The coup-toppled president of Niger has appealed to the West African bloc’s court to free him, his lawyer said on Wednesday. Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by the military on July 26 and has been detained at home with his wife and child since. He filed a lawsuit with a court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on September 18, said his Senegalese lawyer Seydou Diagne. The lawsuit invokes his “arbitrary arrest” and “violation of freedom of movement”, Diagne said. We request… in view of the violation of political rights, that the State of Niger be ordered to immediately restore constitutional order by handing over power to President Bazoum, who must continue to exercise it until the end of his mandate.” As well as slapping hefty sanctions against Niger, ECOWAS has warned that it could intervene militarily in Niger if diplomatic efforts to return Bazoum to power fail. Niger’s coup took place in a region wracked by a jihadist insurgency, following overthrows in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso. If the court rules in favour of Bazoum, “Niger has the legal obligation to execute the decision”, Diagne said. Niger’s coup leaders have declared their intention to “prosecute” the democratically elected Bazoum for “high treason and undermining internal and external security”. On Wednesday the European Union (EU) reiterated its support for ECOWAS’s position and made a fresh call “for the immediate and unconditional release” of Bazoum and his family. “The EU position is clear and unchanged: the EU does not recognise authorities emanating from the putsch. President Bazoum remains the sole legitimate president of Niger,” EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said. The remarks came a day after the EU ambassador to Niamey, Salvador Pinto da Franca, was summoned by Niger’s military-appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine.

  A missing Zamfara journalist Hamisu Danjibga has been found dead, according to the state’s branch of the Nigeria Union Journalist (NUJ). He was declared missing earlier in the week but later found dead, the union’s secretary Ibrahim Gada said in a statement. Zamfara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists regrets to announce the death of Hamisu Danjibga a reporter with Voice of Nigeria (VON) whose body was found in a soakaway behind his house three days after missing,” the statement added. “The discovery of his corpse was a result of an unpleasant odor observed by Islamiya Children in the evening of Wednesday 20th September 2023 who drew the attention of their teachers. “After breaking the sock away the dead body was confirmed to be that of Danjibga by his family and some neighbors. His funeral rites have since been observed according to Islamic injunctions. “The Union extends its heartfelt condolence to the family, Voice of Nigeria, and the entire Zamfara state. “The Council while expressing deep concern over the nature of Danjibga’s demise, appealed to security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to justice.”

  Abba Yusuf has vowed to appeal the judgment sacking him as the governor of Kano State. While the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Nasiru Gawuna was declared the winner of the March 18 election by the Kano Governorship Election Tribunal on Wednesday, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) flagbearer in the exercise claimed the judgment is a “misapplication of the law”. “As human beings, their judgment may not be absolutely perfect, there are errors and misapplication of the law as pointed out by our legal team,” he said. “That is why our constitution provides for other stages to go on with such as the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. On this note, we have already instructed our legal team to appeal this judgment as soon as possible to ensure that justice is done.” While reiterating that the people of Kano voted for him, he expressed confidence in reclaiming the mandate. “You would recall that on March 18, 2023, you came out en masse and voted for me as your Governor with a total of 1,019,602 votes and a margin of 128,897 votes between my humble self and second place,” the Governor said. But he is calling for calm and adherence to the rule of law among Kano residents, urging them not to take matters into their own hands. He assured the public that security agencies had been instructed to ensure the protection of lives and properties across the state. In a show of resilience, the Governor affirmed that this setback would not deter his administration from working towards the development of Kano State, in line with the promises made during the election campaign. “We want to assure you that this will neither dampen our spirit nor slow us down as this is a temporary setback for our State which we will overcome by the grace of Almighty Allah (SWT),” he declared. The governor thanked the people of Kano State for their continuous support and prayers and called upon them to continue their daily activities peacefully. He expressed confidence that justice would ultimately prevail through the appellate courts, ensuring the mandate of the people is respected

  Libya’s floods, which killed thousands in the city of Derna, also displaced more than 43,000 people, the International Organisation for Migration said Thursday. A tsunami-sized flash flood broke through two ageing river dams upstream from the city after heavy rains lashed the area on September 10. It razed entire neighbourhoods, sweeping untold thousands into the Mediterranean Sea. The official death toll stands at more than 3,300 – but the eventual count is expected to be far higher, with international aid groups giving estimates of up to 10,000 people missing. “An estimated 43,059 individuals have been displaced by the floods in northeastern Libya,” the IOM said, adding that a “lack of water supply is reportedly driving many displaced out of Derna” to other areas. “Urgent needs include food, drinking water and mental health and psychosocial support,” it said. Mobile and internet services were restored Thursday after a two-day disruption, following protests Monday that saw angry residents blame the authorities for the high death toll. The national telecom company said communications were down as a result of “a rupture in the optical fibre” link to Derna, but some internet users and analysts charged there had been a deliberate “blackout”. Earlier this week, the United Nations warned that disease outbreaks could bring “a second devastating crisis” to the flood-hit areas. Local officials, aid agencies and the World Health Organization “are concerned about the risk of disease outbreak, particularly from contaminated water and the lack of sanitation”, the UN said. Libya’s disease control centre warned that mains water in the disaster zone is polluted and called on residents not to use it. AFP

