Headline

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

Published

1 year 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

Obesity’: Father Forced 6-year-old To Run On Treadmill, Son Dies [VIDEO]

Published

6 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

A disturbing video has emerged showing an accused “killer” father forcing his 6-year-old son to run on a treadmill because the child was “too fat”.

Christopher Gregor, 31, appeared in court Tuesday, April 30 to stand trial for allegedly murdering his son Corey Micciolo in 2021. He faces life in prison if convicted.

During the trial, the Superior Court in New Jersey was shown surveillance video of Gregor forcing Corey to run on a treadmill after the boy fell off multiple times due to the exercise machine’s excessive speed.

Gregor and his son were seen on March 20, 2021, entering the Atlantic Heights Clubhouse fitness center, where the boy was promptly placed on the treadmill and began running, according to a video, obtained by CourtTV.com.

Footage captured Gregor walking up to the treadmill to increase the speed and raise the incline of the track.

The sudden changes in speed and elevation were too much for the little boy’s legs, causing him to fall down and slide off the moving track.

Despite the son falling off, Gregor lifted and tossed him back onto the treadmill, which forced the child’s legs to fold backwards as the father seemingly clamped his teeth into Corey’s head.

The boy gets back on, but again falls off and continues to struggle to remain on the machine, eventually leading the father to decrease both the the speed and incline.

The boy’s mother, Bre Micciolo, was the first witness to take the stand and was in tears as she watched the horrific video.

Days before her son’s death, Bre Micciolo reported the boy’s injuries to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency, according to the US Sun.

On April 1, she requested that Gregor take their son to see a doctor.

While at the appointment, Corey reportedly revealed his father made him run on the treadmill “because he was too fat,” the outlet reported.

The next day, Gregor rushed the young boy to the hospital because the boy woke up from a nap stumbling, slurring his words, and experiencing nausea and shortness of breath, according to Court TV.

During a CT scan, Corey suffered a seizure, forcing medical staff to take life-saving measures, but he died.

An initial autopsy found Corey died as a result of blunt force injuries with cardiac and liver contusions with acute inflammation and sepsis.

Gregor was arrested in July 2021 on child neglect charges stemming from investigators reviewing the surveillance footage from the fitness center.

“Specifically by having (Corey) run on a treadmill and increasing the speed, causing (Corey) to fall, placing (him) back on the moving treadmill while appearing to bite his head, causing the said child to fall several more times,” an arrest warrant obtained by the outlet read.

In September 2021, a forensic pathologist determined Corey’s death to be a homicide as he suffered from chronic abuse including blunt impact injuries on his chest and abdomen with a laceration on his heart, left pulmonary contusion, and laceration and contusion of his liver.

Dr Thomas Andrew believes Corey suffered an acute traumatic injury to the heart four to 12 hours before his death, according to Court TV.

Gregor was arrested on March 9, 2022, for his son’s death but turned down a 30-year plea deal.

He is being held in the New Jersey Jail without bond.

NEW: Mother breaks down in court as she watches her son’s father abuse her child by making him run on the treadmill because he was “too fat.”
New Jersey father Christopher Gregor is accused of killing his 6-year-old son Corey Micciolo.
New footage shows the boy repeatedly face… pic.twitter.com/aVKknkOGd5
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 1, 2024

Headline

14-year-old British-Nigerian’s Death Raises Renewed Concerns Over Knife Violence In London

Published

6 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

The recent sword attack in Hainault, a suburban area in northeast London, has sparked renewed discussions about the ongoing issue of knife crime in the UK, particularly in the capital.

The young victim of the attack has been identified as Daniel Anjorin, a 14-year-old boy.

The Times reports that Anjorin, the son of a science teacher, went to school with Grace O’Malley-Kumar, the Nottingham knife-attack victim.

According to recent data from the Office for National Statistics, reported by Sky News, there has been a 7% rise in knife crime from December 2022 to December 2023. Over the past decade, there has been a significant 81% increase in this type of crime.

Knife-related crime rates in London and the West Midlands are among the highest in England and Wales.

The number of knife-related crimes reported by the Met Police increased by 20% between 2022 and 2023, while in the West Midlands, there was an 8% rise.

In 2023, London saw a concerning 30% of knife-related crimes, amounting to 165 incidents per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile, the West Midlands recorded a slightly lower rate of 118 incidents per 100,000.

For both male and female victims, sharp objects such as kitchen knives, swords, and machetes accounted for two-fifths of all killings in the United Kingdom in the year ending in March 2023.

While the recent attack involved the use of a sword, statistics from the Home Office indicate that such incidents are relatively rare in cases of fatal stabbings.

Although the attacker employed a sword in yesterday’s incident, it contributed to only three fatalities involving sharp objects in 2023.

Faron Paul, leader of Faz Amnesty, an organisation facilitating the surrender of weapons by children to the police, expressed at the scene of the blockade that authorities are not sufficiently addressing the prevention of knife crime.

Speaking with the BBC, he said, “It’s not rising. It’s gone through the roof. We’ve got a big problem here. Children are dying on the street every single day. You’ve got a problem. And I don’t feel like the right things are being put in place to prevent, deter or stop knife crime.”

He added that it wasn’t just the area but “the whole of London has a problem.”

“We need to have better consequences and laws in place. We need to stop buying and selling illegal weapons online. And then we need to think about preventative measures.”

Headline

[UPDATED] London Sword Attack: Suspect Under Police Custody After Hospital Recovery

Published

9 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Editor

The 36-year-old suspect in the deadly London sword attack is currently under police custody after recuperating in a hospital, BBC reports.

The suspect, wielding a sword, was arrested after a dramatic pursuit by law enforcement officers.

The Metropolitan Police clarified that the incident was not terror-related, allaying fears of broader security concerns.

Authorities also confirmed that no other suspects are being pursued in connection with the attack.

According to police reports, the suspect was subdued by officers using a taser after attempting to evade capture.

According to a previous report by The Associated Press, the suspect was transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment after the van he was driving collided with a building.

Due to the injuries he sustained, officers were unable to conduct an interview with him on Tuesday.

BBC has confirmed that the suspect, 36, is out of hospital and is now in police custody

A 14-year-old British-Nigerian boy, Daniel Anjorin, was confirmed as one of the victims of the attack.

Daniel, along with two police officers and two other individuals, were the victims of the violent incident that occurred on the streets of east London.

According to an official statement, the Metropolitan Police said the van crashed into a property on Laing Close, causing injuries to a 33-year-old man.

Afterwards, the suspect violently attacked the individual, resulting in an injury to the neck.

Additionally, the suspect injured a 35-year-old man who sustained lacerations to his arm.

The suspect then proceeded to attack Anjorin.

Ade Caxton-Cole, a family friend, while speaking with the BBC, described the Anjorin family as a tightly-knit unit, emphasising the strong support they are receiving from the community.

When asked about the well-being of Daniel’s siblings, she revealed that they are struggling to come to terms with the shocking reality of what has transpired.

“Having a brother one moment and then gone the next moment. It is a shock to them. They will need time. Right now it is too soon, it’s too close,” she said.