Thomas Germain

With smartphones tougher than ever, a new wave of phone minimalists say cases are for cowards. I joined the case-free cult, called the experts and braced for the sound of broken glass.

A few months ago I walked into an Apple store to buy a new iPhone. After sifting through models and upgrades, a cheerful salesperson told me the price came to $1,199 (£919). She laughed when I mentioned that's close to what I pay for a month's rent. "Crazy, isn't it?" she said. "Now let's look at some phone cases."

It felt like the obvious next step. But even as the cost of cell phones breaches the stratosphere, some seemingly reasonable consumers going a different route: they're walking around with their phones completely naked, moving through the concrete and the spills and the dust with no case, no screen protector, nothing. I know some of these people. Their phones are shiny, with titanium fames and carefully engineered glass on full display. They seem so happy and carefree. Is it all in my head? Is fear the only thing standing between me and case-free bliss?

"Come on man, just check out how this thing feels," a friend said to me couple of weeks later. A proud no-case guy, he handed me his iPhone. It was far more handsome without a case, and even better to hold. "They build phones tougher now. I drop it all the time, it's fine."

According to conversations I've had since then with glass manufacturers, die-hard anti-casers and people who get paid to damage phones on purpose, it seems he could be right. Experts agree: the modern smartphone is far more robust than its ancestors. Still, most people I know use protection. So who's the crazy one here?

I decided to find out. When I got home, I tore the case off my phone, threw it in a drawer and committed to a month of sweating through the case-free lifestyle. I pitched my editor a story about it. He liked the idea but assured me the BBC would not pay for repairs if my experiment goes sour. May God have mercy on my soul.

Shattered glass

There's been a lot of discussion about how going caseless has become a status symbol for some who want to give off an air of class and confidence. When I interview tech executives and entrepreneurs, for example, phone cases are a rare sight.

"You're saying 'I can afford to replace this'. But it's not about appearances for me. I was a no-case guy even before my first startup," says Yousef Ali, chief executive of Blast Radio, a live audio platform for DJs. "For me it just seems nuts to have a $1,000 [£766] luxury device known for its material design and spend your day touching a $30 [£23] plastic case instead. It's like putting a vinyl cover on your couch to save the fabric. I have expensive pants too, should I wear an extra pair of pants to protect them? Where does it end?"

I won't pretend the first week without a phone case didn't leave me feeling, well, kind of cool. It's the lamest possible version of flirting with danger. But trends come and go. What I want is facts – ideally some harder than the ground I picture my phone careening towards.

It's true, you don't have to use a phone case anymore. But the real question is, are you a gambler? – Rich Fisco

If you're reading this on a mobile phone, you're probably looking through Gorilla Glass, a patented, smash-resistant technology made by a company called Corning. All the big-name phone manufacturers use Gorilla Glass or another Corning product for some or all of their screens, including Apple, Google, Huawei and Samsung. There are some exceptions for older phones and budget brands, but for the most part, Corning has the market cornered.

The Gorilla process starts with dipping glass in a bath of molten salt heated to 400C (752F). "The bath pulls smaller ions such as lithium out of the glass and swaps in larger ions such as potassium," says Lori Hamilton, Corning's director of technology for Gorilla Glass. "It creates this layer of compressive stress that makes it more difficult for flaws to penetrate through the glass." In other words, it squishes the glass together, making it less susceptible to damage.

Corning's research involves putting phones through ritualistic torture to study what goes wrong and how to prevent it. Phones face special glass scratching machines and go into tumblers with car keys to simulate pockets. Corning even collects phones busted by consumers in the wild to find unusual damage.

"Then we go through a CSI-type effort called fracture analysis, where we study tiny shards of glass to understand the source of the original fracture," Hamilton says.

When your phone breaks, it's the screen that fails most of the time. But according to Hamilton, results have improved dramatically in recent years, and today's smartphones are far stronger. In 2016, Corning reported that Gorilla Glass 5 survived drops of 0.8m (2.6ft) in the lab. That grew to 2m (6.6ft) with Gorilla Glass Victusin 2020. Gorilla Armor 2, one of Corning's latest products featured on the Samsung Ultra S25, has reportedly braved up to 2.2m (7.2ft).

Outside evidence seems to back up these improvements in phone materials, construction and design. In 2024, the insurance company Allstate, which sells phone protection plans, found that 78 million Americans reported damaging their phones, compared to 87 million in 2020.

