Author: Faith Daniel

Guinea-Bissau’s military authorities have announced that presidential and legislative elections will be held on 6 December, despite pressure for a faster return to civilian rule. Transitional President Horta N’Tam signed the election decree on Wednesday after consultations with members of the National Transitional Council, military leaders, government officials and representatives of the electoral commission. He told reporters that conditions were in place to ensure free and fair elections. Guinea-Bissau’s coup leaders have faced mounting pressure from the West African regional bloc Ecowas since seizing power from President Umaro Sissoco Embaló in November. Ecowas had pushed for a shorter transition period…

Ugandan police have arrested a lawmaker and close ally of opposition leader Bobi Wine over his alleged involvement in election-related violence last week. Muwanga Kivumbi, a deputy leader of Wine’s National Unity Platform (NUP), is accused of organising attacks on a police station and a vote-tallying centre following the party’s electoral loss. The NUP has denied the allegations. Police say seven people were killed during the unrest, but Kivumbi disputes this, claiming that 10 people were killed at his home while they waited for parliamentary election results. In a statement posted on X on Thursday, the Uganda Police Force said…

Togo has arrested and extradited Burkina Faso’s former leader, Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, to his home country following accusations that he plotted to assassinate his successor. Damiba, who came to power in a military coup in January 2022 before being overthrown eight months later by Ibrahim Traoré, is accused by the current authorities in Ouagadougou of masterminding an attempted assassination against Traoré. According to Togo’s justice ministry, Damiba was handed over to Burkinabè authorities on Saturday under an agreement that guarantees his physical safety, dignity, fair-trial rights, and exemption from the death penalty. In a statement, the Togolese authorities said Burkina…

Malawi’s energy regulator has increased petrol and diesel prices by more than 40%, marking the second fuel price hike in four months and raising fresh concerns about the rising cost of living. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) said the fixed fuel pricing system used by the previous government was unsustainable and had resulted in significant financial losses. The regulator announced a 41.3% increase in diesel prices and a 41.9% rise in petrol prices. President Peter Mutharika, who returned to power last year, has been working to revive Malawi’s struggling economy. However, analysts and…

Police in Nigeria have launched a homicide investigation into the death of popular singer Destiny Boy, who died at the age of 22, with authorities confirming that one person has been arrested. In a brief statement, Ogun State Police said the case is being handled by its homicide section. The force did not provide further details on the arrest or the circumstances surrounding the singer’s death. News of Destiny Boy’s passing emerged on Sunday and quickly spread across social media, triggering widespread shock and speculation. While the exact cause of death remains unclear, members of his family have said he…

Nigeria’s police have confirmed that worshippers were abducted from three churches in a remote part of northern Kaduna state, reversing an earlier denial that had drawn criticism from residents and rights groups. The confirmation came more than two days after the attack in Kurmin Wali village. On Tuesday night, police said a previous statement rejecting reports of a kidnapping had been “widely misinterpreted”, insisting it was not intended to dismiss the incident but was issued before details had been fully verified. Local residents told the BBC that 177 worshippers were taken during the raid, although 11 later managed to escape.…

The health of veteran Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye has deteriorated sharply, according to his party, after he was taken overnight to a private medical facility in Kampala under heavy security. The People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) said the 69-year-old politician is in a critical condition, though it did not disclose a specific diagnosis. Prison authorities, however, played down the concerns, saying Besigye’s hospital visit was only for a routine medical check-up and insisting that his condition was stable. Besigye, a former personal doctor to President Yoweri Museveni and one of his longest-standing political opponents, has been in detention since…

One of the world’s most popular content creators has been attracting huge crowds, mostly young fans, as he undertakes a 20-nation tour of Africa, a continent he says is “full of surprises.” Pre-teen boys in Rwanda and Ethiopia cried with joy and excitement as they hugged their online hero in real life—known by his gamer tag IShowSpeed or simply Speed—who now has more than 48 million YouTube subscribers. He is famous for his high-tempo, frenetic, and unscripted broadcasts that last anywhere from three to 11 hours. African Americans have also been moved to see the outpouring of love and respect…

For supporters of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, his resounding victory in the just-concluded election is a vindication of his 40-year-long rule. He won with 72% of the vote, close to his highest-ever tally of 74% in Uganda’s first direct presidential election in 1996. It reinforces the 81-year-old’s claim that he still commands the support of the overwhelming majority of Ugandans, after seizing power as a rebel commander in 1986, ending the rule of the Milton Obote regime. Museveni’s main election rival, the former pop star Bobi Wine, dismissed the result as “fake” and said he had gone into hiding following…

A Nigerian imam who gained international recognition for saving hundreds of lives during an outbreak of violence has died at the age of 90. Abubakar Abdullahi had been suffering from a heart condition and passed away in hospital on Thursday night, his son confirmed to BBC Hausa. In 2018, Abdullahi witnessed desperate families fleeing into his village in Plateau state, central Nigeria. Hundreds of terrified villagers, mostly Christians, were escaping a group of about 300 well-armed men—suspected cattle herders, largely from the Fulani ethnic group—who were shooting sporadically and setting homes on fire. Abdullahi risked his own life to protect…