Mohbad Killed? & more –14th Sep 2023

Sannu from BA! This is the Rorshok Nigeria Update from the 14th of September twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Nigeria.

Let’s kick off this episode with the hottest topic in Nigeria. This time, it is in the entertainment industry. Some have called for the arrest of musician Naira Marley following the death of his former signee, Mohbad, who passed away on Tuesday, the 12th. The twenty-seven-year-old star reportedly died in a hospital. However, in a video recorded in October last year, Mohbad said that Naira Marley was making death threats. The video, which resurfaced across social media platforms, has prompted many fans of Mohbad to call for the prosecution of Naira Marley.

Since we are talking about prosecution, some cultists in Rivers State have beheaded Bako Angbashim, a District Police Officer in the Ahoada area of the state. He had previously fought against cultism and kidnapping. However, on Friday, the 8th cult members reassembled to ambush Bako and his men who were in an operation to catch cultists. Unfortunately, he was caught in the trap, which led to the tragic outcome.

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Meanwhile, thirty Nigerians have been reportedly killed in a landslide in Abuja, the country's Federal Capital Territory (commonly known as FCT). On Thursday, the 7th, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike announced the unfortunate event at a meeting with local area council chairmen. However, reportedly, illegal mining in the Kuje area of Abuja caused the disaster. Wike has directed the council leaders to set up surveillance task forces to make sure that there are no illegal mining activities in the area. Nigerians across the country have taken to social media to express their surprise since landslides are a rare occurrence in the region.

A man got electrocuted while attempting to steal electricity cables from a transformer. On Friday, the 8th, the unidentified man was found dead in the transformer home belonging to the Niger State Printing Press. The deceased had gained entrance into the premises by scaling the fence. He had successfully detached the ammo cable before getting electrocuted. His body was also found holding firmly to the cables that had probably electrocuted him. Many residents in the area were reported to have shown little concern about the deceased but expressed regrets about the resulting blackouts that may follow the incident.

Moving to politics, the Ogun state government has demolished a five-story plaza belonging to the wife of the former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel. The plaza was destroyed on Sunday the 10th. The people who worked at the plaza only got a three-day notice. The developer of the mall, Olusegun Lawal, said that the structure had received full approval in two thousand and nine when construction began. Some notable losses from the demolition included an elevator, eighty split air conditioners, a firefighting system, among others. The state government said they had to demolish the building because it didn’t have enough packing space, airspace, and an inadequate muster point. However, many neighboring structures spared from the demolition dd not have as many safety measures as the plaza. The demolition was called into question as it might have been politically motivated. Even though both Otunba Gbenga Daniel and the current Governor belong to the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, they might have supported two different members of the party in the race for presidential candidacy.

Since we mentioned the ruling party, President Tinubu has secured the lifting of the visa ban the United Arab Emirates (or UAE) imposed on Nigerians. On Monday, the 11th, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu's spokesman, announced that Emirates and Etihad Airlines would immediately resume inbound and outbound flights. It’s been almost a year since the UAE placed a ban on Nigerians and other African countries. Reportedly, the visa restriction was connected to a street fight that took place in October twenty twenty-two, involving some cult groups of Nigerian and African descent.

On more good news. The Federal Government has revoked the licenses of thirty-seven loan companies. On Monday, the 12th The Nigerian Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission announced the delisting of platforms operated by the loan companies following reports of lenders harassing citizens. Mobile applications belonging to the lenders have been permanently removed from Google Play Store. The money lenders have used demeaning loan recovery means in the past.

Still on the economic scene. Pressure groups no longer back up the Nigerian Labour Congress (or NLC). Recall that on Friday, the 1st, the NLC announced a two-day warning strike. They also said that at the end of the warning strike, they would shut down the country's economy by going on an indefinite strike unless the Government reversed fuel prices and provided palliatives to caution against economic hardship.

However, individuals and pressure groups have rejected NLC’s plans. Issa Aremu, a former leader of the NLC, said that President Tinubu is committed to the people's welfare, so the current NLC leadership should hold a continued dialogue with Tinubu instead of going on an indefinite strike.

The Trade Union Congress (or TUC), was one of the notable pressure groups that refused to comply with the two-day warning strike of the NLC. It has also insisted that it would await for the government's response to its letter.

Also, the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (or NECA) has said that shutting down the economy would be counterproductive, and many private employers and employees would get hurt. On Wednesday, the 13th, Adewale Smart, the Director General of the group, said that a disagreement with the Federal Government can be resolved through renegotiation.

Speaking of economic hardships…

Fuel, energy, and food prices have pushed Nigeria to an eighteen-year record high inflation rate. According to reports from some of the country's economic firms, inflation will rise to over 25% by the end of September. This will be the first time since two thousand and five that Nigeria will experience such a high inflation rate. Reportedly, the major causes of the rising inflation in the country are an increase in money supply, devaluation of the naira, and higher logistic costs. Nigeria is also experiencing economic shocks due to the closure of borders.

Since we talked about numbers, let’s pay tribute to a numerical genius. On Monday, the 11th, Pa Akintola Williams, Nigeria's first chartered accountant, died at the age of 104. Williams played a crucial role in the establishment of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (commonly known as ICAN). He also founded Deloitte Nigeria. The company is the largest professional services provider in the country.

Nigerians tend to have a thing for Guinness World Records. Tonye Solomon, was one of the talking points of social media this week. On Wednesday, the 14th, the Guinness World Record recognized Solomon as a new world record holder for the most steps climbed on a ladder with a ball on the head. On the 10th of August, Solomon climbed a radio mast about seventy-six meters tall with the ball firmly planted to his head. He climbed 150 steps to set a new record.

And to close this edition, sports news. Nigerian Balon D'Or nominee Victor Osimhen ended the African Cup of Nations Qualifying round as the top scorer with ten goals. The Napoli striker was able to beat off competition from former Liverpool player Sadio Mane and his Egyptian counterpart, Mohammed Salah. On Sunday, the 10th, during the final qualifying match Osimhen netted a hat-trick against Sao Tome and Principe to take his tally from seven to ten.

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