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  • BIAFRA: Simon Ekpa’s Extradition Almost Impossible —Vince Onyekwelu

    BIAFRA: Simon Ekpa’s Extradition Almost Impossible —Vince Onyekwelu

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    former British Police Officer and National Security Risk Strategist has cautioned Nigeria not to be optimistic about the extradition of Simon Ekpa. This follows the raging media storm over his arrest by the Finish authorities, with the Nigeria military pushing for his extradition to face yet-to-be-calibrated criminal charges.

    Speaking on Arise News, on Friday, monitored by New Post Africa, Onyekwelu said he is not convinced that the extradition will happen soon because there is no treaty between Nigeria and the Scandinavian country in that aspect.

    “Professionally speaking, the Finnish Authorities have done their due diligence and they have every reasonable ground to arrest Mr Simon Ekpa,” he said.

    On what we determine if his extradition will happen or not, he opined that the matter is “now left for the court in Finland to now look into the request by the Chief of Defence Staff to extradite Simon Ekpa to Nigeria. Professionally speaking, the chances are possible to extradite Simon Ekpa. However, in my opinion, it is almost, almost impossible,” he reiterated.

    Further assessing the complexity of the situation, he stated that the case will go through the European Union Criminal Justice system. Because Ekpa is a citizen of the EU and will defend himself and the reason he is fighting for self-determination for Biafra.

    The security expert also accessed the human rights records of Nigeria, describing it as “nothing to boast about,” and cited instances of several alleged human rights abuses in the country and the latest alleged abuse of a couple by officers of the Nigeria military in the Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. All of which he said can weaken Ekpa’s extradition request.

    The man, Simon Ekpa, born on March 21, 1985, is a member of the ruling National Coalition Party of Finland. Since 2022, he and his Biafran Republic Government in Exile, which he serves as its Prime Minister, have actively propagated the restoration of the Biafran Republic from his base in Finland.

    In the last two years, following the arrest of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Kenya and his detention at the Nigeria spy police facility in Abuja, Ekpa has taken the centre stage of the Biafran movement. Unlike Kanu, his approach to the struggle has been offensive. His sit at home orders has been of great concern to the authorities, who accused him of creating insecurity and destabilising the southeast region, which he denies.

  • 40 Killed In Sudan War Between Government and RSF Forces

    40 Killed In Sudan War Between Government and RSF Forces

    The latest killing is a reminder that the conflict in Sudan is far from over and a need for an urgent peaceful resolution.

    A suspected attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese paramilitary force, has reportedly left 40 people dead, a medic told AFP from a central Sudan village.

    “All 40 people suffered direct gunshot wounds,” the medic from Wad Rawah Hospital, north of Wad Oshaib village in Al-Jazira State, who requested anonymity over safety concerns, said.

    “The attack resumed this morning,” one eyewitness told AFP by phone on Wednesday, adding that fighters were “looting property.

    The conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army stems from a power struggle that began in April 2023. The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (also known as Hemedti), and the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, have been vying for control over the country’s major institutions1.

    The fighting is primarily about control over the country’s political and military institutions, with both sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.

    The conflict has caused a dire humanitarian crisis, with thousands of civilians killed and millions displaced. Hospitals and other critical infrastructure have been targeted, exacerbating the suffering of the people of Sudan.

    The international community, including the United States, has condemned the violence and called for a ceasefire. Efforts to mediate peace talks are ongoing, but the situation remains volatile and unpredictable.

  • Somaliland opposition leader Cirro wins in presidential election, beating incumbent

    Somaliland opposition leader Cirro wins in presidential election, beating incumbent

    Reuters—Somaliland opposition leader Abdirahman Cirro defeated incumbent president Muse Bihi Abdi in last week’s election, the electoral commission said on Tuesday, setting up a handover of power as the breakaway Somali region pushes for global recognition.

    Somaliland has had de facto self-rule since declaring independence from Somalia in 1991, but has not been recognised by any country, restricting access to international finance and the ability of its six million people to travel.

    Cirro, leader of the opposition Waddani party, won 64% of the vote against Bihi’s 35%, said Musa Hassan, chairman of the Somaliland Electoral Commission.

    “This election is not a win or loss for the candidates. It was an election of unity and fraternity and pushing ahead the Somaliland nation,” Cirro said in a televised address on Tuesday.

    Occupying a strategic location at the juncture of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, Somaliland sees international recognition as being within reach after signing a preliminary deal with landlocked Ethiopia in January that would grant Addis Ababa a strip of land on its coast in exchange for recognition.

    Somaliland is also hopeful that the incoming U.S. administration of President-elect Donald Trump will be favourable to its cause. Several leading Africa policy officials from Trump’s first term have voiced support for its recognition.

