How sextortion scammers in Nigeria targeted my son

Sextortion is the fastest-growing scam affecting teenagers globally and has been linked to more than 27 suicides in the US alone. Many of the scammers appear to be from Nigeria - where authorities are under pressure to do more.

It has been two years since Jenn Buta’s son Jordan killed himself after being targeted by scammers who lured him into sending them explicit images of himself, and then tried to blackmail him.

She still can’t bring herself to change anything about his bedroom.

The 17-year-old’s basketball jerseys, clothes, posters and bedsheets are just how he left them.

The curtains are closed, and the door is shut to keep memories of him that only a parent would understand.

“It still smells like him. That’s one of the reasons I still have the door closed. I can still smell that sweat, dirt, cologne mix in this room. I'm just not ready to part with his stuff,” she said.

Jordan was contacted by sextortion scammers on Instagram.

They pretended to be a pretty girl his age and flirted with him, sending sexual pictures to coax him into sharing explicit photos of himself.

They then blackmailed him for hundreds of pounds to stop them sharing the pictures online to his friends.

Jordan sent as much money as he could and warned the sextortionists he would kill himself if they spread the images. The criminals replied: “Good… Do that fast - or I'll make you do it.”

It was less than six hours from the time Jordan started communicating until the time he killed himself.

“There's actually a script online,” Jenn told BBC News, from her home in Michigan, in the north of the US. "And these people are just going through the script and putting that pressure on.

"And they're doing it quick, because then they can move on to the next person, because it's about volume.”

The criminals were tracked to Nigeria, arrested, and then extradited to the US.

Two brothers from Lagos - Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20 - are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to child sexploitation charges. Another Nigerian man linked to Jordan’s death and other cases is fighting extradition.

Jordan’s tragic story has become a touch point in the fight against the growing problem of sextortion.

Jenn is a now high-profile campaigner on TikTok – using the account Jordan set up for her – to raise awareness about the dangers of sextortion to young people. Her videos have been liked more than a million times.

It’s feared that sextortion is under-reported due to its sensitive nature. But US crime figures show cases more than doubled last year, rising to 26,700, with at least 27 boys having killed themselves in the past two years.

Researchers and law enforcement agencies point to West Africa, and particularly Nigeria, as a hotspot for where attackers are based.

In April, two Nigerian men were arrested after a schoolboy from Australia killed himself. Two other men are on trial in Lagos, after the suicides of a 15-year-old boy in the US and a 14-year-old in Canada.

In January, US cyber-company Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) highlighted a web of Nigerian TikTok, YouTube and Scribd accounts sharing tips and scripts for sextortion. Many of the discussions and videos are in Nigerian Pidgin dialect.

It’s not the first time that Nigeria’s young tech-savvy population has embraced a new wave of cyber-crime.

The term Yahoo Boys is used to describe a portion of the population that use cyber-crime to earn a living. It comes from the early 2000s wave of Nigerian Prince scam emails which spread through the Yahoo email service.

Dr Tombari Sibe, from Digital Footprints Nigeria, says cyber-fraud such as sextortion has become normalised to young people in the country: “There's also the big problem of unemployment and of poverty.

"All these young ones who don't really have much - it's become almost like a mainstream activity where they don't really think too much about the consequences. They just see their colleagues making money.”

African human rights charity Devatop has said the current methods of handling sextortion in Nigeria have failed to effectively curb the practice. And a report from NCRI said that celebrating sextortion crimes are an established part of the internet subculture in the country.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC, the director of Nigeria’s National Cyber Crime Centre (NCCC) defended his police force’s actions, and insisted it was working hard to catch criminals and deter others from carrying out attacks.

Uche Ifeanyi Henry said his officers were “hitting criminals hard” and said it is “laughable” that anyone should accuse Nigeria of not taking sextortion crime seriously.

“We are giving criminals a very serious hit. A lot have been prosecuted and a lot have been arrested,” he said. "Many of these criminals are moving to neighbouring countries now because of our activity.”

The NCCC director pointed to the fact that the government has spent millions of pounds on a state-of-the-art cyber-crime centre, to show it was taking cyber-crime seriously, especially sextortion.

He said Nigerian teenagers are also being targeted, and he argued that the criminals were not just a Nigerian problem, with other sextortionists in south-east Asia. Tackling them would require global support, he said.

With that in mind, the director and his technical team are this week visiting the UK’s National Crime Agency, which last month issued a warning to children and schools about a rise in sextortion cases.

The visit is designed to improve collaboration on sextortion and other cyber-crime investigations. It follows similar recent meetings with Japanese police.

Meanwhile, Jenn Buta continues to campaign alongside Jordan’s father John DeMay. They regularly give advice to young people who may become victims.

Advice that Jenn and many law enforcement agencies regularly give people targeted by sextortionists includes:

. Remember you are not alone and this is not your fault

. Report the predator’s account, via the platform’s safety feature

. Block the predator from contacting you

. Save the profile or messages - they can help law enforcement identify and stop the predator

. Ask for help from a trusted adult or law enforcement before sending money or more images

. Co-operating with the predator rarely stops the blackmail and harassment - but law enforcement can

By Joe Tidy, BBC

Related story: Two arrested in Nigeria for sextortion after Australian boy's suicide

Drowning of Nollywood start forces industry to look at safety

The last video that Nigerian actor Junior Pope made for his more than two million Instagram followers eerily foreshadowed his death.

“You see the risks, people, we take to entertain you,” the 42-year-old shouts above the noise of a small motor boat as it speeds along the River Niger.

He laughs - it is not clear if it is out of joy or nervousness - and tells the driver to slow down.

“I am begging the captain, that I’m the only child and I have three boys,” the actor - whose real name was John Paul Odonwodo - booms as he notices with alarm some water coming into the boat.

The next day the Nollywood star was dead. He drowned in the same river, after a boat he was travelling in collided with a fishing canoe.

Four others, including film crew members, were also killed.

The death in April of one of the biggest names in Nigeria’s renowned movie business - he had more than 100 films under his belt - sent the industry into shock.

Actors have since been speaking out about Nollywood’s poor safety record and calling for change.

Nollywood is the third largest film industry in the world - after Hollywood and India’s Bollywood.

It produces more than 2,500 films a year: some are by large, established production houses, but there are dozens of smaller companies riding on the coat-tails of one the country’s huge success stories.

After the fatal accident, the Actors Guild of Nigeria immediately responded, saying that all filming in and around rivers would be suspended indefinitely.

It then called for safety standards to be implemented and observed.

A preliminary report into the capsizing from the Nigerian Safety Investigations Bureau released last month found multiple failings:

. the driver was not certified to operate the boat
. the boat was not registered
. only one person was wearing a life jacket
. that passenger, one of eight survivors, had brought the life jacket on board themselves.

