"Smelling gasoline" is the new meme in Venezuela

In this issue, I talk about a case of organ trafficking that put a Nigerian senator and his wife behind bars in the UK, cars that spontaneously catch fire in Venezuela and why "smelling" gasoline has become a meme there, and some good news from Japan as the country next month is going to introduce better laws against sex crimes. Plus, brave women in Afghanistan, a Salvadoran high school senior who got lucky, an Instagram page from Tajikistan and my new favorite song from India. So much more.

A Nigerian senator was jailed for organ trafficking in the UK

What happened:
Ike Ekweremadu, a senior Nigerian politician, has been jailed by a London court for trafficking a young street trader from Lagos, Nigeria to the UK to illegally extract a kidney for a transplant for his seriously ill daughter.

Why this matters:
This is the first organ trafficking conviction under the Modern Slavery Act. Organ trafficking often preys on vulnerable populations, such as the poor, migrants, and refugees, who may be coerced or deceived into selling their organs or may have their organs forcibly removed without their consent. Ike Ekweremadu is a wealthy opposition senator and former deputy president of the Nigerian Senate, and had previously been one of the driving forces behind the ban on organ trafficking in Nigeria.

Tell me more:
The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Friday that Ike Ekweremadu had been sentenced to nine years and eight months, while his wife Beatrice, 56, was sentenced to four years and six months. Nigerian doctor Obinna Obeta, 51 -- described by prosecutors as a middleman -- was jailed for 10 years, the CPS said. Joanne Jakymec, the Chief Crown Prosecutor, stated that "the convicted defendants showed utter disregard for the victim's welfare, health and well-being and used their considerable influence to a high degree of control throughout, with the victim having a limited understanding of what was really going on here."

How did this case come to light?
The family had tried to pass off the proposed donor, aged about 21, as their daughter's cousin. In earlier media reports during the trial, the Guardian and the BBC reported that the victim had even been asked to dress up and eat at a posh restaurant with the family to create the impression that he was there to willingly donate a kidney to a family member. Although he had been promised opportunities in the UK, he says he only really realized what was going on when he attended a hospital appointment, which turned out to be a kidney screening exam. The case came to light when the man went to police saying he had been trafficked and someone was trying to harvest his kidney. The victim was being supported by Justice and Care, a charity that campaigns for the victims of modern slavery.

Any words from Nigeria?
The Nigerian Senate and the Economic Community of West African States tried to urge the British judicial authorities to show clemency to Ekweremadu -- but no luck. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo chimed in as well, "He's a patriot, god-fearing, philanthropic and progressive citizen." No words for the young street trader though.

What now?
The victim said he is afraid of reprisals against him and his family, and was worried that his father had been approached to drop the case. He said: "I can't think about going home to Nigeria. These people are extremely powerful, and I'm worried for my safety." He also refused legal compensation from the defendants because he said "receiving anything from the bad people would be cursed", the court heard. Yes, the sentences send a signal that powerful people are not above the law, but at what cost to the victim?

A book on Nigerian classism, recommended by ChatGPT
"An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma (2019). This book tells the story of a Nigerian poultry farmer who, in an attempt to improve his social status and win the love of a woman from a wealthier background, embarks on a journey that leads him to face harsh realities about class and social mobility." One goodreads reviewer named Emily said, "As I said, it can be a tough read. The characters often switch between Nigerian Pidgin, untranslated Igbo, and the "language of the White man", but it is impressive how easily I understood everything without knowing a word of Igbo."

A lot of cars catch fire in Venezuela and people believe it's because of cheap gasoline

What happened:
On a daily basis, videos of cars on fire in different parts of the country keep flooding Venezuelan social media. For example, in Maracaibo, Zulia (northwestern state), the fire department receives an average of four calls a day for vehicles that suddenly catch fire. At least 26 vehicles have caught fire in Zulia so far this year. People suspect that this has something to do with poor gasoline quality in the country. The state oil company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), which is responsible for gasoline quality and distribution in the country, denies this.

Why this matters:
Venezuela, with a population of 28 million, has for years struggled under economic collapse, leading some seven million people to flee the country. In 2021, 65.2 percent of the country's inhabitants lived in poverty, according to a study produced by the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (UCAB). To give you a better sense of just how limited people's resources currently are: the richest 10 percent in the country make an average of US$553.20 a month, the poorest 10 percent survive on just US$8 per month.

Tell me more:
Cases have also been reported in the eastern part of the country and in the capital Caracas. In Zulia, a former...