West Africa

Aminou Masari, governor of the north-western Katsina state has urged citizens to acquire weapons to defend themselves from armed criminal gangs carrying out kidnappings for ransom. He blamed them for the continued attacks by armed gangs. According to the governor the attackers were emboldened by people’s ‘’meek submission’’ to their …

Seven people have been shot dead at an oil and gas facility in the south-east of the country, Nigeria police reports. The attack took place at Assa in Imo state. The source of the attack which left six oil workers and a police officer dead is not yet knwon. Assaults …

After the confirmation of the first cases of the Ebola epidemic, Ivory coast launches a vaccination program. The announcement was made by the health ministry. The minister said the family of the infected teenager and health workers involved were the first to be given the jab. On Monday, Serge Ehole …

Authorities in Ivory Coast have confirmed the discovery of avian influenza cases in the south-east of the country. The cases were detected in a traditional poultry farm in Mondoukou, a locality in the Grand-Bassam area. In a statement, local authorities said they had already taken measures to curb the spread …

The tracing of people who came into contact with Ivory Coast’s first Ebola case in 25 years has been completed, says the World Health Organization (WHO). “The woman travelled across the country for five days on arrival from Guinea before she was confirmed to have contracted Ebola”, BBC quoted the …

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the president-elect of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, on his victory in the country’s just concluded presidential election. President Buhari has also praised Zambians for coming out in their numbers to vote for candidates of their choice, saying “the prospect of a united, stable and prosperous …

At least 21 people have died in a road accident in the northern Nigerian state of Jigawa. It comes after their vehicle plunged into a collapsed bridge during heavy rains and floods. The police spokesperson in the state, Shisu Lawan Adam, said the victims included nine military job seekers who …

Dealing with a cholera outbreak at the same time as the highly contagious Delta strain of coronavirus is posing an existential threat to Nigeria, the head of the country’s public health agency says. According to the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), more than half of the country’s 36 states …

At least 52 people have died in Niger floods with 34 being injured and thousands losing their homes, the authorities say. This includes five who died between Tuesday and Wednesday after heavy rains in the capital Niamey, causing significant damage and rendering hundreds homeless. More than 4,000 houses and 200 …

Twenty-four members of the same family have died after consuming a suspected poisoned meal in north-western Nigeria. The incident happened in Danzanke village a remote community in the north-west Sokoto state. The state’s health commissioner, Ali Inname, told journalists that the family mistakenly used fertiliser chemical that looked like salt …