Weekly Press Review

Regional News

Nigeria denies mass ‘abortion programme’ of Boko Haram victims. Source Al Jazeera

Since at least 2013, the Nigerian military has conducted a secret, systematic and illegal abortion programme in the country’s northeast, ending at least 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls,” the news agency said.

It said many of the women and girls had been kidnapped and raped by armed fighters, adding that those who resisted an abortion ran the risk of being “beaten, held at gunpoint or drugged into compliance.”

Nigeria’s military chief denies report of forced abortion on thousands of women. Source Premiumtimes.

The head of Nigeria’s military Thursday described as false a Reuters story that the military forced about 10,000 women to have abortions over a 10-year period.

Lucky Irabor, an army general, spoke at the weekly media briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Mr Irabor gave no indication that the military would investigate the claims in the report which he described as ‘spurious allegations.’

“I was informed by the Director of Defence Information that he received a mail from Reuters requesting to have an interview with me and he gave me a letter written by one Alexandra Xavis making all manner of spurious allegations, many of which have now been published by the same Reuters,” he said.

Experts raise concerns as Nigeria limits cash withdrawals. Africanews

Experts on Wednesday raised concerns over a new policy announced by the Central Bank of Nigeria that heavily limits withdrawals of money in a push for a cashless economy.

The monetary policy, which applies to ATMs, banks and cash back from purchases, follows the launch of the West African nation’s newly designed currency notes to control the money supply.

The central bank limited weekly over-the-counter cash withdrawals to 100,000 naira ($225) for individuals and 500,000 naira ($1,124) for corporations, with a processing fee required to access more.

Lawyers in Chad to appeal prosecution of October demonstrators.  Source: Africanews

The secretary of the Bar Association in Chad announced lawyers would appeal the prosecution of the October 20th demonstrators.

Last Monday a court sentenced 262 people out of 401 arrested following deadly protests in October.

“They were deported, now they have been convicted and some have been released, so they say? But that does not mean that the procedure was followed. What we are criticising as human rights defenders, as the Bar, is the procedure that has been biased, it’s a parody of justice” (…) “So the lawyers are going to have to appeal to get justice. I hope the appeal judges will follow the law”, said Koulmem Nadjiro, Secretary of the Bar Association of Chad.

Kebbi communities fleeing their homes as terrorists arrive from Zaria. Source Humangle

Thousands of people have fled their homes in Kebbi State over the last few days in fear of a new spate of terrorist attacks.

A military operation has been going on in neighbouring Zamfara state which has chased armed groups into Kebbi.

The Village Head of Warkata community in Danko-Wasagu LGA said 16 people were kidnapped from his village, as well as 3 others from Kairu.

Peace and Security

Cameroon Separatist Leader Gives Condition for Talks with Yaounde. Source: Humangle

The leader of one of the separatist factions in English-speaking regions of Cameroon has given conditions to President Paul Biya for peace talks with the Yaounde regime.

Seseku Ayuk Tabe, currently serving a life sentence in a Cameroonian prison, called for the government to withdraw its forces from the anglophone regions.

“We first of all propose that Cameroon, which declared war, should declare a ceasefire and the demilitarisation of the Anglophone regions, the liberation of all persons incarcerated because of this crisis, amnesty in favour of exiled compatriots and international dialogue arbitrated by a neutral country in a venue agreed upon by the two parties. Once these conditions are put in place, we will sit down, if the government so wishes, to negotiate”, Seseku Ayuk Tabe declared to the press on Dec 5.

Birrin Yauri: Warlord’s mother joins negotiations over kidnapped schoolgrls- Source. Humangle.

The mother of a notorious warlord has made a surprise intervention in the negotiations for the return of 11 kidnapped children.

HumAngle can reveal that Dogo Gide, the terrorist responsible for the kidnap and ransom of scores of schoolchildren from Birnin Yauri, Kebbi, Northwest Nigeria, broke months of silence to call a parent of one of the children he kidnapped.

He told the parents his mother arrived at his camp in the forest and said she would not leave until he let the girls go, HumAngle understands.

France and Senegal sign agreements to strengthen cooperation. Source. Africanews.

French and Senegalese ministers sign agreements on Thursday focused on youth development in an effort to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

This happened as the two countries held an intergovernmental seminar in Champs-sur-Marne, just outside of Paris on Thursday to discuss several issues at hand.

Dozens of other agreements were met as the two countries outlined major steps on their implementation.

The road-map will address issues of education, sport and culture, economic development, sustainable agriculture, and also defence and security, as Senegal borders a Sahelian zone affected by terrorism, and migration, when France plans to reform its policy in this area.

Humanitarian

Does the call to equalise efforts reach displaced women IN Nigeria?- Source Humangle.

As the globe marks the 34th annual AIDS day, there are questions about equitable access to treatment and preventive measures amongst internally displaced women in Nigeria.

“It remains a big challenge,” Gloria Asuquo, the Regional Coordinator of International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW), told HumAngle. Keeping track of women who contract the disease in conflict situations and are living with it in displacement camps is very hard, she says.

AIDS (Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a chronic condition caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) — the sexually transmitted infection that can also be spread through contact with infected blood or other bodily fluids.

for disease to spread.

Stabilization and economic development

CBN has retrieved over N1trillion after redesigning naira notes- Source Premuimtimes.

The Central Bank of Nigeria says it has retrieved more than N1 trillion since its launch of new naira notes in a bid to move cash back into the banking system.

The bank on November 26 unveiled new 200, 500 and 1000 naira bills ahead of a December 15 launch date. One of its reasons was massive hoarding of banknotes with over 85 per cent of currency in circulation outside the banks’ vaults.

“To be more specific, as at the end of September 2022, available data at the CBN indicate that N2.73 Trillion out of the N3.23 trillion currency in circulation, was outside the vaults of commercial banks across the country; and supposedly held by the public,” Mr Emefiele said at the time.

“Evidently, currency in circulation has more than doubled since 2015; rising from N1.46 trillion in December 2015 to N3.23 trillion in September 2022. This is a worrisome trend that cannot be allowed to continue” he said at the time.