Tuesday Briefing: Bandits Paradise, Ugandan Hypocrisy and Porn's Reckoning
What you need to know to start your morning.
Good morning.
I’m covering the ongoing efforts to rescue over 300 abducted students in Katsina, the remanding of Nigerian popstars, Omah Lay and Tems, and how a piece of excellent journalism is changing the behaviour of an adult company.
Bandits call the shots
Three days after over 300 students were abducted from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina, the kidnappers have made contact with the state government, the Presidency said in a statement on Monday.
“Likely, the bandits will be paid to free the boys,” Bulama Bukarti, a security analyst said on Twitter.
While negotiations are going on, apparently at least, more voices have continued to weigh in on the situation. The United Nations has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the students. The Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, said: “We really don’t know what are the causes of these mass killings of innocent people.” And Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, concluded that President Buhari is "not in charge.”
Quote: “Over five years since Chibok, we have yet to anticipate and to guard against a repeat. We continue to hand over innocent wards cheaply, en masse, to the agents of darkness and despair. A government refuses to accept that, as indicated several times over, the nation is at war.”
Related: Arriving on motorcycles, gunmen have kidnapped at least 19 people in Ogu and Tegina communities in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
Omah Lay, Tems stuck in Uganda
Nigerian music is widely loved in East Africa, but that appeal hasn’t stopped Ugandan authorities from detaining popstars Omah Lay and Tems. Both were arrested on Sunday for flouting Covid guidelines during a concert performance.
As expected, the backlash from Nigerian netizens has been vociferous. Cultural icons like Wizkid and Burna Boy have tweeted in support of the detained duo, calling for their release. “Free my people & bring them home safe!” Wizkid tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Ugandan police, who paraded Omah Lay in handcuffs on Monday in court, have said the duo will remain in custody till at least Wednesday.
Context: Uganda is set to hold elections on January 14 and the country is tense. Violence has been recorded in past weeks and critics have blamed President Yoweri Museveni for his high-handed tactics as he bids to extend his 35-year grip on power. Interestingly, Museveni’s main contender is Bobi Wine, a musician.
Is it a coincidence that Museveni has continued to hold political rallies with large crowds while his government is cracking down on music concerts? Maybe it’s not just about Covid, but also politics.
Response: Chairman of the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said “everything possible is being done to get" Omah Lay and Tems released. But she has also faced criticism for typing laughing emojis while retweeting a comment mocking the artists for disobeying Ugandan local laws.
Byebye, Mr Trump
It’s official. The US Electoral College affirmed Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump on Monday.
The Electoral College vote put paid to Mr Trump’s fantastical hopes to change, through the courts and dark propaganda, the outcome of an election he lost by about seven million.
Trump: The outgoing president remains in denial. After the Electoral College announcement, he called for people to ignore the decision. “This Fake Election can no longer stand,” he said.
What Next: Mr Biden, who has already begun assembling his cabinet and key personnel, will be sworn in on January 20. He has said one of his first decisions will be to make masks mandatory in public spaces, as the world’s largest economy continues to grapple with rising cases of Covid.
In a speech after the announcement, Biden said US democracy had been "pushed, tested and threatened" and "proved to be resilient, true and strong".
Not-So-Related: The US has administered its first Covid vaccinations. “I feel like healing is coming,” one of the first health workers to receive the vaccine, Sandra Lindsay, said.
What else is happening?
#EndSARS: The Nigerian Ports Authority claims it lost about a billion naira to vandalisation during the protest’s aftermath.
Gerard Houllier: The former Liverpool coach is dead at the age of 73. He spent six years at Anfield between 1998 and 2004, and also managed France, Lyon and Aston Villa.
Champions League: The last 16 draw pits PSG against Barcelona, Chelsea against Atletico. Liverpool will fancy their chances against RB Leipzig and Manchester City have their hands full with Borrusia Monchengladbach.
Landmines: Nigeria has been ranked among the top five countries with the highest casualty rates.
Cote d’Ivoire: President Alassane Ouattara, 78, was sworn in for a third term in office on Monday despite opposition from his main political rivals and critics.
Pornhub: The adult site says it has taken the unprecedented step of removing millions of user-uploaded videos. The move comes after a New York Times opinion piece stated that the “site is infested with rape videos.”
Willam Barr: The US Attorney General and one of Trump’s most loyal men, is set to step down before Christmas.
And that’s it for today. Thank you for starting your day with me. If you have some time, drop a comment and tell me what you are reading these days. Ciao!
bite-sized news clippings, as always, Solomon is on the frontier of great things.