Hundreds of fans of Afrobeats star MohBad, who died last week, have taken to the streets of Ibadan and Asaba in Nigeria, calling for justice.
It follows similar protests and an outpouring of grief in other cities across southern Nigeria this week.
The 27-year-old singer, whose real name was Ilerioluwa Aloba, died in hospital in Lagos. The exact circumstances of his death have not been made public.
The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has promised a thorough investigation.
On Tuesday, Babajide Sanwo-Olu tweeted that he had invited the country’s secret police to help find out what had happened to MohBad, asking anyone with information to come forward – but urging his fans to refrain from making inflammatory statements.
A special investigative team has been set up, and the body of the singer is to be exhumed for an autopsy.
The hashtag #justiceformohbad has been trending on X, formerly known as Twitter, since the musician’s death on Tuesday, 12 September.
With emotions running high, some tributes have suggested the singer had been bullied within the music industry.
Outrage has particularly been directed at his former boss, Naira Marley, with whom he had feuded after he split from the Nigerian musician’s label – Marlian Records – last year.
Naira Marley himself has also called for a thorough investigation into MohBad’s death and pledged to assist with “uncovering any foul play or injustice”.
The singer, who also called himself “Imole” – the Yoruba word for light, was married and had a five-month-old son.
His fans on social media say similar demonstrations are being planned in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, and in London in the UK, BBC says.
Three die in South African Navy submarine tragedy
Three South African navy submariners have died, and four others have been injured after being washed off the deck of a submarine by high waves.
The vessel was off the coast near Cape Town when the seven crew members were swept away.
A helicopter was delivering supplies during a refuelling operation at the time, the AFP news agency reports.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said in a statement that the submariners were participating in a navy exercise at the time of the incident.
“All seven members were recovered, but sadly, there were three fatalities, with one senior officer in critical condition,” the army said.
Five others were saved in a subsequent rescue operation, it added. Police said an inquest was opened after the naval incident.
The accident came after a weekend of high winds and rough seas. The South African Weather Service had warned of “damaging waves” in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Half-million-year-old wooden structure unearthed in Zambia
The discovery of ancient wooden logs on the banks of a river in Zambia has changed archaeologists’ understanding of ancient human life.
Researchers found evidence the wood had been used to build a structure almost half a million years ago.
The findings, published in the journal Nature, suggest stone-age people built what may have been shelters.
“This find has changed how I think about our early ancestors,” archaeologist Prof Larry Barham said.
The University of Liverpool scientist leads the Deep Roots of Humanity research project, which excavated and analysed the ancient timber.
The discovery is believed to transform the current belief that ancient humans led simple, nomadic lives.
“They used their intelligence, imagination and skills to create something they’d never seen before, something that had never previously existed.”
According to the BBC, the researchers also uncovered ancient wooden tools, including digging sticks. But what excited them most were two pieces of wood found at right angles to each other.
DR Congo asks UN force to start leaving this year
Democratic Republic of Congo or DRC, President Félix Tshisekedi, wants the United Nations or UN force in his country to start leaving this year.
He told the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that he had instructed his government to begin talks with the UN to bring forward “the start of this progressive withdrawal from December 2024 to December 2023.”
He said the mission – known by the acronym Monusco – had failed to bring peace in the country despite being there for about 25 years, adding that it was “illusory and counterproductive to continue to cling” to the force to maintain peace.
“It is time for our country to take full control of its destiny and become the main actor in its own stability,” he told his audience in New York.
Monusco – with more than 16,000 personnel – is the second-largest UN mission globally and has become increasingly unpopular in recent years.
It has been criticised for failing in its mission to bring about stability in eastern DR Congo, recently sparking protests in the region.
Last year, a Monusco special representative of the UN secretary-general told the BBC that the peacekeeping mission would be evaluated amid the deadly protests, in which dozens were killed.
Haiti, Kenya Set up Diplomatic Ties
Haiti and Kenya established diplomatic relations on Wednesday.
