A woman who claims to be the mother of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has for the first time opened up about her son who has led the militant group that has killed and displaced thousands of people in the country’s northeast.
Falmata Abubakar met with VOA reporters in a village called Shekau in the Nigerian state of Yobe where she claims the ruthless Boko Haram leader was born and raised.
“I don’t know if he’s alive or dead. I don’t know. It’s only God who knows. For 15 years, I haven’t seen him,” she said. The mother also condemned the acts of her son whom she believes was brainwashed by the founder of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf, who was killed by Nigerian forces in 2009.
“Since Shekau met with Mohammed Yusuf, I didn’t see him again. Yes, he’s my son and every mother loves her son, but we have different characters. He brought a lot of problems to many people,” she was quoted by the VOA.
“Where can I meet him to tell him that these things he is doing is very bad? He brought many problems to many people, but I am praying for God to show him the good way,” she added.
Abubakar Shekau took over the leadership of Boko Haram after the death of Yusuf and has since spread hate for the government and anyone who supported the government for backing Western education.
They have perpetrated a series of kidnappings of school children as well as attacking communities, churches, government officials, and buildings.
This article by Ismail Akwei was first published on face2faceafrica.com
Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe after a fall
In the heat of the moment, the centre often does not hold as many election campaigns in Africa have faced the unexpected collapse of stages during rallies.
A recent incident occurred in Zimbabwe when the stage, upon which the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa stood, collapsed during a rally in Hwange.
The poorly constructed platform with at least 10 party members collapsed, leaving the potential president of Zimbabwe after the July 30 elections fighting to hold his balance.
The video of the incident has gone viral after they escaped unhurt and laughed over the fall.
There were many other election campaign stage falls across Africa and here are two recent memorable moments.
Raila Odinga – Kenya
Kenya’s main opposition leader Raila Odinga suffered a stage fall during a rally in Malindi in 2016 in front of hundreds of his supporters.
He was telling them a parable about how Jesus Christ was lured by Satan into the wilderness when the stage collapsed. This was ahead of the 2017 elections. No one was hurt.
Nana Akufo-Addo – Ghana
Ghana’s president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has suffered multiple falls and the most recent was in 2016 when he was the main opposition leader.
He was speaking to hundreds of supporters in Ashaiman, a suburb of the Greater Accra Region when the overcrowded stage caved in.
This was ahead of the presidential elections; he escaped unhurt.
This article by Ismail Akwei was first published on face2faceafrica.com
Scene from Boyz n the Hood, a 1991 American teen hood drama film
It is well established that Africa is the birthplace of mankind some millions of years ago, and everyone else came from the Black continent before evolution and migration to other parts of the world.
It is also a well-established fact that every person with Black skin is of African descent. But this hasn’t stopped Black Americans from discriminating against Africans in the United States who are often subjected to name-calling and belittling.
“Back in the day, black African booty scratcher was a normal put down amongst us. And, you could have the blackest magazines and be aintblack af. colorist af. I am over 40 and really just embracing myself. Think about that.”
This was the sentiment of a Twitter user who commented under a thread discussing the “brutal and deeply anti-Black” America where Black people call Africans “ugly”, “round faced”, “big lips”, “wide noses”, “nappy haired” because they were dark-skinned.
Sometimes I wonder what type of childhood you guys had
My teen years in America were very brutal and deeply anti Black. People aren't just "ugly", people were ugly because they were Black.
Bc they were dark, or round faced, or big lips or wide noses or nappy haired
Back in the day, black African booty scratcher was a normal put down amongst us. And, you could have the blackest magazines and be aintblack af. colorist af. I am over 40 and really just embracing myself. Think about that.
The Twitter user who goes by the handle @obaa_boni, started the thread and said the level of discrimination is “why dark skinned girls often go through that phase where it is only later in life that they can access desirability.”
The Ghanaian believes anti-Blackness is the reason many Black people made fun of rapper Jay Z’s lips and nose.
And y'all can actually fix your mouths and pretend Jay z appearance and anti Blackness aren't connected
After spending two decades making all types of comments abt that man's lips and nose pic.twitter.com/fa9NtyGl0O
There were other discussions on social media on the phenomenon with Black Americans neutralizing the cruel acts.
They came here and got mad at african booty scratcher, not understanding that that’s how we behave in Black American Culture. By what they used to called “playing the dozens”. It’s nothing personal.
— UNCONQUERABLE PRESENCE (@NoBeginningNoND) June 12, 2018
Calling Black Americans ‘Akatas’ is African culture nothing personal dude cause we’re not lost or looking for something
— Derrick Rhombus (@derrickrhombus) June 12, 2018
Aren't both sides "mad"? Seems to me that there is lots of ignorance on all sides. This is by design (divide and conquer). Many members of our "tribe" (African Americans) have "internalized" many negative ideas about Africa.
"African booty scratcher" points directly to how African American children learn that African = bad. As for the pan African piece, I wonder if there might be a diasporan bias in how we narrate its origins?