"We don't use the term unbreakable," says Hamilton. "There will always be failures. There are always situations where you get a deep enough flaw or the right kind of bending." But Hamilton says skipping a case is reasonable, and at this point it's just a matter of preference. "After all, phones are an investment," she says. "I don't use a screen protector, but I actually do use a case." It's not for safety, though. It's a wallet case. "I just like a place to put cards and money.”

'It's made me more conscious of the thing'

Gorilla Glass was invented for the iPhone, though the latest models use a similar but upgraded Corning glass technology called "Ceramic Shield" made with "nano-ceramic crystals". Apple claims the latest iteration of Ceramic Sheild for the iPhone 16 makes it "2x tougher" than the glass on any other smartphone.

You might think those crystals and ions would be enough to shield me from spending money on a phone case, but manufacturers send mixed messages.

I have expensive pants too, should I wear an extra pair of pants to protect them? Where does it end? – Yousef Ali

Apple will sell you on the wonders of ceramics, but is also happy to sell you a case stamped with the Apple logo. My iPhone salesperson suggested I might like a nice blue one for $49 (£38). So, does an iPhone need a case? Apple wouldn't say: a spokesperson declined to comment.

Phone case manufacturer Spigen, on the other hand, was happy to talk. "It's true that phones are more durable than ever," says Justin Ma, a Spigen spokesperson. "However, despite these advancements, these devices are always prone to accidents," he says.

But even Ma wouldn't call a case necessary. "You might expect us to say everyone needs a case. But the reality is that it depends on the individual." Some people like the feel of a bare phone, some want maximum protection and still others choose a case for aesthetic purposes.

Whatever their reasons, case users are a massive contingency. Ma says Spigen cases alone cover 100 million devices. The consulting firm Towards Packaging clocked the global phone case market at almost $25bn (£19bn) in 2024.

I was standing in my kitchen drinking a glass of water when I got the itch for one last bedtime doomscroll. As I yanked my phone out of my pocket, my fingers slipped. My pristine iPhone made a ferocious arc through the air, bounced off the side of my refrigerator and landed hard, corner first, by my feet.

But when I checked, my phone was fine, saved perhaps by hardened glass, dumb luck or my gentle linoleum floor.

[Going caseless has] made me more conscious of the thing, and I find I don't get blindly sucked in as much as I used to. I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I'm actually using my phone less – Jonna Valenti

For Jonna Valenti, one half of a caseless couple based in North Carolina in the US, going without a case wasn't about science or status. "When I got my last phone, my daughter picked out the pink colour, and I didn't want to put a case on it because she just loved it so much," she says.

Valenti never looked back, and as time went by, she realised living without a case changed her relationship with her phone. "Because my fingers don't grip it as well, I just have more of an awareness," she says. "It's made me more conscious of the thing, and I find I don't get blindly sucked in as much as I used to. I can't believe I'm saying this but I think I'm actually using my phone less."

As romantic as Valenti makes it sound, I can't say the same. I'm as mindlessly glued to the internet as ever before.

The drop

Early in my career I worked at the magazine Consumer Reports, which has a full-on laboratory where teams of engineers have designed scientific tests to rate and review the products for almost 90 years. Just down the hall from my office was a crew that has rated cell phones for decades. To test for durability, Consumer Reports uses violence. If anyone knows the truth, it would be my old colleague Rich Fisco.

"We call it the drop test," says Fisco, who heads Consumer Reports' electronics testing. Phones go into a three-foot-long metal box with concrete panels at both ends, he says. Then the box spins, 50 times, slamming the phone against the concrete again and again. When the process is over, an engineer examines the device. If it survives, Fisco says they put the phone back in the box and give it yet another 50 drops.

"When the drop tests first started, about a third of phones would fail," says Fisco. "We haven't seen a phone fail the drop test in a long time. The glass has improved. These days they seem to be doing a lot better," he says.

"Look, I'm not saying the screen won't get scratched at some point, and if you drop it just right, or it lands on a little rock, say goodbye. But if your phone falls out of your hip pocket when you're walking down the street, the reality is it's probably not going to break," Fisco says. "It's true, you don't have to use a phone case anymore. But the real question is, are you a gambler?"

Even though Fisco publishes results that show dozens of phones passing the drop test every year, he still keeps his own device wrapped in a case. "Of course I do," he says. "I'm cheap."

I was rushing out the door on day 26 of my month with no case. Standing at the top of my building's staircase, I grabbed my phone to check on my commute to work. The next moment is a blur – I was probably being careless – but suddenly my phone was not in my hand but, in fact, tumbling out in front of me. I winced as it bounced down the steps once, twice and three times before clattering to a stop at the foot of the stairs.

