Commercial Cyclist Brutally Rapes 11-Year-Old For Apparent Diabolical Reasons

A Nigerian commercial motorcyclist, popularly called 'okada', is currently in prison for brutally raping an 11-year-old girl who was supposed to be writing examinations at the time the crime was committed. The 54-year-old rapist was said to have assaulted the victim in his home where he lives with his pregnant wife and son (who happens to be the victim's classmate) both of whom were aware of of what he was doing. The girl suffered so much trauma she fainted from blood loss and had to be hospitalised for weeks and missed her exams as a consequence.

Former Presidential Candidate Released By Abductors After Ransom Paid

Nigeria's Olu Falae, a former presidential aspirant who was kidnapped on his birthday three days ago has finally been released following intensive negotiations between his family and those who took him hostage. The prayers of numerous sympathizers who besieged his home hours after his abduction did not secure his release, and the amount paid to his abductors will forever remain a closely guarded secret.

The dire security situation in Nigeria has simply overwhelmed the country's corrupt security agencies, and so it is hardly surprising that the people have turned to the supernatural for protection. Prayers are as effective as doing nothing to remedy the appalling security situation, and it is worse when one considers the fact that those who pray actually believe that the situation will improve. No country ensures the safety and security of its citizens by praying; they invest in, and build an efficient security outfit. We should have realized by now that our prayers are as effective as talking to ourselves. There is nobody anywhere listening to those prayers, and that is the very reason prayers always remain 'unanswered'. If we must pray, let us pray to our walls, after all they are said to have ears.

More Woes For Hajj Pilgrims As Stampede Kills Hundreds

At least 717 persons have died and another 863 injured in a second hajj tragedy in as many weeks. The cause this time around was a stampede similar to that which killed over 300 people in 2003, and is said to be the worst incidence during the hajj in 25 years. This latest tragedy continues to uncover the gaping inadequacies of the Saudi authorities in organising and ensuring participants' safety in a gathering of this magnitude.

Nigerian Cleric Urges Nigerians To Pray Against Corruption

A Nigerian cleric, Yomi Kasali, based in Lagos has urged Nigerians to dedicate a day to pray for the anti-corruption drive of president Buhari. He is the founder and senior pastor of Foundation of Truth Assembly, and included muslims in his call to pray corruption out of Nigeria as part of events to mark the tenth anniversary of his church/ministry. This call to prayers is in line with the culture of Nigerians to seek divine intervention for any and all problems.

Sympathizers Offer Prayers For The Release Of Kidnapped Former Presidential Aspirant

Chief Olu Falae, 77, a former presidential aspirant was kidnapped yesterday from his home in Akure, the Ondo state capital in south west Nigeria on what was ironically his birthday. He was allegedly kidnapped by Fulani herdsmen (cattle rearers) allegedly at the behest of another group who have made a ransom demand of 100 million Naira (nearly $500000).

Nigerian Lawyer Believes The Country's Foundation Is Satanic

About two weeks ago, a Nigerian lawyer, Femi Fani-Kayode, claimed that Frederick Lugard, and his wife, Flora Shaw, who amalgamated the Northern and Southern protectorates of Nigeria into present day Nigeria, were Satanists and thus gave the new country which came into being in 1914 a satanic foundation. This, in his opinion, is the reason Nigeria has "refused to develop."

Nigerian Prophet Calms Fears On Flood Threat

A Nigerian preacher, no doubt another aspiring private jet owner, turned divine meteorologist when he assured Nigerians that the flood warnings by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, would be tackled by God. Prophet Jeremiah Omoto Fufeyin, the self styled general overseer of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry, Warri, Delta state, all but arrogated to himself the title of Nigeria's saviour when he claimed that he had been endued with grace from God to stop any unpleasant event that may occur in Nigeria, and has asked the Nigerian public not to panic.

