West Africa

Nearly 200 French soldiers have left Niger’s south-western Ouallam town amid ongoing withdrawals from the Sahel nation, state-owned Tele Sahel TV station reports. It said that 193 French soldiers based in Ouallam left their camp for Chad on Sunday. The troops reportedly left with 28 lorries as well as 24 …

A butchered body of a 45-year-old man was found on a farm in Abrokro, a suburb of Agona Nyakrom in Ghana’s Central Region. “The deceased was found with cutlass wound behindhis neck and on his head,” reports said. “The deceased told a co-tenants last Wednesday that he would be travelling …

The governor of Nigeria’s central Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, has denied he was the target of an assassination attempt along the busy Lokoja-Abuja highway. His spokesperson Kingsley Fanwo had earlier been quoted by local media saying that gunmen “dressed in military uniforms” attacked Mr Bello’s convoy on Sunday. Mr Fanwo …

Women alleged to be sex workers were sentenced to 17 years in prison in hard labour, for trafficking four girls and forcing them into sex trade in the Wassa Amenfi East Municipality, Ghana. The 30 year-old was handed 10 years for trafficking three of the victims, and thhe 28 year-old …

A 57-year-old woman her son have been arrested over the death of a 56-year-old farmer at Akyem Manso in the Eastern Region, Ghana. “The woman and the deceased had a misunderstanding that turned into a dispute between the two,” reports said. The two suspects brutally assaulted the deceased with clubs …

A 42-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly defiling his 13-year-old female house help in Obio Local Government Area of the state, Nigeria. “The man is married with three children and the girl has been staying with them. He is a rig worker and not usually around. He comes on …

A father has been arrested for raping her 16-year-old girl in Solotan Estate, Ogun State, Nigeria, according to reports . The victim alleged that her father had continuously been demanding and forcing her to have sex inside his room. According to the victim, the father began to demand sex immediately …

An 11-year-old girl was swept away by floodwaters at Awutu Kwo Bondzei in the Awutu Senya West District of the Central Region, Ghana. “The incident happened after a heavy downpour in the area,” according to reports. “The deceased and her sister left the house to buy vegetables for their mother,” …

New Ivorian Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé has taken charge of the sports ministry as the country prepares to host the African Cup of Nations in January. His appointment comes amid concerns about the West African nation’s readiness for the continent’s premier football tournament. The previous sports minister was sacked …

The Senegalese opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, has announced that he has resumed a hunger strike. He was jailed several months ago on various charges including criminal association with a terrorist enterprise and undermining state security. He says the charges were instigated by President Macky Sall and aimed at preventing him …