I rushed down to rescue it, and lo and behold, there was a small gash in the corner of my iPhone's aluminium siding. The glass, however, was miraculously unscathed.

I spent the remaining days of my experiment playing it safe, clutching the phone tight on my rides on the subway, practicing mindfulness whenever I picked it up or set it down and on the whole simply using the thing a bit less.

My friend, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. The next time we met up in the park, I asked him how his phone was doing. "Bad," he said. "I dropped it. It's smashed, cracked, the front and the camera lens." He was the first to call it ironic. Then again, he has an older iPhone. Maybe the newer ceramic glass would have saved him. Maybe not.

No matter how many salt baths they give your screen, glass is breakable. But I'm now convinced that with newer devices – and steadier hands than mine – a case really is optional if you're willing to accept some very real risks. By the end of the month, though, my nerves were shot. I'd been walking a tightrope, and while I'd survived a lot of bumps and drops, every near miss felt like a warning.

In the end, I'm back on the case. But every once in a while I still slip it off, just for the thrill, and let my phone feel the wind in its glass.

BBC

A United States District Court has ordered major US law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to release documents relating to a decades-old investigation into Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

Judge Beryl Howell of the District Court for the District of Columbia issued the ruling, stating that the agencies’ refusal to confirm or deny the existence of such records—known as a “Glomar response”—was “neither logical nor plausible,” particularly given the public disclosures already made over the years.

The ruling follows a lawsuit filed in June 2023 by American transparency advocate Aaron Greenspan under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Greenspan had requested records from six federal agencies—the FBI, DEA, IRS, CIA, Executive Office for US Attorneys (EOUSA), and Department of State—relating to investigations allegedly linking Tinubu and three other individuals, including Abiodun Agbele, to a heroin trafficking ring that operated in Chicago in the early 1990s.

All the agencies initially denied the requests using Glomar responses, refusing to confirm or deny the existence of the records. Greenspan challenged those responses, and Judge Howell ultimately ruled that the FBI and DEA must disclose relevant documents, as their justification for secrecy no longer holds. The court, however, upheld the CIA’s Glomar response, citing insufficient evidence that it had officially acknowledged the existence of any related records.

According to court filings submitted by Greenspan, Tinubu was named in a 1993 civil forfeiture case filed by the US Department of Justice, which sought to confiscate $460,000 linked to suspected narcotics proceeds in Tinubu’s bank accounts. An affidavit from IRS Special Agent Kevin Moss detailed how Agbele, one of Tinubu’s associates, was arrested after selling heroin to an undercover agent, and how subsequent investigations linked financial transactions involving Tinubu to the broader drug ring probe.

Despite Tinubu’s lawyers attempting to intervene in the case, citing privacy concerns and the applicability of FOIA exemptions, the court ruled that public interest in the matter outweighed those concerns. Howell noted that both the FBI and DEA had already, in various ways, acknowledged Tinubu’s connection to past investigations, weakening the legal basis for continued secrecy.

However, the Nigerian presidency has dismissed the US court’s ruling as inconsequential. In a statement on Sunday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the materials referenced—particularly the affidavit by Agent Moss—have “been in the public space for more than 30 years” and do not amount to any new revelations or indictments against Tinubu.

“There is nothing new to be revealed,” Onanuga insisted, adding that the president’s lawyers are reviewing the ruling, but stressing that the documents do not implicate Tinubu in any criminal wrongdoing.

The court has ordered the involved US agencies, excluding the CIA, to file a joint report by May 2 detailing the status of any remaining issues related to the FOIA requests focused on Tinubu and Agbele. While the legal battle in the US continues, the Nigerian government appears intent on downplaying its significance, maintaining that the president has already been cleared of any wrongdoing in connection to the decades-old drug trafficking case.

Veteran Nigerian rapper and activist Eedris Abdulkareem has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu and his son, Seyi Tinubu, over the country’s worsening economic conditions and what he calls a lack of empathy from the political elite.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Rubbin’ Minds on Sunday, the outspoken artist dismissed Seyi Tinubu’s earlier claim that his father is “the greatest president in the history of Nigeria,” made during a political event in Adamawa State in March.

“Tinubu may be the best father to Seyi,” Eedris said, “but he is the worst president Nigeria has ever had. Young people are jobless, and many can’t even afford to eat. Let Seyi travel across Nigeria without security and feel what the masses are going through.”