In a now-deleted Instagram video posted soon after the incident, the film’s producer, Adanma Luke, said she had been told there were life jackets and Junior Pope was offered one but did not take it.

“I have been so traumatised. I have been so cold. This whole thing still feels like a dream to me. I wish I could still wake up from this dream,” she said in the video.

She later wrote: “My heart is shattered in pieces as I write this… I find myself praying, how can we turn back the hands of time?”

Ruth Kadiri, a top actor, producer and screenwriter who knew Junior Pope well, says he tended to be happy and "extremely hyper".

“He always brought in the positive energy… and I think he was really loved by all,” she told the BBC’s What in the World podcast about her friend.

She went on to say that incidents like the one that killed Junior Pope are far too common in Nollywood.

Kadiri remembers an incident when she almost drowned during filming - making her think about the fear the actor “must have felt at the last minute of his life”.

“I had to shoot a movie so we couldn’t use life jackets," she says.

“I asked the team if everything was OK and they said the canoe was fine. So I got on the boat, they started to paddle, and the canoe just tumbled into the river."

She was saved by a colleague who grabbed her in the water.

The star, who has more than six million Instagram followers, is now calling for change.

However, she says she understands the temptation for actors who want to get on to do something that is potentially unsafe.

“We all do crazy things for the love of this job. We do things we normally would not do.

“As you grow, you learn to put your needs first. Not because you don’t like the production, but because if something goes wrong, that’s the end of it.”

Kadiri says that safety is an industry-wide issue but whereas the bigger, well-funded productions can take measures, many smaller operations are unable to afford the extra costs.

In order to improve things, she suggests that a safety regulatory body should be established that can have people on film sets.

“The director is thinking about creating the content, the actor is thinking about getting in character, so let us create an extra body. It might save a lot of stress.”

Actor Chidi Dike says Junior Pope’s death was “an awakening to all”.

He agrees that “safety hasn’t been taken very seriously”, but notes that there have been some improvements.

He has noticed that directors and producers are now trying to make sure filming does not go late into the night, which in the past has meant dangerous night-time journeys home.

“Everything is risky... driving very fast. There was one time I was coming home really late and I almost got into an accident," he told the BBC.

"But it is better now."

It is an unexpected legacy for the effervescent actor with a huge catalogue of films, but Junior Pope’s final video may well turn Nollywood into a safer place to work.

By Hannah Gelbart, BBC

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Tribunal orders Multichoice to give one-month free subscription to subscribers in Nigeria, pay N150m fine

The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) on Friday slammed N150 million fine against Multichoice Nig. Ltd. for disobeying its order on subscription rates hike for DStv and Gotv packages.

The tribunal, sitting in Abuja, also ordered the pay television operator to give one-month free subscription to all its Nigerian subscribers on the DStv and Gotv platforms, for flouting its order.

The three-member tribunal chaired by Thomas Okosun, in a ruling, found Multichoice culpable of contempt by flouting its earlier order restraining the pay television operator from implementing hike in its subscription rates for DStv and GOtv.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CCPT had, on 29 April, restrained MultiChoice from increasing its tariffs and cost of products and services scheduled to begin on 1 May.

Mr Onifade, a lawyer and subscriber, had approached the tribunal contending that the eight-day notice given by Multichoice for a price hike was insufficient.

Respondents in the case were MultiChoice and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).

He urged the tribunal to restrain Multichoice from implementing the tariff hike from 1 May as planned, pending the hearing determination of the petition.

The tribunal granted the ex-parte motion of the applicant and stopped Multichoice from going ahead with the price increase in the interim.

However, in defiance of the tribunal’s order, MultiChoice hiked its subscription rates for DStv and Gotv packages on the scheduled date 1 May.

Following the price hike, Mr Onifade, on 7 May commenced contempt proceedings against Mohammed Sani, Manager of Abuja office of MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd, over alleged disobedience to the order made by the CCPT.

The Notice of Consequence of Disobedience to Order of Court (Form 48) marked: CCPT/OP/02/2024 filed on 7 May by Mr Onifade warned Mr Sani against disregarding the tribunal order.

MultiChoice, through its lawyer, Moyosore Onigbanjo, a Senior Advocate Nigeria, filed a preliminary objection praying the tribunal to decline jurisdiction in the suit.

Mr Onigbanjo argued that such a price dispute case had been decided before in favour of his client.

Mr Onifade, in his response, urged the tribunal to discountenance the company’s objection and direct it to pay the sum of N10 billion or any amount the panel might deem fit in the circumstance for deliberately disobeying and failure to comply with the interim order.

The lawyer argued that the issue he brought did not border on price regulation or increase.

He explained that what he placed before the court was whether the company gave adequate notice in respect of the 1 May subscription price increase.

“It is our submission that the eight-day notice issued by Multichoice Nigeria Ltd is insufficient in law.

“A monthly subscriber should be given at least a month,” he said, praying the tribunal to dismiss the preliminary objection for being a waste of time of the court.

Delivering the ruling, the Thomas Okosun-led tribunal agreed with Mr Onifade’s submission, prompting the panel to affirm its jurisdiction and rule against the company.

The tribunal subsequently fixed July 3 for hearing of the substantive suit of the claimant.

Premium Times

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US lawmakers say Nigeria is detaining American to extort Binance

US lawmakers have accused Nigeria of wrongfully detaining an American staff member of cryptocurrency exchange Binance in an attempt to extort money. They urged President Joe Biden and the State Department to quickly intervene in the case.

Tigran Gambaryan, 40, and a company colleague were arrested by Nigerian security authorities in February while on an official visit to the country.

Gambaryan is facing charges of tax evasion, money laundering and engaging in unlicensed financial activities, in a trial that began in May.

“Mr. Gambaryan’s health and well-being are in danger, and we fear for his life,” read a letter dated June 4 and signed by 16 members of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“It is crucial to emphasize that the charges against Mr. Gambaryan are baseless and constitute a coercion tactic by the Nigerian government to extort his employer, Binance,” stated the letter, which also said he had been subjected to harsh treatment and called for swift action to save his life.

Nigeria’s government, responding to the accusations, said it is following due process. “Prosecutors are confident of their case, based on the facts and evidence gathered. Binance will have every opportunity to defend itself in court against these severe charges of financial crimes,” Information Minister Mohammed Idris said on Wednesday.

Gambaryan’s representatives and Binance have demanded his release, stating that he has no decision-making power in the company. They say he should not be held to answer to any alleged company offenses.

Nigerian authorities this year renewed their crackdown on crypto, arguing that trades on platforms like Binance helped weaken the local naira currency even as it evades paying taxes on earnings from its activities. Idris, the information minister, claimed Binance had “a turnover in Nigeria of over $20 billion” in 2023.

