Controlling the Boundaries of Morality: The History and Powers of Ayelala Deity

The worship of deities has always been a major religious preoccupation among the Yoruba. Among these deities is Ayelala, a water goddess, who is not only worshiped with pomp and pageantry but also highly revered and respected for its judicial powers. As a deity of retribution and justice, Ayelala is believed to possess great powers which she uses against varying forms of social vice, such as armed robbery, sexual offences, and witchcraft to mention a few. Ayelala is reputed for seeking vengeance when the offender has forgotten her or his crime, and strikes her victims by inflicting on them bodily swelling and in few cases, dryness. Such is Ayelala’s overwhelming power and potency that the deity seeks to control the boundaries of morality and at the same time forms amajor bulwark against societal impropriety. Our article examines the history of Ayelala, being one of the popular deities worshipped in coastal Yorubaland. It also interrogates how the deity’s power stems from the importance of boundaries and difference, insofar as these warrant the strict obedience of individuals, their families and the society as a whole to the prevailing set of moral demands. The article contends that beyond the narratives of power, potency and retribution, Ayelala’s role as an arbiter of justice underscores the importance of civic values held within communities where the deity is worshipped – which are also values that undergird intergroup relations. Though Ayelala worship is pervasive among the Ilaje, Ikale and Ijaw-Apoi communities of Ondo state, Nigeria, the deity is also linked with other neighboring and distant communities which highlight the unifying tendencies of a common religion and deity belief among different sub-ethnic groups.

The Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Nigeria: Corruption a Major Challenge

The proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) is gradually and perilously becoming a transnational organized crime. In Nigeria, this peril assumed its delicate stage with incessant killings by Boko Haram insurgents, herdsmen-farmers clashes, kidnappings, communal and religious crisis, and armed robbery. The drift of this threat is the availability of weapons that are trafficked through Nigeria’s porous borders. Regulating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons has been challenged by several factors such as border porosity, inadequate personnel, lack of equipment, lack of data, weak enforcement, stockpile management, local arms manufacturers. Corruption takes center stage and is the focus of this paper. Corruption directly or indirectly is related to other challenges. The paper recommends that corruption must be addressed if all legal and institutional measures for border security and curtailing the spread of weapons in Nigeria are to achieve their objectives.

The use of private maritime guards as an innovative means to fulfil states’ duty to cooperate in the repression of maritime piracy. Part Two

This article discusses the use of PCASPs as an alternative or additional layer of protection on board ships in the fight against maritime piracy and armed robbery at sea from an international law perspective based on legal positivism. A concern is that clear-cut, international legal rules are missing on PCASPs. A particular concern is the use of force by PCASPs. The IMO, the shipping- and PMSC industry have had to resort to soft-law instruments and self-regulations. The perceived lack of legal rules concerning PCASPs and PMSCs has resulted in a lot of criticism. But does international law on maritime piracy need to develop binding international legal rules’ that are directly applicable to PCASPs? My findings are that the existing legal framework, in the Law of the Sea, SOLAS Convention, customary international law on self-defence together with the non-binding IMO guidelines and the shipping industry’s and PMSC’s self-regulations, as implemented by national laws, gives the necessary framework to adequately address the issue of PCASPs as protection against maritime piracy. The article describes maritime piracy, piracy hotspots and how interventions against piracy differ according to regions. It analyses the current legal framework on maritime piracy and armed robbery at sea in UNCLOS and the SUA Convention, flag-state jurisdiction and national laws. It defines “soft-law” and goes through regulations on PCASPs from the Montreux Document and ICoC to regulations that directly address the use of PCASPs on board ships, as the IMO Guidelines, ISO Standards, the industries standard agreements and the Guidance on the use of force.