    The breakaway region has enjoyed a comparative period of peace since achieving autonomy three decades ago, just as Somalia plunged into a civil war from which it has yet to emerge.

    While Cirro has signalled broad support for the proposed pact with Ethiopia, his commitment to implementing it is not clear. Some analysts suspect he could be more open to dialogue with Somalia’s government, which opposes the agreement.

    The deal has soured Somalia’s relations with Ethiopia, a major contributor towards a peacekeeping force in Somalia fighting Islamist militants, and drawn Somalia’s government closer to Ethiopia’s historic rivals, Egypt and Eritrea.

    The presidents of Somalia and neighbouring Djibouti, whose relations with Somaliland were also strained under Bihi, congratulated Cirro on his win.

    Ethiopia’s foreign ministry also sent a congratulatory message to Cirro.

    “Congratulations to the newly elected President of Somaliland… and to the brotherly people of Somaliland for their political maturity,” Djibouti’s president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, wrote on X.

    In his message, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud committed to ongoing reconciliation talks, which he said were focused on preserving the unity of Somalia.

    “While I think there are concerns that (Cirro) may opt for a radical departure from his predecessor, jettison the MOU (deal with Ethiopia), embrace dialogue with Somalia, there’s a big difference between campaigning and governing,” said Matt Bryden, a strategic adviser with the Sahan think tank.

    Cirro’s victory could also signal closer ties with China, a major investor in the Horn of Africa.

    According to Somali media reports, Cirro has in the past questioned the value of Somaliland’s ties with Taiwan, which China sees as part of its territory, in its quest for recognition.

  • Major Ugandan Opposition Politician Kidnapped In Kenya

    Major Ugandan Opposition Politician Kidnapped In Kenya

    His kidnap follows the same pattern as that of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), controversially arrested in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria in June 2021. Allegations of illegal detention and torture surrounded his arrest and subsequent extradition.

    Winnie Byanyima, the wife of Kizza Besigye, a prominent Ugandan opposition politician, has raised an alarm over his kidnap in Kenya over the weekend and transfer to a military detention centre in Kampala, the Ugandan capital. According to her, the kidnap happened after the politician participated in a book engagement in the east African country.

    While calling for her husband’s release, she said: “I request the (government) of Uganda to release my husband Dr Kizza Besigye from where he is being held immediately. I am now reliably informed that he is in a military jail in Kampala. We his family and his lawyers demand to see him. He is not a soldier. Why is he being held in a military jail?”

    In response to a request by Reuters, the Ugandan military and police denied knowing the whereabouts of the politician, who contested against Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in four consecutive elections and lost in all.

    Kizza Besigye is a prominent Ugandan opposition politician and physician. He was born on April 22, 1956, in Rukungiri, Uganda. He served as the personal physician to President Yoweri Museveni during Uganda’s guerrilla war, but later became a vocal critic and political opponent of Museveni, after they fell apart.

    He contested the Ugandan presidency in 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016), and accused the government of denying him victory. 

    The president of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), a Human Rights Activist, has been arrested and detained several times over the years.

    His kidnap in Kenya follows the same pattern as that of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who was also controversially arrested in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria in June 2021. Allegations of illegal detention and torture have surrounded his arrest and subsequent extradition.

    Kanu was reportedly detained in Kenya for eight days under harsh conditions before being handed over to Nigerian authorities.

    The Nigerian government has faced criticism for the manner in which Kanu was extradited, with claims that it violated international laws and due process. Despite these controversies, Kanu remains in detention in Nigeria, facing charges related to terrorism and treason.

  • Seven NSCDC Officers Missing After Boko Haram Ambush

    Seven NSCDC Officers Missing After Boko Haram Ambush

    Seven officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), a paramilitary agency in the country that protects lives and property, and safeguards critical national infrastructure, have been declared missing following an attack by suspected Boko Haram militants.

    In a statement, NSCDC spokesperson, DCC Afolabi Babawale, said the attack on the officers happened on Monday in the Farin-Kasa area of Chukun Local Government Area, Kaduna State when the operatives were inspecting the National Grid installation from Shiroro in Niger State. He further explained that, due to the recent increase in attacks on power lines that have plunged the country into darkness, the nine officers and 71 others who were ambushed had been deployed to police the power infrastructure in the area.  

    He also disclosed that “as they patrolled vulnerable areas, the officers “encountered stranded expatriates near Dagwachi Village and allowed them to join the convoy for safety. Unbeknownst to the team, over 200 armed Boko Haram militants had laid a deadly ambush from a hilltop, ready to unleash a torrent of gunfire on the unsuspecting convoy.”

    “Determined and resourceful, the NSCDC operatives fought back valiantly, managing to neutralise over 50 insurgents during the exchange. However, the chaos left seven officers unaccounted for, prompting an urgent search in the bush for their whereabouts. Those who sustained injuries are currently receiving medical treatment.”

