Justice For Namtira!

In today’s newsletter, we consider what justice looks like for victims of secondary school bullying.

Apr 25, 2024

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Word count: ~1700
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Let’s get into today’s edition:

The EFCC chairman accused Yahaya Bello of moving $720,000 from state resources to pay his child’s school fees
Minister of Women Affairs shut down a school in Abuja after a bullying video goes viral
Naira depreciates a second time this week
EFCC asks court to deny Binance executive bail

The Big Deal

Yahaya Bello and the case of $720,000 ‘school fees’

The devil works hard but the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, Mr Olapekun Olukoyede, seems to be working harder to get Yahaya Bello to face the consequences of moving $720,000. (We’re tired of doing the Math, no thanks to the fluctuating naira. In the comment box, tell us how much $720,000 is in naira, and you just might win something from us.)

👉🏿 Watch this video if you don’t know what we’re talking about.

Who is Yahaya Bello?

Yahaya Bello was the Governor of Kogi State for two terms, starting January 27, 2016. He handed over power to another member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Usman Ododo on January 27, 2024. At 40, he was the youngest governor in Nigerian history.

What did he do?

He has been accused by the EFCC chairman of moving $720,000 out of Kogi State’s resources to a Bureau De Change operator to pay for his child’s education in advance – and we’re only quoting the EFCC Chairman here: “because he knew he was going”.

The EFCC has now decided to take the former governor to court with allegations of money laundering, breaking trust, and misusing funds totalling ₦80.2 billion. EFCC gave a copy of the fraud charges to Bello's lawyer after a court order on Tuesday, April 23 when Bello decided not to show up in court for his arraignment on 19-count charges. According to one of the lawyers on his legal team, Mr Bello would have come, but “he was worried he wouldn’t get a fair trial.”

The court case has been adjourned till May 10. But the former governor is officially wanted and has been reported to be in hiding.

EFCC’s Facebook post declaring Yahaya Bello wanted.

Also EFCC:

What kind of education costs $720,000?

If the money was actually allocated to education, then it likely covered tuition for a private college abroad or an Ivy League school, which could cost approximately $50,000 to $70,000 per year for undergraduate programs, not including living expenses, books, and other fees.

The EFCC chairman mentioned that it was insensitive for a governor of one of the poorest states in Nigeria to move such an amount. He’s not wrong; Nigeria, after all, is a poor country. A World Bank report last updated in March 2024 states that Nigeria’s poverty rate is estimated to have reached 38.9% in 2023, with an estimated 87 million Nigerians living below the poverty line — the world’s second-largest poor population after India.

The literacy rate of Kogi state currently sits at only 33.5%, one of the lowest in the country. This stark statistic comes into focus when considering that education was a primary theme for the ex-governor, who is reported to have invested in teaching and learning infrastructure, improved the educational environment through renovations and construction, and ensured the accreditation of courses in state-owned higher institutions. It’s also reported that he focused on academic stability, with measures to prevent disruptions in the education sector, and significantly increased funding for education to 30% of the state's budget. Given these efforts, a question lingers: were these improvements not good enough for his child or children's education?

He’s no stranger to corruption allegations and controversy

Yahaya Bello faced numerous allegations and scandals during his time in office.

He was placed on a visa ban by the United States Department of State for allegedly undermining democracy in Nigeria.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he denied the virus's existence and opposed vaccination, against scientific consensus.
Over ₦90 million was reportedly spent on COVID-19 tracking software that should have cost around ₦300,000.

As you can see, our stressed is stressed.

The youth are disappointed:

But will he go away scot free?

According to the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, offenders face major penalties, including imprisonment, fines, and seizure of assets. The Act also permits the confiscation of profits obtained from engaging in money laundering. The Act will influence the court’s judgment if Yahaya Bello is found guilty. Given the EFCC chairman has a brief history of going after governors (he arraigned two past governors who have been granted bail now – Willie Obiano and Abdulfatah Ahmed), Nigerians have their fingers crossed that justice will be relentlessly pursued.

