The master of a Cambridge University college has described the return of a looted bronze cockerel to representatives of Nigeria as a "momentous occasion".

The statue, known as the "Okukur", was taken by British colonial forces in 1897 and given to Jesus College in 1905 by the father of a student.

A decision for it to be returned was made in 2019 after students campaigned.

A ceremony has been held at the college to sign the handover documents.

"It's massively significant," said Sonita Alleyne, master of Jesus College. "It's a momentous occasion."

She said returning the artefact was the "right thing to do" to and said the bronze piece was of "cultural and spiritual significance to the people of Nigeria".

"It's part of their ancestral heritage," Ms Alleyne added.

The college's Legacy of Slavery Working Party concluded in 2019 that the cockerel "belongs with the current Oba at the Court of Benin".

The Oba of Benin is head of the historic Eweka dynasty of the Benin Empire, centred on Benin City in modern-day Nigeria.

Ms Alleyne said the Nigerian delegation would decide how and when to move the Okukur.

The statue was removed from display at the college in 2016 and will be given to Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments.

Oba of Benin, Omo N'Oba N'Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, said it was hoped others would "expedite the return of our artworks, which in many cases are of religious importance to us".

BBC

 

 

The United States has issued its first passport with an “X” gender designation, marking a milestone in the recognition of the rights of people who do not identify as male or female, and expects to be able to offer the option more broadly next year, the State Department said Wednesday.

The department did not identify the passport recipient, but Dana Zzyym, an intersex activist from Fort Collins, Colorado, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that they received it. Since 2015, Zzyym, who prefers a gender-neutral pronoun, has been in a legal battle with the State Department to obtain a passport that did not require Zzyym to lie about gender by picking either male or female.

Zzyym (pronounced Zimm) picked up the UPS package with the passport after getting an early morning text and phone call from their lawyer, Paul Castillo of Lambda Legal, that it had arrived. Zzyym had stayed up late celebrating Intersex Awareness Day with two visiting activists.

While Zzyym, 63, said it was thrilling to finally get the passport, the goal was to help the next generation of intersex people win recognition as full citizens with rights, rather than travel the globe, Zzyym said.

“I’m not a problem. I’m a human being. That’s the point,” said Zzyym, who has an arm tattoo that reads, “Never give up,” a reminder of goals to accomplish in life.

Zzyym was born with ambiguous physical sexual characteristics but was raised as a boy and had several surgeries that failed to make Zzyym appear fully male, according to court filings. Zzyym served in the Navy as a male but later came to identify as intersex while working and studying at Colorado State University. The State Department’s denial of Zzyym’s passport prevented Zzyym from being able to go to two Organization Intersex International meetings.

Zzyym would like a chance to travel to another advocacy conference once they resume after the pandemic or perhaps go sea fishing in Costa Rica but, being on a fixed income, says a road trip to Canada for fishing might be more feasible.

Advocates, who praised the work of Zzyym, said the United States’ decision to join over a dozen countries that allow a third-gender option would allow people to travel as their authentic selves and possibly keep them safer doing it.

“Intersex, nonbinary, and transgender people need identity documents that accurately reflect who we are, and having mismatched documents can create problems with safety and visibility,” said Mary Emily O’Hara of GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization,

The U.S. special diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ rights, Jessica Stern, said the decision brings the government documents in line with the “lived reality” that there is a wider spectrum of human sex characteristics than is reflected in the previous two designations.

“When a person obtains identity documents that reflect their true identity, they live with greater dignity and respect,” Stern said.

The State Department said in June that it was moving toward adding a third gender marker for nonbinary, intersex and gender-nonconforming people but that would take time because of required updates to its computer systems. In addition, a department official said the passport application and system update with the “X” designation option still awaited approval from the Office of Management and Budget, which signs off on all government forms.

The department now also allows applicants to self-select their gender as male or female, no longer requiring them to provide medical certification if their gender did not match that listed on their other identification documents.

