In some of the poorest parts of Nigeria, where evangelical religious fervour is combined with a belief in sorcery and black magic, many thousands of children are being blamed for catastrophes, death and famine - and branded witches by powerful pastors. These children are then abandoned, tortured, starved and murdered - all in the name of Jesus Christ. Saving Africa's Witch Children Free Catch-Up: Watch Dispatches Again » Watch: Saving Africa's Witch Children Video Clips » In some of the poorest parts of Nigeria, where evangelical religious fervour is combined with a belief in sorcery and black magic, many thousands of children are being blamed for catastrophes, death and famine - and branded witches by powerful pastors. These children are then abandoned, tortured, starved and murdered - all in the name of Jesus Christ. This Dispatches Special follows the work of one Englishman, 29-year-old Gary Foxcroft, who has devoted his life to helping these desperate and vulnerable children. Gary's charity, Stepping Stones Nigeria, raises funds to help Sam Itauma, who five years ago, rescued four children accused of witchcraft. He now struggles to care for over 150 in a makeshift shelter and school in the Niger Delta region called CRARN (Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network). Gary and Sam introduce Dispatches to some of the rescued children who have been through unimaginable horrors, such as Ekemeni, aged 13, who was tied up with chicken wire and starved and beaten for two weeks, and Mary, aged 14, who was burnt with acid before her mother attempted to bury her alive. Other children display the hallmarks of witch-branding - acid burns and machete scars. Uma Eke, aged 17, has been left brain-damaged after having a three-inch nail driven into her skull. Hospitals refuse to treat children associated with sorcery, so Sam's centre does its best to provide medical aid. As well as the physical scars, the children arrive at the shelter badly traumatised by their experiences, with many of them brain-washed into accepting they are possessed by the devil. The parents or siblings of children torture them in an attempt to kill them or force confessions from them to admit that they are witches. As Gary remarks, the children at CRARN are the lucky ones - they're still alive. Influential preachers from the more extreme churches brand the children witches or wizards and exploit their desperate parents by charging them exorbitant amounts of money in return for exorcising the spirits. The film features extraordinary access to some of the preachers who openly discuss their work. One preacher who calls himself 'The Bishop,' says he has made a fortune by carrying out 'deliverances' on children. He admits having killed 110 people in the past. Dispatches films him as he administers a mixture of pure alcohol, a substance known as 'African mercury' and his own blood to one child accused of witchcraft. Exorcism is big business. Preachers can charge as much as a year's salary for an average Nigerian to treat children. They often hold the child captive until the parents can pay up. The Niger Delta area is oil rich - but very few have access to oil wealth; the average life expectancy is around 47. Gary visits the CRARN centre regularly from the UK - a risky journey for a westerner. He works alongside Sam to try to persuade parents to take their children back. Dispatches follows Gary as he travels to a small port which has a growing problem of abandoned children. He soon finds himself followed by a five-year-old girl, Mary, who has been ostracised for being a witch, following the death of her mother. As Gary tries to talk to her, an angry crowd gathers. She is clearly traumatised, malnourished and in real danger, so he takes her to her old village in an attempt to reunite her with her family. But with her father long-gone, her extended family wash their hands of her - terrified: "she will poison everything." Gary takes her back to the centre and after dedicated care, she begins a slow recovery. Gary has been politely petitioning the local state government to enact the Child Rights Act which has been accepted by the National Federal Government, but to no avail. He decides on more direct action and buses the children to the governor's residence, holding a demonstration for four-hours in the blazing sun before being granted an audience. The protest is successful but a steady flow of around 10 children a week continues to enter the centre. Shocking and tragic, Dispatches reveals the plight of the thousands of innocent children who suffer intolerable cruelty at the hands of so-called Christian pastors. As Gary, Director of UK Charity Stepping Stones Nigeria, says: "It's an absolute scandal. Any Christian would look at the situation that is going on here and just be absolutely outraged that they were using the teachings of Jesus Christ to exploit and abuse innocent children." More: http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/dispatches/sa Join discussion...

