Academic institutions in West Africa have increasingly been facing allegations of sexual harassment by lecturers. This type of abuse is said to be endemic, but it’s almost never proven.
After gathering dozens of testimonies, BBC Africa Eye sent undercover journalists posing as students inside the University of Lagos and the University of Ghana.
Female reporters were sexually harassed, propositioned and put under pressure by senior lecturers at the institutions – all the while wearing secret cameras.
Reporter Kiki Mordi, who knows first-hand how devastating sexual harassment can be, reveals what happens behind closed doors at some of the region’s most prestigious universities.
Operatives of the Rapid Respond Squad of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested two suspects, Victor Remi and Ekeh Maxwell, for allegedly dispossessing a computer dealer of three Apple laptops worth N1.5m.
Remi, a foreign exchange trader, and Maxwell, a musician, were said to have disguised as buyers and lured the seller to a desolate location on Acme Road and dispossessed him of the laptops.
It was gathered that the suspects, who got the contact of their victim on Twitter, sent a message to him and requested two Apple MacBook Pro – 2018 edition laptops.
Remi, a South Africa returnee, in his confessional statement to the police, said, “I told the dealer that I was the managing director of a new company on Acme Road, Ikeja. I also told him that my daughter recommended that his laptops were legit. I ordered one for myself and another for my secretary.
“It took us a week to initiate, perfect and execute our plan. My colleague, Maxwell, borrowed his brother’s Camry car with number plate FKJ 833 EZ for the deal. We bought a toy gun and painted it. I controlled the dealer to Acme Road, because we knew that the area was desolate.
“While Maxwell drove, I sent a message to the dealer on WhatsApp that he should bring the consignment to my office. I told him that my driver would pick him up on Acme Road. We met him there and he boarded the vehicle, while the driver picked me up a few metres from where the dealer boarded the vehicle.
“He was sitting in front with the laptops. I placed the gun on his neck and ordered him to surrender the goods. We wanted to take his phone too, but he pleaded not to be stripped of everything. We told him to alight from the car and we escaped.”
However, it was gathered that Remi lied to his accomplice that two Apple laptops were collected from the dealer and that he sold each for N250,000, whereas he actually sold each for N500,000.
The dealer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that he had no idea that the suspects were robbers.
“One Uche ordered two Apple laptops. We were communicating on WhatsApp and I never had the slightest inkling that they were robbers. They used a gun and knife to dispossess me of the laptops. The three laptops are worth N1.5m,” he stated.
According to the police, the laptops have been recovered from their buyers.
Reacting to the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, advised Lagos residents to limit the information they post on the social media, adding that criminal elements were exploiting the social media to perpetrate crime.
He restated the commitment of the command to remain unrelenting in the pursuit of criminals in the state.
The first female to win in the Big Brother Naija reality TV show, Mercy Eke, and her boo, Ike were spotted in the after party of the BbNaija finale last night all loved up.
The couple who are a favorite of fans couldnt seem to keep their hands off each other.
Men of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested two suspected ritualists after being caught by a man, Amoo Bankoke, with the skull of his mother.
The suspects, Emmanuel Aro, 25, and Anu Olofinju, 25, were reported to have sneaked into a cemetery at Eggua in the Yewa North Local Government Area of the state and exhumed the skull from the grave.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday.
Oyeyemi said the suspects were arrested last Friday on the Ijoun Road in Eggua following a complaint by Bankole at the Eggua Police Station.
According to Oyeyemi, Bankole told the police that he sighted the two suspects at the cemetery, where the remains of his mother were buried a few months ago, digging the grave and that he suspected them to be up to something sinister.
He added, “Upon his report, the DPO, Eggua Division, SP Kehinde Oyekangun, quickly mobilised his men and moved to the scene, but met the two men on the road.
“They were promptly accosted and upon a search of the bag they carried, the skull of a woman was found in it.
“The complainant identified the skull to be that of his mother.
“Upon interrogation, the two suspects confessed to the crime and admitted that they intended to use the skull for money rituals.”
The PPRO said the state Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and prosecution.
In a related development, two men, Muhammed Sanni, 56, and Raimi Abdulateef, 20, were on Friday arraigned before an Osun State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Osogbo for having in their possession a human skull.
The men, who appeared before Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara, were said to have planned to use the skull for money rituals.