The central bank lifted a ban on banks enabling crypto transactions last December but restrictions remain in effect as no institutions have been licensed to carry out crypto transactions in the country. Internet service providers have maintained restrictions imposed in February on user access to the apps and websites of crypto companies, including that of Binance.

The US lawmakers’ claim of extortion mirrors those Binance made in May. Richard Teng, the company’s CEO, said executives were asked by an agent of a Nigerian legislative committee to make “a significant payment in cryptocurrency” to settle allegations of tax violations after a meeting in January this year. Binance declined to make the payment, Teng said.

Gambaryan’s trial will continue in a court in Nigeria’s capital Abuja this month. He has been remanded in the city’s Kuje prison, a maximum security facility that has previously been used to detain alleged extremists affiliated with the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

THE VIEW FROM WASHINGTON

Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao, Binance’s billionaire founder and former chief executive, began serving a four-month sentence in a prison in California this month and will be due for release in September, according to the US Bureau of Prisons website.

The 47-year-old Canadian pleaded guilty to violating US money laundering laws and was sentenced in April. The company also pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and agreed to pay a $4 billion fine by the Justice Department.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen denounced Binance for “willful failures [that] allowed money to flow to terrorists, cybercriminals, and child abusers through its platform.”

A group of former prosecutors and federal agents in the US also wrote to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, urging him to “step up” efforts to secure Gambaryan’s release, Axios reports.

By Alexander Onukwue, SEMAFOR

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Seven rescued as 50 feared trapped in collapsed Niger mining pit

The federal government has rescued seven persons at a collapsed mining site in Galadima Kogo, in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said this in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that first responders had already been deployed to the scene of the incident, adding that the rescue mission was in collaboration with the mining company.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 30 people were said to be trapped in the pit at a mining site operated by African Minerals and Logistics Ltd.

However, other sources said at least 50 workers are trapped underground at the pit.

Among those trapped is the site manager of the mining company, Ibrahim Ishaku.

It was gathered that a middle-aged man, whose name was given as Kuta and who is the chief security officer of the mining company, died while trying to rescue some of the victims.

It was further gathered that while manual rescue operation was ongoing, another portion of the mining pit caved in, forcing the rescuers to abandon the rescue operation and run for their lives.

Abdullahi Arah, the director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), said the collapse was caused by a downpour which softened the soil.

The minister said the swift rescue action was a demonstration of the commitment of the government to mitigate the adverse impact of the incident and rescue those still trapped in the rubble.

“Upon learning of the incident, we mobilised our Federal Mines Officer (FMO) and officials of the Mines Inspectorate to the site.

“In collaboration with the mining company, we have rescued seven victims, some with injuries. Rescue operations with excavators are ongoing to ensure we avert loss of lives,” he said.

According to the statement, the minister recently announced a policy on the mandatory arrangements of remedial measures for mining pits as part of the criteria for applying for mining licences.

The move was aimed at minimising incidents such as the collapse of the mining site in Niger.

It said the minister was actively monitoring the situation at the mining site

He assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s resolve to investigate the remote causes of the disaster to prevent a recurrence.

In an earlier statement in Minna on Tuesday, the public relations officer of the state emergency management agency, Hussaini Ibrahim, said, “due to the unacceptable nature of that environment as a result of banditry, the information of the incident is very scanty, including rescue operations”.

Mr Ibrahim, however, disclosed that excavators had been deployed to the scene for the rescue operations.

He also said bandits attacked two areas in the state on Sunday night.

He said the bandits kidnapped six persons in Adogo Mallam village in Mashegun Local Government Area and at least 20 people in Tunga Kawo village in Erena ward of Shiroro Local Government Area, where he said hundreds of cows were also rustled.

By Maimuna Raji Egigogo, Premium Times

Chinese-built metro rail offers exciting, comfortable ride in Abuja, Nigeria

Feeling the gentle hum of the train beneath him, James Anowai, a content creator and YouTuber, was buzzing with excitement as he settled into his seat on the revitalized Abuja Rail Mass Transit (ARMT) in the Nigerian capital, recently.

For Anowai, whose enthusiasm was palpable, this ride was not only his first-ever train experience or journey from one station to another but also an opportunity to share something new and exciting with his followers about the Abuja light rail built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, a Chinese multinational construction giant.

"Everybody is relaxed. It is very smooth, clean, and, actually, a nice experience. It is something I want to do again, over and over again," he told Xinhua in an interview, capturing the moment on his camera phone clipped to a tripod.

Since its relaunch for commercial operation about a week ago, talks about the ARMT have been making the rounds, with local media abuzz with the prospect of the light rail system in the fast-developing Nigerian capital city.

With the sleek, air-conditioned new trains and well-secured stations symbolizing a step forward in urban commuting and providing a much-needed reprieve from the city's traffic congestion, the now invigorated service aims to serve as a beacon of hope amid the economic challenges faced by many in Nigeria's capital.

During the recent flag-off for commercial operation on May 29, President Bola Tinubu announced that rides on the new metro system would be free until the end of the year -- a move expected to encourage residents to embrace this new mode of transport and ease their economic burdens.

Tinubu, who took a ride on the train together with other top officials, described the operations on the Abuja metro line as "a symbolic milestone of enduring progress as a country and in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)," noting it came about as "a fruit of collaboration, dedication, progress, and foresightedness."

"The Abuja Metro was inherited by my administration, from my predecessor. It was first commissioned in 2018 for public use," he said, adding his administration prioritized its revitalization as part of a desire to have a functional and flourishing FCT with efficient public infrastructure and transportation systems that will serve the people who live and work within the city and the surrounding communities.

The completed 45-km Lot A1 and Lot 3 of the light rail, with a total length of 290 km offering intra-city shuttle service and connecting Abuja's satellite towns to metropolitan transport, are part of the Abuja rail mass transit project designed to have an interface with the national line at two points, where there would be interchanges to join the rail line linking the northern part of Nigeria.

It covers 12 stations, 21 operational offices, 13 bridges, 50 culverts, and nine pedestrian overpasses. The construction of the light rail and its use is expected to open up new towns and boost economic activities along the corridor of Gwagwa, Kalgoni, Dei-Dei, Kubwa, Kukwaba, Dasonga, Asa, among 12 satellite towns in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.

For many passengers, the free ride period has been a much-appreciated relief. Miriam Akpan, a civil servant, expressed her satisfaction with the light rail service, saying: "It is a fantastic initiative."

"The train is comfortable, and the stations are well-maintained. Now, I can save a lot on transport costs going from my house to the office, and with the satisfaction that this is faster than being stuck in traffic at resumption and closing time," she said.

