Nigeria

Nigeria has begun the prosecution of more than 500 people accused of involvement in militant attacks in one of the country’s largest ever terrorism trials.

The suspects face charges linked to aiding and abetting terrorism, particularly in the north-east where an insurgency by the Boko Haram Islamist group began 17 years ago.

Since then insecurity has spread to many other areas of the West African nation, leaving communities, often those in rural areas, at the mercy of mushrooming militant groups and gangs that kidnap for ransom.

The mass trial opened on Tuesday at a high court in the capital, Abuja, where 227 suspects were arraigned before 10 judges, according to the attorney general.

Hundreds of people have lost their lives in bombings and various attacks across Nigeria this year alone.

Very few people are ever prosecuted over terror attacks – and suspects are often detained and spend years in custody without facing trial.

According to the AFP news agency, gunmen killed at least 20 people on Wednesday in the western state of Niger. Residents say the attackers raided villages in Shiroro district, an area where kidnapping gangs and Islamist militants are known to operate.

Security was tight during the court session on Tuesday, with suspects transported in heavily guarded convoys under military, police and intelligence supervision.

International observers, including human rights groups and the Nigerian Bar Association, were also present in court.

The defendants are alleged to have taken part in attacks mainly in northern Nigeria, while others face charges of supporting militants through funding, supplying arms and logistics.

Five of the accused have already been given varying jail terms – from seven to 20 years – after pleading guilty to charges that included selling livestock, supplying food and information to militant groups.

Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi said the scale of the operation showed the government’s resolve to deal with the matter.

“The federal government is committed to ensuring that due process is followed while bringing those involved in terrorism to justice,” he said.

Security expert Bashir Galma, a retired army major, told the BBC that the trial, which is expected to continue in phases, was a “positive development” and a “significant milestone” in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.

“For years Nigerians have been complaining about why they keep these suspects [in custody] instead of making them face the law for what they are suspected of doing,” he said.

“This will bring some level of peace for people whose loved ones were killed or injured.”

The trial would also dispelled rumours that suspects were routinely released after arrest “so that they can go back to their terrorism business”, the analyst added.

However, he predicted that some of the accused could be released soon, given that they were arrested many years ago – a factor he said the judges would likely take into consideration

A university in Nigeria has sparked outrage after a video went viral showing female students being touched to see if they were wearing bras before taking part in an exam.

In the footage, female staff at Olabisi Onabanjo University in south-western Ogun State are seen touching some students’ chests as they queue to enter an examination hall.

The university has not yet commented on the video, but a student leader defended the bra policy as being part of the institution’s dress code aimed at maintaining “a distraction-free environment”.

However, he acknowledged that other ways were needed to enforce the policy that has been condemned by critics as archaic, sexist and likened to sexual assault.

A senior official at campaign group Human Rights Network told the BBC that students could sue the university for violating their rights.

“Unwarranted touches on another person’s body is a violation and could lead to legal action. The university is wrong to adopt this method to curb indecent dressing,” Haruna Ayagi said.

A student who did not want to be named told the BBC that the university enforced a strict moral code despite not being a religious institution.

She said their clothes were always being checked.

In response to the outcry, the president of the university’s students’ union, Muizz Olatunji, said on X that the university promoted “a dress-code policy aimed at maintaining a respectful and distraction-free environment, encouraging students to dress modestly and in line with the institution’s values”.

He added that the policy was not new, and the union had “engaged with the institution to explore alternative approaches to addressing indecent dressing, focusing on respectful and dignified interactions between students and staff”.

He also published the dress code, which included a ban on any clothes “capable of making the same or opposite sex to lust after the student in an indecent manner”.

The university was founded in 1982 as Ogun State University when Olabisi Onabanjo was state governor. It was renamed after him in 2001.

Some Nigerians have expressed outrage after the country’s national anthem was changed with little consultation.

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday signed into law the bill to revert to Nigeria’s old national anthem which was dropped by a military government in 1978.

The newly re-adopted anthem, which begins “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 which and composed by Frances Berda.

Speaking on his first anniversary in office, President Tinubu said the anthem symbolised Nigeria’s diversity.

But many have questioned his priorities amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Reacting online, some Nigerians said the country had more pressing problems such as insecurity, rising inflation and a foreign exchange crisis.

X user @Gospel_rxx posted: “A new national anthem is the priority for Tinubu & Co at a time like this, When our people can’t eat, insecurity is rife & life is hell? What a sordid joke!!. Lets see how they implement it…”

Another X user Fola Folayan said it was shameful that parliament had rushed through the bill.

“Changing the Nigerian national anthem written by a Nigerian, to the song written by colonizers is a stupid decision and it’s shameful that nobody in the National Assembly thought to stand against it.”