Anyone complaining about that in their adult years needs to seek therapy
— Segs (@chosenmillenial) June 11, 2018
This is stupid & insensitive, y’all must call it Black American Diaspora & leave Africa out of it downplaying childhood trauma that original Africans suffered won’t get u anywhere y’all just look’n for a easy way out now that African culture is cool again, Africans ain’t stupid.
— Derrick Rhombus (@derrickrhombus) June 12, 2018
I sooner y’all get Africa out y’all mouths the better maybe, but hey! just like childhood racism & prejudice we should just get over it
— Derrick Rhombus (@derrickrhombus) June 12, 2018
This article by Ismail Akwei was first published on face2faceafrica.com
Coffins are slowly becoming overrated with the creation of ingenious ways to bury the dead. As Muslims bury their dead without coffins, others are opting for cremation which leaves no mark of life but ashes.
The final nail in the coffin is the burial of the dead in cars which a Nigerian man, only named Azubuike, allegedly pulled off recently to bid his father a luxurious farewell.
Photographs of a burial ceremony purported to be in Anambra State in Nigeria showing the deceased being lowered into a grave in a BMW have been trending online with a lot of comments condemning the act.
It’s been widely reported by Nigerian websites that the new car is worth over 32 million Naira ($90,000) and the deceased’s son decided to use the BMW as a coffin to “hand him a dignified send-off befitting of his status”.
Social media users were questioning the motive for the decision to bury the dead in a new car. One Twitter user described it as reckless while another thought it was bizarre.
Will you ever spend good money so reckless like this. Using a BMW as a coffin?
The deceased was put six feet under in a brand new BMW, used as a replacement for a coffin. Nigerians do some bizzare things and the rest of the world has… https://t.co/B8OMyFpjsY
It may be class, it may be stupidity or too much money but I think I know is that it will take lots of security and extra money to keep the said in-law in the BMW for a considerable amount of time. 😀😁. Hope there is a coffin in the car else in-law may eventually go Solo.
Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas
Thousands of Ghanaians queued at media houses on Wednesday in anticipation of getting tickets to watch the latest work of masked investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas who has gathered audio-visual evidence of corruption within the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
The documentary titled #Number12, promises to expose 77 Ghanaian referees and 14 officials of the football association including its President Kwesi Nyantakyi for engaging in corrupt acts.
Billboards of the free screening have been mounted across the country and tickets have been placed at vantage points in the country to grant the general public the opportunity to watch what has been described as one of Anas’ biggest busts.
Private viewing of the explosive documentary at the Jubilee House forced Ghana’s president Nana Akufo Addo to order the police to open an investigation into the allegations of corruption against Nyantakyi.
Snippets of the documentary showed the GFA president in a United Arab Emirates hotel room telling agents of Anas’ private investigation agency, Tiger Eye PI, who were disguised as potential investors, that they can get contracts in the country if they bribe their way through Ghana’s president, vice president and government officials.
“You can start with something small in your own discretion, then, when you get the contract, big, big contracts, we can go back and give them more money, then we take over the whole country,” he said in the 23 seconds video posted on Facebook by Anas.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas has received condemnation from a cross-section of the public led by lawmaker Kennedy Agyapong who accused him of being corrupt himself and using foul means to get evidence of corrupt practices.
He also vowed to release some secret audio and video recordings in his possession that will allegedly indict the investigative journalist as corrupt. Anas described the threats as distractions to stop him from premiering the documentary.
“It is for the sake of more sanity and transparency that I have decided to scrape clean this tainted football system for a fresh start,” Anas explained in a Facebook post.
“The very foundation of Ghana football will collapse in a heap, to be rebuilt by the concerned sports journalists and the honest football people who will remain standing. Hold your breath for the explosive exposé in the coming days,” he added.
The expectation is felt internationally as BBC has also announced that it will air the inside story about Anas’ explosive investigation into football in Africa.
The biggest casualty – GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi – has withheld any statements until the documentary is screened. He is however reported to have said that his conversation with Anas’ agents had been edited and he challenged Anas to play the unedited full conversation if he was not up to any mischief.
Meanwhile, excerpts of his statement to the police were leaked to Ghanaian media, myjoyonline.com, on Tuesday in which he claimed the disguised agents told him they financed the 2016 election campaign of former President John Mahama with $8 million.
The documentary will be screened on Wednesday in the capital Accra and then subsequent screenings in Kumasi, Tamale, and Takoradi.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas started undercover journalism in 1998 and has produced dozens of notable investigative works including Nigeria’s Baby Farmers, Ghana judiciary scandal, Nigeria’s Fake Doctors, Ghana Sex Mafia, The Messiah of Mentukwa, How To Rob Africa, Deadly Gold, and Dons Of The Forest among many others.
This article by Ismail Akwei was first published on face2faceafrica.com
Ismail Akwei 