Naomi Oboi, a communications specialist, said she had "a very impressive" experience while using the train from the iconic Abuja Metro Station to the Airport Station, which covers a distance of 28 km, to complete an official assignment. Having used the light rail in Lagos, the country's economic hub, and metro trains in other parts of the world, she said her experience, from the zero-delay boarding to "every single thing" she saw during the travel time on ARMT was without much difference from her previous experiences.

"This is something that, especially with the increase in fuel prices in recent times, would really go a long way to help the average Nigerian, just like me, to make the transportation system very easy and better for us," Oboi said. "This is quality. This is very good, solid. I would say that I did not expect the train in Nigeria to be this solid, to be honest."

"Abuja could benefit from expansion plans," Mustapha Bello, a student at the University of Abuja, told Xinhua, noting that "as the city's residents adapt to this new system, the hope is that it will not only alleviate daily commuting woes but also contribute to the overall economic and social well-being of the Nigerian capital."

Reflecting on his "very unforgettable journey," Anowai expressed his hopes for the future of the rail service, wishing to have the light rail fully extended to Kuje, a low-income suburb of Abuja, where he lives, and works in the city center.

"It is just a smooth ride. I do not need to use public transport or drive my vehicle to this location. It has been a nice journey. This is more than an easy life," he added while adjusting his camera phone and tripod for his next content piece around the metro.

Chinese-made electric multiple unit (EMU) trains are seen at a depot in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 28, 2024. Since its relaunch for commercial operation about a week ago, talks about the Abuja Rail Mass Transit (ARMT) have been making the rounds, with local media abuzz with the prospect of the light rail system in the fast-developing Nigerian capital city. (Xinhua/Yang Zhe)

Chinese-made electric multiple unit (EMU) trains run on the metro rail track in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 23, 2024. Since its relaunch for commercial operation about a week ago, talks about the Abuja Rail Mass Transit (ARMT) have been making the rounds, with local media abuzz with the prospect of the light rail system in the fast-developing Nigerian capital city.

Staff members of the Abuja metro rail operation pose for a group photo in a carriage in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 29, 2024. Since its relaunch for commercial operation about a week ago, talks about the Abuja Rail Mass Transit (ARMT) have been making the rounds, with local media abuzz with the prospect of the light rail system in the fast-developing Nigerian capital city.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu (2nd R, Front) prepares to ride the Abuja metro in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 29, 2024. Since its relaunch for commercial operation about a week ago, talks about the Abuja Rail Mass Transit (ARMT) have been making the rounds, with local media abuzz with the prospect of the light rail system in the fast-developing Nigerian capital city.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu (C) speaks at the commercial operation ceremony of the Abuja metro rail in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 29, 2024. Since its relaunch for commercial operation about a week ago, talks about the Abuja Rail Mass Transit (ARMT) have been making the rounds, with local media abuzz with the prospect of the light rail system in the fast-developing Nigerian capital city.

Chinese-made electric multiple unit (EMU) trains are seen at a depot in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 28, 2024. Since its relaunch for commercial operation about a week ago, talks about the Abuja Rail Mass Transit (ARMT) have been making the rounds, with local media abuzz with the prospect of the light rail system in the fast-developing Nigerian capital city. 

By Olatunji Saliu, Xinhua 

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UAE to lift visa ban on Nigeria says minister

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced that the UAE plans to lift a travel ban on Nigerian citizens imposed in 2022. According to Punch, Keyamo made the announcement during a welcome dinner for delegates at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 80th Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit in Dubai.

Keyamo stated: “The issue of visa has been resolved, just the announcement remains. They want to dot the I’s and cross the T’s. The announcement will be made in a couple of weeks.”

The travel ban was imposed by the UAE due to diplomatic disputes, including issues with visa denials and a face-off with Emirates Airlines, which had suspended flights to the West African country.

President Bola Tinubu had intervened last year to resolve these disputes, and his office claimed to have “secured a landmark deal” with the UAE to lift the ban with immediate effect. However this was later denied by an Emirati official.

Keyamo highlighted the importance of the UAE as a partner to Nigeria, noting the significant investments Nigerians have in the Gulf state.

“Nigerians have a lot of stakes here in the UAE with a lot of investments. What we are doing is to make it easy for millions of Nigerians who have put a lot of pressure on us to ensure that we open up this route again,” he said.

“I was on the same ride with the ruler of Dubai, the minister and the head of Emirates Group and all the top shots of Emirates. That is to tell you how much they value us, and they want Nigeria to see it in that light. They have started to trust us again, and I want to say thank you to them. I will take it from here on,” the minister added.

The official announcement, once made, is expected to rekindle bilateral relations and increase trade and flight connectivity between the two countries. Last month, Emirates Airlines announced that it will resume flights to Nigeria starting 1 October.

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Police uncover gang targeting, killing Uber drivers in Nigeria

The Police Command in Rivers has arrested some members of a criminal gang suspected to be murdering car-hire drivers and stealing their vehicles.

Grace Iringe-Koko, the command’s spokesperson, in a statement in Port Harcourt on Monday, linked the group to multiple cases of drivers that got missing.

She revealed that the arrest of one gang member, Anthony Chima, exposed the sinister activities of the gang in the state.

She stated: “The discovery of this criminal enterprise targeting Uber drivers in the state followed the disappearance of one Oghenevwarhe Barry Akpobome, an Uber driver.

“Upon investigating the disappearance, police operatives arrested one Anthony Chima, a 35-year-old graduate of Political Science from the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt.

“Under interrogation, Chima confessed to being recruited into a gang that specialised in luring taxi drivers into ambushes and stealing their vehicles,” she stated.

Ms Iringe-Koko said that Mr Chima’s testimony showed the gang’s further gruesome actions of killing the drivers and harvesting their body parts for ritualistic purposes.

“The suspect said that he was introduced into the gang by his friend, Amfoh Abu, the group’s arms dealer, and another individual simply identified as ‘Reason.’

“Investigation further revealed that ‘General Effizy,’ the gang’s leader, is a prominent figure in the Greenland cult and a seasoned kidnapper in the state,” she added.

The police spokesperson said that Mr Chima confessed that he randomly obtained the Uber drivers’ phone numbers and pretended to be a passenger in need of a ride.

She said that on 10 January, Mr Chima contacted Mr Akpobome and directed the driver to pick him up at Reason’s residence.

“Disguised as a passenger, Chima lured the unsuspecting Uber driver to a remote area in Aminigboko, where he met Reason and General Effizy along with four-armed gang members.

“The driver was forcefully removed from the vehicle and taken to Effizy’s shrine, where he was tied up, gagged and gruesomely murdered.

“Chima later led the police to the shrine and Effizy’s residence, where personnel recovered the victim’s skull and a locally fabricated Baretta pistol,” she said.

