Nigeria’s Calabar Carnival: Shimmying and shaking at Africas biggest party

This ranking is particularly concerning given the widespread of reported cases of corruption such as tax evasion and money laundering. Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who is the Democratic presidential nominee, issued a statement late Tuesday urging Nigeria’s president and military “to cease the violent crackdown on protesters.” Beyonce, John Boyega, Naomi Campbell and Rihanna are among the celebrities who have spoken out in support of Nigeria’s #EndSARS movement and have called for an end to the violence. Rihanna posted a photo on her Instagram account, showing a protester holding up a blood-soaked Nigerian flag. “Lives and limbs have been lost as criminals and miscreants are now hiding under the umbrella of these protests to unleash mayhem on our state,” Sanwo-Olu said in another statement posted on his official Twitter account Tuesday. “The bishop acknowledged that the crisis was ignited by an unknown person whose major target was to cause unrest amongst the peace-loving people of the area, emphasizing that what peace cannot offer, chaos cannot give,” the statement said.

After more than a half century of debate and defiance over the place of LGBTQ people in the denomination, General Conference delegates in May voted to end decades-old bans on the ordination of “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy and the officiation of same-sex weddings. Delegates also approved a measure that explicitly allows current central conferences to set their own standards for clergy ordination and church marriage rites, so long as those standards are in line with local laws and the denomination’s doctrinal statements. At least 13 people, including four children, have been killed in two incidents in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing distributed at annual Christmas events, police say. It is the second such stampede in a week in Africa’s most populous country as local organizations, churches and individuals are increasingly organizing charity events ahead of Christmas amid the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.

At least 10 people were killed and several wounded when a Nigerian military fighter jet pursuing bandits in two villages mistakenly bombed civilians in the northwestern state of Sokoto on Wednesday, the state governor Ahmed Aliyu said. In Nigeria, ‘godfatherism’ is a significant challenge to good governance and democratic development. It involves the use of money, power, and other forms of influence to secure political offices, contracts, and other benefits. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that corruption is not only widespread but also deeply rooted in the minds of many Nigerians who see bribery and corruption as an inevitable part of life. Despite these challenges, there are glimmers of hope such as a draft treaty that is now in the works on establishing an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACCourt).

Cross River State state sees the carnival – now Nigeria’s biggest – as a way to draw visitors not just from across Nigeria – but also those from the diaspora. The one below depicts manillas – the brass bracelets introduced as a form of currency by Portuguese traders and used from the 16th to the 19th Centuries. The troupe pictured below is from the University of Calabar – with costumes printed with the institution’s logo. Christmas revellers descended on Nigeria’s southern port city of Calabar this weekend for its festive carnival dubbed “Africa’s biggest street party”.

One killed, four injured in farmers-herders clash in Jigawa community

“When Yohanna, his cabinet and approximately 30% of The United Methodists in Nigeria communicated that they resigned from the UMC and joined the GMC … And took the United Methodist property, equipment and funds, they had a significant hurdle to overcome. Nigeria law has ruled in the past that the property stays with the denomination and does not go with the breakaway group,” Schol said.

The fighting spread to the surrounding community, where huts were torched, resulting in the deaths of 4-year-old Abednego and 2-year-old Baby, children of Abraham Kefas, a church member and overseer of Divine Success UMCN Nursery and Primary School in the Munga Dosso community. A month of celebrations in December draws many partygoers to Calabar, the capital of Cross River state and home to many Christian communities. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including orientdailynews.com people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges.

The death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased from 13 to 32, police said Sunday. The victims, including at least four children, collapsed during crowd surges as people grew desperate for food items while the country grapples with the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Ten people, including four children, have been killed in a stampede in Nigeria’s capital city as a large crowd gathered to collect food items distributed by a local church at a Christmas event, the police said Saturday. In all, a united front against corruption, supported by both the government and civil society, is essential for building a more equitable future.

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Consulate General in Lagos remained shut Wednesday after closing its doors a day earlier due to the violence. The governor said one person who was recently admitted to a Lagos hospital has died “due to blunt force trauma to the head.” The Lagos state commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso, said Tuesday that “there have been reports of shooting” at the Lekki toll gate, one of the main roads into Lagos’s business district, following the announcement of the curfew. Hundreds of protesters have been gathering at the toll gate in Lekki, a wealthy suburb of Lagos. The United Methodist Church has filed a lawsuit against the Global Methodist Church to reverse the government certificate (license to operate as a denomination in Nigeria) from GMC to UMC.

Aliyu added that the state will collaborate with other authorities to investigate the military operation that killed people in the villages of Gidan Sama and Rintuwa in the Surame local government area. For Nigeria to address corruption, it must foster a culture that prioritises transparency and accountability at all levels of government. This requires not only the establishment of strong legal frameworks but also the political will to enforce them. With fictitious appointments, connected individuals receive salaries without fulfilling any duties, draining public resources and perpetuating inefficiency.

The path forward is fraught with challenges, yet the potential for transformative change exists. It is imperative that Nigeria as leader in Africa takes a frontline position in bolstering the inter-continental fight against corruption, including through robust support of the IACCourt, and the global peer learning to foster a culture of integrity and accountability in global exchanges. The IACCourt will help law-enforcement in crimes that have been universally agreed upon under the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) – bribery of public officials, embezzlement, misappropriation of public resources, and money laundering. By facilitating cross-border cooperation and enhancing legal frameworks, the IACCourt will help Nigeria recover stolen assets and hold corrupt individuals accountable.

Three women who say they were trafficked and exploited by Gold alleged that she took their passports, and that Gold threatened to kill them and dump their bodies in the desert if they didn’t do as they were told. At one point, the women said, they lived in a two-bedroom apartment, with Gold in one bedroom and as many as 18 women crammed into the other. Instead, she’d have to participate in sex work at clubs, restaurants and hotels to pay her $12,000 debt to Gold for bringing her there. Uadiale, also known as “Christy Gold,” was arrested after a federal high court in Nigeria convicted her in absentia March 21 on a six-count charge of trafficking in persons. Lagos State Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has condemned the alleged shooting, saying in a statement Wednesday that “there are no excuses.” He has also warned that the growing protests have “degenerated into a monster that is threatening the well-being of our society.”

The government has strengthened the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to enhance its investigative capabilities and also introduced digital platforms to promote transparency in public procurement. While these efforts aim to increase citizen engagement and advocacy, the road to a corruption-free Nigeria is paved with challenges. Some of the challenges are impunity among high-ranking officials, as well as the slow pace of judicial processes. The investigation was part of ICIJ’s Trafficking Inc. project, which explored the networks of companies, people and business practices that profit from cross-border labor trafficking and sex trafficking abuse.