West Africa

The Togolese armed forces on Thursday said they were responsible for a recent explosion that killed seven civilians and injured two others, after mistaking them for jihadists. The explosion occurred in the prefecture of Tône, near the border with Burkina Faso, where a Sahelian jihadist insurgency threatens to spread to …

A Gambian court sentenced Yankuba Badjie, the country’s former intelligence chief, to death for the murder of a political activist in 2016 under former President Yahya Jammeh. Four other security agents face the same penalties. The activist, Ebrima Solo Sandeng – a leading figure in the opposition United Democratic Party …

“The Christian God is too slow. My gods are direct. These are the words of Kwaku Bonsam, a famous Ghanaian witch doctor, known for his comical statements. It is the AfriMag site that reports the information. Kwaku Bonsam again made a resounding statement on local radio. In an interview, the …

Forty-nine Ivorian soldiers said to have been joining a contingent of the UN Mission in Mali (Minusma) were arrested in Bamako on Sunday, amid speculation of a coup attempt, Malian media reported. The arrested soldiers reportedly did not have the UN mission authorisation and were “all all brought in two …

At least 17 bodies have been recovered after a passenger boat capsized on a waterway in Nigerian commercial capital, Lagos, emergency services said. Four bodies were recovered on Saturday and a further thirteen on Sunday. The inland waterways authority said the boat had set sail on Friday later than the …

Prison authorities in Nigeria published names and photos of 69 suspected militants who recently escaped from a prison in the capital, Abuja. It comes after a deadly attack on Tuesday at Kuje Correctional Center in which more than 800 inmates escaped, half of whom were recaptured. However, authorities say they …

Health authorities in Ghana reported two cases of Marburg virus, a highly contagious disease from the same family as the virus that causes Ebola. Preliminary tests carried out on two patients, who have since died, came back positive after the samples were transported to the Pasteur Institute in Senegal for …

Former Togolese international footballer Emmanuel Adebayor in an interview with Russian media said he loves President Putin, whom he described as a man of character. The former captain of the Eperviers du Togo was in Russia a few days ago. Recently appointed member of CAF’s Technical and Development Committee, the …

At least one person died and more than a dozen injured in Nigeria after a military plane fired a missile at civilians it mistook for armed gangs, the BBC reported, citing local authorities. “One person died and more than a dozen others are in a hospital,” local MP Abduljalal Haruna …

At least 300 suspected Boko Haram militants are on the run after gunmen from the extremist group attacked a prison outside the Nigerian capital, Abuja, a government official has said. “We understand they are Boko Haram – they came specifically for their co-conspirators,” senior interior ministry official Shuaibu Belgore told …