Stern said her office planned to talk about the U.S. experience with the change in its interactions around the world and hopes that might help inspire other governments to offer the option.

“We see this as a way of affirming and uplifting the human rights of trans and intersex and gender-nonconforming and nonbinary people everywhere,” she said.

AP

The trial of music artiste, Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, on 11 charges bordering on conspiracy, possession of counterfeit cards and fraud, resumed on Tuesday at the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The court listened to the testimony of a second prosecution witness, Anosike Augustine, a mobile forensic expert with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness continued his testimony which he had begun in 2020 just before the COVID-19 lockdown.

Anosike narrated how about 2,410 short messages were analysed from the iPhone of the defendant. He also said that different credit card numbers were extracted from the defendant’s iPhone.

According to him, the Apple iPhone is a sophisticated device capable of storing a large volume of information, adding that it is the sim card that basically identifies users of applications such as WhatsApp.

While analysing Naira Marley’s iPhone, the witness said 977 Short Message Service (SMS) and 1,433 chat messages, were discovered adding that there were also seven pending status update messages.

The witness specifically took his time to read out a plethora of credit card numbers and messages sent from the phone on different dates and times, as well as OTP codes sent.

He listed some of the recipients of the messages to include one Yadd and another Raze.  After his testimony, the prosecutor informed the court that all the analysed messages were contained in a Compact Disc (CD) but that the prosecution had only printed out those portions which were material to its case.

The prosecutor then asked the court if he could be allowed to bring a projector for the purpose of playing the CD in the open court, so as to fully prove its cyber fraud case and discharge the burden placed on the prosecution and against the defendant.

The defence counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olalekan Ojo did not have any objections to the request and the court allowed it.

Justice Nicholas Oweibo, therefore, adjourned till tomorrow, October 27, for the CD to be played.

Evidences Bordering On Cyber Fraud

On May 20, 2019, the anti-graft agency had arraigned the artiste Naira Marley, who sang the popular song: “Am I a Yahoo Boy”, before the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The anti-graft agency said the offences were committed on different dates between November 26, 2018, and December 11, 2018, as well as May 10, 2019.

The commission alleged that Naira Marley and his accomplices conspired to use different Access Bank ATM cards to defraud their victims.

The EFCC also said that the defendant possessed and used counterfeit credit cards belonging to different people, with intent to defraud others.

The alleged offences are said to contravene the provisions of Sections 1 23 (1) (b), 27 (1) and 33(9) of Cyber Crime (Prohibition) Prevention Act, 2015.

Before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, Naira Marley pleaded not guilty.

The court granted him bail in the sum of N2million with two sureties in like sum.

At the last sitting of the court, Justice Oweibo admitted a C.D containing the phone analysis of the embattled singer.

The CD had been tendered in evidence at a previous proceeding by Anosike Augustine, a mobile forensic expert with the EFCC.

Anosike who is the second prosecution witness in the EFCC had told the court how he analysed the contents of the iPhone allegedly retrieved from Naira Marley during the investigation.

Counsel to Naira Marley, Olalekan Ojo, had objected to the admissibility of the evidence.

In his ruling, Justice Oweibo overruled the objections of the counsel and admitted the C.D in evidence.

The judge said, “l have considered the agreement of both parties as well as the ground for the objection, I consider the C.D to be admissible in view of the nature of this case and the evidence of the other prosecution witness.

“Accordingly it is hereby admitted in evidence and marked exhibit F.”

Before the testimony of the second witness, the EFCC had called another of its forensic expert, Nuru Buhari.

Mr Buhari, who testified as the first prosecution witness had told Justice Oweibo, that various stolen credit card information were retrieved from the musician’s laptop.

Apart from the stolen credit card information, website visit history recovered from the device showed that the top five most visited sites dealt with buying and selling stolen credit card information.

Mr Buhari also informed the court that suspicious apps that are mostly used by people with shady deals on the internet were found on the laptop.

