Jerry Douglas' Blog

A South African court on Tuesday jailed Nigerian national, Henry Okah for 24 years after he was convicted of 13 terrorism charges over twin bombings in Abuja in 2010. “Effectively, the accused Okah is therefore sentenced to 24 years imprisonment,” said Judge Neels Claassen. Twelve people were killed in the bomb attacks in the Nigerian capital as the country was celebrating the 50th anniversary of its independence. The state argued that Okah showed little remorse during the trial, and that his intentions in the bombings were to “obtain maximum casualties.” The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which in 2010 was a well-equipped armed group fighting for a greater share of the Delta oil wealth, claimed responsibility for the attacks. Okah, who has permanent residency in South Africa, has denied any involvement in the bombings, claiming the charges against him were politically motivated. The 46-year-old was also found guilty over two explosions in

Born in Nigeria in 1930, Chinua Achebe attended the University of Ibadan. In 1958, his groundbreaking novel 'Things Fall Apart' was published. It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages Achebe later served as the David and Marianna Fisher University professor and professor of Africana Studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He died on March 21, 2013, at age 82, in Boston, Massachusetts. 1. Famed writer and educator Chinua Achebe was born Albert Chinualumogu Achebe on November 16, 1930, in the Igbo town of Ogidi in eastern Nigeria. 2. After becoming educated in English at the University of Ibadan and a subsequent teaching stint, in 1961, Achebe joined the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation as director of external broadcasting. He would serve in that position until 1966. 3. Prior to joining NBC, in 1958, Achebe published his first novel: Things Fall Apart. The groundbreaking novel centers on t

Wizkid will soon be returning to his former music label, EME Music Group, this is according to a reliable industry source. The source revealed that Wizkid and EME bosses have been going back and forth for the last couple of weeks through their lawyers trying to agree on new terms of them working together again. "Wizkid leaving EME was just his way of pushing the bosses at the label to take him seriously and increase his earning percentage. When he joined EME he wasn't a star but then he became a mega star and was making a lot of money for the label and they still didn't increase his earning percentage so he took a walk. Now they are working on a new contract that will favour Wizkid" the source said. According to the source from the new contract been drafted, EME will not take a dime from Wizkid's international deals when they start working together again.

The Nigerian authorities say they are clamping down on the illegal trade in crude oil.  The Nigerian government says it is losing up to $1bn a month as a result of the theft in the Niger Delta. Whilst some of the oil is refined locally, much of the stolen crude is taken out on barges to ships waiting off the coast. But with politicians and the military known to be benefitting from the trade, it seems unlikely that the practice will be be stopped.   Ebiowei, 48, drags a hose used to help siphon crude oil in an illegal oil refinery site near river Nun in Nigeria's oil state of Bayelsa A worker at an illegal oil refinery site near river Nun in Nigeria's oil state of Bayelsa Ebiowei, 48, carries refined oil in buckets at an illegal oil refinery site near river Nun in Nigeria's oil state of Bayelsa   A man working at an illegal oil refinery site pours oil under a locally made burner to keep the fire going, near river Nun in Nigeria's oil state of Bayelsa