The Psychological Implications of #EndSARS Protest in Nigeria: A Theoretical Expository Approach

The nation of Nigeria recently experienced unprecedented violence occasioned by the activities of the Special Anti- Robbery Squad, popularly known as SARS. This tactical Police unit charged with the onerous responsibility of dealing with violent crimes such as car-jerking, armed robbery, kidnapping, and sundry crimes allegedly became a terror against Nigerians. They were accused of brutality, rights abuse, undue criminal profiling of youths, rape, extra-judicial killings, among other forms of abuse. These states of affair prompted Nigerian youths to initiate a protest against this Police unit tagged #EndSARS. The protest at inception was a peaceful one. Unfortunately, this supposed peaceful protest degenerated into a chaotic and violent one across the country, largely due to the high handedness of security operatives, particularly the special anti robbery squad. Consequently, several people lost their lives, public and private properties were burnt or destroyed, unimaginable looting occurred, several correctional centres witnessed jail-break, among other forms of violence. The aim of this paper therefore is to examine the psychological implications of the #EndSARS protest in Nigeria. This was done by analysing the position of some psychological theories, with the frustration-aggression hypothesis forming the theoretical framework for the analysis. Thereafter, recommendations were proffered on ways to avoid further protest, including the need for government to see the development of the youth as a priority in Nigeria.

Sea piracy and maritime security challenges in the gulf of guinea, 1999 - 2018

This study has examined sea piracy and maritime security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea, 1999 – 2018. Available literature and secondary data confirms that Gulf of Guinea continues to remain an area of high concern in the area of sea piracy and maritime security challenges. High profile attacks in the Gulf of Aden, off the Horn of Africa waters, and in the Gulf of Guinea (GG), are mostly caused by Nigerian pirates and thus have elicited renewed international attention to the problems of piracy in the waters of Africa.This study was carried out to ascertain the extent to which hostage taking, oil theft and armed robbery at sea affected the security of vessels in the Gulf of Guinea. The data was analyzed using the quantitative descriptive method; also logical data framework was inclusive that shows the entire study at a glance. Consequently, empirical literature and various analyses in this study revealed that hostage taking, oil theft and armed robbery at sea, have affected the security of vessels in the Gulf of Guinea. The study also found that maritime insecurity in the region have adversely affected investment in the area particularly Nigeria; such as shipping of cargo goods, fishing trawlers, crude oil tankers among other; this allows the development of illegal offshore trade in crude oil and refined petroleum; consequently. Therefore, on the basis of the above analysis, the study concludes that hostage taking, oil theft and armed robbery at sea have significant effect on the security of imperative for Gulf of Guinea states to elect a proactive and pre-emptive leadership that would leverage on their oil affluence to address the problems of unemployment, poverty and deprivation especially in riverine communities, which incubate maritime afflictions.

Policy Analyses on Wages Protection of Seafarers Held Hostage by Pirates

The issue of piracy against merchant vessels still poses a significant threat to world shipping, and people onboard continue to be targeted and held hostage by pirates for ransom. Seafarers expect and deserve to continue receiving wages if held by pirates. However, this entitlement is still blurred in the current legal framework and the maritime industry practice. Traditionally, it was argued that seafarers held hostage by pirates did not have a right to continued payment of their wages. The world maritime community has made significant effort to reform the law and to address the need to protect the wages of seafarers. Amendments of 2018 to the Maritime Labor Convention 2006 (MLC 2006) was adopted aiming to ensure that while seafarers are held captive as a result of piracy or armed robbery, seafarer employment agreements (SEAs) remain in force and they must continue to be paid. While it was a significant move forward, there are no provisions of compulsory financial guarantees on captive seafarers’ wages in the Amendments. Through policy analysis on captive seafarers’ wages, it is argued that Amendments 2018 are not an adequate guarantee of wages of seafarers held hostage by pirates and true reforms are still far away.

Pocket-Picking to Armed Robbery to Prison: The Life and Criminological Analysis of Good Boy, Bad Boy and Wiser Man, Sal Ali

This case study examines the self-reported life story of a prisoner who has spent much of his life in juvenile detention and adult prison. His criminal history began with pocket-picking, then breaking and entry, and then advanced to armed robbery. Social learning theory, self-control theory and rational choice theory are discussed and the inmate’s reflections on them are offered in his words with illustrations from his experience.

Introduction

This chapter introduces the reader to the main puzzle and argument motivating the book: piracy affects primarily weak states, but in those states, organized piracy is most common close to coastal areas with some governance and infrastructure. The chapter notes the limitations of existing research on maritime piracy, compares Pirate Lands with research on transnational crime, and argues that the authors’ comparative political economy focus is well-suited to capture the subnational conditions that drive armed robbery on ships and maritime piracy. The chapter sketches the research design and empirical approach. The chapter concludes with the organization of the book.