    The NSCDC Commandant-General, Ahmed Audi, who praised his men for their gallantry and service to the nation, described that attack as cowardly against personnel committed to the nation’s defence and protection of critical national infrastructures.

    Recall that reports of suspected Boko Haram militants allegedly occupying a swathe of territory and making an incursion into a military training ground in Niger State, which was denied by the Nigeria Military, made rounds in the media recently. This recent attack by the Islamic militant group, officially known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, adds to their internationally acclaimed notoriety for its brutal tactics, including mass kidnappings, bombings, and assassinations since 2002. Despite efforts by regional and international forces to combat the group, Boko Haram remains a significant threat in Nigeria and across the Sahel region.

  • Nana Addo Commissions $1.2 billion 590MW Power Plant

    Nana Addo Commissions $1.2 billion 590MW Power Plant

    Over the years, Ghana relies heavily on hydropower (from dams like Akosombo, Kpong, and Bui) and thermal power (from gas and oil). However, the country’s energy infrastructure is ageing, and there have been issues with maintaining and upgrading it.

    On Tuesday, the Ghanaian President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, commissioned the Ghana 590MW combined-cycle power plant project. The $1.2 billion Bridge Power plant is located in Tema, an important coastal city in Ghana in the Greater Accra Region and home to the largest seaport in the country and a hub for trade, commerce and industry.

    Expected to transform the country’s power sector, the groundbreaking project, financed through a partnership with Early Power Ltd, is a giant leap toward Ghana’s quest to secure a reliable energy supply to drive economic growth and national development.

    In a statement, Nana Addo noted that the project “represents a shift away from the energy crises of the past, particularly the difficult years of “dumsor” between 2012 and 2016, which disrupted lives and livelihoods.” Emphasising the timeliness of the project, he said: “Reliable electricity is the backbone of national development—it powers industries, illuminates classrooms, and supports hospitals.” Adding the project will boost the productivity of the manufacturing industries and improve healthcare services and learning conditions in schools.

    Ghana has faced significant challenges with its electricity supply over the years. Periods of intermittent power supply has marked the situation, commonly referred to as “dumsor”. This term, which means “on and off” in the local language, describes the frequent power outages and load-shedding that have affected the country. The electricity crisis costs the country an estimated average of $2.1 million in lost production daily, affecting businesses and industries that rely on a stable power supply.

    Over the years, Ghana relies heavily on hydropower (from dams like Akosombo, Kpong, and Bui) and thermal power (from gas and oil). However, the country’s energy infrastructure is ageing, and there have been issues with maintaining and upgrading it.

  • After Missing School Due To Extreme Heat, African Children Push For Climate Action

    After Missing School Due To Extreme Heat, African Children Push For Climate Action

    Children from East Africa, where heatwaves and floods have shuttered schools in recent months, are pushing for world leaders to protect their education – and their future – at the United Nations COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan.

    Siama, 17, from South Sudan, missed two weeks of school in April when temperatures surged to 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit).

    “Our country is a developing country so we do not have climate-resilient buildings … and do not have ACs in school,” she said.

    More than 40 million children were kept out of classrooms this year, from Asia to Africa, due to extreme heat, which scientists say has been made worse and more frequent by climate change.

    Naomi, 14, also struggled with South Sudan’s school closures. “This really affected me because this year I am sitting for my national exams,” she said.

    At home, “we were not able to concentrate because it was hot, the temperatures were really high, you have to focus more on reducing the temperature of your body by going to bathe every two hours”.

    In Somalia, Nafiso, 16, often can’t sleep at night, thinking about her future under climate change.

    “My father – he is a farmer. When there is a lot of heat, it becomes a lot of drought. When there is a lot of rain, it is difficult to get the food.”

    Sometimes she does not have enough food to eat three times a day.

    Floods, too, have at times prevented her from getting to school.

    “This is really making us worried how will the future be if there is no action being taken, if there is no climate finance to create climate-resilient schools in the country,” Naomi said.

  • Peter Mbah Hails Chidimma Onwe, Miss Universe Africa and Oceania

    Peter Mbah Hails Chidimma Onwe, Miss Universe Africa and Oceania

    The Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has congratulated Miss Chidimma Onwe Adetshina, a citizen of the Nigerian southeastern state, on her emergence as the 1st Runner-Up at the Miss Universe 2024 Pageant held in Mexico. The beauty queen, during the events leading to the announcement of the winners, wowed a global audience with her exceptional costuming and enchanting display of class, glamour, and charisma, which the competition required.

    According to the governor, her victory at the 73rd Miss Universe pageant competition, which featured 130 women worldwide, “reaffirmed her resilience, brilliance, and determination that define Ndi Enugu.”

