By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Twenty-seven migrants, including women and children, died after two boats capsized off central Tunisia, with 83 people rescued, a civil defence official told AFP on Thursday

The rescued and dead passengers, who were found off the Kerkennah Islands, aimed to reach Europe and were all from sub-Saharan African countries, said Zied Sdiri, head of civil defence in the nearby city of Sfax.

Tunisia, as well as neighbouring Libya, is a key departure point for irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe for a better life. Italy’s island of Lampedusa is only 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Tunisia.

Totalling 110, the migrants were on board two makeshift boats that set sail off “the coast near Sfax on the night of December 31 to January 1,” a National Guard official said on condition of anonymity.

Searches were still underway for other possible missing passengers, said the official.

Sdiri said 15 out of the 83 rescued were taken to a hospital, without providing further details.

The National Guard, which oversees the coast guard, later confirmed the death toll in a statement, adding that a baby was among the dead.

It was the latest such tragedy off Tunisia over the past month.

On December 31, the National Guard said two Tunisian migrants, one of them a five-year-old, died after their boat broke down off Tunisia’s northern coast.

Days earlier on December 18, the National Guard said at least 20 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa died in a shipwreck off Sfax, with five rescued.

And on December 12, the coast guard rescued 27 African migrants near Jebeniana, north of Sfax, but 15 were reported dead or missing.

Each year, the perilous Mediterranean crossing is attempted by tens of thousands of people.

Among them are also thousands of Tunisians seeking to leave their country which is grappling with economic woes marked by high inflation, unemployment, and sluggish growth.

Under a 2023 agreement, Brussels has given 105 million euros ($108 million) to debt-ridden Tunisia to help it curb irregular migration, in addition to 150 million euros in budgetary support.

The deal, strongly supported by Italy’s hard-right government, aimed to bolster Tunisia’s capacity to prevent boats leaving its shore, with some money also going to United Nations agencies assisting migrants.

It has contributed to an increase in irregular migration interceptions off the North African country’s shores and a marked drop in arrivals in Europe.

The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) had counted “between 600 and 700” migrants killed or missing in shipwrecks off Tunisia in 2024, compared with more than 1,300 in 2023.

Overall, the United Nations children’s fund, UNICEF, said in a statement on Wednesday that, “The death toll and number of missing persons in the Mediterranean in 2024 have now surpassed 2,200, with nearly 1,700 lives lost on the central Mediterranean route alone.”

It added that the tally included “hundreds of children, who make up one in five of all people migrating through the Mediterranean. The majority are fleeing violent conflict and poverty.”

Frontex, the EU’s border agency, has said that irregular border crossings were down 64 per cent last year through September for the central Mediterranean route.

AFP

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

-As of January 3, 2025, the Nigerian Naira (NGN) has continued to experience some level of volatility against the US Dollar (USD), while this has been the norm for decades now, this largely to some extent reflects the ongoing economic challenges.

See the Naira performance across various currencies

A quick check at the parallel market at Abuja Zone 4 market,as at January 3, 2025 , the black market exchange rate stands firmly at approximately ₦1,660 per USD. This means if you want to buy a dollar now, it is ₦1,660 while if you want to sell it is approximately ₦1,640.

Please be aware that the parallel market or the black market rates are mostly and notably higher compared with what you get from the official market or CBN rate

For individuals and businesses that often or solemnly engaged in currency exchange or international trade, we have peomised to keep you all updated because staying informed about these fluctuations and daily changes is crucial for business.

Please be rest assured that our sources remain reliable and dependable as we remain committed to providing real-time data to help you make informed financial decisions in your everyday transaction.

Over the past year, the Naira has been on a free fall. This continue decline has been attributed to several factors, obe of such factors is the fluctuating oil prices which the Nigerian Government depend on, other factor are inflation, huge debt services and declining foreign exchange reserves.

The huge disparity between official market or CBN rate and the rate gotten at black market underscores the underlying complexities within Nigeria’s foreign exchange landscape.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The family of the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has said it had an agreement with President Bola Tinubu for the release of the Biafra agitator.

Kanu’s brother, Kanunta disclosed that he had the pact with Tinubu’s son, Seyi during the build-up to the 2023 presidential election.

Disclosing that the meeting had the blessing of the president, Kanunta, however, lamented that Tinubu has refused to honour the pact by releasing the IPOB leader.

In a statement he issued, Kanunta said it was agreed that the IPOB would not boycott the 2023 elections on the grounds that Tinubu would release Kanu if elected President.

The statement reads: ”Before the last election, I received a message from an ex-governor that Seyi, the son of President Tinubu, wanted to see me.

“I agreed to meet with him on the condition that the overriding priority and hence the fulcrum of our discussion will be the release of my brother.

“The meeting was held in Abuja in the presence of another individual whom I asked along to witness the deliberations and provide independent verification should the need arise.

“Seyi confirmed to me that his father sanctioned the meeting and that I should consider any agreement we reach as binding on the then candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“In good faith we agreed that I shall relay the outcome to my brother to reinforce the long held tradition of IPOB not interfering with the conduct of elections, either through boycott or any other form of civil disobedience.

“This understanding was duly communicated to my brother and he reaffirmed his commitment not to stop the elections or order any boycott.

“When President Tinubu as a candidate visited Owerri during his campaign, he too reiterated his commitment to facilitate the release of my brother if elected.

“We took his public statement as a tacit reaffirmation of the understanding I reached with his son Seyi.

“It, therefore, defies logic that nearly two years after President Tinubu assumed the mantle of leadership in Nigeria, my brother is still in detention despite not having any charge against him.

“It’s been over three months now that Justice Binta Nyako recused herself from the case yet no new judge has been assigned the case.”