Former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili posted on X that she would never sing the new-old anthem.

“Let it be known to all and sundry that I, Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili shall whenever asked to sing the Nigerian National Anthem [will] sing:”

She then posted the words of “Arise O Compatriots” – the anthem which has been used for the past 46 years.

Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad had an interesting take as Nigerians continue to debate the issue on social media.

“After the change of our national anthem, some people are now calling for the name Nigeria and the national flag to be changed as well. What do you think? Should we keep the name Nigeria?”

But Tahir Mongunu, chairman of the parliamentary committee which pushed the bill through, dismissed the widespread criticism, saying it was “apt, timely and important”.

“It will undoubtedly inspire a zeal for patriotism and cooperation. It will promote cultural heritage. Changing the national anthem will chart a path to greater unity,” Tahir said.

And Kano resident Habu Shamsu agrees, telling the BBC: “I think it more encompassing and I like the way it flows.”

A town at the heart of mining coltan, a key ingredient in making mobile phones, has been seized in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by rebel forces, their spokesman has said.

Rubaya fell into the hands of M23 fighters on Tuesday following heavy clashes with government troops, Willy Ngoma said.

The government has not yet commented, but a civil society activist confirmed that M23 had captured the strategic town.

It happened on the day France’s President Emmanuel Macron called on neighbouring Rwanda to “halt its support” for the M23 rebel group.

Mr Macron made his comments after holding talks with DR Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi in France’s capital, Paris.

Rwanda has repeatedly denied backing the rebels, who have captured much territory in the mineral-rich east during fighting over the past 18 months.

DR Congo is the world’s second-biggest producer of coltan, with most of it coming from the mines around Rubaya in the Masisi district.

Coltan is used to make batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones.

DR Congo’s government accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels to steal its mineral wealth, an allegation the government in Kigali denies.

Mr Ngoma told the BBC that M23 had seized Rubaya “not because of its richness, but to chase away our enemy”.

A civil society activist in Masisi, Voltaire Sadiki, said the rebels had “ordered civilians with guns to hand them [in] and continue with their lives”.

The rebels, initially Congolese army deserters, accuse the government of marginalising the country’s ethnic Tutsi minority and refusing to negotiate with them. They regard the verdant hills around Masisi as their true homeland.

Mr Tshisekedi says the rebels are a front for what he calls the “expansionist aims” of Rwanda, which it denies.

Cases of severe malnutrition among children aged under five years in north-eastern Nigeria are fast increasing, an non-governmental organisation has warned.

FHI 360 said that a staggeringly high number of malnourished children – 15,781 – were admitted to its facilities between February and September for treatment, an increase of nearly 160% from last year.

“The situation in north-east Nigeria is grave, and increased support is needed to address the critical health and nutritional needs of communities, especially women and children,” the organisation added.

The UN children’s organisation (Unicef) has previously said that Nigeria has the second-highest rate of child stunting globally, which is caused by widespread malnutrition, particularly in the northern part of the country.

Unicef estimates that two million children in Nigeria suffer from malnutrition, but only 20% of these receive treatment.

Its data also shows that malnutrition contributes to 45% of the deaths of children aged under five years in Nigeria.

Più di 800 persone sono state uccise in attacchi nel solo mese di giugno 2023 in tutta la Nigeria secondo un nuovo rapporto sulla sicurezza. Il rapporto, pubblicato da Beacon Consulting, un’organizzazione di intelligence e gestione dei rischi per la sicurezza, ha indicato che sono stati registrati 460 incidenti, inclusi 239 rapimenti. Gli attacchi, secondo il rapporto, sono avvenuti in 234 aree del governo locale nei 36 stati della Nigeria e nella capitale, Abuja.

Il presidente Bola Tinubu ha promesso di fare della sicurezza una priorità assoluta nel Paese, ma nel primo mese della sua amministrazione ha già subito un numero elevato di attacchi. Il governo sta lottando per trovare risposte agli attacchi incessanti di gruppi islamisti, banditi e altri gruppi criminali nonostante la nomina di nuovi capi della sicurezza.

Sabato scorso quasi 40 persone sono state uccise in attacchi separati contro le comunità residenti negli stati centrali di Benue e Plateau. La polizia nello stato di Benue ha detto alla BBC che altri cadaveri sono ancora in fase di recupero.

Nigeria’s outgoing parliament has finally passed a bill that aims to prevent the sexual harassment of university students.

Once it is signed into law by newly elected President Bola Tinubu it will be illegal for lecturers to make any sexual advances towards students.

Those who do have sexual relationships with their students could face up to 14 years in jail.

The anti-sexual harassment bill was originally introduced in 2016 but did not pass both houses of parliament.