The move comes amid international discussions over the possibility of Kenya leading a United Nations-backed multinational security force to help police fight escalating gang warfare in Haiti.
The United Nations Security Council could vote on the multinational force for Haiti in about a week, Brian Nichols, U.S. assistant secretary for Western hemisphere affairs, said in an interview with Voice of America this week.
Henry’s government first sought international assistance last October, but despite repeated calls from the United Nations, the request went unanswered until Kenya said it was prepared to lead such a group in July.
With scarce resources, Haiti’s police have been battling powerful gangs now estimated to control large parts of the country.
Kenyan President William Ruto and Henry witnessed the signing of the pact establishing ties at the Kenyan mission in New York.
“As the leading nation in the U.N.-backed security mission in Haiti, we are committed to deploying a specialized team,” Ruto said in a statement issued by his office.
The team would assess the situation and prepare strategies to ensure long-term solutions, he added.
Morocco to spend $11.7 billion on five-year post-quake reconstruction plan
Morocco plans to spend at least 120 billion dirhams ($11.7 billion) in a post-earthquake reconstruction plan over the next five years, the royal palace said on Wednesday.
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck on September 8, killing more than 2,900 people, mostly in the hard-to-reach villages of the High Atlas mountains.
The plan would target 4.2 million people in the worst-hit provinces of Al Haouz, Chichaoua, Taroudant, Marrakech, Ouarzazate and Azizlal, the royal palace said, following a meeting of King Mohammed VI with government and army officials.
The plan, Reuters gathered, will cover rehousing and the upgrade of infrastructure in a way that is conducive to social and economic development in the quake-hit areas, it said in the statement.
The quake-stricken areas are among Morocco’s poorest, with many remote villages lacking proper roads and public services.
The royal palace said the plan would be funded by the government’s budget, international aid and a fund set up in response to the quake.
The fund has so far received some $700 million in donations.
Last week, the palace said that 50,000 houses were known to have been damaged and that authorities would provide shelter and 30,000 dirhams ($3,000) to affected households. It also pledged to offer reconstruction aid of 140,000 dirhams for collapsed homes and 80,000 for damaged ones.
Hundreds of fans of Nigerian Afrobeats star MohBad, who died last week, protested in Ibadan and Asaba, calling for justice. Similar protests occurred in other southern Nigerian cities following his death in Lagos. The exact circumstances remain unclear, but Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered a thorough investigation, involving the secret police, with an autopsy planned. The hashtag #justiceformohbad has been trending, and fans allege bullying within the music industry, directing outrage at his former boss, Naira Marley.
A South African navy incident resulted in the deaths of three submariners and injuries to four others, after high waves washed them off a submarine's deck near Cape Town. A refueling operation was ongoing at the time. Despite high winds and rough seas warnings, a rescue operation recovered all seven members, but three fatalities occurred, leading to an inquest being opened by the police.
Archaeologists in Zambia discovered half-million-year-old wooden structures, altering perceptions of ancient human life. The findings, published in Nature, suggest stone-age humans built shelters, demonstrating early humans' intelligence and creativity. The excavation also uncovered ancient wooden tools.
DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi called for the UN force in his country to begin withdrawing this year, criticizing its 25-year presence as ineffective in bringing peace. He emphasized the need for the country to take control of its own stability.
Haiti and Kenya established diplomatic ties amid talks of Kenya potentially leading a UN-backed security mission to combat gang violence in Haiti. The United Nations Security Council could vote on this in a week, and Kenya has committed to deploying a specialized team to assess the situation and create long-term solutions.
Morocco announced a $11.7 billion post-earthquake reconstruction plan targeting the worst-hit areas over the next five years. The plan includes rehousing and infrastructure upgrades, funded by government budget, international aid, and donations. The earthquake on September 8 resulted in over 2,900 deaths and significant damage to 50,000 houses, with financial aid promised to affected households.
