Monday, March 11, 2019
Video - Nigerian sex traffickers used fan-ids to exploit women and girls
According to reports Russia's World Cup was used by Nigerian sex traffickers to entrap unsuspecting women. Traffickers used fan IDs allowing visa free-entry into Russia to ferry women and girls into the country.
Friday, March 8, 2019
Women in Nigeria brace for local election upsets
Nigerian women are hoping to use Saturday's local elections to change the country's political dynamics by triggering an upset in the polls.
Women's groups have been mobilising support for female candidates seeking office, appealing to women voters to utilise their numerical strength to support their own during the governorship and state house of assembly elections.
"Women have to rise up and now that some of us are here to challenge the status quo, it should be an encouragement," Adebisi Ogunsanya, who is running for the first time, told Al Jazeera.
"I encourage them to vote for me because I understand what their problems are," Ogunsanya said on Thursday as campaigning ended.
She is seen as a dark horse in the race to become the governor of Lagos state because of her minimal political experience. She's also contesting under a new political platform, the Young Progressive Party (YPP), in the commercial capital, Lagos.
Ogunsanya will be up against 38 male and six other female candidates.
A total of 80 female candidates will be vying for state governorship positions across 29 states. They will face a total of 987 male candidates, many of whom are well-funded and grounded in political history.
However, what female candidates lack in financial muscle is compensated by their voting power as they constitute 47 percent - 39.6 million out of 84 million eligible voters registered by the electoral commission.
Breaking barriers
Women's groups such as the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) are providing support to ease the burden of female candidates as part of its commitment to growing the pool of women in the political space.
"We are providing technical support to our women seeking elective positions. We encourage our women to vote women and we also encourage the women to pay attention to the manifestos of the various candidates," NWTF spokesperson Mufilat Fijabi told Al Jazeera.
The group, established in 2011, aims to address "growing concerns about gender imbalance in elective and appointive positions", according to a statement on its website.
'All-boys club'
Some political analysts, however, are not convinced women can pull off any major upsets in Saturday's elections.
"The top of the tickets for the major parties is basically an all-boys club. There will be a couple of female deputy governors but that won't be an upset," Stanley Azuakola, founder of vote-watchdog Civic Monitor, told Al Jazeera.
"Frankly, women are yet to collectively see the lack of female voices at the table as a serious issue," says Azuakola.
February's presidential and legislative elections were marred by allegations of violence, vote-rigging, and voter suppression.
This resulted in low voter turnout across the country with voters and electoral commission officials killed and injured.
The scale of the election violence, especially in Lagos, has left Ogunsanya and other candidates worried about security for Saturday's vote.
But she's confident women will turn out despite the risks to support female candidates.
"Barring any threats and violence, I expect the women to vote for me," said Ogunsanya.
By Mercy Abang
Al Jazeera
Women's groups have been mobilising support for female candidates seeking office, appealing to women voters to utilise their numerical strength to support their own during the governorship and state house of assembly elections.
"Women have to rise up and now that some of us are here to challenge the status quo, it should be an encouragement," Adebisi Ogunsanya, who is running for the first time, told Al Jazeera.
"I encourage them to vote for me because I understand what their problems are," Ogunsanya said on Thursday as campaigning ended.
She is seen as a dark horse in the race to become the governor of Lagos state because of her minimal political experience. She's also contesting under a new political platform, the Young Progressive Party (YPP), in the commercial capital, Lagos.
Ogunsanya will be up against 38 male and six other female candidates.
A total of 80 female candidates will be vying for state governorship positions across 29 states. They will face a total of 987 male candidates, many of whom are well-funded and grounded in political history.
However, what female candidates lack in financial muscle is compensated by their voting power as they constitute 47 percent - 39.6 million out of 84 million eligible voters registered by the electoral commission.
Breaking barriers
Women's groups such as the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) are providing support to ease the burden of female candidates as part of its commitment to growing the pool of women in the political space.
"We are providing technical support to our women seeking elective positions. We encourage our women to vote women and we also encourage the women to pay attention to the manifestos of the various candidates," NWTF spokesperson Mufilat Fijabi told Al Jazeera.
