Nigeria
Nigeria’s Benin Bronzes Dilemma
The Nigerian government has recognized the oba of Benin as the owner of returned Benin Bronzes, yet how they will be displayed or used remains unclear. Many support housing the artifacts at a national museum rather than the royal palace. Amid conflicting proposals, further returns of the bronzes have stalled.
Nollywood’s Roots in the Occult
In its early days, Nigeria’s modern film industry was rife with depictions of cult rituals, satanic bargains for fast cash and redemption through born-again Christianity. Behind the plots lay broad cultural changes set in motion after the oil boom and bust in the 1980s and ’90s.
Cut Off for Years in a Nigerian Detention Center, Now They Can Call Home
After a New Lines/HumAngle investigation revealed thousands of men detained at the height of the Boko Haram crisis on suspicion of terrorism had been held without access to call their lawyers or families, the Nigerian army reversed course and has allowed detainees to contact loved ones for the first time in nearly a decade.
The Curious Phenomenon of Nigeria’s Disappearing Penises
The phenomenon of koro — disappearing genitals — is as much psychological as it is cultural. As the stressors, including economic uncertainty and societal pressure, that trigger penis-snatching panic attacks have increased across Nigeria, so have cases of reported missing members.
Investigation: Nigeria’s War With Boko Haram May Have Killed Thousands of Innocent People
Since the Boko Haram insurgency erupted in Nigeria’s northeast in the early 2010s, thousands of people have gone missing. A New Lines/HumAngle investigation has revealed that the Nigerian state — and the military in particular — has helped to drive this crisis, through extrajudicial killings, mass burials and a deliberate cover-up.
How We Uncovered Mass Graves in Northern Nigeria
A New Lines investigation found evidence of mass graves dug by the Nigerian army in Borno state. Here is how we uncovered the evidence.
Burna Boy’s Strengths Have Always Been in His Music, Never His Politics
Over the years, Burna Boy has moved from making sometimes subtle, often irregular political statements through his songs to creating works heavily defined by them. But his ambivalence about Nigeria's recent elections reminds us that maybe we should just be in it for the music.