They were arraigned on three counts bordering on unlawful possession of a skull and indecent interference with the head of a corpse.
The accused, who had no legal representation, were said to have exhumed and severe the head of an unidentified corpse around Okeola area of Osogbo.
The police prosecutor, ASP John Idoko, stated that the suspects were arrested on September 24, 2019, around 2.45am.
He explained that the suspects were found with a human skull, which they intended to use for ritual purposes, adding that their action contravened sections 516, 329 (A), 242 (1)(b) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34 Vol. 11, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
The application of the accused for bail was not granted by the court.
Magistrate Ayilara, in his ruling, ordered the accused to be remanded in a correctional centre and adjourned the case till December 18, 2019.
Legendary broadcaster, Otunba Kunle Olasope, is dead.
The Efon-Alaaye, Ekiti State-born broadcaster, died in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Sunday at the age of 82.
Former Secretary-General, Efon Development League, Prince Adeyemi Adejoju, who confirmed the death of Olasope, who was until his passage, the chairman, Board of Trustees of the League, said the late “Olohun Iyo of Africa served Ekiti and Nigeria to the best of his abilities while he lived. He was indeed a great ambassador on many fronts.
“May the Lord console all, his nuclear and extended families as well as the Ekiti West Diocese of Anglican Communion and Efon Alaaye community at large,” Adejolu stated.
Olasope was the first male face and voice on television in Africa when Western Nigeria Television was established in Ibadan by the Western Regional Government of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
A prominent community leader, socialite and a devoted member of St Paul’s Anglican Church, Efon Alaaye, Olasope, who was a recipient of many awards, was also honoured with the Member of the Order of Niger (MON) by the Federal Government.
He was Chief Press Secretary to the then Ogun State Governor Olabisi Onabanjo between 1979 and 2003.
Olasope was also the Chairman of Ekiti State Broadcasting Service under former Governor Adeniyi Adebayo.
Mayhem arose at Ankpa, headquarters of Ankpa local government council of Kogi state over the weekend following a political clashed between the supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and that of the convoy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Engr Musa Wada while on a thank you visit to the area.
During the clashed many people were injured while vehicles were also razed down by both parties.
It was reliably gathered on Sunday that the incident occurred when the major road where the convoy of Engr. Musa Wada was allegedly blocked by unknown people.
Sources further added that some top politicians from the ruling party in the area reportedly drove their vehicles into the convoy of the PDP candidate leading to altercation.
Many people were injured while vehicles were also damaged during the clashed as both parties allegedly open gun fire.
The State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Busari who confirmed the incident said it was a clash that only one person was injured.
The PDP Campaign Council in a statement by its Director of Public Communication for the campaign council, Comrade Austin Usman Okai, condemned the attack and urged the state Commissioner of Police, and the Director of State Security Services to immediately investigate the incidence.
The 26-year-old video vixen Mercy Eke has emerged as the winner of Big Brother Naija season four.
After 99 entertaining days, Mercy was announced as the winner by Ebuka Obi Uchendu during the Live Finale show, which held on Sunday, October 6.
Mercy defeated fellow housemates, Mike, Frodd, Omashola and Seyi to emerge the winner of the whooping 60 Million grand prize.
Mercy remains one of the most talked-about housemate of Big Brother Naija season four..
Popularly referred to as Lamborghini Mercy and leader of the Power Puff girls in the house, her fashion sense and good looks kept viewers wanting more from her.
Tammy Abraham’s decision to snub Nigeria for England has not gone down well with former England international and Wimbledon FC star, John Fashanu, who believes the 20-year-old made the wrong footballing decision.
The Chelsea academy graduate became a subject of tussle between the English FA and the Nigeria Football Federation after posting scintillating performances for the Blues in the ongoing league campaign.
But England manager, Gareth Southgate, moved ahead of Nigeria by including Abraham in his squad to face Bulgaria and Czech Republic for the Euro 2020 qualifier much to the disappointment of many Nigerians who had hoped that the in-form striker will commit his future to Nigeria.
And Fashanu, who also featured for the Three Lions has told the Chelsea striker to have a rethink so as to prevent history from repeating itself- citing his own case as an example.
“I’ve now been living in Nigeria for 14 years and I know that I made the wrong choice not playing for Nigeria.
