West Africa

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said the country is working to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 as the country battles the growing number of cases of the virus. According to health experts, Nigeria needs to triple its vaccination drive from just over 100,000 doses a day to meet its target of …

A manhunt has been launched for three Chinese nationals who were abducted earlier this week, police in central Nigeria said. The victims were working at a hydro-power plant near the town of Zungeru, according to the Niger state police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun. Four Chinese workers were rescued, but two local …

Some ministers and other government officials in Ivory Coast were barred from attending the cabinet meeting on Wednesday after failing to show proof of vaccination or present Covid-19 test certificates. At least eight officials reportedly did not attend the meeting. According to Ivorian media, absentees included the minister of communication, …

All detention facilities in Liberia have this week run out of food for inmates, causing two prisons, including the main Monrovia Central Prison, to temporarily shut their doors to newcomers, the BBC reports. The situation is being blamed on a number of factors including delays in remitting funds for food …

The Nigerian government through a statement, has formally designated all armed gangs popularly known as bandits, operating in the country, as terrorist groups. The declaration titled Terrorism (Prevention) Proscription Order Notice, 2021, is contained in a document released by the justice minister on Wednesday. The criminal gangs who rule in …

Parliament in Senegal has rejected a bill introduced by 11 MPs to toughen existing laws against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Same-sex relationships in Senegal are already punishable by up to five years, and the new bill aimed to extend it to ten years. The Office of the …

At least two prisonners were shot dead and two others are being treated after an attempted jailbreak in Kosere prison in Nigeria’ s south-western Osun State, local media reported. A spokesperson for the prisons, now known as Nigeria correctional centre, told the BBC that some inmates had injured a warder …

The leader of a notorious armed gang in Zamfara state, in northern Nigeria, is reported to have released more than 50 people who had recently been kidnapped. Eyewitnesses saw buses full of hostages heading to the state capital, Gusau. Officials have not said why the group’s leader, Bello Turji, decided …

Eight soldiers were killed and seven others injured when their patrol was ambushed by suspected militants in western Mali, the army said in a statement on Thursday. The attack occurred late in the afternoon on Wednesday near the town of Nara, around 30 km (19 miles) south of border with …

Six troops from Nigeria and Niger were killed by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants during an operation this month, a joint military force said on Thursday. A Multinational Joint Task Force (MTJF) comprising soldiers from Nigeria and Niger had targeted Islamist insurgents near Lake Chad basin but met …