is the same. Homosexuals are to be condemned to death,” he told Sunday Sun in an interview in Lagos.But fresh from the Moslem holy ritual of Ramadan, Akintola, a Senior lecturer in Islamic Studies at the Lagos State University (LASU), however advocated flexibility - as a humanist – to give both the gays and lesbians another opportunity to change and lead normal sex lives.“I want to pity the homosexuals because I am a humanist, and I have enough sexual education to know that there are men who do not feel attracted to women. But when their same sex touches them, they feel the sensation. That is quite abnormal. We should get psychologists to talk to them; to advise them what to do such that they would lead their normal lives again, particularly if they are willing not to break the laws of God. So, instead of killing them or putting them in jail, I think the government could put in place a kind of mechanism - rehabilitation center - that such people could go where the government will have its own psychologists, medical doctors and whatever they might need to put them in proper shape so that they might lead normal lives again.” As with several other religious leaders, Akintola’s unsparing remark is informed largely by the recent emergence of a church for homosexuals in Lagos. Only last month, House of Rainbow Metropolitan Church, a yet-to-be-registered church, publicly declared its exclusivity for professed homosexuals, as it organized the first ever conference for the practitioners. Ironically, the gathering, which observers described as debauchery, took place at the United Bible University, the same hall where the faithful of the Christian Pentecostal Mission (CPM) conduct their services. On the heels of the gathering came a resounding condemnation from the public, following which security operatives reportedly launched a manhunt for the organizers. Nonetheless, the LASU don remained piqued last week that some Nigerians are copying the wrong values. His views on the issue are indeed no-holds-barred!Excerpts:
What is the stand of Islam on homosexuality?It is very unfortunate because Allah has created everything in the world and also made man and gave injunction that man should subject himself to the rules of Allah. Men continue to bend those rules because they claim to be wiser than Almighty God, and want to use their own wisdom. But Allah’s wisdom is both divine and immutable. Man can make mistakes but God doesn’t make mistakes. God’s wisdom is pervading and overwhelming.If we buy a car, the manufacturer will give you a manual. You look at the manual, you don’t want to do anything outside the manual; you don’t want to do anything the manufacturer says is wrong. This is the radiator, put water. You don’t want to put engine oil inside the radiator. This is the fuel tank, put petrol there; you don’t want to put water inside the fuel tank. So the way the manufacturer built the car and said you should use it, if you use it that way, you will enjoy the car.If you use it in any other way; if you break those rules and try to make your own, you will suffer for it. And that is what has caused all the sufferings in the world because we continue to break the laws of God and we think we are wiser; we think God cannot make laws for us whereas he made the world and he should make laws for them. Homosexuality is a great sin in Islam. It is as grievous as adultery, and the punishment is the same. Homosexuals are to be condemned to death. I want to pity the homosexuals because I am a humanist, and I have enough sexual education to know that there are men who do not feel attracted to women. But when their same sex touches them, they feel the sensation. That is quite abnormal. We should get psychologists to talk to them, to advice them what to do such that they would lead normal lives again, particularly if they are willing not to break the laws of God. So instead of killing them or putting them in jail, I think the government could put in place a kind of mechanism, rehabilitation center that such people could go where the government will have its own psychologists, medical doctors and whatever they might need to put them in proper shape so that they might lead normal lives again.People say it is rampant in the North?It is because the North is a kind of closed society. You don’t have other crimes that are as rampant. A man and a woman cannot just move about as they like, as we do here in Lagos. But when you find a man and a man moving together, nobody suspects. And so they believe they could do it without anybody suspecting. So when a man and his male partner go into an office or go inside a house, nobody suspects that they are going there for any dubious thing.
What should be the role of the family and church in curbing the trend?There should be education. Even within the home - from childhood - we should teach our children the right thing to do. We should let them know what is wrong and right. We should create a conducive atmosphere for them to separate right from wrong. In the Mosques, our clergymen, the Imams, should focus attention on sex education. You need to let teenagers know what is likely to be the result if they engage in amorous activities. You need to let those young boys know that it is heinous and condemned by the Qu’ran for them to engage in sexual activity with their male counterparts. Many of them don’t know, perhaps they think it’s a joke. I don’t agree that it is rampant only in the North; it is rampant all over the country.
Is the arrest of the man with 86 wives justifiable? It is justifiable under the law of Islam for him to be arrested. Chapter 4:3 of the Qu’ran says marry only two or three or four women. But if you feel that you will not be able to give justice to them, marry only one. God who said marry either two or three or four still says that you may not be able to give justice to them. So, how can he say you should marry 86?The man has transgressed and he is a heretic, a renegade and a rebel, and an enslaver of women, and an oppressor. It has exposed the hypocrisy of Western civilisation. It has also exposed many so-called freedom fighters, human right groups. They used to accuse us Muslims that we abuse the rights of women; that we enslave women; that we put them in puddah; that we marry more than one by marrying four, whereas this society in which we live - God himself created man as a polygamous person and many people who are ‘monogamous’ are privately and informally polygamous. We have seen public figures who are not Muslims, who have only one known wife, but whose other wives and children turned up immediately after their death.It is humanly and naturally impossible for him to physically and emotionally satisfy the 86 women. I find it funny that the Western Press should now be fronting for the right of this man, forgetting about the enslavement he has forced on the women. He has imprisoned them. It is denial of their fundamental human rights. Of course, when you marry, you marry for love, partnership, understanding and comfort. How many days in a week will he sleep with any of those wives? It is because the man is rich, you think the women are comfortable. Let them be his concubines or girlfriends. We know people who have more than 70 girlfriends and women will want to die on their neck because they know they can always get money from him. I expect our human rights groups in Nigeria to be fighting and condemning this man because he has enslaved 86 women.
Why is homosexuality spreading in Nigeria?It is spreading because our prison system is barbaric; it is archaic and belongs to the stone age. Our prisons here in Nigeria are not corrective. Our prisons are torture chambers. We have reports of how they are over-populated; how a room in the prison yard meant for five men is occupied by 35 and therein they cannot sleep but only stand and when they want to sleep, they have to sleep in turns and you have to be woken up every thirty minutes. Those who are crowded like that, make body contacts that stir up lust as their emotions, sentiments and sensibilities go hay-wire. So, many come out of the prison as homosexuals even though they did not know anything about homosexuality before being incarserated.
01 October, 2008
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