Eedris’ criticism forms the core of his latest single, Tell Your Papa, a protest song that quickly went viral on social media before being banned by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). The NBC directed all broadcast stations to stop airing the track, labeling it unfit for public consumption.

The rapper said the song was directly inspired by Seyi Tinubu’s public praise of his father. “If he didn’t make that video, I wouldn’t have made the song,” he said. “Nigerian youths are not asking for much — just electricity, jobs, security, and a functioning economy. Not palliatives.”

In Tell Your Papa, Eedris calls on Seyi Tinubu to urge his father to confront Nigeria’s growing hardship and insecurity. The track has drawn comparisons to Eedris’ infamous 2004 protest anthem Nigeria Jaga Jaga, which was banned during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration but has remained relevant for two decades.

“Twenty-four years later, Jaga Jaga still resonates. That says a lot about the state of our nation,” he remarked during the interview.

Two prominent labour leaders, Andrew Emelieze and Itoro Obong, have petitioned the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations (UN), accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of exploiting Nigerian workers.

Emelieze, a former Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Oyo State, and Obong, Vice Chairman of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (Akwa Ibom chapter), jointly submitted the complaint under the Federal Workers’ Forum (FWF).

In the petition, they announced plans to stage an indefinite nationwide protest starting April 22, 2025, over what they described as the Nigerian government’s unfair treatment of workers.

The labour leaders condemned the executive, legislative, and judicial branches for failing to protect workers' rights, stating: “The government has implemented harsh policies, including fuel price hikes, naira devaluation, and soaring inflation, while ignoring ILO and UN conventions on fair wages and decent working conditions.”*

They further accused the Tinubu administration of continuing the “anti-worker policies” of past governments, leaving salaries stagnant amid rising living costs. The petition also linked Nigeria’s economic crisis to increased illegal migration, citing the country’s high rate of deadly Mediterranean crossings.

The FWF demanded sanctions against the Nigerian government and criticized the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and TUC for inadequate worker representation.

“Workers are treated with disdain, and the current administration has done nothing to improve their plight,” the petition read. “We call on the ILO and UN to hold Nigeria accountable.”

The planned protest aims to pressure the government into addressing workers’ demands for better wages and working conditions.

The Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that operating unregistered digital asset exchanges and online foreign exchange trading platforms is now illegal under the recently enacted Investments and Securities Act (ISA) 2025.

President Bola Tinubu signed the legislation into law last month, with the SEC stating that the new act aims to strengthen Nigeria's capital market and adapt to the evolving digital finance landscape.

In a weekend statement, the SEC warned that non-compliance is now a punishable offense: "By virtue of this Act, it is an offence in Nigeria for any entity that is not registered by the Commission to carry out the business of online foreign exchange trading platforms or related services."

Entities planning to establish businesses in these sectors are advised to contact the HOD DRM Department of the Commission for registration guidance to avoid sanctions.

The new legislation significantly expands the SEC's regulatory authority. Section 3(3)(b) of the Act explicitly empowers the Commission to "register and regulate securities exchanges, commodity exchanges, virtual and digital asset exchanges, and other market venues."

SEC Director-General Emomotimi Agama described the ISA 2025 as transformative for Nigeria's capital market, providing "legal backing to ensure investor protection and enhance market confidence, especially in new and previously unregulated segments such as digital asset exchanges and online foreign exchange platforms."

While affirming the Commission's support for innovation, Agama emphasized that it must occur "within a regulated environment that protects investors and maintains market integrity."

The SEC has advised all stakeholders in the financial and investment ecosystem to familiarize themselves with the new provisions and ensure full compliance with ISA 2025.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Israeli missiles strike Gaza hospital, patients evacuated

Two Israeli missiles hit a major Gaza hospital on Sunday, putting the emergency department out of action and damaging other structures, medics said, in a strike which Israel said was aimed at Hamas fighters exploiting the facility.

Health officials at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital evacuated patients after a phone call from someone who identified himself as Israeli security shortly before the attack.

No casualties were reported in the strike. The Israeli military said in a statement that it had taken steps to reduce harm to civilians before it struck the compound, which it said was being used by Hamas militants to plan attacks. Hamas rejected the accusation and called for an international investigation.

The hospital - an institution run by the Anglican Church in Jerusalem - was no longer operational, according to Gaza's health ministry.

"Hundreds of patients and injured people had to be evacuated in the middle of the night, and many of them are now out in the streets without medical care, which puts their lives at risk," said ministry spokesperson Khalil Al-Deqran.

