Feature

By Sam Tyav, Makurdi He was a bandit, armed militia member, known, feared and reportedly did what armed non-state actors in the country are said to do. But there comes a time when a man says "no more" and looks to live clean and be on the right side of the law. After all, in Biblical times, Saul, a military leader and human demolition ally of the ruling Israelite elite, personally participated in the torture, imprisonment of several early Christians as well as consented to the murder of the martyr, Stephen. Indeed, he was on his way to visit more…

*Promises Of Legitimate Jobs Turn Hellish *Passports, Others Instantly Confiscated *Beatings, Starvation, Sex Abuse Rife Note: People&Politics is publishing this piece as a social responsibility initiative to enable potential Nigerian immigrants make proper, informed choices. Within hours of landing in Bangkok from Nairobi, Kenya last December to start a job as a customer service agent, Duncan Okindo knew something was wrong. The 26-year-old had sold his cattle, borrowed money from friends and used his savings to pay a recruitment agency 200,000 Kenyan shillings (£1,150; about N2.3m). “I felt it would be good to go outside [the country] and look for…

By Funmilayo Adeyemi As Nigerian schools wind down for the long summer holiday, many parents and students are advocating for skill-building and rest over academic summer classes. In interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN ) in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, a cross-section of parents and students said the shift is in recognition of the need for non-routine, more balanced and reflective approach to how children spend the break. The parents noted that beyond the cost implication of summer lessons, new experiences, skill-building and spending quality time with their children, are crucial for their overall development and well-being.…

Drastic cuts to humanitarian aid in North-Eastern Nigeria could prove a boon to one of the world's most deadly militant groups, Boko Haram, aid agencies have warned. A reduction of funding in recent months has forced the UN's World Food Programme (WFP) to ration its support, and now it has completely run out. "It will be much easier for militants to lure youths to join them and spiral insecurity across the whole region," Trust Mlambo, Head of Operations in the area for WFP, told the BBC . Notorious around the world for kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls from the town…

By Sani Bala Karo, Kano A couple of weeks ago, Kano State made a historic,era-defining outing at the North-West Zonal Meeting of agencies saddled with the responsibility of providing water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH) in the seven states of the zone. During the meeting, Kano State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) under Engr. Shamwilu Abdulkadir Isa, the Managing Director (MD), surprised everyone in the hall by announcing that 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the State have been certified free of open defecation, all at once, while six others were expecting certification soon. The free LGAs are…