Headline

Bleak Christmas As Insecurity, High Cost Of Living, Others Mar Celebrations

Published

3 years ago

December 25, 2022

It is another Christmas, a season people travel to be with their loved ones. For some Nigerians, it is more than a Christmas celebration, it is a period of homecoming.

Nigerians are known to be travelling home every December for Christmas and New Year celebrations. They used the occasion to besiege their villages from wherever they may reside including those in the Diaspora.

While some attributed this quest to visit home during the end of the year as an inborn trait, others saw it as more of a homecoming, a get-together for an average Nigerian traveller. The latter school of thought believes that Christmas time provides people with the opportunity to unite with their families and loved ones.

This period of homecoming usually witnesses so many social and cultural events such as housewarming, weddings, child naming/dedication, burial, football competitions and masquerade displays among others.

Before now, many had thought that nothing would deter Nigerians from travelling home during this annual festivity. However, the worsening security challenges in the country, the biting economic hardship and an astronomic increase in transport fares have changed the narrative. People are afraid to go home for fear of being killed by bandits and unknown gunmen. They are hungry and ever-busy motor parks and markets are scanty.

Gloomy Situation

A trip to some major parks in major cities like Lagos and Abuja showed a drastic decrease in the number of travellers from the previous years. The above-mentioned factors were said to be responsible. For example, a journey from Lagos to Onitsha that cost about N11, 000 in November was N27, 000, a more than a 200 per cent increase, on Friday.

Transporters are not happy with the gloomy situation. They voiced their frustration when asked to compare this year with previous years.

“This is supposed to be a boom time”, said Onoja, a driver with an interstates transport company.

“But you can see what’s happening here, this place used to boom by this time. As you can see, everywhere is dry and it’s not good for us.”

Economic Hardship

The scenario is the same across major markets. In Lagos, markets like Oyingbo, Mile12 etc. recorded low turnouts of traders. The reason is not far-fetched: economic hardship. For instance, a bag of 50kg rice, which was sold between N15, 000 and N20, 000 last year, is selling between N40, 000 and N45, 000 as of Friday.

“How many Nigerians do you think can afford a bag of rice at this period when the minimum wage is N30,000 and salaries are owed in many states?”, Adeola, who deals in foodstuff at Daleko Market, Mushin, Lagos queried.

“The economy is bad and nothing is working. It’s unfortunate that this government only knows how to visit hardship on the people”.

Insecurity

According to VANGUARD findings, insecurity tops the reasons why many people were not travelling. Those who spoke to our correspondents attributed the situation to the menace of unknown gunmen, kidnappers, bandits, armed herdsmen, etc who have been terrorizing the entire country.

The South-East, which used to be one of Nigeria’s relatively peaceful regions, has witnessed rising violence in recent years. Gunmen have been on the rampage in the geo-political zone, killing scores including police officers and burning police stations, Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, offices, shops and vehicles.

The recent spike in violent attacks followed a five-day sit-at-home across South-East from December 9 – 14, declared by Simon Ekpa, a controversial Finland-based Biafra agitator and leader of the pro-Biafran group, Autopilot IPOB, a faction of the IPOB.

During the enforcement of the order, many people were killed, including Prince Iheme, an elder brother to Nollywood actor, Osita Iheme. Properties worth billions of Naira were also destroyed.

The unconscionable enforcement of the now unpopular sit-at-home has injected fear into the people.

Instead of those living outside Igbo land to visit home, as usual, it is residents in the region that are leaving their ancestral homes in droves to meet their loved ones in Asaba, Lagos, Abuja, etc.

For example, a report by SBM Intelligence for DevEast Foundation said insecurity and sit-at-home protests in the South East have led to massive economic losses estimated at almost N4 trillion in two years.

The study noted that transporters plying inter and intra highways and other roads in the five states of the region lose between N10 billion and N13 billion every day of the sit-at-home protest. It added that small and medium enterprises mostly involved in trade and commerce, as well as artisans, lost between N655 billion and N3.8 trillion within 24 months.

The losses, according to the report, could be traced to specific factors including loss of between four and five working days per week; job losses due to cutbacks by business owners in response to the reduced working hours and other lost opportunities; loss of clients and customers who find alternatives because of the unstable business environment in the South-East; and increased cost of service delivery because of extra logistical costs.

The study added that the activities of official and non-state actors of various stripes – unknown gunmen, Eastern Security Network (ESN) and Ebube Agu and military operations in the zone, agitations by IPOB as well as the #EndSARS protests of 2020 – also worsened the security situation in the region and contributed to the losses. The story is not different from any other part of the country.

Not even the presence of increased formal security measures and parallel quasi-security formations like the one formed by the Benue State government could stop the incessant violent attacks across the country. The agitations, violence and inability of constituted authorities to handle the security situation in the country appear to have further dwindled public trust in the political and community leaders due to their apparent helplessness.

