I don’t get involved with what the security services do or how. Their ways are so complex and their motives so unsearchable that sometimes you’ll be forgiven for thinking that working from the answer to the question is the standard operating procedure. Of course, you are told that whatever happens in between is in the public interest. As far as fiction imitates life, there is a striking resemblance between the recent hyperactivity in Nigeria’s security services and what happened in a novel set in mid-17th century England. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry…

Young people have been leading large-scale protests in two of Africa’s most influential countries, Kenya and Nigeria. While many of the protesters’ demands are unlikely to be met, the demonstrations highlight the urgent need for fundamental reforms, not only in Kenya and Nigeria, but across Africa. In Kenya, young people first took to the streets in June to execute “seven days of rage” – massive and largely peaceful protests against a proposed finance bill that would increase taxes on a wide range of goods and services at a time when the cost of living is surging. Thousands stormed Kenya’s parliament,…

Nigerians were met with another shock as the federal government imposed yet another levy, this time targeting customers of Fintech platforms through an electronic money transfer levy. This comes from a government struggling to fulfill its duty to protect its citizens and provide essential services such as infrastructure, security, and stable fuel prices. The latest levy, a N50 charge on electronic transfers above N10,000, has sparked outrage among citizens who are already grappling with multiple taxes, poverty, hunger, and unemployment. The removal of the oil subsidy is already wreaking havoc on citizens, who are finding it increasingly difficult to afford…

Around 26 May 2020, the Police in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced that Raphael Yanyi, a senior judge, “had suffered a suspected heart attack” leading to his death. The Ministry of Justice quickly clarified, however, that the remains of the judge “did not exhibit any toxic substances.” Following an autopsy, Justice minister, Celestin Tunda Ya Kasende, disclosed that Yanyi had died from “blows of sharp points or knife-like objects, which were thrust into his head.” Contrary to the claim by the police, the judge did not die of a heart attack. Instead, he was murdered. At the…