Sunday's strikes came as Hamas leaders began a fresh round of talks in Cairo in a bid to salvage a stalled ceasefire agreement with Israel, as Egypt, Qatar, and the United States attempted to bridge gaps between the sides.

Reuters footage showed significant destruction in and outside the hospital compound's church, and patients who could not leave.

WARNING

"The scene was scary. From last night until now, I haven't slept a single minute out of fear. All night, glass was shattering over us inside," said an injured man, Mohammed Abu Nasser.

The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem said the warning to evacuate the hospital came 20 minutes before the strike that destroyed the two-storey genetic laboratory, and damaged the pharmacy and emergency department buildings and other surrounding structures.

"We call upon all governments and people of goodwill to intervene to stop all kinds of attacks on medical and humanitarian institutions," the church said in a statement.

The Palestinian foreign ministry and Hamas condemned the attack, saying Israel was destroying Gaza's healthcare system.

Israel says Hamas systematically exploits civilian structures, including hospitals, which the militant group denies. Israeli forces have carried out numerous raids in medical facilities in Gaza.

In October 2023, a deadly blast at a parking lot in the compound of Al-Ahli hospital was blamed by Hamas on an Israeli airstrike. Israel said a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group had caused the blast.

The militant group denied it was responsible. An investigation by Human Rights Watch concluded the explosion was most likely caused by a failed Palestinian rocket launch.

OTHER STRIKES

Separate strikes in the enclave on Sunday killed at least 30 Palestinians, including the head of a police station in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Hamas-run enclave, according to Hamas and health authorities. Six brothers were killed when an Israeli strike hit their car in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip, medics said.

Later on Sunday, the Israeli military said it had located and destroyed a 1.2 km underground tunnel used by militants in the northern Gaza Strip. It said it struck several militants identified as planting a bomb near the Israeli soldiers carrying out the operation to demolish the tunnel.

The armed wing of Hamas, meanwhile, said its fighters detonated bombs they had planted in a house in eastern Rafah, in the south of the enclave, after Israeli soldiers entered it.

The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, more than 50,900 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to local health authorities. Much of Gaza is in ruins and most of its population has been displaced.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine says 32 killed by Russian ballistic missile strike on Sumy

Thirty-two people were killed and over 80 others wounded by two Russian ballistic missiles that slammed into the heart of the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday morning, Ukrainian officials said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack - one of the deadliest strikes on Ukraine this year - and called for a tough international reaction against Moscow.

"Only scoundrels can act like this. Taking the lives of ordinary people," Zelenskiy wrote on social media, alongside a chilling video which showed corpses on the ground, a destroyed bus and burnt-out cars in the middle of a city street.

"And this is on a day when people go to church: Palm Sunday, the feast of the Lord's Entry into Jerusalem," he said.

Interior minister Klymenko said the victims were on the street, in vehicles, public transport and in buildings when the strike hit.

"Deliberate destruction of civilians on an important church feast day," he wrote.

Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy's chief of staff, said the missiles contained cluster munitions.

"The Russians are doing this to kill as many civilians as possible," he said.

Reuters was seeking comment from Russian authorities.

Andriy Kovalenko, a security official who runs Ukraine's Centre for Countering Disinformation, noted that the strike came after a visit to Moscow by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

"Russia is building all this so-called diplomacy ... around strikes on civilians," he wrote on Telegram.

Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, held talkswith Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in St. Petersburg on the search for a Ukraine peace deal, as Trump told Russia to "get moving".

In the aftermath of Sunday's strike, Zelenskiy called on the U.S. and Europe to get tough on Russia in response to what he described as terrorism.

"Russia wants exactly this kind of terror and is dragging out this war. Without pressure on the aggressor, peace is impossible. Talks have never stopped ballistic missiles and aerial bombs," he wrote.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and currently holds about 20% of the country's territory in the east and south. Russian forces have been slowly advancing in the east of late, though missile and drone strikes now dominate the war.

Russia's defence ministry said on Saturday that Ukraine had carried out five attacks on Russian energy infrastructure over the previous day in what it called a violation of a U.S.-brokered moratorium on such strikes.

Ukraine and Russia agreed to pause strikes on each other's energy facilities last month, but both sides have repeatedly accused each other of breaking the moratorium.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian missile strikes Kiev troops during award ceremony in Sumy – Ukrainian MP

A Russian missile has struck Ukrainian troops lining up for an award ceremony in the city of Sumy near the front line, according to Ukrainian lawmaker Mariana Bezuglaya, a former member of Vladimir Zelensky’s political party.

