Nneoma Omeje

Some of my Selected Publications include: Omeje, N. (2024, November 25). Audit Exposes $116M in Unfinished Nigerian Government Contracts. OCCRP . https://www.occrp.org/en/news/audit-exposes-116m-in-unfinished-nigerian-governmentcontracts Omeje, N. (2024, November 14). U.S. Blocks Records on Nigerian President’s Alleged Drug Ties. OCCRP . https://www.occrp.org/en/news/us-blocks-records-on-nigerian-presidents-alleged-drug-ti es JCA AS A SMARTER, SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR JOURNALISM https://gfmd.info/cloud-alliance/ Omeje, N. (2024, July 12). Nigeria Postpones Trial of Orphanage Founder Accused of Selling Babies. OCCRP . https://www.occrp.org/en/news/nigeria-postpones-trial-of-orphanage-founder-accused-of -selling-babiesFate of Statisticians on the UN’s New Development Goals https://www.cima.ned.org/blog/will-statisticians-get-last-word-uns-new-development-goa ls/ Omeje, N. (2024, June 19). Adulterated cooking oil flooding Nigerian markets. OCCRP . https://www.occrp.org/en/news/adulterated-cooking-oil-flooding-nigerian-markets Omeje, N. (2024, June 17). West Africa Plans to Fight New Synthetic Drug Epidemic. OCCRP . https://www.occrp.org/en/news/west-africa-plans-to-fight-new-synthetic-drug-epidemic Other articles published by OCCRP: Sample 1: TOPIC: Adulterated Cooking Oil Flooding Nigerian Markets By Nneoma Omeje The Nigerian government has raised alarm over the recent rise in contaminated palm oil into which middlemen are allegedly adding dye, transformer oil or other harmful substances to increase their profit. Such products can cause severe health complications such as cancer, diabetes, heart diseases and even death. "Most diseases that Nigerians face are due to the consumption of these adulterated food products found in tomatoes, onions, and even palm oil. I am calling on all government agencies to work together to deal with the situation," Ambassador Alphonso Inyang, the National President of the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN), told OCCRP . Palm oil is a crucial ingredient in the diets of many Nigerians. It is obtained from the fleshy mesocarp of the oil palm fruit. It is grown commercially in Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and the South Pacific, as well as on a small scale in other tropical areas. Despite its widespread use, most palm oil sold in the open market is adulterated. This menace is damaging the Nigerian economy, Inyang said. "Other African countries are currently aware of the issue of adulterated food in Nigeria, and it is severely affecting our economy," he explained. Dr. Jerome Mafeni, the Technical Advisor at the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), told OCCRP in a phone conversation that the warning is timely. Many Nigerians suffer from serious health issues such as cancer, heart failure, and other diseases due to the consumption of these toxic substances. He emphasized that the FCCPC and other regulatory agencies need to work urgently to remove fake and adulterated products from the market to safeguard consumers from harmful goods. Addressing the issue of food adulteration is crucial to protect public health and stabilize the market. Efforts from government agencies are crucial as activities of these traders will bite hard in the Nigerian workforce if not properly addressed, he added. https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/18821-adulterated-cooking-oil-flooding-nigerian-markets Sample 2: TOPIC : West Africa Plans to Fight New Synthetic Drug Epidemic By Nneoma Omeje Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau have authorized a Swiss-based civil society organization to facilitate chemical testing of a drug that is wreaking havoc in West Africa and has prompted the president of Sierra Leone to declare a national emergency. ‘Kush’ entered the drug market in Freetown around 2016 and quickly spread across the country. The drug, taken mostly by men aged 18 to 25, often causes people to fall asleep while walking, fall over, and bang their heads against hard surfaces, which can sometimes lead to death. For a long time, it was unclear what the drug was made of. Preliminary testing done by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) indicates the presence of synthetic cannabinoids and nitazenes. These substances are then sprayed onto a leaf, mixed with tobacco, and smoked. “The GI-TOC believes that these results are the first indication that nitazenes have penetrated retail drug markets in Africa and a confirmatory GCMS/LCMS testing of kush is urgently required,” the civil society organization said in a report last week. Determining the composition of the drug is essential for organizing a coordinated and evidence-based response to the epidemic. The two countries have authorized GI-TOC and the Clingendael Institute to co-design the research.The Netherlands-based institute said that, according to people who use kush, the drug relieves stress or simply makes all feelings disappear. Nitazenes have long been in use in Europe and North America as well as in Asia, where they have been associated with overdose deaths. Some of them can be up to 100 times more potent than heroin and up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl, meaning that users can get an effect from a much smaller amount, putting them at increased risk of overdose and death. The consumption is so widespread that the president of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, declared a national emergency in April in response to the alarming rise in drug abuse, particularly the usage of synthetic kush and its effect on the nation’s youth. “Our country is currently facing an existential threat due to the devastating impact of drugs and drug addiction, in particular the devastating synthetic drug kush,” he said. See link: https://www.occrp.org/en/news/west-africa-plans-to-fight-new-synthetic-drug-epidemic Sample 3: TOPIC: Nigeria Postpones Trial of Orphanage Founder Accused of Selling Babies A Nigerian court postponed on Thursday the trial of an 83-year-old woman, founder of an orphanage, accused of buying and selling babies under her care. The woman was arrested a year ago, raising questions about why authorities have taken so long to bring her before a judge. Clara Ogo, a retired Nigerian Army Lt. Col. and trained nurse, was released on bail after her arrest. Her first hearing is now scheduled for October, after vacation time, Hassan Tahir, the head of the Legal Team of Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), told OCCRP .The delay in arraigning her was due to the lengthy investigation, Tahir explained. The agency began investigating Ogo after journalist Fisayo Soyombo exposed alleged illegal activities at her Arrow of God orphanage. In his report, Soyombo described how the Christian orphanage was selling babies with the collusion of the police and judiciary. While working on the story, he managed to buy a baby himself, which he later handed over to authorities. Ogo was arrested soon after, and Soyombo now questions why her trial has been delayed for so long. “I don’t have confidence in NAPTIP regarding their handling of the baby and the prosecution,” he told OCCRP . Soyombo said he had cooperated fully with NAPTIP , providing all necessary information, yet there is still a significant delay in prosecuting the case. Since January 2024, nearly 30 human traffickers have been convicted from NAPTIP investigations. The agency has secured almost 700 convictions since its inception in 2003. Most trafficked children are taken from southeastern states and trafficked by sea to countries like Gabon, Cameroon, and Guinea for labor, prostitution, and other forms of sexual exploitation. Nigeria remains a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking. Link: https://www.occrp.org/en/news/nigeria-postpones-trial-of-orphanage-founder-accused-of -selling-babies