Nigerian Gay Activist Accuses Adeboye Of Being Corrupt And Greedy

Enoch Adeboye, whom I have written about here and here, has been accused of being greedy and corrupt by Bisi Alimi, a Nigerian gay rights activist who currently lives in exile in London. It will be recalled that in January 2014, former president Jonathan signed the anti-gay law, which the Nigerian legislature had passed in record time in May 2013, prescribing jail terms of up to 14 years for gay couples who get married, show affection in public, and for those who openly approve of homosexual relationships. Reuben Abati, the then presidential spokesperson cited the law as "being in line with the people's cultural and religious inclination," inadvertently advertising the crass hypocrisy of the Nigerian society.

Saudi King Pays Compensation To Crane Collapse Victims

The Saudi authorities have approved the sum of SR1million (about $266000) to the families of those who lost their loved ones when a crane collapsed on the grand mosque in Mecca killing 107 persons and leaving over 200 injured. The injured will get SR500000 each. Six Nigerians were among the dead, and the Saudi government has promised that two members of each of the deceased's families will get an all expense paid hajj next year.

Potential Hajj Related Air Tragedy Averted

Another hajj-related tragedy was avoided yesterday, this time in Nigeria, when the pilot of a chartered aircraft aborted a flight just before take-off after he discovered an engine problem. A crane had collapsed a few days ago and killed over a hundred persons in Saudi Arabia where the annual hajj pilgrimage is currently underway. The plane belongs to Max Air, a Nigerian charter airline owned by Dahiru Barau Mangal (a muslim naturally).

Nigerian Muslim President May Relocate Christian Chapel

About two weeks ago, the Nigerian media was abuzz with news that overzealous aides of president Buhari had closed down the Aso Rock Presidential Villa chapel on the president's alleged order. It took Yemi Osinbajo (above), a law professor and Nigeria's christian vice-president's intervention for the security officials to allow people into the chapel on that particular day. But recent news suggests the chapel may go under the hammer as it is close to the presidential bedroom and kitchen, a deliberate move by former president Obasanjo, a christian, who built the chapel during his tenure, for his convenience. The chapel's location is now an inconvenience for the incumbent, a muslim.

Nigerian Pastor Establishes Luxury Airline

Enoch Adeboye, whom I had previously written about, has formally started his luxury airline, Emmanuel Aviation, which originally came into being in 2009, after buying a new private jet just last May. This comes on the heels of reports that TB Joshua, whose illegal multistorey building collapsed last year killing over 100 persons, had owned a private jet since April of this year. Mr Adeboye joins another Nigerian pastor, the megalomaniac David Oyedepo who has at least four private jets and also runs a luxury airline, Dominion airlines.

New 3D Printed Sternum And Rib Cage For Cancer Survivor

This amazing story, and medical miracle, continues the giant strides in science. A man who had sarcoma of the chest wall, a type of cancer of the rib cage, is getting a brand new 3D printed titanium prosthesis of part of his chest wall which doctors removed as part of his treatment. Other prosthetic body parts can now be easily made using this technology.
As televangelists and pastors all across the world continue to fleece their congregation of their hard earned money with the promise of bogus miracles, science is inexorably making giant strides, and performing real and verifiable miracles. Religious nuts can continue to believe their bullshit, but I know a miracle when I see one; it is not achieved by praying to any deity or invisible being, it is achieved by painstaking hard work and research.

Kidnapped Nigerian Journalist Released Amidst Praises To God

Donu Kogbara who was kidnapped from her residence in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Nigeria, was on Friday dumped in one of the numerous creeks that dot Nigeria's oil rich Niger delta, by her kidnappers who forced a fisherman to take her to a place from which she could find her way home. She told reporters that her kidnappers were aggrieved youths who referred to Nigeria's insanely corrupt politicians as "official hoodlums."

Spiritual Angle Added To Electrocuted Nigerian Student's Death

On Spetember 8, a third year accountancy student, Oluchi Anekwe of the University of Lagos, Lagos state, Nigeria, was electrocuted when a live electric cable snapped from its pole and fell on her. She was in the company of her younger sister who also sustained injuries. Some reports had it that she was denied medical attention by staff at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, who demanded her student identity card before she could receive medical attention.