Nigerian Teenager for Obama's Inauguration From Dapo Aderinola in Houston, Texas, 11.10.2008 Fontanne Idongesit Bassey, Nigerian teenage idol currently making waves on the American scene, has been officially invited to attend the inauguration of Senator Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. The inauguration comes up on January 20, 2009.maybe he should wait for Oshiomoles inauguration ! lol ! Join discussion...

'Yahooze' is a hit song released by Olu Maintain in 2007. The song speaks of a flashy lifestyle with cars for every day of the week, fancy trips and expensive drinks. Before the song became a hit, however, 'Yahooze' was a popular slang term used to refer to the lifestyle of Yahoo boys. Yahoo boys are the proverbial scam artists who typically use 'yahoo.com' email address to bait unsuspecting and/or greedy individuals into letting go of their hard earned money. Olu Maintain himself has emphatically denied that his song glorifies the 'Yahooze' lifestyle and that it instead reflects his rise to fame and the changes that money has made to his lifestyle. Well, recently at the Africa Rising concert in London, former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, sang and danced to the 'Yahooze' song alongside artist Olu Maintain. His 'performance' has generated criticism and suggestions that Powell supports scammers because he 'jammed' to what one called the "scammers anthem". Join discussion...

We’ll protest nude, Bayelsa women warn By Olamilekan Lartey Published: Monday, 24 Nov 2008 Angry women from Ikebiri in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Sunday warned that they would protest in the nude on the streets of Yenagoa, the state capital, if the government did not clean up the spill that had ravaged the community. The nude protest threat came in the wake of the devastation that had wreaked havoc in Ikiama, another community where a spill had nearly forced the town into extinction. Leader and spokesperson for the women, Mrs. Ebitari Agbakabuwou, said the protest was to call attention to the damage done to the communities in the areas where the oil firm, Nigeria Agip Oil Company operated. The state deputy Governor, Mr. Peremobowei Ebebi, had last week, appealed to oil firms in the state to pay attention to the feelings of the communities around their areas of operation. Ebebi had observed that oil firms operating had an attitude of never meeting up with the memoranda of understanding they signed with their host communities. This, he said, had often led to conflicts in many areas. Agbakabwou, who said the women had no other option than to employ the traditional method of protest, said the spill in Ikebiri had destroyed the ecosystem and the traditional means of livelihood of the people which included mainly fishing, farming and hunting. She said the loss of these communal means of livelihood had led to poverty among women and hunger and starvation for children in the communities impacted by the spill. “We will go naked in the state capital because we have been raped by oil spillage for the past 25 years. There was no oil spill site insepection report. The leakage points have not been clamped. Agip should immediately clean up the impacted area,” she said. The women noted that the oil firm working in the community had refused to renew the Memorandum of Understanding which had expired in 2003. They said the indifference of the oil firm had led to the deaths of many people, particularly because of the lack of access to clean water in the community Sources told our correspondent that the spill was as a result of oil pipes that had not been changed for years. Join discussion...

Dog devours school girl By CHRISTOPHER OJI Friday, December 5, 2008 Tragedy struck on Wednesday at a border town between Lagos and Ogun states, Agbado Crossing, when a wild dog ripped open the tummy of a school girl and ate up her intestines. The little girl was said to be returning from school when the wild dog pounced on her and started devouring her. As at press time, the girl’s real name could not be ascertained but her lifeless body was lying in the pool of her blood at the Agbado Crossing Bus-stop. An eyewitness, who simply identified herself as Ronke said she was in her provision shop attending to her customers when suddenly she saw a dog chasing a little girl. The dog caught up with her and started biting her. I was surprised that no one came to her rescue until the dog started eating her flesh. Ronke, who attributed the attack on the little girl to witchcraft, said: “Out of annoyance sympathizers killed the dog and burnt it to ashes. The dog must be from the demonic kingdom.” However, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Sunday Ubua could not be reached as at press time but a police officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Daily Sun that, “we are on the trail of the owner of the dog who will answer certain questions on why he should keep a mad dog as a pet.” He described the incident as unfortunate, warning parents and guardians to find a way of taking their little ones to and from the school. Join discussion...

