Lekki Massacre — Where are the bodies?

Odi Massacre (1999): Where are the bodies?

Zaki Biam Massacre (2001): Where are the bodies?

Baga Massacre (2013): Where are the bodies?

Zaria Massacre (2015): Where are the bodies?

Lekki Massacre (2020): Where are the bodies?

In August 2013, Associated Press reported details of how hundreds of detainees by the Nigerian Army had gone missing since the government imposed a state of emergency on three northeastern states.

Later that year, Aljazeera reported that Nigeria's military had killed more civilians than the extremist group, Boko Haram.

Despite evidence of the carting away of bodies at the toll gate by Humangle and Premium Times, and the interviews of people who have their relatives and friends missing from the scene by CNN, unthinking supporters of this government are still asking,

"Where are the bodies?"

20.10.20

One month later.

We will never forget.

Yesterday morning, I finished Morgan Housel’s The Psychology of Money — Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness. Morgan is a partner at The Collaborative Fund and a former columnist at The Motley Fool and The Wall Street Journal.

For a few years now, apart from observing my thoughts about personal finance, Morgan has to be the other guy I take seriously when it has to do with dealing with money. His articles at The Collaborative Fund blog has blessed me immensely so I was excited when he released his first book two months ago. Two topics impact everyone, whether you are interested in them or not: health and money. …

NSE’s Unprecedented Circuit Breaker Event— Questions Arising

Today, for the first time since it was introduced in 2016, the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) circuit breaker was triggered after the NSE ASI rose beyond the set threshold of 5%.

In layman's terms, it means that there was so much gains made on the market that the NSE had all trades paused. This halt for all stocks lasted for 30 minutes.

What's curious for me is the trigger.

Stock exchanges around the world use trading curbs to guard against extreme market volatility and massive panic sell-offs. …

Yesterday evening, I finished Tim Harford’s “Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy”. Tim Harford is a journalist, economist, and broadcaster who currently is a senior columnist at the Financial Times and is the host of a BBC World Service program. The book was published in 2017.

The book is Tim’s attempt at identifying fifty illuminating stories about inventions that have shaped the modern economy. He was explicit in saying that it is not an attempt to define the fifty most significant inventions in economic history.

I write this review at the immediate aftermath of the #LekkiShooting that trail the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria and while I had read this part before the protests started, writing this review now makes me wonder how I will answer the question the author posed at the beginning of the…

Musing on the Paystack-Stripe Deal

I can't help musing on the Paystack breakthrough.

For those who don't understand what they do, imagine that you go to a website to buy a shoe. The website incorporates Paystack for you to pay by entering your ATM card details on the Paystack feature on that website. They make it safe for you to use your cards online to purchase goods and devices without issues.

In tech-speak, Paystack describes itself as an online payment gateway that makes it easy for merchants to accept credit and debit card payments online from users or customers.

Look at. …

#EndSARS — A Protest Beyond Police Brutality

A friend asked on my wall, "SARS has been disbanded, what else do the protesters want?"
- - -

Well, you don't understand. Asides the fact that over the years people have come to disbelieve the government - some folks had fellow citizens die in their hands during these protests as at yesterday - there is bottled-up anger in the land.

They are angry at the general insecurity in the land.

They are angry at the unemployment rate in the country.

They are angry at the hunger fuelled by the high inflation.

But they had no place to make this anger felt by the authorities. …

How I founded SARS in the Police – RTD CP Midenda.

Recently, there were public demonstrations for and against the continued existence of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, a dreaded anti crime unit of the Nigeria Police Force. The vexatious issue which took the front burner in national discourse resulted in the big question about how SARS came to be. There have been claims and counter-claims. One of the gallant officers of the force whose name kept on ringing bell over the issue is Simeon Danladi Midenda, a retired Commissioner of Police. He was the Nigerian Contingent Commander to United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1998. In the mission, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Operations in Mostar Region. He was Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigations Department, CID, in Umuahia, Abia state,, Deputy Commissioner, CID in Federal Capital Territory and also Deputy Commissioner, Operation in the Federal Capital Territory. At Force headquarters level, he was the Commissioner of Police, Federal Operations. He finally retired as the Commissioner of Police, Borne State in March 20 12. The search for him to comment on the issue was, no doubt, herculean but rewarding at the end of the day. …

#EndSARS — What is the Government Afraid Of?

There is absolutely no big deal about Ending SARS for this government.

None whatsoever.

The people are not asking for free education or healthcare. They are not even asking that you reverse the terrible policy of closed borders which has increased hunger in the land.

They are saying, disband a rogue unit in a rogue institution.

You don't need a constitutional amendment. You don't even need to consult the legislature or the judiciary.

This rogue unit was probably concocted by an officer in the police force seeking to feel important.

What then is the big deal in disbanding the unit? …