Over 100 Persons Dead As Crane Collapses On Mosque In Saudi Arabia

A huge crane collapsed on the grand mosque in islam's holiest city, Mecca, killing at least 107 with another 230 injured. This tragedy occurred at about 17:23 local time yesterday (14:23 GMT) while preparations were underway for the annual muslim hajj pilgrimage. I had previously written about the Nigerian government paying for government officials and citizens to go on these pilgrimages with scarce state funds, and later, about the president's decision to stop sending an official delegation to the hajj pilgrimage.

War On Islam, Not War On Terror

I am writing this for the 2977 persons killed on the day we should have declared war on islam and not on terror. It is in their honour we should fight this war. These people all left grieving families behind, families that will find it hard to forget the gruesome nature of their deaths. I cannot begin to imagine what the last few moments of these victims were like, but one thing I do know is that they all died because of 19 young men who believed that they would be rewarded with 72 virgins in eternal paradise.

Iranian Artist May Face Additional Jail Time For Shaking Her Male Lawyer's Hand

Last June I read about Atena Farghadani, an Iranian artist who is serving  a twelve years and nine months prison sentence for the satirical cartoons she drew, depicting officials of the Iranian government as goats and monkeys, to protest plans by the Iranian government to make voluntary sterilization illegal and to greatly limit access to contraception (a policy no different than the position of the catholic church). She is now being charged with 'illegitimate sexual relationship short of adultery' and 'indecent conduct' for shaking hands with her lawyer Mohammad Moghimi, who is also being charged.

Nigeria's President Finally Confirms The Fate Of The Chibok Girls

Nigeria's president Buhari, in an interview with the BBC Hausa service, has finally confirmed what I have written about here, and what the government could no longer hide: the Chibok girls have virtually no chance of being found. When he was asked about the location of the girls, he responded thus: "They (Boko Haram insurgents) have scattered them, and they (the girls) are being guarded at dispersed locations. Most of the girls are christians and were forced to embrace Islam. The sect’s cruel leaders have married some of the girls, obviously against their wish. Others have been left to practice their religion but their condition could hardly be ascertained."

Nigerian Army Captures Boko Haram's Drugs Supplier

The Nigerian army has continued to expose the Boko Haram terror outfit as just a bunch of thugs who use islam as an excuse to cause mayhem under the pretext of establishing an islamic theocracy in the country. An unspecified number of men, in possession of large quantities of cannabis, various illegal stimulants, and condoms destined for Boko Haram fighters, were captured in Yobe state, north-east Nigeria.

Adeboye's Dumbass Predictions

Enoch Adejare Adeboye is a very respected man around the world. He is the general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, whose members call him "Daddy G.O." As is the custom during the countless new year 'crossover' services (held to usher in the new year) in Nigeria's ubiquitous places of worship, the heads of the megachurches usually reel out a list of predictions for the incoming year. Adeboye is no different, and he reeled out a bunch of bollocks, just like he did for last year.

Paedophilia Is Real In Nigeria

A 7 year old girl in Lagos has intimated the police about her father's habitual touching of her privates and how he also inserts his penis into her mouth. I had previously written about a pastor who defiled a 10 year old girl and blamed it on the devil, but this problem goes way beyond religion when one considers the fact that in the case of the 7-year-old above, the police refused to get involved citing it as a "family issue." The victim's elder brother had previously told their mother about how he had caught her playing with her privates, and there was also at least one occasion in which she had been seen pants down with a neighbour's 4 year old son.