    Recall that the governor earlier appointed the beauty queen, formerly based in South Africa, as a Brand Ambassador of the state. This followed the widely condemned bouts of attacks and rejections she suffered in the rainbow country, where she was born and denied the opportunity to achieve her dream of becoming a beauty queen, over unclarified identity falsification levelled against her mother. The prejudice re-ignited the xenophobia against Nigerians’ accusation against other Africans, winning Chidimma sympathy approval votes at home and globally.

    Chidimma, in a statement reflecting on her nightmares in South Africa and thanking the millions of Nigerians who stood by her during the ordeals, said: “Many wonder why I didn’t stop. Many asked, why not let it be for now? Your life might be at risk. Some questioned, why isn’t she giving up? Does she crave the clout? I sat back, overwhelmed with so many unanswered questions, as life moved faster than I could process. But do you know what? My dreams have kept me afloat.”

  • South Africa’s Rand Hit A Three-Month Low On Tuesday Over Uncertainties

    South Africa’s Rand Hit A Three-Month Low On Tuesday Over Uncertainties

    Investors have piled into trades seen as benefiting from the incoming U.S. administration, with markets anticipating Trump’s policies could mean higher economic growth in the short term but also potentially inflationary pressures.

    South Africa’s rand hit a three-month low on Tuesday, hurt by a stronger dollar and weaker gold prices, as markets grappled with what another Donald Trump presidency will mean for U.S. policy and trade relations.

    At 1533 GMT, the rand traded at 18.1325 against the dollar, down more than 1% on its previous close, its weakest level since mid-August.

    The risk-sensitive rand has been highly volatile since Trump’s U.S. election win last week and is on course for its third day of heavy losses.

    Investors have piled into trades seen as benefiting from the incoming U.S. administration, with markets anticipating Trump’s policies could mean higher economic growth in the short term but also potentially inflationary pressures.

    Potential policy changes include tariffs and tax cuts.

    ETM Analytics said in a research note that the rand “remains on the defensive while investors try to understand what (Trump’s win) means for the dollar and for currencies quoted against it”.

    The rand reacted little to positive local job data on Tuesday showing the unemployment rate fell for the first time in a year in the third quarter.

    The unemployment rate fell to 32.1% from 33.5% in the second quarter (ZAUNR=ECI), opens new tab.

    Another local factor that had little impact was manufacturing output for September (ZAMAN=ECI), opens new tab, which fell 0.8% year-on-year.

    On the Johannesburg stock market, the Top-40 index (JTOPI), opens new tab closed 0.7% down.

    The benchmark 2030 government bond was little changed, the yield at 9.23%.

  • Opposition Wins Landslide In Mauritius Parliament Election, PM Resigns

    Opposition Wins Landslide In Mauritius Parliament Election, PM Resigns

    Ramgoolam, 77, said that his first act in office would be to dismantle what he called the country’s spying system “so that Mauritians will be free to talk”.

    Mauritius’ opposition coalition led by Navin Ramgoolam secured a near clean sweep of seats in parliament on Tuesday as final election results were announced, securing him a fourth term as prime minister.

    Ramgoolam’s Alliance du Changement (ADC) coalition won 62.6% of votes in Sunday’s ballot, the election commission said, prompting incumbent Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth to resign.

    The ADC won 60 of the 62 national assembly seats, state broadcaster Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation reported.

    Ramgoolam, 77, said that his first act in office would be to dismantle what he called the country’s spying system “so that Mauritians will be free to talk”.

    “We will also work to put an end to the rising cost of living for the population by better monitoring the value of the rupee, lifting Value Added Tax on basic commodities, and vanquishing nepotism, corruption and repression,” Ramgoolam told reporters.

    Despite steering the Indian Ocean archipelago to 7.0% economic growth last year, Jugnauth’s popularity appeared to have been badly dented by a cost of living crisis and corruption allegations.

    Jugnauth conceded on Monday, saying he tried to do what he could for the country’s 1.3 million people, but that his Alliance Lepep coalition was heading for a huge defeat.

    President Prithvirajsing Roopun said on Tuesday he had accepted Jugnauth’s resignation, and that of his government.

    Last month Jugnauth, who has been in office since 2017, negotiated an agreement for Britain to cede the Chagos Islands while retaining the U.S.-UK Diego Garcia air base.

    Jugnauth’s Alliance Lepep won 27.8% of the vote, according to a tally of results released by the Office of the Electoral Commissioner (OEC).

    On the island of Rodrigues, which is allotted two seats in Mauritius’ parliament, the Organisation du Peuple de Rodrigues (OPR) won 50.0% of the vote, the OEC said.

    Earlier this month, Jugnauth’s government blocked social media platforms until a day after the election, citing national security concerns after conversations between public figures were leaked. It lifted the ban a day later.

    —By Reuters