The acting mayor of Sumy, Artyon Kobzar, said that the strike on the city’s center on Sunday left more than 20 people dead and over 80 wounded.

Bezuglaya claimed in a post on Telegram later in the day that those killed were Ukrainian servicemen.

“An appeal to [Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Aleksandr] Syrsky and separately to the commander of the Territorial Defense Forces: Do not gather the troops for award ceremonies, especially in civilian cities,” she wrote.

The legislator, who used to be a member of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s ‘Servant of the People’ party, also alleged that “the Russians had information about the gathering.”

“Do not do roll calls. Do not stage award ceremonies,” she urged the military.

Ukrainian journalist and former MP Natalya Mosiychuk also confirmed that the Russian strike had targeted a muster of the Ukrainian servicemen. She called for the arrest of the head of the Sumy military administration Vladimir Artyukh and Zelensky party legislator Mikhail Ananachenko, who she blamed for organizing and promoting the award ceremony. “Beside the soldiers, they gathered civilians, including children there. Bastards and scumbags!”

The Russian Defense Ministry did not mention a strike in Sumy during its daily bulletin on Sunday.

Bezuglaya, 36, has repeatedly criticized Ukraine’s senior military commanders since quitting Zelensky’s party last February. In July 2024, she was blacklisted by the notorious Ukrainian website Mirotvorets, a semi-official database of perceived enemies of the state.

Reuters/RT

2025 has not been easy on Nigerians. The economy has looked far from bright; the weather has been suffocating; and cost of living has been stubbornly oppressive. With rising massacres in the Middle Belt, and Borno State in the north-east apparently losing ground to the nihilism of Boko Haram terror, violence remains unremitting. In the Niger Delta, a judicially manufactured crisis of political godfathering threatens serious repercussions for the national purse and endangers rent and royalties from the wells of oil-rich Rivers State. All this unfolds under the watch of a president who appears to have grown into a habit of sending episodic missives to Nigerians from his preferred base in Paris and occasionally paying a visit to Abuja from there.

Each of these developments is eminently newsworthy. Together, they should grip attentions about the goings-on in the sixth most populous country in the world. Instead, the biggest news out of Nigeria this year is the failure of Nigeria’s men of power to manage libidinal sexploits in the workplace, and the accompanying tendency to default to abuse of power to inter any resulting embarrassments.

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is the Senator for Kogi Central and, by herself, 25% of the female contingent in the Nigeria’s Senate. Her detailed allegations of sexual harassment against Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, would probably have long ago run their course if the chamber and its leadership had approached the matter with due regard to any rule book. Instead, they chose to orchestrate the longest-running political soap opera in Africa’s most populous country.

As with these things, most people no longer remember the complaint because the cover-up procured by abuse of power has been more impressive. It has guaranteed that this story has “dominated conversations and highlighted longstanding women’s rights issues in the socially conservative country, where no woman has ever been elected governor, vice-president or president.”

For many, any suggestion that it is abnormal for a man not to get excited in the presence of a woman in the workplace is perplexing to the point of vexing. In a case in 2016, a lawyer representing a powerful international organisation in a case of sexual harassment before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), told the judge that “it is expected among adults that a man would naturally chase a woman, make romantic overtures.” Few have paused to ask what exactly “sexual harassment” means, why it matters and why it is such a lingering issue in both work spaces and public institutions.

In 2011, the Lagos State Criminal Law made sexual harassment a felony. The law describes the crime to include “unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favours, and other visual, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature which when submitted to or rejected” could affect or unreasonably interfere with the employment or educational opportunities of a person; become a factor in their academic or employment decision, or create an intimidating, hostile or offensive learning or working environment. Other states like Ekiti and Kaduna States have followed the example of Lagos in making sexual harassment a crime.

Sexual harassment can also create civil liability. Stella Odey was a widow with four children when the development organisation, CUSO, hired her for four years in January 2015 as project manager. At work, she found herself under a male boss who repeatedly told her that “her voice arrests him, slapping her buttocks and embracing her against her will and consent.” He was reluctant to hear her protestation that she desired to remarry.

In July 2015, 14 days after Ms Odey gave her boss a card inviting him to her wedding, he summarily sacked her. In upholding her claim of unlawful termination, the National Industrial Court pointed out that “the main point in allegations of sexual harassment is that unwelcome sexual conduct has invaded the workplace.”