Muslims Throw A Dozen Christians Overboard For Not Praying To Allah

I stumbled on this story during a twitter banter, with a muslim, about Africans fleeing their homeland into Europe, risking life and limb in the process. A dinghy carrying about a hundred African refugees across the Mediterranean had a puncture and began to sink. A Nigerian christian began fervent prayers for his life when he was told by some of the muslims on the same boat, some of whom also happened to be Nigerians, that all who were on the boat were only allowed to pray to Allah and that he would be thrown overboard if he didn't stop. He, along with eleven others, drowned as the muslims in the overcrowded boat threw them into the water amidst cries of "Allah is great!"

Family Celebrates A Miracle As Man Resurrects

A 70 year old retired civil servant (pictured above with his family) who had been certified dead in a private clinic in Benue state, Nigeria, was said to have resurrected after about 30 hours. His son had gone to the morgue to identify the corpse before it could be embalmed, when the 'miracle' occurred. The scared witnesses immediately took to their heels, but one of the attendants finally plucked up some courage and went to attend to the man who was immediately readmitted into the clinic.

Nigeria's President To Stop Sponsoring Pilgrims

After writing this, I decided to scour the web for more news about about the sponsorship of pilgrims by the Nigerian state. My pleasant surprise on seeing this report was short-lived after reading that the federal government was going to save $1m by not sending a government delegation! This means that the government not only subsidizes - or does it pay in full? - the journey to Mecca for ordinary citizens, it also sends delegates to represent the federal government.

Family Seeks Divine Intervention After Nigerian Columnist Is Kidnapped

Donu Kogabra, a Nigerian columnist and broadcaster who lives in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers state was kidnapped on August 30 just outside of her residence. Her family is yet to hear from the kidnappers and has decided to seek divine intervention.

Retired Nigerian Pastor Accused Of Child Trafficking

A 71 year old retired Nigerian pastor from Umuahia in Abia state was arrested yesterday along with his wife for allegedly stealing an 11-month old baby. The pastor has denied having any knowledge the baby was not legally adopted by his wife, whom the police has accused of purchasing the baby for the equivalent of $2480 from another woman who stole the baby from its mother.

Togolese Striker Rejects Transfer Move At The Last Minute Because He Needs A Sign From God

Emmanuel Adebayor, a Togolese footballer, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the English premier league has rejected a loan transfer move at the last minute saying he needed a sign from God. He stalled a move to Aston Villa, another premier league club after completing a medical and even posing for photographs with the club's shirt. It is understood that he even consulted his pastor, who may have been pivotal to his decision.

Nigeria's Misplaced Priorities

Abia – Male (130) Female (130)

Adamawa – Male (62) Female (62)

Akwa-Ibom – Male (123) Female (123)

Anambra – Male (139) Female (139)

Bauchi – Male (35) Female (35)

Bayelsa – Male (72) Female (72)

Benue – Male (111) Female (111)

Borno – Male (45) Female (45)

Cross-Rivers – Male (97) Female (97)

Delta – Male (131) Female (131)

Ebonyi – Male (112) Female (112)

Edo – Male (127) Female (127)

Ekiti – Male (119) Female (119)

Enugu – Male (134) Female (134)

Gombe – Male (58) Female (58)

Imo – Male (138) Female (138)

Jigawa – Male (44) Female (44)

Kaduna – Male (91) Female (91)

Kano – Male (67) Female (67)

Kastina – Male (60) Female (60)

Kebbi – Male (9) Female (20)

Kogi – Male (119) Female (119)

Kwara – Male (123) Female (123)

Lagos – Male (133) Female(133)

Nassarawa – Male (58) Female (58)

Niger – Male (93) Female (93)

Ogun – Male (131) Female (131)

Ondo – Male (126) Female (126)

Osun – Male (127) Female (127)

Oyo – Male (127) Female (127)

Plateau – Male (97) Female (97)

Rivers – Male (118) Female (118)

Sokoto – Male (9) Female (13)

Taraba – Male (3) Female (11)

Yobe – Male (20) Female (27)

Zamfara – Male (4) Female (2)

FCT Abuja – Male (90) Female (90)

Nigeria Sends 76000 Pilgrims To Mecca

I had recently written about some Nigerian state governments sending pilgrims to Jerusalem and Mecca and this brief report details how the Nigerian government has already flown 18909 pilgrims out of a total of 76000, to Mecca for the 2015 hajj. Of course no one knows exactly how much will be spent by the government on this venal venture, except those who will directly benefit from it. In the Nigerian spirit, the prices will be over inflated and huge profits made by government officials and their collaborators at the expense of the deprived Nigerian tax payer. Most of the participating states will be from the north where there is crippling poverty, hardly any decent primary schools and a paucity of basic healthcare services.