  Gunmen have killed two officers of the Police Mobile Force while another sustained bullet injuries in Enugu State. Daily Sun reliably gathered that the incident happened at about 7:30pm on Wednesday along the Udi-Ozalla Road as the Operation Restore Peace Enugu team was on routine patrol. Our source disclosed that the slain officers were Danjuma Joseph, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and Inspector Abu Elamaje. They were allegedly rushed to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku-Ozalla for treatment but they could not make it. Doctors on duty confirmed the duo dead. We also gathered that their bodies were deposited at the hospital’s mortuary for post mortem examination while Inspector Udeme Udomeng who sustained bullet wounds was treated and discharged. The police source further said that efforts were on to apprehend the fleeing suspects. According to information from the command, “MINE and other command tactical teams reinforced at area of incident on cordon and search operation for possible arrest of suspects. Further development shall be communicated.” The Police is yet to speak on the incident as at the time of filing this report. Source: TheSun

  The court of appeal in Abuja has set aside the judgment of the national and state houses of assembly election tribunal in Asaba. The tribunal had declared Ndudi Elumelu, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as winner of the 2023 election for Aniocha/Oshimili federal constituency, Delta state. In a judgment on Thursday, the appellate court affirmed Ngozi Okolie, candidate of the Labour Party (LP), as the duly elected lawmaker. More to follow…

  Doyin Odebowale, an aide to Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo, says “little” governance took place in the state during his principal’s absence. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, Odebowale said while Akeredolu was ill, some persons were planning to contest the 2024 governorship election. Last Thursday, Akeredolu returned to Nigeria after a three-month medical leave in Germany. RUMOURS OF RIFT In June, Akeredolu left Nigeria for medical attention in Germany and handed the reins of power to his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa. The prolonged stay of the Ondo governor in Germany elicited concerns among the political class and residents of the state. A few days after his return, Akeredolu sacked the media aides attached to the office of Aiyedatiwa. The development stirred speculations that all is not well between Akeredolu and Aiyedatiwa. ‘AKEREDOLU HATES PETTY POLITICS’ Speaking on the development, Odebowale, the special adviser on special duty and strategy, said the governor has the prerogative to appoint or sack any member of his cabinet. Asked about the status of the relationship between the duo, Odebowale said there is no problem and that the governor and his deputy met few days ago. He said the state will not emulate the political situation in neighbouring Edo state, adding that Akeredolu hates “petty” politics. “The governor is not interested in petty politics that people have reduced the whole state to in his absence,” he said. “I can tell you for free, when he was away, there was little governance. “People want to contest and they want to be governor. “It is within their rights but they were distracting us. They were recruiting people to distract us. The governor is not petty.” Asked if the governor is against his deputy contesting the 2024 election, Odebowale said Akeredolu has not informed anyone of his choice of successor. He said some persons were posting the obituary of the Ondo governor while he was in Germany. He added that these unnamed persons were also demanding the transfer of power.

  Libyan authorities have expressed fears that the death toll from the devastating flood that swept through the eastern parts of the country could climb to 20,000. The city of Derna, home to approximately 100,000 people, has been worst hit. Major parts of Derna were swept away on Sunday after Storm Daniel, an extremely deadly Mediterranean tropical-like cyclone, collapsed two dams and four bridges. The dams were said to have submerged many buildings in the area while drowning some residents On Tuesday, the death toll stood at 3,000 while 10,000 were reported missing. Officials said the figures could rise. Derna is now a wide, flat crescent of earth with stretches of muddy water, social media images show. The beaches have been littered with clothes, toys, furniture, shoes and other possessions swept out of homes by the torrent. Streets are covered in deep mud and strewn with uprooted trees and hundreds of wrecked cars, many flipped on their sides or onto their roofs. Speaking to Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television on Thursday, Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi, mayor of Derna, said the estimated number of deaths in the city could reach between 18,000 to 20,000 based on the number of districts destroyed by the flood. Many countries have sent their condolences and have begun to rollout aid for the North African country, as the official death toll surpasses 5,000. On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu condoled with the government of Libya and added that Nigeria is ready to provide needed support.