Mr Buhari said an analysis of the administrator account on the laptop revealed that the admin is one Naira Marley and the account was connected to his iCloud account.

Channels TV

Rauf Olayemi, Bauchi

Local government chairmen, ministry officials and traditional rulers in Bauchi State have been accused of conniving with Bandits and terrorists to shortchange the people of the State. 

Governor Bala Mohammed made this accusation on Monday while addressing heads of security agencies, council chairmen and his cabinet members during a critical security meeting

The Governor lamented that some local government, state ministry officials and traditional rulers connive with bandits and terrorists to perpetrate evil and shortchange the locals. 

He said, 'strangers have been settling in the Lame/Burra Forrest over the years but the local authorities have failed to identify and know them'. 'Although, they are free to live in any part of the country but that does not equal deforestation and vandalism' he said.

In his words, Governor Muhammad said  "It appears you don't even have the capacity for the autonomy we are giving you, you're only after the money; not the challenges. You can see how we have been able to do a lot with very little resources. You have been saying you have not been given money but the one that you have been given, what do you have?"

"From the way the local government chairmen are doing it is like they don't have the capacity to even do it. Unless you assure me –the money I'm giving (for autonomy)...I will return it. I will return it. It is not just goody-goody. You must take responsibility. 

"From this time on, I want you to start paying your salaries. I'm tired of the treasury managing your salaries and you're blaming them for ghost workers. You will take responsibility for your resources. 

"What you don't know is that, we augment the salaries of some local governments, whereas some have enough but we cannot continue to take from Paul to pay Peter. We will be giving you your money and you should know how to utilise it," he added.

The World Bank made a startling revelation that Nigeria’s per capita income (PCI) has not improved in the last 40 years as it remained static since 1981.

World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri, stated this on Monday at a panel at the ongoing 27th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES#27) and urged the economy managers to quickly assemble potent strategies to harness the robust potential of the country. The summit, themed ‘Securing Our Future: The Fierce Urgency of Now’, drew economic experts, fiscal and monetary policy stakeholders, the academia and more.

In economics, PCI scales the average income earned per person in a country in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the country’s total income by its total population. In 1981, according to World Bank data, Nigeria’s PCI was $2,180.2 and $2,097 in 2020, meaning there was actually a reduction from the 1981 level.

“Nigeria today has real per capita income that is about the same as 40 years — in 1981. This means someone whose growth has been stunted,” he said.

“I heard the Minister talking about the medium term development plan, which has all the right ingredients. It will take time to get (the country) back to its full potential — it can’t happen overnight.

“But our sense is that Nigeria is at a point in time where some critical decisions need to be made. It’s almost like the immediate treatment to halt further decline.”

He described Nigeria as an individual with the potential to become a star athlete.

According to Chaudhuri, about three million Nigerians come of working age yearly, but surveys have shown that they aspire to go abroad.

“I think the urgency of doing something now is because the time is going in terms of retaining the hope of young Nigerians in the future and potential of Nigeria,” he said.

Chaudhuri, like other global bodies, advised Nigeria to immediately channel spending on petrol subsidy to infrastructure, education and healthcare services.

Earlier in her remarks, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed called for a paradigm shift in running the country’s economy through comprehensive and targeted reforms, a reorientation of our national values, and a radical shift in attitudes to taxation and public financial management. 

“This is consistent with the focus of this administration on targeted investment in critical infrastructure and social development”, she said.

Sun

 

Members of the Senate Committee on Health, on Tuesday, knocked the federal government over the plan to borrow $200 million for procurement of mosquito nets and malaria medicines.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mammam Mahmuda, had, in his presentation before the committee during budget defence session, said the loan had become necessary due to high rate of under five mortality in Nigeria largely caused by malaria and inaccessibility to malaria treatments.