Phasing out molue buses By Sun News Publishing Friday, December 5, 2008 Editorial Index Recently, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State hinted that his administration is planning to phase out over 40,000 mass transit buses (molue) currently plying Lagos roads under the ongoing transportation programme of the state government. Given the rickety nature of some of these buses and the hazard they constitute to commuters and other road users, the plan to phase them out is welcome. Besides giving Lagos a new image that befits its mega-city status, the envisaged plan would, to a very large extent, rid Lagos roads of buses that are no longer roadworthy and spare Lagosians the frequent road accidents caused by some of them. However, there is the need for the Lagos State Government to carry out the exercise in such a manner that commuters are not subjected to undue suffering as experienced at the inception of the now successful Bus Rapid Transport (BRT). To ensure a hitch-free transformation from molue to modern mass transit buses, we suggest that the exercise be done in phases with a realizable deadline set by the government. There is also the need to involve other stakeholders, especially members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) who provide the bulk of road transportation in Lagos. The members of these associations should be encouraged to form cooperatives that would enable them participate effectively in the planned new mass transit buses programme. We believe that carrying them along will make the exercise more embracing and successful. The government must also ensure that there are enough of these new buses for the commuters. They should be made to ply all the routes currently covered by the molue buses. Doing otherwise will defeat the aim of the exercise. Considering the fact that molue buses charge lower fares, there is every need to compel the new buses to do the same. Any deviation from this would spell doom for the programme and make the commuters long for the return of the decrepit buses. Beyond the concentration on road transportation, it has also become necessary for the state government to think of developing other modes of transportation like the railways and waterways. We believe that the introduction of Light Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) and Inland Waterways Transit (IWT) will considerably improve the transportation system in the metropolis. Embarking on water transportation in Lagos would not be difficult in view of the fact that Lagos is surrounded by navigable waterways. A combination of efficient rail system and well-aligned water transportation would definitely take the heat off Lagos roads. The current traffic congestion in Lagos is largely due to over- dependence on the road mode of transportation. That could also possibly explain why the nation’s roads do not last. Bringing sanity to Lagos roads should however, not be restricted to the phasing out of molue buses. Commercial motorcycle transportation (okada) is another transport mode that has of recent constituted the greatest danger and a nuisance to other road users in the state. The government can curb the excesses of okada riders by banning them from major highways. Another impediment to free flow of traffic in Lagos is the presence of many uniformed men, all involved in traffic control. Specifically, the ubiquitous and often intimidating presence of officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), Ministry of Transport (MOT), Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and all manner of motor park touts has impeded rather than enhanced the smooth flow of traffic in the metropolis. More often, some of these men constitute a law unto themselves and extort money in the name of fines from unsuspecting members of the public for flimsy traffic offences. For sanity to prevail on Lagos roads, the government should dislodge all motor park touts from the roads and streamline the activities of the uniformed men Join discussion...

Monday, April 21, 2008 NIGERIANS, 'BRUTISH' AIRWAYS & RESPECT PT. 1 British Airways, or as I rather call them, 'Brutish' Airways, recently threw over 130 Nigerian passengers off a flight that was scheduled to leave Heathrow Airport for Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos, Nigeria. One Nigerian passenger, Ayodeji Omotade, was even banned from flying on Brutish Airways for life, just for coming to the defense of a fellow Nigerian that was in fear for his life. The result, is that Nigerians around the world have started a petition to get an apology from British Airways and encouraged a boycott. It is important for consumers to demand and receive a certain level of customer service and for an entity like British Airways to ignore this fact and disrespect Nigerians is unacceptable. As such, I support the efforts to get better treatment. However, I believe that a more long-term approach must be employed so as to teach entities like Brutish Airways and others that disrespecting Nigerians will no longer be tolerated. Join discussion...