The group, established in 2011, aims to address "growing concerns about gender imbalance in elective and appointive positions", according to a statement on its website.
'All-boys club'
Some political analysts, however, are not convinced women can pull off any major upsets in Saturday's elections.
"The top of the tickets for the major parties is basically an all-boys club. There will be a couple of female deputy governors but that won't be an upset," Stanley Azuakola, founder of vote-watchdog Civic Monitor, told Al Jazeera.
"Frankly, women are yet to collectively see the lack of female voices at the table as a serious issue," says Azuakola.
February's presidential and legislative elections were marred by allegations of violence, vote-rigging, and voter suppression.
This resulted in low voter turnout across the country with voters and electoral commission officials killed and injured.
The scale of the election violence, especially in Lagos, has left Ogunsanya and other candidates worried about security for Saturday's vote.
But she's confident women will turn out despite the risks to support female candidates.
"Barring any threats and violence, I expect the women to vote for me," said Ogunsanya.
By Mercy Abang
Al Jazeera
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Video - Nigeria struggles to rescue 20,000 girls from Mali sex trade
Nigeria is struggling to bring home an estimated 20,000 girls trapped in Mali. The victims of the sex trade are kept in appalling conditions. Officials say collusion between law enforcement agents and traffickers is hampering the rescue efforts.
Related stories: Video - Nigerian women trafficked to Europe for prostitution at 'crisis level'
Nigeria's international sex-trafficking ring
20,000 Nigerian girls trafficked to Mali for prostitution
Women from Nigeria forced to become sex workers during 2018 World Cup in Russia
Blessing Obuson thought Russia's soccer World Cup would be an opportunity to find a job, so the 19-year-old flew into Moscow from Nigeria last June.
She arrived in the country on a fan ID, which allowed visa-free entry to World Cup spectators with match tickets but did not permit them to work.
Despite that, Ms Obuson said she had hoped to work as a shop assistant to provide for her two-year-old daughter and younger siblings back in Nigeria.
However, she said, she was locked in a flat on the outskirts of Moscow and forced into sex work along with 11 other Nigerian women.
They were supervised by a madam, also from Nigeria.
She said the madam confiscated her passport and told her she'd only get it back once she worked off a fictional debt of $50,000.
Ms Obuson told her story to a rare English-speaking client, who then informed anti-slavery activists, who later rescued her.
According to her lawyer, and statements from prosecutors, two Nigerians were arrested and charged with human trafficking after a sting operation in which they agreed to sell Ms Obuson for two million roubles (about $43,000) to a police officer posing as a client.
'They spit in your face'
Ms Obuson's case is not isolated. Reuters met with eight Nigerian women aged between 16 and 22 who said they were brought into Russia on fan IDs and forced into sex work.
All said they had endured violence.
"They don't give you food for days, they slap you, they beat you, they spit in your face … It's like a cage," said a 21-year old woman, who declined to be named.
In September, a Nigerian woman was killed by a man who refused to pay for sex, Russian police said.
The Nigerian embassy later identified her as 22-year-old Alifat Momoh, who had come to Russia from Nigeria with a fan ID.
Russian police said 1,863 Nigerians who entered the country with fan IDs had not left by January 1, the date when the IDs expired.
Kenny Kehindo, who works with several Moscow NGOs to help sex trafficking victims, estimated that more than 2,000 Nigerian women were brought in on fan IDs.
Neither Russian police nor the Nigerian embassy in Moscow replied to requests for comment. A Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesman also did not respond to text messages and phone calls requesting comment.
"Many are still in slavery," said Mr Kehindo.
He said he had helped about 40 women return to Nigeria.
He called for more cooperation between the authorities and anti-trafficking NGOs during major sporting events — including at the 2022 Qatar World, where a fan ID system was also being considered.
Anti-slavery group Alternativa said its helpline had fielded calls from Nigerian women held in St Petersburg and other World Cup host cities.
While a prosecution has been launched in Ms Obuson's case, police have been unable to act against suspected traffickers in other cases due to a lack of evidence.
"A lot of girls are still out there," said Ms Obuson.
