Video of manatee dragged along road sparks outrage

Nigeria's environment ministry has launched an investigation after a video emerged of an endangered manatee, also known as a sea cow, being dragged along a dusty road by a group of young men.

It is not clear when the footage was filmed.

The animal has been tied in ropes and can be seen trying to get away.

Deputy environment minister Sharon Ikeazor branded the video "very distressing", and said officials were trying to rescue the creature.

Ms Ikeazor said the incident took place in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, and called for an awareness campaign "to educate our people to protect the manatee".

Manatees are large marine mammals which are mostly herbivorous.

It is illegal to hunt them in Nigeria, but they are still killed for their meat, oil, and organs which are used in traditional medicine, AFP news agency reports.

Many people in the Niger Delta are poor, despite the region's oil wealth.

Pressure group the Blue Planet Society, which campaigns to preserve ocean life, said it was shocking that a "supposedly protected West African manatee can be abused in such a public way".

There are about 10,000 manatees along the coast of West Africa, AFP reports, but their numbers are in steep decline.

BBC

Video - Nigeria's 8 year-old Sekinat Quadri shaking up boxing

In Nigeria, an eight year-old girl is punching her way to the top of Nigerian boxing scene. And with just three year's experience, the future star is hoping to someday conquer the continent and the world. CGTN's Deji Badmus brings us her motivational story.

Video - Nigeria scales up health checks and surveillance

In Nigeria, the government says it has scaled up health checks and surveillance at various ports of entry across the country. It's part of preparations for emergency response to the COVID-19 epidermic. A government task force made up of key ministers has been set up to ensure necessary measures are put in place.

Nigeria mourned on Sunday the 'untimely death' of footballer Kazeem Tiyamiyu locally known as Kaka after he was knocked down and killed by a car in an apparent hit-and-run.

The 21-year-old, who played in defence for second tier side Remo Stars, was being detained by police in a vehicle before his death on Saturday in Sagamu, Ogun State, south-west Nigeria, according to his club.

The state police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed in a statement that there is an order for the 'immediate arrest' of the officer for his "unprofessional act of leaving an arrested person alone in the vehicle".

"A full scale investigation into the case by the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department has commenced," he added.

However, Remo Stars accused the police of heavy-handedness, alleging that the footballer was 'pushed out of the car, before he was hit by the unknown car'.

Top officials said the club and late footballer's immediate family are inconsolable at what has happened and have called for a full scale investigation.

"We urge the police to conduct a proper investigation into this heartbreaking death of our player," club general secretary Michael Onikute told BBC Sport.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said in a statement it was saddened and in shock by the circumstances that led to Tiamiyu's death.

The statement said: "We are particularly sad about the reported circumstances of the player's death, as attested to by a team mate who was with him at the time, to the effect that he was arrested by officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on the claim of wearing military apparel, and was pushed down from a moving vehicle before being crushed by another vehicle.

"The loss of a promising talent who could have developed to a national and international star giving his humility, hard work, discipline and professionalism as attested to by his team mates."

The latest incident comes four years after another footballer, Izu Joseph, was hit by a stray bullet when gunmen attacked a market in his hometown of Okaki in Rivers State.

Nigeria international John Ogu indicated that he wants an end to the tragedies by tweeting: "This has to stop. That was how a player was killed some years back playing in our local league."

Police in Nigeria have always come under the spotlight and the authority was forced into an immediate re-organisation of the anti-robbery unit in December 2017, after a social media outcry over alleged police brutality.

BBC

U.S. Opposes Nigeria Plan to Hand Looted Funds to Governor

The U.S. is opposing plans by Nigeria’s government to hand about $100 million the American authorities say was stolen by deceased former dictator Sani Abacha to a top ruling party official.

The disagreement may hamper future cooperation between the two nations to recover state money moved offshore by Abacha, who Transparency International estimates may have looted as much as $5 billion during his 1993-98 rule. A commitment by Nigeria to transfer the funds to Kebbi state Governor Abubakar Bagudu appears to undermine Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s pledge to quell rampant graft in Africa’s top oil producer.

The U.S. Department of Justice says Bagudu was involved in corruption with Abacha. The DoJ also contends that the Nigerian government is hindering U.S. efforts to recover allegedly laundered money it says it’s traced to Bagudu. Buhari’s administration says a 17-year-old agreement entitles Bagudu to the funds and prevents Nigeria from assisting the U.S., according to recent filings from the District Court for the District of Columbia in Washington.

“This case illustrates how complex and contentious repatriating stolen assets to Nigeria can be,” said Matthew Page, an associate fellow at London-based Chatham House and former Nigeria expert for U.S. intelligence agencies. “Instead of welcoming U.S. efforts, Nigeria’s lawyers appear to be supporting the interests of one of the country’s most powerful families.”

Neither Bagudu nor a spokesman for Attorney General Abubakar Malami responded to requests for comment. A spokesman for Buhari said the settlement and the litigation were matters for Malami. A spokesman for the DoJ declined to comment.

Successive Nigerian governments have sought to recoup the money looted by Abacha, who died in office, and have so far repatriated more than $2 billion with the cooperation of other countries, according to U.S. court filings.

In the case involving Bagudu, the U.S. in 2013 initiated a forfeiture action against a host of assets, including four investment portfolios held in London in trust for him and his family, according to the district court filings.

Laundered Money

The DoJ said in a Feb. 3 statement that Bagudu, 58, was part of a network controlled by Abacha that “embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria.” Bagudu is the chairman of an influential body of governors representing the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Despite the forfeiture action being initiated following a Nigerian state request in 2012, Buhari’s government now says it can’t assist the U.S. because it’s bound by a settlement Bagudu reached with the administration of then-President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003, according to the court filings.

Under the terms of that accord, which was approved by a U.K. court, Bagudu returned $163 million of allegedly laundered money to the Nigerian authorities, which in exchange dropped all outstanding civil and criminal claims against him “stemming from his involvement in government corruption,” according to a Dec. 23 memorandum opinion by District Judge John D. Bates in Washington D.C.

That meant “Nigeria renounced any interest whatsoever” in Bagudu’s trust assets, including those the U.S. is attempting to recover for the West African nation, the opinion stated.

Bagudu was able to return to Nigeria after concluding the settlement and was elected as a senator in 2009. Six years later, he was voted in as Kebbi’s governor in elections that brought Buhari and his party to power.

Investment Portfolios

After Bagudu successfully sued Nigeria for violating the 2003 settlement, Buhari’s administration reached a new agreement with him in October 2018, according to the court filings. That would result in the transfer of ownership of the investment portfolios, worth 141 million euros ($155 million) to the Nigerian state, which would then pay 98.5 million euros to Bagudu and his affiliates, according to Bates’ Dec. 23 opinion. The funds are currently restrained by the U.K. at the request of the U.S.

Nigeria’s government claims the updated 2018 agreement with the Kebbi governor, which requires court approval in the U.K., will “curtail and mitigate its looming exposure” from the judgment in Bagudu’s favor.

The full texts of neither settlement was published in the court filings.

Buhari’s administration submitted the 2018 deal to the U.K. court in September to support its application to unfreeze the assets so they can be sent to Nigeria, according to the opinion. The court has yet to make a decision.


By William Clowes

Bloomberg