Ms Iringe-Koko said that a manhunt had been launched to capture the fleeing gang members, stating that Chima would face legal action.

She said that the Commissioner of Police in Rivers, Tunji Disu, has advised Uber drivers to be cautious while picking up or transporting passengers, particularly to remote or potentially dangerous areas.

“The Akpobome incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk in the shadows, and the importance of vigilance and cooperation with the law enforcement agencies,” the police image maker said.

Premium Times

Ademola Lookman in travel chaos ahead of Nigeria's World Cup qualifier vs. South Africa due to Strike

Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman is one of eight players unable to join Nigeria's training camp in preparation for the first of two FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures this month.

Lookman, who recently scored a hat-trick as Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the UEFA Europe League final; goalkeeper Maduka Okoye; and outfield players Semi Ajayi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Calvin Bassey, Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi and Paul Onuachu have all arrived in Nigeria but are unable to reach the team camp in Uyo "because of the ongoing Nigeria Labour Congress strike that has stalled domestic flights", Super Eagles media officer Promise Efoghe said.

Nigeria's organised labour called a nationwide strike after failed negotiations with the government to raise the federal monthly minimum wage from N30 000 ($US20) to more than N400 000 ($US269).

The absence of the players is a major headache for head coach Finidi George as he prepares the team for the fixture against South Africa, with African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen and Bayer Leverkusen's Nathan Tella having already withdrawn from the squad.

Osimhen is out for four weeks with an injury, and has been replaced by Enugu Rangers left-back Kenneth Igbokwe.

Tella is reported to have excused himself due to family reasons. He has been replaced in the squad by Caykur Rizespor's Ibrahim Olawoyin.

The remainder of the squad -- 15 players -- trained for the first time on Monday morning at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

Colin Udoh, ESPN

Related story: Power grid in Nigeria shut down, airlines disrupted as unions strike

Power grid in Nigeria shut down, airlines disrupted as unions strike

Nigeria’s main labour unions have shut down the national electrical grid and disrupted flights across the country as they began an indefinite strike over the government’s failure to agree a new minimum wage.

The strike is the fourth embarked upon by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), two of the country’s biggest union federations, since President Bola Tinubu took office last year.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) said on Monday that union members drove operators away at power control rooms and shut down at least six substations, eventually shutting down the national grid at 2:19am (01:19 GMT).

Nigerian airline Ibom Air said it was suspending flights until further notice due to the strike while another, United Nigeria, said airports across the country had been shut down and striking workers had permitted none of its flights to operate.

Electricity and aviation unions said in a statement they had directed members to withdraw their services in compliance with the indefinite strike.

“We demand a living wage,” the NLC said on X. It and the TUC represent hundreds of thousands of government workers across key sectors.

The unions want the current minimum monthly wage of 30,000 naira ($20) to be increased to nearly 500,000 naira ($336). The government has offered 60,000 naira ($40).

The unions’ demand would increase the government wage bill by 9.5 trillion naira ($6.3bn), which is capable of “destabilising the economy”, Information Minister Mohammed Idris said.

Since taking office, Tinubu has embarked on reforms that have fuelled inflation, sending it to an almost 30-year high, and worsened a cost-of-living crisis in Africa’s most populous nation.

He has been under pressure from unions to offer relief to households and small businesses after scrapping subsidies on petrol, which previously kept fuel cheap but cost the government $10bn a year.

Unions declared an indefinite strike on Friday after talks over a new minimum wage collapsed. They said the strike would last until a new minimum wage is in place.

The TCN said it was making an effort to recover and stabilise the national grid, but unions were obstructing grid recovery nationwide.

Unions have also demanded a reversal of an electricity tariff hike that went into effect last month for better-off consumers who use the most power as the government tries to wean the economy off subsidies.

Al Jazeera

Related story: Nigeria strike: ‘My monthly pay won't buy a bag of rice’

Video - Motorists in Nigeria still face shortages a year after subsidy removal

Despite being one of Africa's top crude producers, Nigeria relies on fuel imports to meet its energy needs. According to energy experts, the country needs to boost local crude refining capacity to increase fuel supply.

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Video - Investors eye a slice of "Nollywood"

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Idris Elba to direct short film ‘Dust to Dreams,’ in collaboration with Nigeria's EbonyLife Films

 

 

 

Nigeria strike: ‘My monthly pay won't buy a bag of rice’

As an indefinite general strike begins in Nigeria, one worker tells the BBC that it’s impossible to survive on what the government is proposing as a minimum wage as it is not enough to buy a bag of rice.

Security guard Mallam Magaji Garba says he needs 50kg of rice, which costs 75,000 naira ($56; £44), to feed his family each month, before taking other expenses into account.

The minimum wage is currently 30,000 naira, which the government is offering to double.

Nigeria's unions under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress are demanding it be raised to 494,000 naira, which they say reflects the current economic realities.


Nigerian information minister says accepting the union demands would cripple the economy and lead to job losses because business would not be able to pay their workers and so have to close.

The walkout has caused disruption at the country’s busiest airport, Murtala Muhammed International in Lagos, with passengers saying they have been left stranded outside the domestic terminal.

Workers in health, banking, aviation and other major sectors are expected to stay away from work, a move that will cripple the West African country's economy.

Mr Magaji, who works for the education ministry in the northern city of Kano, says he and his family of 14 are struggling to survive.

“I am calling on the government to consider us and increase the minimum wage so that we can live and eat decently.

“It’s not fair that we have top government officials earning millions monthly and the smallest workers earn so little and finding it difficult to feed.”

The 59-year-old said he sometimes has to walk to work as he cannot afford to pay for transport.

Nigerians have been hit by a double whammy of the removal of a fuel subsidy and a collapse in the value of the naira since President Bola Tinubu took office a year ago.

Mr Tinubu says the measures are necessary to reform the economy so it works better in the long term but in the short term, inflation has risen to nearly 34%.

The government has ended the policy of pegging the value of the naira to the US dollar, allowing it to dramatically depreciate. Whereas 10,000 naira would have bought $22 last May, it will now only purchase $6.80.

Mansur Abubakar, BBC 

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Poll rates Tinubu’s performance as abysmal in first year as President

In his inaugural address one year ago, President Bola Tinubu championed unity and promised to remodel the economy to bring about growth and development through job creation, food security and ending extreme poverty.

As Mr Tinubu begins his second year as president, most Nigerians score him very low on the economy, according to results from a new national Africa Polling Institute (API) poll.

At least 84 per cent of respondents expressed sadness with the current state of affairs in the country under Mr Tinubu while 81 per cent said that the president is driving the country in the wrong direction.

One such Nigerian dissatisfied with Mr Tinubu’s performance is Abubakar Ibrahim, a development worker in the Nigerian capital and former supporter of the president.