He said the loan, if approved by the National Assembly, and accessed, would be used to procure mosquito nets and medicines to be distributed to 13 vulnerable states that have no access to malaria treatment.

Irked by the submission, the committee chairman, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara), and other members lampooned the Permanent Secretary and Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib.

Specifically, Chairman of the committee wondered why the federal government planned to borrow the $200 million to fight malaria despite the N450 million budgeted for the same purpose in the proposed 2022 budget.

Oloriegbe also decried the plan to import the mosquito nets when there are local producers.

He said, “This is a clear case of money and jobs for the boys. What you give with the right hand, you take it back with the left.

“This is unacceptable. We should be able to put our feet down when dealing with these donor agencies or creditors as regards loans to be taken and what it should be expended on.

“We should as a country produce what we use for our people. If someone wants to give us money and put conditions that you must buy from their manufacturers, you can say no for our sovereignty.”

Other members of the committee like Adelere Oriolowo (APC Osun), Abba Moro (PDP Benue) also condemned the borrowing plan.

They, therefore, demanded more details on the loan and asked the officials to return back.

Daily Trust

The United Nations has asked the federal government to provide detailed information on the circumstances surrounding Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

This was contained in a document titled: ‘Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishments; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances; the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Special Rapporteur on minority issues and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism’.

In the document dated August 27, the UN said it received information of various allegations of human rights violation against Kanu by the federal government.

“While we do not prejudge the accuracy of these allegations, we would like to express our concern in relation to the enforced disappearance of Nnamdi Kanu from June 19, 2021, until his reappearance at Nigerian federal high court in Abuja on June 29, 2021, and his reported illegal rendition from Nairobi to Abuja without judicial process,” the document reads.

“We are further alarmed by the alleged torture and ill-treatment Mr Kanu has been subjected to during his detention by the DSS in Nigeria. If confirmed, these allegations would constitute prima facie violations of fundamental human rights, including the right not to be arbitrarily deprived of liberty and the absolute and non-derogable prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment under the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights.

“The Committee against Torture and the UN Human Rights Committee has repeatedly concluded that enforced disappearances may amount to torture and other forms of ill-treatment both with regard to the disappeared and with regard to their family members, due to the anguish and uncertainty concerning the date and whereabouts of loved ones.”

They asked that the federal government provide information on Kanu’s current health status, details of his extradition and charges instituted against him.

“Please provide detailed information on the current state of health of Mr Kanu and the measures undertaken, or foreseen, to prevent any irreparable damage to his life and personal integrity and to ensure that he has access to the medications and medical treatment required by his health conditions,” the document reads.

“Please provide detailed information on the circumstances in which Mr Kanu was arrested, forcibly disappeared before being handed over to Nigerian authorities and transferred from Nairobi to Abuja. Also provide any international arrest warrant that may have been issued against him, prior to his arrest.”

The UN also asked the Kenyan government to “provide full information on the period between 19 – 29 June 2021, during which Mr. Kanu was subjected to enforced disappearance, including his whereabouts and the conditions in which he was held, on the informal detention facilities during this period and explain how this is compatible with the international human rights obligations of Kenya”.

“Please provide information on whether an investigation was carried out into the alleged enforced disappearance of Mr. Kanu during this period of time, and whether those responsible have been held accountable,” the letter reads.

“Please provide detailed information, where available, on risk assessment carried out by the Kenyan authorities to ascertain the risk Mr. Kanu may incur, including being subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment as well as arbitrary detention upon his extradition to Nigeria, and how this assessment is compatible with the international standards.

“Please provide information on the measures taken to investigate the above-mentioned allegations of torture and ill-treatment perpetrated against Mr. Kanu during his detention in Kenya and to hold those responsible accountable.”

Meanwhile, the permanent mission of the federal republic of Nigeria to the United Nations office and other international organisations in Geneva acknowledged receipt of the letter on September 17.