Nigerian State Governor Punishes Latecomers

Ayodele Fayose, the controversial governor of Ekiti state in the south-west geo-political zone of Nigeria arrived at the state secretariat today, and promptly locked the gates into the secretariat building just after 8am to keep out those who would arrive late. Of course many of the workers were late as is normal for most Nigerians in the civil service at the federal, state, or local government level. He proceeded to humiliate the latecomers who all knelt down, or even lay prone on the ground in their well ironed and starched Monday morning work attires to plead with the governor not to get the sack and also to promise never to be late again. I can bet good money that a good number of them would have attributed their lateness to the devil!

Morning Water

Mr TB Joshua of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, who should be facing negligent homicide charges, was brought to my attention today by a friend whose mother came from Mr Joshua's church armed with packaged bottles of water which she bought from the church. The water in the bottle of no more than 50ml in capacity has been described thus by Joshua himself:

“By using the Morning Water, you are symbolically setting yourself apart for Jesus Christ’s special attention as you pray in faith. I mean, you are positioned for mercy, favour, healing, deliverance, blessing, prosperity and fruitfulness. It is not the Morning Water that heals the sick but Jesus Christ Himself. There must be faith both in the person praying and in the person being prayed for. Prayer must proceed from and be accompanied with a lively faith. It is this that brings about the healing, not the Morning Water.”

Fast Death

Khulu Reinfirst Manyuka, a 73-year-old Zimbabwean man, starved to death in an attempt to emulate Jesus's 40-day fast as recorded in the bible. He left his family and home on June 15 and went on a solo sojourn, only for his remains to be found about a month later by a stranger who then alerted the police. While he was obviously starving, he most likely succumbed to dehydration since he may have been attempting a dry fast in which no water is also consumed.

Burkini Banter

I was at the swimming pool today when a muslim couple came in with their two children for a swim. I made a silent bet with myself that the woman was not going to swim, not even in a burqini (pictured above). Of course she stood beside the swimming pool, while her husband and kids gallivanted in the pool, having loads of fun. It reminded me of this and as I drove home, I wondered what the obsession was with the female body, especially in islam.

Politicians And Preachers, Six And Half A Dozen

President Buhari has fished out, potentially, his first significant big fish in his anti-corruption war, Sambo Dasuki, who is pictured above, a retired colonel of the Nigerian army. Mr Dasuki, recently relieved of his post as the national security adviser, NSA, has been accused of illegally possessing weapons which were seized during a raid of his house last month, and other charges are expected to follow.

Man Defiles 10-Year-Old, Blames The Devil

A 67 year old Nigerian pastor and grandfather, Felix Adebayo, was arrested in Ubiane community in Edo state, Nigeria, for defiling a 10-year-old girl. He of course blamed his vile act on the devil, something I had previously written about. He admitted that he was married and blamed the devil for leading him to insert his finger into his victim's privates.

God/Heaven Helps Those Who Help Themselves

The title above is a popularly used saying among Nigerians and which, to me, serves as the justification for the countless atrocities committed daily by most of those we entrust with our lives and country. There are many Nigerians who use this saying believing it is a bible verse, and it is not surprising they think this way since they hardly read their bibles. 

Building Bridges

That Nigeria is corrupt is not news; what will be news is when the authorities will grow enough balls to prosecute and convict those who have stolen our common wealth, and this includes their numerous collaborators in the clergy.

