Hot chili peppers, also known as chilies, are a popular spice used in many cuisines in Africa. 

Chili peppers are known for their distinctive fiery taste and pungent aroma, but they also offer a variety of health benefits. Boosts metabolism: Capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their spicy taste, can increase metabolism and help burn fat. 

Reduces inflammation: Capsaicin also has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce inflammation and pain in the body. Supports heart health: Chili peppers contain antioxidants and other nutrients that can help improve heart health by reducing cholesterol levels and preventing blood clots. 

Helps regulate blood sugar: The compounds in chili peppers may help regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Boosts immunity: Chili peppers are rich in vitamin C, which is essential for a healthy immune system. Promotes digestion: Capsaicin can also help stimulate the digestive system and relieve digestive issues like bloating, constipation, and nausea. 

Note that consuming large amounts of chili peppers can cause digestive discomfort and may aggravate conditions like acid reflux or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As with any food, moderation is key.

Fast hot and spicy seasoning Harissa spice paste is known as the devil hot pepper seasoning made from the hottest ground red peppers.

Harissa is the basic seasoning used in North African and Middle Eastern cooking and is extremely hot but good. Harissa is typically made hot and served with vegetables, grilled meats and couscous. 

Harissa is also used as a condiment, or mixed with soups and stews to flavor stews, soups or couscous. Harissa can be made five days ahead just simply keep covered in the fridge. 

Harissa is a devilish flavorful hot chili pepper paste made from dried chilies, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and toasted spices.

Harissa pepper spice recipe

Harissa Paste

Make Harissa devil hot 5-Minute homemade spicy seasoning with step-by-step directions.

Ingredients
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 African bird hot peppers, diced, do not remove the seeds. You can use red Thai chili peppers instead.
1 tablespoon ghost chili powder
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

2 large red tomatoes, chopped
Small handful of coriander leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions
Lightly toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small frying pan over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant around 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Add the cooled seeds with the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve with vegetables, grilled meat, chicken or flat bread.

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The Nigerian Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad since 1992 have been accused of roadside executions, motiveless arrests, unlawful detention, jailhouse mock executions, harassment and extortion.

The Nigerian Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has long been accused of committing roadside executions after extracting groundless confessions, harassment and extorting civilians since it was created in 1992 to capture and solve cases of armed robberies, cybercrimes, murders, kidnappings, and other major crimes. 

In 2020, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari stated he would disband the SARS unit however, to date, this is the fourth time in as many years that the government has promised to disband or reform the unit that citizens say has terrorized them for decades without any real change.

Nigerian Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad allegedly went from combating violent crime to allegedly committing violent crime.

In the most recent incident, a Nigerian police officer, Drambi Vandi has been charged with the point-blank shooting death of a pregnant lawyer, Bolanle Raheem in Lagos Nigeria on December 25, 2022, Christmas Day.

The 2018 incident involved Philomena Celestine, she was traveling home from her university graduation ceremony with her four year old niece and two young adult brothers when their car was pulled over by SARS officers and her two brothers brutally and forcefully extracted out of her car.

Celestine brothers were taken into the woods where SARS Nigerian Police harassed them for over 30 minutes, and accused them of being Boko Haram terrorist group cybercriminals simply on the evidence of the brothers owning a laptop.

In March 2017, SARS arrested 23-year-old Miracle Ifeanyichukwu Okpara on a charge of having stolen a laptop. Amnesty International reported that he was tortured and hardly given any food during 40 days of detention before he was taken to court and charged with armed robbery. The court dismissed the case for lack of evidence.

In 1992, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad officially came into being as separate from the Nigerian Police Force criminal investigation departments in Nigeria's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. 

The Nigerian Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad was one of the 14 units under the Nigerian Police Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department whose mandate included arrest, investigation and prosecution of suspected armed robbers, murderers, kidnappers, hired assassins and other suspected violent criminals.

Nigeria is slightly more than twice the size of California, having the largest population of any African nation and the 6th largest population in the world. Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups and the median age of Nigerians is 18.6 years. Nigeria has a mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law in 12 northern states, and traditional law. 

The Nigerian Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad have been long accused of pervasive corruption and an ineffective system. Some states have created local security forces in response to increased violence, insecurity, and criminality of government security forces.

Historically, police officers who are alleged to have unlawfully killed Nigerians have faced few or no repercussions. The police authorities created a Complaint Response Unit in November 2015, through which the police could process complaints from the public. To date, no SARS officer has been found responsible for torture, ill-treatment of detainees or unlawful killing.

Most SARS arrests are young men between the ages of 18 and 35. Since 2017, #EndSARS protests across Nigeria against SARS officers have been building. Since protests began, protesters have been targeted by SARS. 

Socrates Mbamalu, a 28-year-old writer, stated SARS officers targeted him in the street in Lagos Nigeria and searched his backpack. SARS officers saw his laptop which they accused him of stealing and demanded a receipt. When he could not produce a receipt they detained him overnight in an overcrowded cell.

Explore More: This story is part of our African Truth & Justice Hub featuring stories of resistance and human dignity.

Uncover why 'Mau Mau' was a colonial slur for Kenya's Land and Freedom Army, and how respecting their true name honors Kenya's fight for independence.

Mau Mau is a racist substitution for the Kenya Land and Freedom Army

Many words and phrases have hidden histories. The term Mau Mau — often used instead of Kenya Land and Freedom Army (KLFA) — originated as a racial slur during the 1950s British campaign against Kenyan anti-colonial fighters.

British propaganda in the 1950s spread words like mau-maued and mau-mauing to portray freedom fighters as savages, undermining the legitimacy of their struggle for land and justice.

The KLFA, a grassroots army of mainly Kikuyu farmers led by Dedan Kimathi, launched the war for independence against colonial rule, demanding land reform and an end to racial segregation.

Propagandists coined “Mau Mau” to obscure their goals. Although the fighters rejected the label, it remains in global media — a disservice to the men and women who fought under the banner of the Kenya Land and Freedom Army.

Even decades later, public figures have used “mau-mau” as shorthand for intimidation, erasing its racist roots. Language evolves, but its origins shape meaning — understanding that history matters.

Dedan Kimathi, executed by the colonial government in 1957, is now honored as a Kenyan national hero. He always affirmed the movement’s name: Kenya Land and Freedom Army, not Mau Mau.

Why respectful naming matters

Using the correct name — Kenya Land and Freedom Army — restores dignity to a movement that shaped Kenya’s independence. Words carry power: choosing them carefully honors history and those who fought for freedom.

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