Reuters
Related stories: The illegal sex trafficking trail between Nigeria and Europe
Video - Nigerian women trafficked to Europe for prostitution at 'crisis level'
Nigeria's international sex-trafficking ring
She arrived in the country on a fan ID, which allowed visa-free entry to World Cup spectators with match tickets but did not permit them to work.
Despite that, Ms Obuson said she had hoped to work as a shop assistant to provide for her two-year-old daughter and younger siblings back in Nigeria.
However, she said, she was locked in a flat on the outskirts of Moscow and forced into sex work along with 11 other Nigerian women.
They were supervised by a madam, also from Nigeria.
She said the madam confiscated her passport and told her she'd only get it back once she worked off a fictional debt of $50,000.
Ms Obuson told her story to a rare English-speaking client, who then informed anti-slavery activists, who later rescued her.
According to her lawyer, and statements from prosecutors, two Nigerians were arrested and charged with human trafficking after a sting operation in which they agreed to sell Ms Obuson for two million roubles (about $43,000) to a police officer posing as a client.
'They spit in your face'
Ms Obuson's case is not isolated. Reuters met with eight Nigerian women aged between 16 and 22 who said they were brought into Russia on fan IDs and forced into sex work.
All said they had endured violence.
"They don't give you food for days, they slap you, they beat you, they spit in your face … It's like a cage," said a 21-year old woman, who declined to be named.
In September, a Nigerian woman was killed by a man who refused to pay for sex, Russian police said.
The Nigerian embassy later identified her as 22-year-old Alifat Momoh, who had come to Russia from Nigeria with a fan ID.
Russian police said 1,863 Nigerians who entered the country with fan IDs had not left by January 1, the date when the IDs expired.
Kenny Kehindo, who works with several Moscow NGOs to help sex trafficking victims, estimated that more than 2,000 Nigerian women were brought in on fan IDs.
Neither Russian police nor the Nigerian embassy in Moscow replied to requests for comment. A Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesman also did not respond to text messages and phone calls requesting comment.
"Many are still in slavery," said Mr Kehindo.
He said he had helped about 40 women return to Nigeria.
He called for more cooperation between the authorities and anti-trafficking NGOs during major sporting events — including at the 2022 Qatar World, where a fan ID system was also being considered.
Anti-slavery group Alternativa said its helpline had fielded calls from Nigerian women held in St Petersburg and other World Cup host cities.
While a prosecution has been launched in Ms Obuson's case, police have been unable to act against suspected traffickers in other cases due to a lack of evidence.
"A lot of girls are still out there," said Ms Obuson.
Reuters
Related stories: The illegal sex trafficking trail between Nigeria and Europe
Video - Nigerian women trafficked to Europe for prostitution at 'crisis level'
Nigeria's international sex-trafficking ring
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Mother of Nigeria footballer Samuel Kalu released by kidnappers
Ozuruonye Juliet Kalu was abducted on 27 February as she travelled home in the south-eastern city of Abia.
It is unclear whether a reported ransom was paid, but authorities confirmed her release around 2300 GMT on Monday.
"It is true that she was released to her family," Godfrey Ogbonna, of Abia State police, told BBC Sport.
"I can also confirm that investigations are ongoing to arrest those responsible.
"We will make a public statement as soon as more details emerge but for now, she is safe and reunited with her family at home."
Despite the kidnapping, Kalu has been included in Bordeaux's squad for their rescheduled French Ligue 1 fixture against Montpellier on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old, who was named in Nigeria's squad on Monday for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Seychelles and a friendly versus Egypt, has scored once in five appearances for the Super Eagles since his debut last year.
Kidnappings - more often of oil workers, the rich and famous - are a regular occurrence in Nigeria, but footballers and their families are increasingly being targeted.
Current Nigeria captain John Mikel Obi's father was kidnapped for the second time in seven years in June, before being released after a ransom of 10 million naira (about $27,500) was paid.
In 2008, the brother of former Everton defender Joseph Yobo was kidnapped before being released two weeks later.
Kalu joined Bordeaux from Belgian club KAA Gent in August 2018.
By Oluwashina Okeleji
BBC
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