#BringBackOurMoney

I am beginning to feel I am riding with the wrong group, since I could be making money dishing out prophecies in my very own church. My last post was about the viral hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, but today, it has become #BringBackOurMoney. While I was writing about the Chibok girls, some Nigerians in Lagos were holding a rally in support of President Buhari's anti-corruption war, and pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, a well known televangelist, was among those recommended for probe and prosecution. He is the current president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, which no longer includes the catholic church since January 2013, due to the way the association was being run under Oristejafor, who had dragged CAN into partisan politics.

#BringBackOurGirls

The abduction of 276 girls from a secondary school dormitory, in Chibok, Nigeria, one night in the middle of April 2014, after generating so much outrage, has virtually died a natural death. It took nearly 3 weeks for Nigeria's then president Jonathan to speak publicly about it, and this should have served as an indication of their fate. Nobody talks about them anymore. Abubakar Shekau, the boko haram terror group leader, in a video message released shortly after the kidnappings, claimed responsibility and boasted about selling them off. There have been rumours that some of them were used as suicide bombers, and those who were married off to some of the insurgents or kept as sex slaves were deemed lucky.

Anglican Abacha

It looks like my knack for the prophetic (no tithes please!) is at it again. Just yesterday, I mentioned General Abacha's romance with the late Ooni of Ife, Okunade Sijuwade, but it has been exclusively reported by saharareporters.com that the draconian Abacha was also a benefactor of the Anglican church of Nigeria. With public funds.

No Miracle For The Dying

It has been revealed that the recently deceased Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, had, a few days before his death, desperately sought a miraculous healing from a prophet of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC). The Ooni was diabetic and all the prophet could do was take him to a river in the dead of night as is usually the practice with the CCC, which was of course totally useless. I would dare to add that the seriously ill traditional ruler would have been promised the healing he sought and parted with a handsome amount of money.

Private Jet Palaver

Creflo Dollar's online begging for funds for a private jet to propagate his prosperity preaching is old news, but my attention was drawn to it by the video below seen as part of this post. It beggars belief that these preachers could be so brazen, greedy and wicked.

Like Robertson, Like Oyakhilome, Like Bullshit

The above video shows Nigeria's very own Benny Hinn copycat, Chris Oyakhilome, dishing out miracles to live viewers of his healing/miracle broadcast. I was reminded of him after reading this, in which Pat Robertson of the 700 Club, who does the same, claimed that god tells him those of his viewers whom he (Robertson) needs to heal. Mr Oyakhilome, from Edo state of Nigeria, has had his share of scandals, the latest being the messy divorce from his wife. It was stunts like this that prompted the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, NBC, to ban him and others from performing miracles which were not "provable and believable," ended miracle broadcasts on Nigerian television and created tons of controversy.

Boko Haram Massacres Another Village

Last Thursday, boko haram insugents entered a village and opened fire on unsuspecting villagers. The ensuing pandemonium resulted in the frightened villagers running straight into a river which had overflowed its banks, this being the peak of the rainy season, even in the arid Yobe state where this massacre occurred. Many of them, of course, drowned.

My First Official Proselyte

A reader of my blog wrote me a brief email to thank me for making him realize that he was not going insane. He had been having doubts about his christian beliefs for a few years and had even stopped attending church which necessitated lying to family and friends that he had changed churches.

Blame It On The Devil

"Na devil work" (it is the work of the devil) is the most common excuse used by Nigerians whenever they are caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Every evil deed is blamed on the devil. It is normal for the occupants of a vehicle about to embark on a journey, especially by road, to be led in prayers by at least one of the passengers, or even the driver. It is unfortunate that Nigeria still has appalling figures for fatal accidents caused by very bad roads and even worse drivers. Every safe arrival to one's destination by road is in itself a miracle (not the christian kind), and something to be thankful for (no thanks to any deity), and it is usually due to a conscientious driver and a well maintained vehicle, two  factors that, when absent, contribute to the deaths on our roads.

