Deposed Gabon leader’s wife jailed
The wife of Gabon’s ousted leader Ali Bongo – Mrs Ali Bongo, has been jailed, the AFP news agency said in a post on social media platform X on Thursday, citing a lawyer.
A junta carried out a coup on August 30, 2023, shortly after the incumbent president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, was declared winner of the August 26 elections.
He was arrested but later released on September 8, 2023, after much pressure from world leaders.
The military assumed control and brought General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema as transitional president.
All state institutions were dissolved, international borders closed for three days, and the junta proposed elections in 2025.
Bongo has been in power since 2009 after he succeeded his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled for 42 years.
Six prisoners escape in South Africa as police begin manhunt
At least six prisoners have reportedly escaped from prison in the Western Cape of South Africa.
Authorities say that the prisoners, aged between 20 and 33, are “armed and dangerous“.
One out of the six prisoners is said to have re-arrested
The prisoners were waiting to be transported to a correctional detention facility after appearing in court earlier on Wednesday.
“Preliminary investigation suggests that the detainees overpowered one of the police officials and disarmed him. Several shots were fired in the direction of the police officials, but no one was hit or wounded,” police spokesman Malcolm Pojie told South Africa’s News 24 outlet.
He added that the offenders who are on trial for multiple serious charges, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery and assault, escaped on foot.
Following their escape, the South African prison authorities have further charged them with escape from lawful custody, attempted murder and robbery of a firearm.
United Nations suspends DRC peacekeepers over sexual abuse
The United Nations says it has suspended some peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo over reports of sexual abuse.
In a statement sighted by Reuters, it added that it has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse.
The statement though did not say how many peacekeepers were suspended or give details of the accusations against them.
The mission, known as MONUSCO, has faced previous accusations of sexual abuse, which the United Nations has vowed to crack down on.
“Precautionary measures have already been initiated in line with the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse and other forms of misconduct,” said the statement released late on Wednesday.
The measures include suspension from duty and confinement to quarters pending an investigation, it said.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, which was initially established during a civil war that lasted from 1998-2003, has some 17,000 personnel deployed in the east of the country, where various militias and rebel groups continue to fight.
Former Ghanaian minister under FBI investigation
The former minister of sanitation in Ghana, Cecilia Abena Dapaah and associates in the United States of America are currently under Ghanaian Special Prosecutor and the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI investigations.
In a post on the social media app X, the OSP said: “This collaborative effort is to ascertain the lawfulness of Ms Dapaah and her associates’ wealth, both in the context of their funds transitioning from Ghana to the United States and vice versa.”
He is also investigated by OSP on allegations of corruption and corruption-related offences stemming from the discovery of over $1m (£813,300) in cash at her residence.
The money came to public attention after it was stolen by two domestic staff – and Ms Dapaah herself called the police.
She was forced to resign when some Ghanaians and MPs questioned the source of the money.
The former sanitation minister is now reported to have filed an application in court seeking to stop the office of the Special Prosecutor from investigating her and her husband, BBC News reports.
Ms Dapaah, however, has denied all allegations.
Nigerian lawmakers move to tackle plight Of IDPs
The Nigerian lawmakers – the senate have pledged to pursue legislative interventions and other measures aimed at reducing the plight of Internally Displaced persons or IDPs in the country.
Speaking at the inaugural meeting in Abuja, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Special Duties, Senator Shehu Kaka (APC-Borno), said members of the committee were conscious of the important role they have been assigned to play in the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration among which is to provide succor to victims of natural and man-made disasters.
In response to a question on speculations that the Nigerian Government has suspended the N-power programme introduced by the immediate past Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration, Senator Kaka said he was yet to be briefed on the matter.
On the moves to amend the enabling Act guiding such social interventions, specifically with proposals to transfer the agency responsible from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to the presidency, Senator Kaka said, “Whatever the case, his committee will have oversight functions over the agency,” he told Voice of Nigeria.
A member of the committee, Senator Fadahunsi Adenigba (PDP-Osun) harped on the importance of ensuring that displaced persons are well catered for and quickly resettled in their ancestral homes.
Mohammed Monguno (APC-Borno) said that the move by the Senate to transfer the National Social Investment Programme to the Presidency underscored the importance of the work of the committee.
Deposed Gabon Leader's Wife Jailed: Mrs. Ali Bongo, the wife of Gabon's ousted leader Ali Bongo, has been jailed following a coup that removed Bongo from power on August 30, 2023. The coup was led by a military junta, which installed General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema as transitional president and dissolved state institutions.
Escape of Prisoners in South Africa: Six prisoners, considered armed and dangerous, escaped from a facility in the Western Cape of South Africa. One has been recaptured, and an investigation revealed that the escapees overpowered a police official and fired shots while fleeing.
UN Suspends DRC Peacekeepers: The United Nations has suspended some peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over allegations of sexual abuse. The mission, MONUSCO, has initiated precautionary measures, including suspension and confinement, pending investigation.
Former Ghanaian Minister Under FBI Investigation: Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Ghana's former minister of sanitation, and her associates are under investigation by the FBI and Ghanaian authorities. The investigation follows the discovery of over $1 million in her residence, leading to allegations of corruption.
Nigerian Lawmakers to Address IDP Issues: Nigerian lawmakers have committed to addressing the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The Senate Committee on Special Duties, chaired by Senator Shehu Kaka, plans to provide aid to disaster victims and is considering transferring the National Social Investment Programme to the presidency for better oversight.