The school bullying that led to a school shutdown

Speaking of justice…

On Monday, April 22, the Nigerian online community was deeply disturbed by a widely circulated video that showed a young student — Namtira Bwala — being bullied by peers at Lead British International School in Abuja. Two of the bullies have been identified as Maryam Hassan and Faliya. The public outcry quickly drove action, one of which was shutting the school down for a few days, on an order given by the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, and confirmed by the Public Relations Officer of the FCT Education.

Since the video broke online, over 15,000 X (formerly Twitter) users have demanded justice using the hashtag #JusticeforNamtira.

For the victim, shutting down the school is not enough

Following the temporary shutdown of the school, Namtira Bwala wrote to the school management demanding a thorough investigation and strict punishment for the 11 students who bullied her. Through her legal representation, Bwala gave the school management 48 hours to address the situation, after which she intends to take legal action.

The impact of bullying on students

Namtira Bwala’s experience at Lead British International School is not an isolated case but a reflection of a widespread issue that carries devastating consequences for students. In Nigeria, research indicates that a significant percentage of students are exposed to bullying, which has long-lasting effects on their mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being.

The tragic case of Sylvester Oromoni, who lost his life following severe bullying at Dowen College in November 2021, is a reminder of the potential dangers if such behaviors are left unchecked.

Before he passed away, Sylvester reportedly mentioned that he was bullied by five older students from Dowen College: Favour Benjamin (16), Edward Begue (16), Ansel Temile (14), Kenneth Inyang, and Micheal Kashamu (16), who is the son of the late Senator Buruji Kashamu.

Dowen College, like the Lead British International School, was also temporarily closed after Sylvester’s story passed away. It has since been reopened. The family recently laid their son to rest in January 2024, meanwhile, the Lagos Coroner Magistrate Mikhail Kadiri attributed their son’s death to, “parental negligence” .

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Naira Depreciates For The Second Time This Week

Not Naira introducing us to a vibe that it can’t maintain. Naira’s value against the US dollar has once again depreciated to ₦1,300/$ from ₦1,234/$. To think that naira was still recorded as ₦1,169.99/$1 last Friday.

How does this affect me?

The fluctuation in exchange rates continues to hurt trade and economic stability Since President Tinubu was sworn into office, the naira has witnessed a steady decline and simultaneously, the cost of living significantly increased. Judging by the performance history of the naira in 2024, we can’t say that we are not moved by the second depreciation this week; it could be the beginning of another series of disappointing depreciations.

Taking a glimpse into the essential commodity market, rice prices have notably fluctuated in the first quarter of 2024. In December 2023, the price range for rice began at ₦75,000, peaking at ₦80,000. This upward trend persisted into January 2024, maintaining the high-end price but showing a slight reduction at the start of the range to ₦72,000. February saw a continuation of this trend, with the range capping at ₦88,000. A significant decrease was observed in March when the price range started at ₦77,000 and went as low as ₦50,000 by April, suggesting a direct correlation with the naira's decline in the forex market. As the naira's dance with the dollar continues, its steps seem uncertain. If the naira continues to depreciate, it’s not unlikely that a significant increase in rice – as well as other goods – might be recorded.

EFCC asks court to deny Binance executive bail

If you read our Tuesday edition (April 23 2024), you most likely remember Anjarwalla, the Binance executive who escaped custody in Nigeria and fled to Kenya. His colleague, Tigran Gambaryan, who was also arrested, has been accused by the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Emeka Iheanacho, of wanting to escape from custody as well. He also requested that Tigran be moved to EFCC custody where they’d “take care of him”

Both Anjarwalla and Tigran were arrested on February 26 based on the $26 billion of suspicious transactions traced to Binance. According to government findings, Binance was being used for illegal activities like money laundering, terrorism financing, and market manipulation, harming Nigeria's economy and making naira weaker.

When Tigran's lawyer, Mark Mordi, presented his bail request, he called Tigran's ongoing detention "state-sanctioned hostage taking." He said that Tigran was being held by the EFCC to get information from his employer.

Mordi also argued that there was no proof Tigran would try to flee. After hearing from both sides, Justice Nwite postponed the decision until May 17.

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