It was reintroduced by the senate in 2019 following a BBC investigation that uncovered alleged sexual misconduct by lecturers in Nigeria and Ghana.

BBC Africa Eye’s Sex for Grades documentary prompted outrage, but the bill was further delayed as the house of representatives wanted some changes – and two parliamentary committees had to come to an agreement on the final wording.

Outgoing lawmakers are trying to wrap up business before newly elected MPs are sworn in next week.

A student told BBC news she was happy about the development and hoped President Tinubu would pass it into law soon.

Earlier in the month, a group of students had issued a statement to express their displeasure that the National Assembly had failed to pass it in time for his predecessor – President Muhammadu Buhari – to assent to it before leaving office.

Nigerian lawyer Chima Williams is one of the winners of this year’s prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize.

The seven recipients of the 2022 award come from across the world and are being honoured for taking “extraordinary measures to protect our planet”.

After two oil spills in Nigeria’s southern Niger Delta region in 2004 and 2005, Mr Williams worked with two local communities to hold Royal Dutch Shell accountable for the widespread environmental damage caused by its Nigerian subsidiary.

The Goldman Environmental Foundation says he knew how difficult it would be to hold oil companies accountable in the Nigerian court system, so in 2008 he helped the victims seek justice in The Hague by partnering with Friends of the Earth Netherlands to bring a case.

The farmers and fishermen wanted payment for lost income due to contaminated land and waterways and demanded that pipeline maintenance be improved.

It has been a long court battle, but in January this year a court of appeal ruled that Royal Dutch Shell ultimately had oversight and control over its subsidiary’s operations to the point that it had a duty to prevent oil spills.

The ruling means that Goi and Oruma farmers are owed compensation for the oil spills, with amounts yet to be determined, the Goldman Environmental Foundation says.

“While the many challenges before us can feel daunting, and at times make us lose faith, these seven leaders give us a reason for hope and remind us what can be accomplished in the face of adversity,” said Jennifer Goldman Wallis, the foundation’s vice-president.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has unveiled what one of his media aides has dubbed the “world’s largest rice pyramids” – made with one million bags of rice – in the capital, Abuja.

The temporary “rice pyramids” were aimed at showcasing the government’s efforts to boost rice production, and to make Nigeria – Africa most populous state – self-sufficient in food.

It was one of the main electoral pledges that Mr Buhari made when he took office in 2015.

Mr Buhari’s media aide Bashir Ahmed tweeted that the initiative has led to a sharp reduction of Nigeria’s annual rice import bill – from $1.5bn (£1.1bn) in 2015 to $18.5m.

The bags of rice for the pyramids were collected from farmers across Nigeria, whose efforts to increase production received financial backing from the central bank in a scheme known as the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme.

“As a critical policy of the government, the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme is expected to catalyse the agricultural productive base of the nation, which is a major part of our economic plan to uplift the economy, create jobs, reduce reliance on imported food and industrial raw materials, and conserve foreign exchange,” Mr Buhari was quoted by local media as saying at the event.

While Mr Ahmed said the “world’s largest rice pyramids” had been unveiled, the central bank preferred to call them “mega rice pyramids”:

Earlier, a senior official of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Shehu Muazu, warned that immediately after the unveiling of the “pyramids”, the bags of rice would be allocated to processors, and sold at a discounted price.

“This will lead to drastic reduction in price once it starts rolling into the market,” he was quoted as saying.

Le forze di sicurezza nigeriane hanno ucciso più di 13.000 civili negli ultimi 10 anni, secondo il Centro per la democrazia e lo sviluppo, organizzazione non governativa che si occupa del progresso della democrazia e dei diritti umani in Africa. La ONG afferma che la tortura, la detenzione illegale e le esecuzioni extragiudiziali nell’ultimo decennio sono diventate “comuni” grazie all’impunità. Le autorità nigeriane fino ad ora non hanno commentato quanto è emerso dal rapporto.

I ricercatori affermano di aver esaminato il percorso democratico della Nigeria negli ultimi due decenni in diversi settori, tra cui i diritti umani, la libertà di stampa e la partecipazione dei cittadini alla governance. Il rapporto critica l’uso della “forza eccessiva” per contrastare i separatisti e le attività “terroristiche”, nonché le manifestazioni pacifiche. Nella ricerca è citata anche la gestione da parte delle autorità delle proteste #EndSARS dello scorso anno contro la brutalità della polizia. Gli eventi, secondo il rapporto, hanno creato un ambiente di paura tra i cittadini nella più grande democrazia africana.

Si sostiene che le forze di sicurezza devono ricevere una maggiore formazione sui diritti umani e i trasgressori devono essere ritenuti responsabili, ai cittadini deve essere consentito di partecipare pienamente alla governance per un corretto sviluppo della società.