Different Countries, Different God

Nigerian Christians literally have double standards when it comes to the way they worship their god in Nigeria, and in the developed countries of Europe and North America. Like I have mentioned before, going to church for the Nigerian christian is mandatory. Absence from Sunday service will generally attract an investigation from one's peers - either a phone call or a visit. The sabbath day is literally kept holy; no work or any other activity should supersede church attendance.

Fighting Religion With Religion

It was only yesterday that I posted about Nigeria's president acting as a cleric, and his 'exemplary' leadership format has been picked up by the Adamawa state governor who has approved the sum of 200 million Naira (about $1m) to be paid to prayer warriors who will be mandated to seek divine intervention for the Boko Haram menace. Adamawa state, along with Borno and Yobe states have been the hotbed of the terrorist group's carnage which led then president Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in all three states last year in a bid to truncate their terrorism. It was, of course, unsuccessful. The prayer warriors are, not  surprisingly, of islamic extraction, Adamawa state being a majority muslim state.

Nigeria's Cleric President

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, last week, recommended the inclusion of two new islamic books, written by a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, into the curriculum of Federal Government Colleges throughout the country. He said that his action was necessitated by the declining moral and religious values in the country.

What I Believe

My atheism came as a nasty surprise to my family largely because in Nigeria, it is unheard of to admit that one does not believe in any god, especially the christian god. It is erroneously assumed by most of these people that an atheist is deeply involved in the occult hence the disbelief in any god(s). But this is obviously not the case since I do not believe in anything supernatural. There is no spirit world controlling events here on earth.

Thank Toyota, Not God

A friend of mine was involved in an accident, in early 2013, in which his car somersaulted several times, ended up upside down and was so badly burned only the metal parts remained. He came out completely unhurt. When he told me, I said a quiet "thank Toyota", which was the car model whose safety features had ensured he escaped unhurt and alive. He of course was full of praises to god almighty for the 'miracle' of what might have easily been a tragedy if the makers of the car had not installed all the safety features that saved his life.

Death Before Dishonour

This pathetic story was sent to me by a friend who insisted I penned something about it. A man who went to a beach in Dubai with his family for some fun, preferred to see his daughter die than be dishonoured by having rescuers, who were strangers, to touch her.

Still Going To Church

It is another Sunday in Nigeria, and although the churches would be mostly empty by this time (6pm Nigerian time), there are expected to be a sprinkling of worshippers in various churches either having some meeting to deliberate on church matters, or making those extra supplications to god for that most pressing need.

Living The Faith

I came across this post which reminded me of the hypocrisy of religious beliefs with regards to an afterlife. The post tells about a Pakistani mystic who bound a volunteer faithful, Isaac style, and slit his throat. The idea was to show the mystic's ability to raise the dead. Of course this, like the various claims of miracles made by Nigerian christian preachers and televangelists, was a lie. The mystic was arrested. Then the interesting part: the  dead man's sister insisted the mystic should not have been arrested while saying "why should I mourn when I know that my brother is in heaven? He will be rewarded for his services for the spiritual leader in the afterlife."

Science Is King

I deliberately avoided talking about the rigorous processes involved in the scientific process in my last post while talking about the reluctance of religious people to subject their beliefs to even minimal scrutiny. The well worn argument of the arrogance of most scientists, and also of science not having all the answers, especially by christians and muslims, is itself a testimony to the methods employed by science in its monumental achievements. Science landed man on the moon, went up close to a comet travelling at about 40km/s and sent a probe to Pluto, a journey so far, it took 9 years to complete.

Here To Stay

I received the sad news of Niloy Neel's death today. He had lived in fear of his life since three of his compatriots (Avijit Roy, Washiqur Rahman, and Ananta Bijoy Das) were killed for speaking out about their secular views, against extremism and for the rights of minorities. He makes it the fourth secular Bangladeshi blogger killed this year. No one has been convicted. I am honoured to be in this illustrious company, even though the worst I have suffered for my views on religion is being fired from a job and facing serious flak from my family. It is a small price to pay compared to the ultimate sacrifice that these brave men have made.

