Good morning.
Today we are remembering Bolanle Raheem, who was killed by a cop in Lagos on Christmas Day. And are you ready for Elon Musk’s Starlink?
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Bolanle Raheem (1981 - 2022)
This story is devastating in many ways. But it has to be told.
Bolanle Raheem, a lawyer and entrepreneur and wife and mother, was in a car with her family on Christmas Day.
They were driving home after visiting the supermarket and Domino’s Pizza.
There was no need to worry until they tried to make a u-turn at a popular junction and police officials flagged down the car.
What happened next? A police officer raised his gun and shot, hitting Bolanle on the chest.
They tried to rush her to a hospital but she didn’t make it.
She died.
Her death has sparked angry reactions from many Nigerians.
Police brutality and extrajudicial killing is common in Nigeria. In 2020, young Nigerians took to the streets to call for reforms. But the #EndSARS protests, as significant as they were, appear not to have been enough.
Definitely not enough to save Bolanle and her family from the lifelong grief.
The police have vowed to prosecute the erring officials. But expect another similar incident. Like journalist David Hundeyin explained in this thread, the problem is systematic and can only be solved by upending and restructuring the Nigerian police force.
To be clear, the point is: Nigerians are policed by gluttons, liars, fraudsters, thieves, drunkards, drug addicts, murderers. Decent police officers are the exception not the norm. We can’t continue like this.
Rest in peace, Bolanle.
What else is happening?
Premium Times: The newspaper’s editorial board is calling for the sack of central bank governor Godwin Emefiele. “Unfortunately, whether it was his intention to run for office of president of the Federal Republic (as a card-carrying member of one of our political parties) a few months back, or his decision to convert large portions of the Federal Government’s deficit into cash provided by the Central Bank, Mr Emefiele’s tenure as Central Bank governor has been an unusual one,” the editorial said.
Christmas attack: As they prepared to celebrate Christmas, gunmen reportedly attacked Angwan Aku community in Kajuru local government area of Kaduna state and abducted 45 persons.
Fraud watch: At least 6,047 Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) have been placed under a watch list for fraudulent transactions, according to the central bank.
Satellite broadband: Elon Musk’s Starlink is expected to officially launch in Nigeria before the end of the year. Startup kits may cost up to $600 with a monthly subscription of $43.
Inflation: Airplane ticket prices increased by 97.09% in one year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Christmas nuisance: The Lagos state government shut down popular nightclub Quilox over noise pollution.
Seeking answers: After escaping terror in Kaduna, a chronic illness still haunts this family.
Arsenal: Anyone expecting the Gunners to slow down after the World Cup break may be in for a shocker. In their first Premier League game since the break, Mikel Arteta’s men displayed why they are top of the table. This Arsenal fan watching from Nigeria was elated.
Climate desk
Clean fuel: One expert is predicting that solar will become a more significant component of Nigeria’s energy mix.
Think tank: More than 500 farmers and agricultural experts met in Kaduna to brainstorm solutions to climate change challenges affecting farmers in the North-West.
Climate-health nexus: The climate crisis in Africa is a health crisis, argues Yacine Djibo.
Stop the burn: Climate activists are gluing themselves to the road in Berlin over Germany’s plans to replace Russian gas with coal.
Religious comforts: How can the Church help respond to climate change? Through spiritual guidance and physical resources, according to one man.