Mr Ibrahim told PREMIUM TIMES that he was no longer happy to have voted for Mr Tinubu and remains sceptical of how much he can achieve. Mr Ibrahim, 31, sees Mr Tinubu’s first year as one of “ups and downs.”

“The biggest problem that continues to face us is inflation and in turn the cost of living crisis. Unfortunately, these are problems induced by the president’s policies,” Mr Ibrahim said.

The latest API national survey brings to light a stark reality, said Bell Ihua, the API’s executive director. “Hunger, poverty, and dissatisfaction are the harsh realities of President Bola Tinubu’s one year in office.”

In terms of the biggest challenges facing the country under Tinubu’s stewardship, 36 per cent of respondents said hunger, 28 per cent identified with inability to meet basic needs and 13 per cent said unemployment. This is followed by heightened insecurity (9 per cent) and poor electricity supply (5 per cent).

Similarly, about 74 per cent of respondents affirmed that their economic situation has deteriorated over the last year, compared to 20 per cent who said their economic situation had remained the same and a meagre 5 per cent who said it had improved.

“The impact of the cost of living crisis we are in is weighing heavily on me,” Muhammad Sani, a resident of Kano State, told PREMIUM TIMES. “The prices of goods have more than doubled under this administration. There are basic things we can’t afford now as a family and that has impacted our living standard negatively.”

“The biggest problem that continues to face us is inflation and in turn the cost of living crisis. Unfortunately, these are problems induced by the president’s policies,” Mr Ibrahim said.

The latest API national survey brings to light a stark reality, said Bell Ihua, the API’s executive director. “Hunger, poverty, and dissatisfaction are the harsh realities of President Bola Tinubu’s one year in office.”

In terms of the biggest challenges facing the country under Tinubu’s stewardship, 36 per cent of respondents said hunger, 28 per cent identified with inability to meet basic needs and 13 per cent said unemployment. This is followed by heightened insecurity (9 per cent) and poor electricity supply (5 per cent).

Similarly, about 74 per cent of respondents affirmed that their economic situation has deteriorated over the last year, compared to 20 per cent who said their economic situation had remained the same and a meagre 5 per cent who said it had improved.

“The impact of the cost of living crisis we are in is weighing heavily on me,” Muhammad Sani, a resident of Kano State, told PREMIUM TIMES. “The prices of goods have more than doubled under this administration. There are basic things we can’t afford now as a family and that has impacted our living standard negatively.”

By Kabir Yusuf, Premium Times

Rushed reversion to old national anthem of Nigeria met with incredulity

Nigeria has reverted to a national anthem it dropped nearly 50 years ago after lawmakers replaced the current one, prompting widespread criticism over the lack of public consultation on the change.

The country’s president, Bola Tinubu, confirmed the law on Wednesday, a day after it was approved by both chambers of Nigeria’s national assembly, which is dominated by the governing party. The federal lawmakers introduced and passed the bill in less than a week – an unusually fast process for important bills that usually take weeks or months to be considered.

Nigeria’s economy has plunged during Tinubu’s first year in office, with inflation reaching a 28-year high of 33.2%, and the change of anthem was dismissed by some as a cynical distraction from an escalating economic crisis.

The reintroduced anthem was played publicly for the first time at a legislative session attended by Tinubu. Titled Nigeria, We Hail Thee, it was introduced in 1960 when Nigeria gained independence from Britain. It was written by Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate.

It was replaced in 1978 by Arise, O Compatriots under the military government of Olusegun Obasanjo. That anthem was composed at a time when the country was reeling from a deadly civil war and calls on Nigerians to “serve our fatherland with love and strength” and not to let “the labour of our heroes past [be] in vain”.

The change was met with incredulity by some Nigerians as the country reels from the economic crisis and deteriorating security.

“It is a waste of time,” said Cheta Nwanze, lead partner at SBM Intelligence. “What is more important are inflation and security problems: that is what the government should squarely be looking at.”

Oby Ezekwesili, a former education minister and presidential candidate, said the law showed that the country’s political class did not care about the public interest.

“In a 21st century Nigeria, the country’s political class found a colonial national anthem that has pejorative words like ‘native land’ and ‘tribes’ to be admirable enough to foist on our citizens without their consent,” Ezekwesili posted on X.

Supporters of the new anthem argued it was wrong for the country to use an anthem introduced by the military.

“Anthems are ideological recitations that help the people to be more focused. It was a very sad development for the military to have changed the anthem,” said the public affairs analyst Frank Tietie.

The Guardian

‘Nigerian scammer’ takes credit for bizarre Graceland auction scare

A self-described scammer based in Nigeria has taken credit for a bizarre, failed attempt to auction off Elvis’ iconic Graceland property.

Earlier this month, a mysterious company with little paper trail, Naussany Investments and Private Lending, contacted Promenade Trust, which controls the Memphis estate, claiming it owed millions for failing to repay a loan.

Riley Keough, Elvis’ granddaughter who inherited Graceland after her mother Lisa Marie Presley died last year, sued Naussany alleging its documents were falsified. She also asked a judge to block the Graceland auction. The judge granted her request, putting a pause on the sale, one day before it was set to be finalized.


On Tuesday, the apparent perpertrator of the scheme was revealed when The New York Times reported that an individual based in Nigeria with a Naussany-associated email address contacted them and took credit for it.

The individual said he and his associates typically scam the vulnerable and elderly. The Times also reported that the email was written in Luganda, a language spoken in Uganda. “We figure out how to steal,” the individual told The Times. “That’s what we do.”

Experts also told the Associated Press that scammers often target people’s assets after they’re dead. “It’s very difficult for someone to say, ‘Well, no, I didn’t take out this loan, I didn’t sign these papers,’ when they’re dead,” Mark Sunderman, a University of Memphis real estate professor, told the AP.

The Independent was unable to verify specific details about Naussany Investments and Private Lending due to a lack of public records and unreliable contact information listed online.

No representative for the company appeared at a recent hearing over Graceland, however Naussany filed court papers denying Ms Keough’s allegations and asked the judge for more time to prepare a defense in the case, the Times reports.

Nikos Passas, a Northeastern University criminology and criminal justice professor, also told the AP the scammers likely knew that successfully auctioning off Graceland was impossible.

“The chance of succeeding in what they were trying to do — that is, to get the property auctioned off and get the proceeds and then use the money — doesn’t seem to be the actual intent, unless they are incredibly stupid,” Dr Passas said. “So, the question is then, ‘What was the intent, and who was behind it?’”

By Katie Hawkinson, Independent

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At least 160 kidnapped in hours-long deadly raid in Nigeria

Ten people were killed and 160 others, including children, were abducted during a raid by suspected Boko Haram militants on a remote village in north-central Nigeria, a local official told CNN on Monday.