Religion Yes! Questions No!!

My atheism most probably began when I was eight. That was when I started catechism classes and the first question we were asked was "who made you?". The answer was of course "god made me". While the other children continued with the next question, I was lost in my thoughts. I was growing up to be quite the critic, and to me, nothing was above being criticized, which is why it baffles me to this day why Nigerians especially become visibly uncomfortable when the question of god's existence comes up.

Nigeria's Diabolical Human Traffickers

Nigerian social media and online news blogosphere was agog yesterday with the news of a wanted notorious human trafficker who specialized in taking young Nigerian women to Dubai and Qatar in order to earn a living as prostitutes. Like all those around the world involved in this appalling venture, she had to keep the girls in line to do her bidding. And that was the part that interested me.

To Us Be The Glory

I received a very heart warming piece of news today whose impact will soon reverberate across my entire family. While the news naturally made me very happy, it also got me thinking about a trend which really needs to be addressed - giving credit to god for our very own efforts and achievements. When Brazil won the 2002 FIFA world cup, the whole team formed a circle to pray and give thanks to the christian god for the victory. Ironically, it was Germany whom they had defeated in that match, that went ahead to inflict the heaviest ever defeat suffered by the Brazilian national football team, in the semi final of the 2014 world cup. Did god forsake Brazil?

God As A Five Year Old

As a kid, I experienced intense feelings of jealousy whenever any of my brothers got an extra helping of a piece of fish or some other delicacy, or received special attention from one of my parents, or for a myriad other reasons. Even as adults, we all still feel some degree of envy when a friend, colleague or relative has some good news to share, especially if it was one about something we desired or wanted for ourselves. This is a very human trait, and one which is most pronounced in young children who, unlike most well adjusted adults, are unable to hide, or avoid expressing their feelings.

Fear Factor

Religion most probably began in part due to the fear mankind had for the happenings that could not be explained or understood. Death was one of these, and is feared up until today. Documented evidence suggest that those who worshipped the sun did so because of the fear that not doing so would anger the sun, which would cease to bestow its benefits on the earth. We know this to be untrue today. We do not have to worship the sun for it to 'rise' and 'set', phenomena we now know are dependent on the earth's rotation around its  own axis. The simple ignorance of the facts of the relationships between the celestial bodies, and the effects these relationships have on our weather, daylight and darkness, and even our oceans and seas, necessitated action, and the best they could come up with was to worship the sun. They even killed their own, periodically, as a way of showing their loyalty to the sun. It was the same with thunder, which was described by the African bushmen as the rumbling of the stomachs of the gods from eating too much, or lightning which the ancient Greeks believed was an expression of Zeus's wrath. Children who have been in formal education for less than 8 or 9 years today, know the reasons for all these perfectly natural occurrences.

Sunday Sunday Medicine

On Sundays, Nigerian christians mandatorily attend one church service or the other. I know for a fact that there are those who no longer want to continue with this charade. I encourage you to be strong and to follow your gut instincts. You are no longer alone in this journey, and I will help you to actually stop attending church. There are a few basic rules to follow and I shall talk about the most important ones.

Soja Go, Soja Come, Barracks Stay

The above statement, a popular Nigerian saying, is about the same as saying that tough times do not last, but that tough people do, since tough times, like the soldier, come and go, but a tough person, like the barracks, is a permanent feature.

The Bible Falls Apart

Atheism is not a religion. It is simply a rejection of the belief in any and all deities. If we are to start from the 'creation' according to the bible, then we will be made to believe that mankind came into existence a mere 6000, or so, years ago. This does not hold true for many reasons, and for me, the one that I think is the most glaring evidence that we have been here for much longer is the fact that we could not have grown to a population of over 7 billion in just 6000 years. Even if every human being born  since Adam and Eve started having children was still alive today, and you can do the math for yourself, we still would not total over 7 billion.