The Mosquito, the Murderer, and the Unicorn
Death row inmate's TikTok deleted, invasive mosquito threatens 126m, WAEC withholds 8.6%, Moove hits $2.1bn, Tinubu lifts Osun freeze.
Good morning,
A death row inmate in Abeokuta hosted live sessions on TikTok from his prison cell. Elijah Oyebode, convicted of the 2016 murder of a final-year university student, operated at least two accounts, receiving monetary gifts from thousands of viewers unaware of his conviction. During one live session, he casually revealed that inmates may have “two to three phones”. The accounts have since been deleted, but the Nigerian Correctional Service has offered no explanation. A convicted murderer had a digital platform. The rest of us are still waiting for answers.
While prison security fails, a different kind of invasion is unfolding. Anopheles stephensi, an invasive mosquito species native to South Asia, is spreading across Africa and threatens to expose 126 million urban dwellers to explosive malaria outbreaks. Unlike native mosquitoes, this one thrives in cities—breeding in water tanks, jerrycans and open drains. It arrived already resistant to insecticides, rendering traditional control methods obsolete. Djibouti was the bridgehead; maritime shipping and trucking routes have seeded it across Ethiopia, Sudan and West Africa. City healthcare workers are mistaking malaria for typhoid or dengue. The urban poor, forced to store water in open containers, are breeding the enemy in their own compounds.
There is better news from the classroom. WAEC has released the 2026 WASSCE results, withholding 8.6% of candidates’ results pending investigations into malpractice. The proportion is down from 9.7% in 2025, thanks to computer-based testing, paper serialisation and enhanced anti-cheating mechanisms. Technology is making it harder to cheat. The question is whether the trend will continue.
And African tech is thriving. Moove, the Lagos-founded mobility fintech, has raised $250 million in a Series C round led by Mubadala, pushing its valuation to $2.1 billion. In six years, the company has expanded from 76 vehicles to over 42,000 units across 29 cities. It is now one of Africa’s most valuable startups.
But politics remains messy. President Tinubu has ordered the EFCC to lift a “post no debit” order on Osun State’s operational bank accounts, allowing the state government to resume payroll and administrative functions ahead of the August 15 governorship election. The dispute is resolved, but the underlying questions about the EFCC’s actions remain.
Warmly,
Lolade