Eid-el-Kabir: Mark, Bankole, Fashola, By Our Correspondents Published: Monday, 8 Dec 2008 The President of the Senate, Mr. David Mark has appealed to the adherents of religious groups in Nigeria to live peacefully with one another in the spirit of Eid-el-Kabir. Skip to next paragraph click to expand image Photo file FASHOLA Mark made the appeal in a goodwill message to Muslims who are marking the on Eid-el-Kabir festival on Monday (today). He urged the Muslims to emulate the good teachings of Prophet Mohammed which he said, harped on good neighbourliness, sacrifice, tolerance, love and charity to one another. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, also urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of sacrifice, obedience and perseverance as they celebrate sallah. Bankole, in a message on the occasion, urged Muslim faithful nationwide to reflect on the import of the celebration as a mark of God’s love for all. The Speaker, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media Affairs, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, explained that the occasion should be seen beyond mere festivity but that which symbolised great spirituality. The development came as seven state governors: Babatunde Fashola (SAN), (Lagos); David Jang (Plateau); Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta); Dr. Bukola Saraki (Kwara); Dr. Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun); Dr. Olusegun Agagu (Ondo); and the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Sikiru Lawal, urged the people in the country to live in peace. Fashola also urged Muslims to imbibe the spirit of tolerance, sacrifice and mutual love in order that the nation might achieve the security, peace and healthy environment needed for development. Fashola, who said this in his 2008 Eid-el-Kabir message to the people of the state, also called on Nigerian Muslims to renew their commitment to the tenets of Islam. The governor, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, said the values of tolerance, sacrifice and love for Allah and fellow human beings were more relevant and necessary than ever before in the nation and the world today. He pointed out that everyone had a stake in a peaceful and prosperous world where they could raise families, earn their livelihoods, worship their creator in diverse ways and realise the purpose for their existence. Saraki has identified tolerance and compromise as essential requirements for sustaining the tempo of progress and peace in the State. Saraki stated this in his Eid-el-Kabir message to all Muslims in the State. He urged Muslims to step up their spiritual devotion and rededicate themselves to the injunctions of love and perseverance as exhibited by Prophet Ibrahim through the sacrifice made. Meanwhile, Jang and his immediate predecessor, Chief Joshua Dariye, have called on the Muslim community in the state to use the occasion of the Sallah to seek genuine reconciliation in the aftermath of the crisis that engulfed the state. Jang, in a statement by the Director of Press Affairs, Mr. James Mannock, sued for forgiveness, tolerance and fear of God among the people of Plateau. Uduaghan also said the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir should be used for serious and thoughtful reflections on the causalities of Jos chaos. He challenged Muslims to use the occasion to pray for continued peaceful co-existence in the country, saying that Nigeria could not afford to continue in the path of suspicion, hatred and needless bloodletting. Meanwhile, Aliyu has called on Muslims in Niger State to adhere strictly to the teachings of Mohammed and imbibe the culture of living peacefully with all Nigerlites irrespective of religious, political and tribal affiliations. The governor, in a broadcast to mark the year 2008 Id-El Kabir in Minna on Sunday, however, reminded all religious bodies that the state government was not biased in its position that all law abiding citizens in the state irrespective of religion, tribal, political and social status, had equal stake in the business of the state. Oyinlola also hinged the development of the country on sacrifice on the part of government and the masses. A statement containing the governor’s Eid el Kabir message, on Sunday in Osogbo, advised Nigerians to emulate Prophet Ibrahim, who was prepared to sacrifice his only son to Allah. Meanwhile, Agagu has urged Muslims to emulate Mohammed as they celebrate Eid-el-Kabir. He said this in his goodwill message to Muslims in Akure on Sunday. Agagu also called on Muslims to use the period to pray for peace and progress of the country. Also, the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Lawal and the governorship candidate of the Action Congress during the April 14 2007 election in the state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, have tasked Muslims as they mark Eid-el-Kabir. Lawal speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, urged Muslims to imbibe the lessons of the festival, including display of humility, showing gratitude to Allah for his kindness and favour, as well as seeking d Join discussion...