“The permanent mission wishes to inform that the Joint Urgent Appeal has been forwarded to its headquarters for necessary action and any response would be transmitted as soon as received,” the response reads.

“The permanent mission of the federal republic of Nigeria to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (Special Procedures Branch) the assurances of its highest consideration.”

The Cable

Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, on Tuesday, assented to the amended Community Volunteer Guards law of the state.

The new law empowers local guards to carry weapons legally recognised by the constitution.

The law was first passed in 2000 by the state house of assembly and assented to by George Akume, former governor of Benue.

Ortom explained that over 20 years after, it has become pertinent to amend the law to aid the guards complement the “grossly inadequate” conventional security agents in the fight against insecurity.

He added that traditional rulers would oversee the recruitment of the guards as it is community-based.

He said five persons would be recruited from each of the kindreds in the state, 10 at the ward level, while the local government would have representatives from council wards to ensure proper management and supervision of the guards.

“Those to be recruited must be within the age bracket of 18 to 50 years and should have a means of livelihood,” Ortom said.

“I warn that the guards do their work, devoid of politics.”

Ortom has, on several occasions, asked the federal government to allow “responsible” Nigerians to carry “sophisticated weapons” like AK-47 in self-defence.

In another instance, he asked the people of Benue to obtain licenses to carry dane guns and defend themselves from invading gunmen.

The Cable

Security forces in Colombia have captured Dairo Antonio Usuga, the country’s most wanted drug trafficker.

Better known as Otoniel, the leader of the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia or the Gulf Clan, was captured on Saturday in a rural area in the Uraba region.

President Ivan Duque hailed Otoniel’s capture as a victory, likening it to the arrest three decades ago of the notorious Colombian drug kingpin, Pablo Escobar.

“This is the biggest blow against drug trafficking in our country this century,” Duque said during a news conference. “This hit is only comparable to the fall of Pablo Escobar in the 1990s.”   The Colombian president said his government was working on extraditing Otoniel, most likely to the United States, where he was first indicted in 2009 in a Manhattan federal court on drug trafficking charges.

The 50 year old also faces criminal charges in Brooklyn and Miami in the US on charges of “operating continuing criminal enterprises, participating in international cocaine trafficking conspiracies and using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes”.

 

‘Victims deserve justice’

Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), congratulated the Colombian government on Otoniel’s capture, tweeting that the drug lord “must be held accountable for the hundreds of crimes committed under his command”.

Vivanco added: “The victims deserve justice.”

Authorities have been after Otoniel for years, killing allies, capturing family members and going after his finances. Colombia had offered a reward of up to $800,000 for information leading to his capture, while the US had put a bounty of $5m on his head.   Duque said Otoniel’s arrest “marks the end of the Gulf Clan”, but analysts and human rights group worry the move could result in more violence at a time of worsening clashes between armed groups.   Still, the takedown of Otoniel was a success, Guzman said, as it comes at a time when the Colombian security forces are slowly losing control of rural areas to armed gangs.

“It’s positive that they’re able to capture one of the most wanted criminals in Colombia,” Guzman said.

“They didn’t gun him down, they didn’t bombard him. This means there was intelligence, this means there was infiltration. This means there was a sophisticated operation that led to his capture.”

The US and the United Kingdom provided the intelligence in the operation to capture Otoniel, according to The Associated Press news agency, while more than 500 members of Colombia’s special forces and 22 helicopters were used in the jungle raid.

 

‘Kingpin strategy’

Experts say Otoniel’s capture falls in line with a military tactic used in Latin America, known as the “kingpin strategy”, in which security forces seek to take out the leader of an armed group in order to topple its criminal enterprises.

“When the head of an organisation, a ‘kingpin’, is toppled, there are a dozen underlings ready to take their place. And I have no doubt the same will happen with Otoniel,” said Sergio Guzman, director of Colombia Risk Analysis.

The strategy was used in the killing in 1993 of Escobar, who at the time was the leader of the Colombian Medellin cartel, as well as the capture in 2016 of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the former leader of the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.