Four years earlier, the same court awarded quite substantial damages against Microsoft in Nigeria in favour of a female staff whose employment the country manager, a man, terminated after she refused his sexual advances.

While parliamentary sexploits in the Senate have brought much-needed attention to the subject generally, it remains the case that Nigeria’s educational and academic institutions are the places most persistently associated with sexual harassment. Nearly 45 years ago, in 1981, a mere two years after Akpoti-Uduaghan was born, the report of the Presidential Commission on Salary and Conditions of University Staff chaired by Samuel Cookey acknowledged an incipient problem of sexual harassment in the universities. Since then, the issue has grown in both scope and significance.

In 2024, a pioneering Baseline Survey conducted under the auspices of the Committee of Gender Directors in Nigerian Universities in partnership with the non-governmental organization, Alliances for Africa, found that at least 63% of female students in universities in the country had experienced sexual harassment. The perpetrators included lecturers, staff, and students. The report acknowledged an absence of progress on this issue, citing “stigmatisation, absence of adequate institutional support, power imbalances between victims and perpetrators, lack of clear policies and procedures for reporting incidents.”

An ongoing scandal at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), involving allegations of sexual harassment against the Vice-Chancellor, Abayomi Fasina, a professor, illustrates how bad the situation is. At the end of last year, it emerged that a female senior director at the university, Folasade Adebayo, had accused the Vice-Chancellor of work place reprisals after she allegedly rejected his persistent sexual advances.

The Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law creates a felony crime of sexual harassment which occurs when there is “unwanted conduct of a sexual nature or other conduct based on sex or gender which is persistent or serious and demeans, humiliates, or creates a hostile or intimidating environment.” To prove her allegations, Mrs. Adebayo produced a sound clip of a telephone conversation with the Vice-Chancellor in 2023 in which he could be heard pleading that he would make her happy as long as she made him happy, and confessing: “Let me tell you, I’m dying inside for you.”

After what was supposed to be an internal investigation, the Governing Council issued a statement this past week claiming that it had cleared the Vice-Chancellor of the allegations. Instead it ordered various disciplinary measures against Mrs. Adebayo and the leadership of the Staff Union of the University (which made her allegations public), “for bringing the name of the university into disrepute.”

Without challenging the provenance of the sound clip or the veracity of its contents, the Governing Council instead “condemned the recording of the Vice-Chancellor without his knowledge and consent.” Yet, it resolved to advise the Vice-Chancellor “in writing to be more careful and circumspect in dealing with subordinates.” Not done with this piece of tortured administrative theatre, the Governing Council then announced that it would constitute a “peace and reconciliation committee to look into all the issues in the university.”

The performance of the Senate in the institutional calisthenics of inspired cover-up easily pales into insignificance beside the mastery displayed by the Governing Council of FUOYE. Under cover of high statutory authority, the Governing Council procured the burial of serious allegations that could be criminal in Ekiti while implicitly validating their veracity. Why would the Vice-Chancellor need gratuitous advice of the kind the Council will be offering if the recording lacked credibility? Unsurprisingly, the university staff union promptly denounced the decision.

The bigger problem is that the Council by this decision destroys any hope of remedies for students, staff or anyone with credible claims of sexual harassment in the university. Instead, they guarantee exactly the opposite of what the university seeks to avoid: resort to public advocacy by victims. Anticipating that, the Governing Council of FUOYE says it will expedite the production of policies on cyber-bullying and use of social media. The intention is not to help victims or to bring perpetrators to account. Rather, it seeks to perpetuate a culture of cover-up. Anyone looking for where the men in Senate learnt their art when they were boys should look no further than a Nigerian University.

** Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a professor of law, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and can be reached through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Every day, I am barraged by individuals trying to get me to buy into their program to get more qualified leads, get noticed on LinkedIn, streamline my workflow... and on and on and on. I am exhausted by it all and at the same time strangely intrigued. I have always wanted and tried to be an early adopter. I love being able to try something new, to find that "shiny penny."

After all, I might be missing some cool system for generating the leads that are most suited to my product and service offering. Perhaps I am overlooking someone who has the expertise I need to reach a whole untapped market? Who does not want to get noticed for their work and accomplishments on LinkedIn or other platforms?

I know I do, but beware. It is easy to fall prey to shiny object syndrome. By definition, it is "the tendency of being constantly drawn to exciting new opportunities." I have done this and see the same thing happening to many clients. They introduce new initiatives or programs only to have them disappear without ever achieving results in favor of something newer.