The attack occurred in Kuchi village, Munya district, in Niger state, beginning at about 5:30 p.m. on Friday and lasting until 4:00 a.m. Saturday, according to district official Aminu Abdulhamid Najume.

Niger state, which borders Nigeria's capital Abuja, has experienced repeated kidnappings for ransom by armed groups, including mass abductions, in recent years.

Najume reported that about 300 gunmen arrived on motorbikes and stayed for several hours, making themselves at home before leaving with the abductees. "They made a fire to curb the cold because it was raining throughout that day," Najume said. "They cooked and made tea; they made Indomie (instant noodles) and spaghetti."

Some of those killed were members of a local vigilante group who confronted the attackers but were overpowered. Najume added that security forces had not yet started rescue operations. "The police visited Kuchi yesterday [Sunday] and left, nothing else."

A spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command did not respond to CNN's request for comment.

"This is not the first or second time Kuchi village has been attacked. This is the fifth time," Najume said, noting that the area frequently suffers from kidnappings for ransom. The kidnappers have not yet made any demands regarding the latest abduction, he said.

Amnesty International said in a post on social media platform X on Sunday that it was "deeply concerned by the abduction," criticizing Nigerian authorities for leaving "rural communities at the mercy of gunmen."

"Since 2021, gunmen have been consistently attacking Kuchi village and raping women and girls in their matrimonial homes," the agency stated.

"The invasion of the village by the gunmen is yet another indication of the Nigerian authorities' utter failure to protect lives," Amnesty added.

Nigeria's security forces have struggled for years to control insurgent groups in the north of the country.

The Kuchi abduction comes two months after 21 people, including a newlywed, were killed when gunmen described locally as 'bandits' stormed a market in Rafi, another affected district in Niger.

At least 137 schoolchildren were kidnapped(opens in a new tab) earlier in March in Niger's neighbouring Kaduna state but were later released after the kidnappers made an initial demand of 1 billion naira (over US$675,000) and threatened to kill them all if their demands were not met. 

By Nimi Princewill, CNN

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Nigerian Army reopens Banex Plaza in Abuja

The Nigerian Army has announced the reopening of the popular Banex Plaza in Abuja after about one week it was shut down.

Army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu, a major general, said this in a statement on Monday.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the army shut down Banex following a mob attack on its personnel on Saturday 18 May.

Mr Nwachukwu said the reopening of the plaza followed a high-level meeting held in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and attended by the FCT Commissioner of Police, FCT Director of the State Security Services, the Leadership and Management of Banex Plaza, a representative from the Directorate of Abuja Environmental Protection Board, and the National Chairman of the Mobile Phone Traders Association.

He said the meeting was convened “to identify and apprehend the perpetrators and ensure the continued security of the FCT.”

He said some resolutions were reached at the meeting among which was the immediate reopening of Banex Plaza to the public.

Mr Nwachukwu said it was also resolved that Shop C93 be locked up with immediate effect while the perpetrators of the mob attack on soldiers be arrested.


He also said the army “will thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the presence of its personnel at the plaza and the subsequent attack.”

Read the full statement by the Nigerian Army

UPDATE ON THE CLOSURE OF BANEX PLAZA, ABUJA

The Nigerian Army wishes to provide latest update on the recent unfortunate event involving an unprovoked attack by unidentified hoodlums on Nigerian Army personnel at Banex Plaza, Wuse, Abuja, which occurred on Saturday 18 May 2024, leading to the closure of the Plaza on Sunday 19 May 2024.

In response to this incident, a high-level meeting was convened in the Office of the National Security Adviser including the Principal General Staff Officer to the NSA, Commissioner of Police FCT, the FCT Director of the Department of State Services, the Leadership and Management of Banex Plaza, a Representative from the Directorate of Abuja Environmental Protection Board, and the National Chairman of the Mobile Phone Traders Association. The primary objective of this meeting was to identify and apprehend the perpetrators and ensure the continued security of the Federal Capital Territory.

The following resolutions were agreed upon:

a. Immediate reopening of Banex Plaza: Banex Plaza will be reopened immediately to the public.

b. Closure of Shop C93: The leadership of Banex Plaza is instructed to lock up Shop C93 with immediate effect.

c. Arrest of Perpetrators: The owners of the shop who orchestrated the mob attack on the soldiers are to be arrested and handed over to the Nigerian Police.

d. Vigilance by Market Leaders: Market leaders are to remain vigilant and report any remaining perpetrators to the authorities.

Furthermore, the two individuals already arrested have been handed over to the headquarters of the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police for further action.

The Nigerian Army will also thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the presence of its personnel at the plaza and the subsequent attack.

It must be reiterated that acts of violence against military personnel are not only condemnable but also pose a significant threat to national security and public order. We therefore urge members of the public to exercise caution and restraint when interacting with military personnel and other security operatives, especially when they are in uniform. There are established channels for reporting grievances or misconduct by personnel to the appropriate authorities. It is imperative that these channels are utilized to maintain order and respect for those who serve and protect our nation.

The Nigerian Army remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens and will continue to work diligently to prevent such incidents in the future.

ONYEMA NWACHUKWU

Major General

Director Army Public Relations

27 May 2024.

By Popoola Ademola, Premium Times

Rising cost of sanitary pads in Nigeria impedes menstrual hygiene

Every month, Sadiya Maikasuwa, 40, is reminded that the cost of living crisis for her means more than high food prices. She now spends double what she used to on sanitary pads — a monthly expense she must prepare for.

Until she started using sanitary pads some years ago, Ms Maikasuwa never worried about these expenses. The mother of three said she has now reverted to her old ways.

“I used sanitary pads before but it’s too expensive now. I have stopped using it,” she told PREMIUM TIMES at her neighbour’s home in Pegi, a community in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
 

Rising Cost of Living

In the past year, soaring inflation, resulting from fuel subsidy removal and the floating of the naira by President Bola Tinubu, has created an economic crisis that has Nigerians groaning. The prices of commodities have more than tripled and inflation rose for the 11th consecutive month.

In Aprilreaching the highest level in a generation at 33.69 per cent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Meanwhile, about half of the country’s population is silently battling that crisis on another front: the prices of sanitary pads have more than tripled in the past year, worsening period poverty among Nigerian women of reproductive age.

Statistics show that about 37 million Nigerian women and girls cannot afford essential menstrual hygiene products.

Though the Finance Bill signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020 exempted sanitary pads from Value Added Tax (VAT), it has hardly affected the product’s prices, increasing from an average of N450 in 2021 to N1,500 in 2024.

Nigeria has one of the highest costs of sanitary products, according to a study by PlushCare, a telehealth platform that provides virtual primary care appointments. For this research, the platform said it measured in local currencies, the cost of a one-month supply of tampons, sanitary pads, and ibuprofen medication at the cheapest available prices in 107 countries before converting prices to US dollars.