But the tactic has long been criticised by experts, who say it often has the opposite of the intended effect, creating in-fighting within armed groups and new struggles for territorial power, and in turn generating more violence. They say this was the case following the capture of Guzman and the killing of Escobar.

A Colombian human rights defender who has received death threats from the Gulf Clan over her work advocating for victims of conflict said she is worried Otoniel’s arrest could worsen violence in her home region, Los Montes de Maria.

The sweltering northern area – which saw a brief respite in violence when the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) group signed a peace pact with the Colombian government in 2016 – is a strategic drug route and an historic hub for armed groups.

“The Gulf Clan in the Montes de Maria gets stronger every day,” said the human rights defender, who wished to remain anonymous. “Every day, their forces grow.

“They may have taken out the boss, but there are other bosses and other gangs that keep gaining control,” she said.

“Instead of reducing the violence, the violence is only going to get worse … These people are going to continue arming, they’re going to continue threatening us and they’re going to continue extorting.”

AL JAZEERA

Nigeria on Monday became the first African nation to launch a digital currency - the eNaira - a move its leaders said will expand access to banking, enable more remittances and even grow the economy by billions of dollars.

Africa's most populous nation joins the Bahamas, the first to launch a general purpose central bank digital currency, known as the Sand Dollar, in October. China has ongoing trials and Switzerland and the Bank of France have announced Europe's first cross-border experiment.

But experts and cryptocurrency users in the continent's biggest economy say the fact that there are more questions than answers regarding the eNaira - and a large amount of worry over the consistency of Central Bank (CBN) rules - means the government faces a tough path to make the eNaira a success.

Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele said during Monday's launch that there had been "overwhelming interest and encouraging response", adding that 33 banks, 2,000 customers and 120 merchants had already registered successfully with the platform, which is available via an app on Apple and Android.

Some 200 million nairas' worth of eNaira, which will maintain parity with the traditional currency, has been issued to financial institutions, he said.

President Muhammadu Buhari said use of the currency could grow the economy by $29 billion over ten years, enable direct government welfare payments and even increase the tax base.

Nigeria's young, tech-savvy population has eagerly adopted digital currencies. Cryptocurrency use has grown quickly despite a Central Bank ban in February on banks and financial institutions dealing in or facilitating transactions in them.

Nigeria ranked seventh in the 2021 Global Crypto Adoption Index compiled by research firm Chainalysis.

Official digital currencies, unlike crytocurrencies such as bitcoin, are backed and controlled by the central bank.

But some of what drove Nigeria's enthusiastic adoption of cryptocurrencies was the Central Bank's own shifting rules regarding accessing foreign currency - and the naira's plunging value on parallel markets that saw savings shrink.

"It's not clear looking at the CBN's body of work that Nigerians would be comfortable using this," said Ikemesit Effiong, head of research with Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence.

He added that the CBN had not yet made clear whether users could transfer eNaira back into traditional naira, whether they could use cryptocurrency to buy or sell the eNaira or even whether there would be physical locations to use and transfer eNaira, or whether it would be entirely digital.

"There are more questions than answers, even though we are looking at the launch of this digital currency. The fact that this is the case so late in the game is concerning," he told Reuters.

CBN issued a nine-page FAQ, which said eNaira users would access it via the phone app, internet banking or a code dialled from mobile phones, but it did not address transferability or other questions raised by Effiong.

Only three local television channels were allowed to attend the launch, and officials took no questions.

For 28-year-old Ebuka Joseph, an art dealer and enthusiastic cryptocurrency user in the commercial capital, Lagos, the uncertainty means he will stay on the sidelines, for now.

His concerns centre on whether he would easily be able to change eNaira back into normal currency.

"I have had issues trusting the central bank ... because they have already banned crypto," he told Reuters. "I want to hear from people, see people use it, before I venture into it."

Reuters