By Timi Hyacinth Richard Branson, owner of the ‘Virgin’ international brand, for some reason best known to him, decided to tie his fortunes with the Nigerian government in a peculiar relationship to build an airline with the Nigerian label. Through a maze of controversy and unsolicited advice, the two partners managed to wangle their way into an agreement that put the Nigerian flight label back into the international market as Virgin Nigeria Airways. This gave the foreign partner an edge over local airlines and a fleeting monopoly on a few Nigerian international routes. A quick romance began: the so called virgin with the celebrated non-virgin. It was a relationship built on purported national pride and financial gain. The Nigerian partner was too attractive to overlook. Lacking beauty, this partner held a potential beyond genteel looks and fine manners. It held the perceived potential of raking in billions into the Branson Empire. The old Nigerian by-word became true in this instance: ‘money na man’, meaning that a man’s attractiveness is based on his money not his looks, moral fibre or demeanour. For the original ‘virgin’ manners could wait. In fact it could even be taught to this new suitor who was heir to a fine inheritance. It didn’t seem to matter that this ‘heir’s history was wrapped up in corruption and non-performance. A marriage of convenience would do. The ‘virgin’ would keep her so called virginity and the new suitor would celebrate a new identity. The suitor may have reasoned that a good name is better than riches, even if it was not entirely your own. And so in very un-Nigerian fashion; the suitor took on the name of his bride. However, a marriage of convenience is, as it is well known, anything but convenient. According to Wiki, a marriage of convenience “is a marriage contracted for reasons other than the reasons of relationship, family, or love. Instead, such a marriage is orchestrated for personal gain or some other sort of strategic purpose” In such instances both partners are neither innocent nor naïve since the marriage is contracted on the basis of personal interest. Sometimes marriages of convenience are a smoke screen and hide a dark secret of either or both partners. There are of course exceptions, like when the late renowned academic and writer CS Lewis at age 58, married his Jewish American friend, Joy Davidman Gresham, so that she could remain in the United Kingdom. In this case CS Lewis fell in love with Joy, but still it took a few years for them to arrive at the point where they could live together as husband and wife. Someone once said that all the marriages of conveniences they have known have ended in divorce. However, in Nigeria when they occur among the wealthy, some manage to put up an appearance of cordiality and sometimes civility. Looking at the two partners, I wonder if each had well studied the other. One claimed virginity, the other did not. However, this ‘virgin’ was no prude; otherwise she would not have contracted a relationship; an alloy of some sort in Nigerian Airspace. Is it possible that the Nigerian partner was deceived into thinking her ‘virgin’ blood could heal his peculiar ailment, an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which seems to resist all medication, treatment, surgery or revival techniques? Or were each blinded by gushing excitement; one swayed by a desire for a second chance with a new name and the other, a deriding desire to add to an ever expanding empire? Close allies of the two partners may best answer these questions. Nevertheless, as is to be expected the alliance not too long after, began to reveal visible cracks and tensions. This tension became an open secret when the ‘virgin’ decided to question the supremacy of her ‘beau’ in Nigerian courts. The forged alliance of these two partners which began a few years ago was received with mixed feelings. Like many Nigerians I did not think too much about the marriage of convenience because it came at a time when travel in Nigerian airspace presented few options. I figured that we could benefit some, from being in-laws of a bride whom we hoped would give us some more courtesy, respect and of course rebate. We hoped that the marriage would work even though it started on a wrong footing. For in-laws like me who needed to travel from Port Harcourt to the United Kingdom, our new bride offered us a complimentary flight from Port Harcourt to Lagos and back. It became so convenient that we naturally made her our favourite among other local and international brides. We were forming an old familiar habit that had kept us travelling with our late in-law the first wife who bore Nigeria’s name. She was notorious for her disrespect, inefficiency and lack of decorum, and when she died few mourned her passing. I remember an uncle consoling himself in those days when she flew the Nigerian airspace and international routes. It was fashionable then i Join discussion...

This may sound like fairy tale, but it is real. A Nigerian couple that migrated to God’s own country in search of greener pastures resorted to pseudo marriage to secure the green card believed to be a ticket to heaven. First, the man introduces his betrothed wife to his American darling as his sister to pave way for his marriage to the American lady. Join discussion...