Not even the assurances of state governors and security agencies that the security of lives and properties of all citizens was guaranteed could convince everybody who wanted to travel to do so. Those who dare to travel in the face of insecurity said they were doing so because of important engagements they have at home.

Sharing his thought with our correspondent, Obinna, a trader at Alaba International market, Lagos, said: “I know the risks involved but I can’t help it. I have an important engagement in the village and my presence is required. So, I’m travelling.”

Another trader at Ladipo market in Lagos, Emmanuel, said he’s travelling because of the burial of his late mum which is scheduled for January 5, 2023.

His words: “It’s my mother we are talking about here. We can’t keep her in the morgue forever. The date has been fixed and we will give her a befitting burial. It’s our hope and prayers that nothing unfortunate happens that day.”

Mr Paul Eso, a journalist, he’s travelling with his entire family to see his aged parents.

According to him, “since my parents are old and weak to be moving around from village to the city and verse versa, it is my duty to always check on them and there’s no best time to do so than this Christmas season.”

Meanwhile, Favour Ama said he would have travelled but for the exorbitant transport fares.

“The only thing discouraging me from going to my village during this yuletide is the high cost of transportation. Things are hard, I don’t want to go past myself. When things get better in the country, I will travel home.”

Similarly, Mrs Blessing Sunday, Mr Ebere Okwara and John Abasi all said they would have travelled if not for the insecurity in the country.

“I love visiting home during this period. I planned to travel for Christmas but was deterred by high cost of transportation and insecurity. It is unfortunate that the government who came to power on the mantra of change has failed woefully in discharging its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property”, Abasi said.

VANGUARD

Headline

Trump Orders Tougher Visa Screening Regime

Published

22 hours ago

November 10, 2025

Editor

The Donald Trump administration has reinstated a sweeping global visa policy that can make it harder for many foreign nationals—including Nigerians—to obtain U.S. visas, as Washington revives its controversial “public charge” rule targeting those deemed likely to depend on public benefits.

A newly issued State Department cable, obtained by Fox News Digital, directed American embassies and consulates worldwide to enforce the policy immediately. The directive, which officials say restores a Trump-era standard relaxed under President Joe Biden, instructs U.S. consular officers to deny visas to anyone considered likely to rely on government assistance in the United States of America.

Under the rule, visa applicants will be assessed on a wide range of personal factors—including their health, age, English proficiency, financial stability, and potential need for long-term medical care.

Consular officers are urged to take a holistic approach, considering everything from the applicant’s visa petition and financial affidavit to their medical report and any other information uncovered during background checks.

“You must examine all aspects of the case,” the guidance reads, “including the petition, visa application, medical report, affidavit of support, and any information uncovered in the course of screening and vetting.”

Older applicants, particularly those nearing retirement age, are expected to face extra scrutiny. The cable notes that “long-term institutionalisation (e.g., at a nursing facility) can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per year and should be considered,” suggesting that age and health will play major roles in visa decisions.

The revived rule follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidisation of Open Borders”. The order, according to the State Department memo, aims to ensure “that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.”

The cable further stresses that the public charge determination rests solely on the judgment of each consular officer, who must conduct a “comprehensive and thorough vetting” before issuing any visa. “There is no ‘bright line’ test,” the cable adds. “You must consider all aspects of the case and determine whether the applicant’s circumstances… suggest that he is more likely than not to become a public charge at any time.”

A State Department official told Fox News Digital, “For years, the American taxpayer was held hostage by the Biden administration’s disastrous open borders agenda… The Trump administration has brought an end to the era of mass immigration.”

The U.S. State Department controls visa issuance at embassies abroad, while the Department of Homeland Security manages who is ultimately admitted into the country or allowed to adjust status once inside the U.S. Though both agencies operate under the same immigration laws, the new guidance grants wide latitude to consular officers overseas to reject applicants on “public charge” grounds.

Before now, the Biden administration’s 2022 version of the rule had limited the benefits considered under the policy — counting only direct cash assistance and long-term institutional care, while excluding popular social support programmes such as food stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, housing vouchers, and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programme.

The Trump administration had expanded that definition in 2019 to include a broader range of public benefits, though several U.S. courts later blocked parts of the policy before it was scrapped by President Biden in 2021.

This week’s cable now marks a full return to that broader interpretation, instructing American consular officials to “conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting” and to verify all supporting financial documents presented by applicants.

For many Nigerians seeking U.S. visas — from students and workers to elderly immigrants joining family abroad — the revived rule could mean more rejections and lengthier processing times.

Headline

Mexican President Pledges Tougher Sexual‑harassment Laws After Being Groped

Published

5 days ago

November 6, 2025

Editor

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday unveiled proposals to boost reporting and prosecution of sexual abuse after she herself was groped in the street in an attack that caused outrage.

