AfriWatch Global

 Kano Bans Mobile Movie Downloads: A Policy Caught Between Faith, Law, and Livelihood By Efehe-Abasi Asanga, Publisher, AfriWatch The Kano State Hisbah Board has outlawed the mobile movie downloading business — the roadside and market-stall trade where operators load films and video content onto customers' phones — across all 44 local government areas of the state. Acting Commander General Mujahid Aminuddeen announced the ban this week, saying investigations found the trade was being used to circulate content that contradicts Islamic teachings, local culture and moral standards, including pornographic material. Enforcement will run through routine Hisbah patrols, with violators facing prosecution under Kano State law. Affected operators have been urged to find alternative lawful work. On the surface, this is a familiar Hisbah story: another restriction issued in the name of public morality. But the ban deserves a closer look than a reflexive "backward" or "progressiv...

 BREAKING: South Africa's Julius Malema Sentenced to Five Years in Prison — Vows to Appeal By AfriWatch Africa Desk | April 16, 2026 | Breaking News & Politics --- This story is developing. AfriWatch will update as events unfold. --- South Africa's most fiery opposition politician, Julius Malema, has been handed a five-year prison sentence by a magistrate's court in KuGompo City — formerly East London — in the Eastern Cape, sending shockwaves through South African politics and sparking tense scenes outside the courthouse. The sentence, handed down today, Thursday April 16, 2026, by Magistrate Twanet Olivier, relates to a 2018 incident in which Malema fired a rifle into the air at an Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) rally attended by more than 20,000 people at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane. ---  The Sentence Magistrate Olivier handed down the following sentences: - Five years imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm - Two years for unlawful possession of ...

  Viral Claim: Is a Northern Governor Sending Bandit Leaders on Hajj? AfriWatch Investigates By AfriWatch Investigative Desk | April 12, 2026 | Fact-Check --- AfriWatch is committed to responsible journalism. When viral claims circulate online, we investigate before we publish. This is one of those stories. --- A video is currently making the rounds on Nigerian social media, in which a man identified as "D English Alhaji" makes a serious and explosive allegation — that a northern Nigerian governor is allegedly sponsoring bandit leaders responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent Nigerians on the forthcoming 2026 Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. The claim has gone viral, generating outrage across WhatsApp groups, Facebook pages, and Twitter/X timelines. But is it true? AfriWatch investigated. Here is what we found. --- ## What Exactly Is Being Claimed? In the trending video, D English Alhaji alleges that: - A serving northern governor is arranging Hajj trips to Saudi ...

  Nigerian Military Strikes ISWAP Hub in Borno — But Airstrike Also Reportedly Hits Civilian Market, Killing Dozens By AfriWatch Security Desk | April 12, 2026 | Breaking News & Security AfriWatch has verified the military's press release and cross-referenced it with independent reports from the scene. This article presents the full picture — including a critical development the military's statement does not address. --- The Nigerian military has confirmed a major air strike against an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) logistics hub near the abandoned village of Jilli in Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State, executed on April 11, 2026 under Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK). The operation, described by the military as a precision intelligence-driven strike, reportedly neutralised scores of terrorists and destroyed their vehicles and equipment. However, independent reports emerging from the scene tell a more troubling story — one the military's official statemen...

 BREAKING: Nigeria's Democracy Under Threat — INEC Bribery Scandal, Opposition Protests & PDP Crisis Rock Abuja By AfriWatch Politics Desk | April 12, 2026 | Nigerian Politics --- This is a developing story. AfriWatch will continue to update as events unfold. --- Nigeria's political landscape is in turmoil this weekend as a storm of controversies threatens to shake the foundations of the country's democracy ahead of the critical 2027 general elections. From explosive bribery allegations against the electoral commission to an embattled opposition party tearing itself apart, Abuja is at the centre of a political earthquake. Wike Accused of Bribing INEC Officials with Land and Cash The most explosive story in Nigerian politics right now centres on allegations that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, offered prime Abuja land and cash gifts worth over $50,000 each to more than 29 senior officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission ...

 INVESTIGATION: Nigeria's Highways of Fear — How Banditry Has Turned the North into a No-Go Zone By AfriWatch Investigative Desk | April 11, 2026 | Special Investigation This is an AfriWatch Special Investigation. It draws on data from security researchers, academic studies, survivor testimonies, and field reports from across northern Nigeria. Every day, millions of Nigerians climb into buses, taxis, and private cars to travel across the country. For those in the south, the journey may be uncomfortable or slow. For those in the North, it could be their last. Nigeria's northern highways have become some of the most dangerous roads on the African continent — not because of poor road conditions alone, but because of a sprawling, sophisticated criminal enterprise that has turned travel into a gamble with life itself. Bandits. Kidnappers. Armed robbers. Call them what you will — they are now the de facto rulers of vast stretches of highway across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Ni...