“For him right now, everything looks like England is fantastic and wonderful. But it is only like I did, as he gets older he will realise that Nigeria is his motherland and as we have our problems in Nigeria, England also has its problems.
“What I want to tell Tammy Abraham is to make the right choice and play for his motherland which is Nigeria. He will have more time and make more appearances playing for Nigeria but the truth is he will make more money playing for England.
“It is now up to him (Tammy) to decide if he wants to play for Nigeria more than 50 times or if he wants to make $1m.
“But as a patriotic Nigeria I would have loved him to play for Nigeria. Don’t make the same mistakes that we elders made then.
“As an elder in the game, I can only offer advice. My advice to Tammy is to forget about money because money will come and go.
“Come back to your motherland and play for the country which I didn’t do. That’s my advice because now I know where I went wrong. I made a lot of money but I only played for England twice. I could have still made money with the Nigeria national team and made more appearances and helped the country to win many trophies and do wonderful things.
“Now I look back and see some of the mistakes I made and I don’t want him and other young Nigerians to make the same mistakes that I made.”
The Wimbledon legend though admitted that the final decision lies with the 21-year-old player.
“At the end of the day we must understand that his choice is his own choice.
Though, we can influence his choices but he is a young man and a wonderful player who is in the best year of his life and he knows what it’s like.
Four family members, including a six-month-old baby in Kebbi have sued the Kebbi State Government and the Departmemt of State Services for alleged illegal arrest and detention for 13 days without trial.
The complainants — Abdulrahman Nasir Jato, Hadiza Nasir Jato, Aisha Zakari and a six-month-old baby who are residents of Yauri town were arrested and detained from September 1 to 13, by the DSS.
They were arrested in their house by DSS operatives for allegedly sending SMS to Governor Atiku Bagudu, seeking payment of their father’s gratuity.
The respondents in the case are DSS Kebbi State Command, State Director of DSS, Kebbi State Government and Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
Federal High Court Judge at, Birnin-Kebbi, Justice Bassey Onu Sunday, adjourned the case for ruling, saying the date will be communicated to all counsels.
The next time you’re stuck in traffic on the way to John F. Kennedy International Airport, you can honestly say, “Maybe we should’ve taken the chopper.”
Uber Technologies Inc. is now offering its Uber Copter service in New York to all Uber riders, the company announced on Thursday. Previously, only members of Uber’s top two tiers, Platinum and Diamond, could use the service, which began on July 9.
Regular Uber users have a four-hour window, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., in which to book an Uber Copter during weekday rush hours. A one-way ride costs from $200 to $225 per person.
“The focus in the near term is to open this up to all riders, to demonstrate this vision of seamless connection between cars and helicopters,” says Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate, the company’s flight business.
Through the app, customers are able to schedule a journey as far as five days in advance, until space is full. As with Uber car rides, prices will fluctuate, based on demand. Two helicopters will be used, for now, to make the trips.
The journey has three legs. First, an Uber car picks up riders and takes them to the Downtown Manhattan Heliport. For trips to JFK, Uber has limited pickups to locations below Houston Street, which the company says is designed to maximize customers’ time. “If you live on the Upper West Side, taking a trip to lower Manhattan and then a [helicopter] flight to JFK might not make much sense,” says Anil Nathan, Uber’s general manager of aviation. (The “only-below-Houston” rule does not apply if you’re flying from JFK to the heliport. After landing there, an Uber driver can take you to any destination, even if it’s above Houston Street.)
The flight itself takes about eight minutes, followed by an Uber car ride from the helipad near Terminal 8 at JFK to a passenger’s designated terminal. Trips can be booked via one request in the Uber app, instead of three separate ones, though customers will receive an emailed bill receipt for each leg.
Uber is using Bell 430 twin-engine helicopters operated by Newark-based company HeliFlite and has two pilots on every flight. There are six leather passenger seats for a maximum of eight people on board. They have Rolls-Royce 250-C40B turboshaft engines, are capable of speeds up to 161 mph, and cost about $6.2 million each.
The experience is not dissimilar from a normal plane ride, except much closer to the ground and near enough to recognize the buildings and neighborhoods you’re flying over. The three-step journey can take as little as 30 minutes, while the same trek by car from Manhattan can take an hour or more, depending on traffic. Public transportation generally takes from 50 to 75 minutes.