Mexico’s first woman president, 63, was assaulted on Tuesday by a drunken man while walking through the streets of the capital.

The assault made global headlines and focused attention on the dangers and harassment suffered by many women in the Latin American country.

Sheinbaum has pressed charges against her attacker for sexual harassment, a charge that in Mexico City covers lewd behaviour and groping.

She has also ordered a review of the widely diverging laws on sexual harassment and abuse across Mexico’s 32 states.

Sexual harassment in public spaces is so prevalent in Mexico that in the last decade, the authorities have created women-only spaces on the metro.

Other cities with similar arrangements include Mumbai and Rio.

“May what happened serve so that women do not feel alone in situations of harassment or abuse… and for this to happen, there must be institutions and a government that supports them,” Sheinbaum told her regular morning press conference.

The UN says around 70 per cent of Mexican girls and women aged 15 and over will experience at least one incident of sexual harassment in their lives.

Sheinbaum said that 45 per cent had experienced sexual “abuse.”

The man who assaulted her put one arm around her shoulder while she was greeting supporters, and with his other hand touched her hip and chest while attempting to kiss her neck.

A member of Sheinbaum’s security detail pulled him away.

Citlalli Hernandez, Secretary for Women, said more than 25,000 complaints of sexual harassment have been filed so far this year.

Headline

US Lawmakers Urge Sanctions On Miyetti Allah, Others Over Alleged Religious Violations

Published

5 days ago

November 6, 2025

Editor

The United States House of Representatives has urged the Departments of State and Treasury to impose targeted sanctions on individuals and organisations, including Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, over alleged violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.

This was contained in a resolution introduced before the House on Tuesday and cited by The PUNCH from the US Congress website on Wednesday.

Recall that Trump, in a post on Truth over the weekend, declared Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and threatened to take military action if the country did not stem the alleged killings of Christians.

Filed as H. Res. 860 in the 119th Congress, the resolution, submitted by Rep. Christopher Smith with Rep. Paul Huizenga as a co-sponsor, commends President Donald Trump for redesignating Nigeria as a CPC.

The sponsors decried the alleged worsening persecution of Christians and other religious minorities.

They cited a catalogue of findings and reports that informed the measure, including media accounts and NGO data alleging large-scale attacks on civilians, destruction of places of worship, and a pattern of impunity.

The resolution reads in parts, “For over a decade, Islamic terror organisations have carried out mass murder, rape, kidnappings, and other atrocities targeting mostly Nigerian Christians and non-Fulani moderate Muslim populations, resulting in mass displacement and destruction of places of worship

“Prominent Christian and Muslim leaders have been kidnapped or assassinated, including priests, pastors, and imams who advocate for religious tolerance;

“Religious leaders, such as Father Remigius Iyhula and Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, who testified on March 12, 2025, at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee about the persecution and targeted killings of Christians in the Diocese of Makurdi, have faced intimidation, threats, and harassment from both extremist groups and government authorities.”

Supporters of the measure argued that the CPC redesignation would strengthen diplomatic leverage to press Nigeria for accountability and protection of religious minorities.

“The designation of Nigeria as a CPC will enhance diplomatic efforts to encourage the Nigerian government to take necessary actions to protect religious minorities and uphold fundamental human rights,” they said.

They therefore moved that “President Donald Trump acted appropriately and decisively to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC and hold the Nigerian government accountable for its complicity in religious persecution by radical Islamists, such as Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists.”

They further recommended conditioning US foreign assistance on demonstrable steps by Nigeria to prevent persecution, prosecute alleged perpetrators, and care for displaced populations.

“The State Department should provide immediate humanitarian assistance directly to faith-based groups to support internally displaced people in Nigeria’s middle belt states.

“The United States, through the Department of State and Department of Treasury, should impose targeted sanctions, including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky framework and other restrictive measures, on individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom in Nigeria, including sanctions against Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, and should place Fulani-Ethnic Militias operating in Benue and Plateau States on the Entities of Particular Concern List under the International Religious Freedom Act,” the resolution read.

The resolution also asked the US to justify the purposes and amounts of recent security and development assistance to Nigeria and to tie future support to improved human-rights outcomes.

The resolution was referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Judiciary Committee for further consideration.

If it advances out of committee, the resolution would mark a clear congressional signal backing Trump’s CPC decision and could open the door to further legislative or executive actions.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government had said the United States’ designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged violations of religious freedom is based on a wrong perception of the country’s security challenges.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja while addressing journalists.

Idris said the US position stemmed from “misrepresentation and misinformation” about Nigeria’s internal security situation.

According to him, terrorism and violent crimes in Nigeria do not target any particular religious group.

“Nigeria faces long-standing security challenges that have impacted Christians and Muslims alike.

“Any narrative suggesting that the Nigerian state is failing to take action against religious attacks is based on misinformation or faulty data,” Idris said.