Poverty is killing my people
2.2M Nigerians kidnapped in 2024; We've recorded 3 incidents of deaths in stampedes where people are trying to get free food; Rhoda Jatau freed 19 months after arrest for protesting religious violence
Hello!
This is the last newsletter of the year! Thanks for rocking with us
It’s also the last newsletter until our Nigerian History through Art and Trivia event in Lagos on Friday the 27th. If you haven’t yet, you can read my note about why you might find it interesting here, and buy a ticket here.
My friend, Seun, has kindly paid for three tickets for That New News readers. If you’d like to come (and you are certain you can come), you can get your free ticket by sending an email to [isiakatomiwa@gmail.com]. The email should have your full name, and the subject line should say “Seun’s Guest”.
In this edition:
2.2M Nigerians kidnapped in 2023-24
This month, we've recorded 3 incidents of deaths in stampedes where people are trying to get free food (50+ deaths reported)
Rhoda Jatau freed 19 months after arrest for protesting religious violence via WhatsApp
Free speech? not here
This edition is 1,180 words (approx. 4 min read). Excuse any typos pls, got migraine
Zero Safety
Kidnapping is serious business. Nigeria, look within
The National Bureau of Statistics just dropped its "Crime and Security Perception Survey" for 2023-2024, and if you wanted Nigeria’s security crisis wrapped, this is it:
Kidnappings: 2.2 million people were abducted (that’s 1.6% of the country’s population)
Ransom payments: ₦2.2 trillion
Deaths: 614,937 Nigerians were killed
The majority of these cases were in the Northwest region of the country, while high-profile kidnappings make headlines, experts say it's the rural poor who are suffering most.
Some "success" metrics (if you can call them that): 82.1% of kidnapped individuals were released (probably thanks to the ransomes)
However, 3.3% remain in captivity
The report also points out that the dangerous places to be are ATMs (31.7% of people surveyed feel unsafe), public transport (29.1%), and surprisingly, religious venues (7%).
When reached for comment, the Presidency and military officials refused to comment on the report's findings.
Rhoda Jatau released
Rhoda Jatau, a healthcare worker and mom of five, was finally acquitted after spending 19 months in prison for sharing a WhatsApp video condemning the mob killing of Deborah Samuel Yakubu a Christian student stoned to death in Sokoto.
Back story: Back in May 2022, Jatau shared a video criticizing the lynching of Deborah Samuel, a student killed for "blasphemy." Instead of protecting her from the angry locals who burned down her house and the local ECWA church, authorities arrested Jatau herself.
They charged her with public disturbance, religious insult, and cybercrime (because apparently, WhatsApp sharing is dangerous?). She faced up to 5 years in prison if convicted.
Jatau was held for 19 months with only her lawyer allowed to visit. She was granted bail in December 2023 and finally acquitted last week.
ADF International, the legal group that helped free Jatau, is now working on another case: supporting the legal defense of Nigerian musician Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi Muslim who was sentenced to death by hanging for sharing song lyrics that were deemed “blasphemous” on WhatsApp
Fun fact: 90% of Christians killed worldwide for their faith in 2022 were Nigerian. Yikes.
The worst of times
Inflation
Nigeria's inflation rate surged to 34.60% in November 2024, marking another significant increase in the country's cost of living crisis. NBS reported a 0.72% rise from October's rate of 33.88%. It’s also 6.40% higher than November 2023’s inflation.
Food inflation reached 39.93% in November 2024 (32.84% in Nov 2023). Basic staples including yam, rice, maize, and palm oil have seen substantial price increases, putting additional pressure on Nigerian households.
The impact varies significantly across regions. Bauchi, Kebbi, and Anambra recorded the highest overall inflation rates at 46.21%, 42.41%, and 40.48% respectively. Meanwhile, Sokoto leads in food inflation at an alarming 51.30%, followed by Yobe at 49.69%.
What happens when 90% of the people can’t afford food
A devastating series of stampedes occurred last week as thousands of citizens scrambled for charity handouts amid soaring inflation. Three incidents this week claimed the lives of over 50 people, mostly women and children.
Abuja: 10 people, including 4 children, died in a stampede when people rushed to get food at a Christmas charity event at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church.
Ibadan: A school fair promising scholarships and money to children ended in a stampede that tragically with 35 children dead and 6 injured. According to local radio, as many as 5,000 young people had been expected at the event, whose program said children “will win exciting prizes like scholarships and other bountiful gifts”, over 7,000 people showed up and the rush for the food and prizes turned tragic
In Anambra, Okija: A philanthropist's food distribution event turned chaotic, leaving 3 dead.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Taskforce have arrested 27 people for begging on the streets.
But “Not too much on the president”
Criticize the government, get arrested
Nigerian nurse and activist, Olamide Thomas, has been arrested following remarks she made during a live Facebook broadcast after reportedly being teargassed at the #EndSARS memorial on October 20.
In the video, Thomas, clearly distressed, cursed President Bola Tinubu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and other officials, invoking divine judgment over her grievances.
Thomas was detained early Friday in Lagos by the Intelligence Response Team, which allegedly located her by detaining her uncle to extract her whereabouts. Kidnapping
Activists and groups have condemned Thomas' arrest as a troubling symbol of police repression and an attack on free speech.
The Lagos police have not commented on the situation.
Court fines lawyer for suing the President
The Nigerian Supreme Court fined Ambrose Albert Owuru ₦5 million for filing a case the court had dismissed three times before.- The Nation
Owuru is a former presidential candidate for the now-defunct Hope Democratic Party.
He sought to unseat President Bola Tinubu because, according to him (and a lot of people, honestly), Tinubu’s election win was sketchy.
His case named Tinubu, former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation, and INEC as key players in Tinubu’s sketchy presidential victory.
Things got awkward when Justice Uwani Abba-Aji ordered Owuru to ditch his lawyer’s wig and gown before addressing the court, questioning why he was back with the same old suit. The court panel wasn’t buying his arguments, with Justice Abba-Aji calling his conduct “unbecoming” for a lawyer of over 40 years.
The court threatened to escalate the matter to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) and said they will no longer be accepting suits of this nature against Tinubu from Owuru.
I’m not a lawyer but this feels like bullying to me. Let the man speak!
Speaking of free speech
A magistrates’ court in Ado-Ekiti has granted human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi ₦30 million bail, but he’s been barred from granting media interviews until his defamation trial wraps up.
We reported two weeks ago that Farotimi was arrested for criminally defaming Afe Babalola in his latest book.
Last week the court granted him bail then took it away. Guess they changed their mind
Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun also barred Farotimi’s lead counsel, Olumide Fusika, SAN, from representing him in the case, citing a provision in the Magistrates’ Courts Law of 2014.
They’ve also released Yahaya Bello has been released after meeting the N500 million bail condition.
Other news
Can’t even travel across ECOWAS countries without some struggle but instead of solving that, the “men in charge” have focused on developing a single currency - This Day
NDLEA opens rehab centers for drug addicts - Guardian Ng
CBN has set a daily withdrawal limit of N100,000 per customer on point-of-sale (PoS) terminals - Vanguard
Be careful what you eat: NAFDAC shuts 150 shops, seizes N5 billion fake products in Abia market - Punch
Okuama community leader dies in army detention - Vanguard
The Federal Government has allocated N47 billion to support universities of agriculture and medical schools across the country - The Nation
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has violated the provisions of the CBN Act by withholding its annual reports - Guardian Ng