Today, there is constant pressure to improve awareness of your brand and be more efficient and profitable. That's why new tools, programs and consultants are popping up to help. But do you really need help? Will that shiny penny deliver results? Here are a few things to consider.

Are you maximizing your current systems?

Back when the microwave was first introduced there were all sorts of features. I know mine had all kinds of programs, but all I did was warm up coffee or defrost food. The microwave could do so much more. I did not use it to its full potential. I think the same thing is true today of business systems.

It is easy to think you need help generating business leads and being more efficient in the sales process, but are you using what you have in place? Take, for example, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) technology. There are a variety of options from well-known products to smaller tracking systems.

Most of them are great at helping manage customer interactions and build relationships. Even some of the simplest ones have valuable information. The problem is that often employees don't use it routinely. It takes constant effort to input information about current and potential projects. If the data is not accurate or timely, you can miss opportunities. A new or more robust system may not be any better than an existing one.

The same can be true of project management software, safety programs and other efforts. Before you try something new, see if you are utilizing what you have to the fullest.

Are you distracted by the latest idea?

Have you ever had a great idea for a product that you thought would be in demand? At least three times, I have devoted significant effort and resources to producing video projects that I believe would be a tremendous success. The ideas were solid. One was a primer on the Americans with Disabilities Act, which we released shortly after the legislation went into effect.

Another was a series of videos based on an extraordinarily successful in-person program that taught kids basic physical skills that would lead to better participation in sports and other activities. Both projects were well-produced and had substantial content. Unfortunately, neither was a commercial success, and both distracted me from my core business, which is B2B corporate communication.

When you constantly get excited about new ideas or projects, it can pull attention away from existing initiatives and confuse employees about what is really important. That doesn't mean you should not try to expand and enhance your product offering. You should. Just be sure that boredom is not pushing you to try things that are not the right fit for your business.

Are you attracted to outside experts?

Many years ago, a business friend suggested that I work with a consultant that he used to improve the quality of leads for his service business. He raved about the return on the monthly investment and saw results by the second month of the engagement. I met with the consultant and was impressed by what appeared to be a solid system for understanding my needs and using data to find and match potential clients.

As you might guess, the result was lackluster. After several months, the promised leads did not materialize. I did make some connections, but not enough to justify the cost. The work was also not the kind or quality of work that I wanted to do.

Over the years, I have tried several times to hire outside consultants with mixed results. There are times when consultants can help jump-start efforts, and it is exciting when someone wants to work with you. It is also easy to waste a great deal of money on consultants who can talk a good game but don't have a solid process or method to track the benefits.

I discovered that I had employees on staff who could do the necessary research and get us quality leads. I also found that I was not leveraging my memberships in organizations that could help me connect with potential clients who were a good fit.

What makes entrepreneurs successful is the ability to see what others cannot. To come up with fresh ideas and approaches to problems. To get excited about the possibilities. However, that can also be a weakness if we let our enthusiasm distract us from focusing on our day-to-day business. I admit I am still intrigued by shiny pennies. However, I am getting better at walking by and not picking them up.

Entrepreneur

Hamas releases video of Israeli-American hostage held in Gaza

Hamas on Saturday released a video purportedly of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, who has been held in Gaza since he was captured by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023.

In the undated video, the man who introduces himself as Edan Alexander states he has been held in Gaza for 551 days. The man questions why he is still being held and pleads for his release.

Alexander is a soldier serving in the Israeli military.

The edited video was released as Jews began to mark Passover, a weeklong holiday that celebrates freedom. Alexander's family released a statement acknowledging the video that said the holiday would not be one of freedom as long as Edan and the 58 other hostages in Gaza remained in captivity.

Hamas has released several videos over the course of the war of hostages begging to be released. Israeli officials have dismissed past videos as propaganda that is designed to put pressure on the government. The war is in its eighteenth month.

Hamas released 38 hostages under a ceasefire that began on January 19. In March, Israel's military resumed its ground and aerial campaign on Gaza, abandoning the ceasefire after Hamas rejected proposals to extend the truce without ending the war.

Israeli officials say that campaign will continue until the remaining 59 hostages are freed and Gaza is demilitarized. Hamas insists it will free hostages only as part of a deal to end the war and has rejected demands to lay down its arms.

The U.S., Qatar and Egypt are mediating between Hamas and Israel.

The war started when Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israeli communities near Gaza on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel's retaliatory assault has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health officials in the Hamas-run enclave. Most of the population has been displaced and much of Gaza is in ruins.

Reuters