“We then compared this cost to the average local person’s monthly income to find the most and least affordable countries and US states to menstruate,” it added.

With more than 133 million Nigerians living below the poverty line, menstrual expenses risk taking a backseat in family budgeting, said Anikeade Funke-Treasure, the convener of Sanitary Pad Media Campaign. She said the high prices of food means families now have less disposable income to spend on items such as sanitary pads.

“When gari is selling for N80,000 per bag, ditto rice and beans, why would people not use the money set aside for pads and add to the ones with which they will buy gari and rice and pepper? Something has to give in,” she said in a virtual interview.
 

Settling for cheaper options

Zainab Muhammad, a 24-year-old student at a university in Sokoto State, North-west Nigeria, makes and sells snacks and confectionery, making between N1,000 and N3,000 profits daily, depending on orders. Yet, she is not immune to period poverty. Ms Muhammad said she has had to settle for a less expensive sanitary pad or use a less healthy alternative.

“When I don’t have enough money, I use what our parents used to use,” she said, referring to cuttings, adding it is an option she now explores more frequently.
Settling for cheaper options

Zainab Muhammad, a 24-year-old student at a university in Sokoto State, North-west Nigeria, makes and sells snacks and confectionery, making between N1,000 and N3,000 profits daily, depending on orders. Yet, she is not immune to period poverty. Ms Muhammad said she has had to settle for a less expensive sanitary pad or use a less healthy alternative.

“When I don’t have enough money, I use what our parents used to use,” she said, referring to cuttings, adding it is an option she now explores more frequently.

“Some will come to buy the other (more expensive) one and when they don’t have enough money for it, they just buy the other one,” he said.

Umar Hassan, a store owner at Wuse Market in Abuja, also said his customers opt for the less expensive products.

“Some people that used to buy Molped stopped buying it when it became expensive and they have switched to Softcare because it costs less,” he said.
 

How prices of sanitary pads rose

PREMIUM TIMES spoke with sellers of the products in the FCT, Enugu, Plateau, Lagos, and Sokoto states.

At the Wuse Market in Abuja, Rufai Ibrahim, a trader, said the prices have doubled in the last few months. He said Softcare sold for N1,000 last year but now costs N1,800. Always, another brand, which used to sell for between N700 and N800, now sells for N1,500, he said.

Mr Ibrahim said the smallest size of Molped increased from N500 to N1,000. The medium size increased from N1,000 to N2,000 and the biggest size from N1,500 to N3,000.

“Most of them doubled their prices,” he said, adding that his customers now buy less quantity than they used to.

This year, the price of Molped has increased at least two times, PREMIUM TIMES gathered.

The price of a bag containing 18 packs of sanitary pads sold for N11,250 (for Maxi thick) and N13,320 (Ultra soft) in February. Each of the packs contains seven to eight pieces of sanitary pads. The bag with eight packs (each with 32 pieces) sold for N16,640 (Maxi thick) and N20,240 (Ultra soft).

In March, the bag of 18 packs increased to N13,800 (Maxi thick) and N16,500 (Ultra soft). The bag of eight packs increased to N21,000 (Maxi thick) and N25,500 (Ultra soft).

In April, the price for a carton of Virony increased from N36,000 to N40,000, said Umar Hassan, a store owner at Wuse Market in Abuja.

He said a carton of Softcare increased from N31,000 to N35,500. Molped increased from N10,500 to N16,500. “It’s the most surprising one because it’s the smallest and they hiked the price so much,” he said.

He added that the smaller carton of Softcare increased from N9,800 to N11,500.

In Sokoto State, Armiya’u Aliyu, a store owner, said the price of Molped recently increased from N500 to N750 and Softcare from N400 to N650.

Mr Kabara, a store owner in Jos, said the price of Virony increased from N1,200 to N2,000.
 

Reusable pads to the rescue

Faced with the rising prices, some women told PREMIUM TIMES that they have abandoned disposable sanitary pads.

Safiya (not real name), a broadcast journalist, said reusable pads have offered her freedom from the constant expenses of sanitary pads.

“Well, it is getting ridiculous. The price you heard of today differs from that of tomorrow, so I opted for reusable pads in the market,” she said.

“Now, I buy reusable pads instead and I am okay with it. …though washing it can be somehow, but we move.”

Also, Ubaida Abubakar, 35, said she started using reusable pads after it was distributed to her daughter in school. “When you use it, you can wash it, dry it in the sun, and reuse it next time,” she said.

Ms Funke-Treasure said reusable pads are one of the ways to solve the issues of period poverty. She said her not-for-profit has also adopted the distribution of reusable sanitary pads to tackle period poverty in both urban and rural areas.

“The disposable ones you use and discard. The reusable ones you use, wash, sun-dry, and then use again. So you don’t have that repeated purchases,” she said.

Martha (not real name) said she now uses the sanitary pads for longer hours than she used to, changing it less frequently to reduce the number she uses.

“Because of the availability of the pads, I used to change like three to four times but now I find myself changing only twice a day,” she said.

Charity Israel said she experiences ‘heavy flow,’ which means she has to change the sanitary pads more frequently. She uses three packs whenever she’s on her period, she said. Ms Israel lamented that she now gets only one pack with the same amount she previously paid for the three packs she needs.

“(The hiked cost of sanitary pads) stresses me out, but I still struggle to get it,” Kasuwa Danlami said, echoing what some retailers told this newspaper.

Losing campaign against period poverty

When Ms Funke-Treasure started the media campaign against period poverty in 2020, sanitary pads were still selling for between N400 and N450 but many women couldn’t afford them.

“Fast forward to four years later, a pack now sells for N1,000, depending on the kind of brand that you’re looking for,” she said.

Ms Funke-Treasure, who produces radio dramas, podcasts, and a TV show about menstrual hygiene, worries that the inflationary effect on sanitary pads may reverse the gain recorded in the number of women adopting sanitary pads, and worsen menstrual hygiene for them.

“If we thought we were winning, with the campaign for proper menstrual hygiene for women, it looks like we may be losing that way given the rising cost of living in Nigeria now.”

She said the challenges faced by menstruating Nigerian women are multi-faceted. She, therefore, advocated a comprehensive policy by the Nigerian government.

“We’re saying to the government, please let’s have a comprehensive menstrual health policy that will make it possible for children or school girls to have free menstrual pads. That’s number one,” she said.

She added that the policy should also extend to practices including menstrual leave at places of work.

“Many women in the workplace suffer from endometriosis or fibroids from PMDD and all of those things they will not tell you because of the silence around period conversations,” she added.

By Qosim Suleiman, Premium Times 

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