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Guinea junta to prosecute ousted president for murder

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A file photo of Alpha Conde.

Guinea said Wednesday it would prosecute former president Alpha Conde, who was toppled in a military coup last September, for murder and other crimes committed during his time in office.

Conde is among 27 former senior officials who face prosecution for “murder, assassination, and complicity,” according to a document given to journalists by prosecutor Alphonse Charles Wright.

Other alleged crimes include detention, torture, kidnapping, disappearances, rape, and other sexual abuse and looting.

The list of names includes a former president of the constitutional court, ex-speakers of parliament, a former prime minister, and many former ministers, legislators, and heads of the security services.

In a message to AFP, Wright, who was appointed by the junta, said the prosecution was launched following a complaint filed in January by the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), an umbrella group that had spearheaded protests against Conde.

The documents given to journalists appear to focus on alleged crimes committed in the last two years of Conde’s presidency.

Conde, today aged 84, was ousted by mutinous soldiers amid anger at his successful bid for a third term.

In 2010 he had become the first democratically elected president in the history of the West African country.

But his popularity dived in his second term as critics accused him of authoritarianism, and opposition protests were violently repressed. Dozens died, the overwhelming majority of them civilians.

Tension escalated bloodily in the runup to elections in October 2020.

The vote, boycotted by most of the opposition, followed a controversial referendum on constitutional change months earlier.

Critics said that Conde was limited to two terms in office, but he argued that the change to the constitution meant that the clock had been reset to zero.

He was deposed on September 5, 2021, by army officers led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, a former special forces commander.

Doumbouya has since been sworn in as interim president and implemented a crackdown on alleged corruption by the former regime.

Those being held in custody include former prime minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana, former parliament speaker Amadou Damaro Camara, and ex-electoral chief Louceny Camara.

Conde Question

Conde’s future became a major issue between the junta and the regional bloc ECOWAS after the coup.

He was initially detained and then allowed to go to the United Arab Emirates for medical treatment in January, returning home on April 10.

On April 22, the junta declared it was informing “national and international opinion that the former president of the republic is finally free” — an assertion contested by Conde’s Rally of the Guinean People (RPG) party.

Mineral-rich but deeply poor and saddled with a reputation for corruption, Guinea has enjoyed few periods of stability since gaining independence from France in 1958.

Many Guineans initially welcomed the coup but there is growing discontent in the nation of 13 million people.

On April 30, Doumbouya said he planned to restore civilian rule in 39 months — a timeline that dismayed those clamouring for earlier elections.

 

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Metro

Tragedy strikes Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: Five die, eight injured in fiery multiple crash

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It was a night of sorrow and devastation in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, as a horrific multiple-vehicle crash along the Ibadan axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway claimed at least five lives and left eight others injured in a fiery chain collision involving trucks, tankers, and smaller vehicles.

The accident occurred at about 10:00 p.m. on Friday around the Satguru Maharaji Ji Village axis, just before the Ibadan Toll Gate, throwing the busy highway into chaos as flames and thick smoke engulfed the scene.

The crash involved six trucks, including gas tankers and trailer units, two Toyota Hilux vans, and two cars, according to emergency officials who described it as one of the most severe road accidents in recent times on the corridor.

Eyewitnesses said the tragedy began when one of the trucks reportedly suffered brake failure and rammed into another vehicle ahead of it, triggering a chain reaction that quickly escalated into a multi-vehicle inferno.

In moments, several vehicles were trapped in the blaze, while terrified motorists and bystanders watched helplessly as the fire spread across the expressway.

Eight persons were rescued alive with varying degrees of injuries and were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent medical attention.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, said the crash was caused by brake failure which spiralled into a massive fire outbreak.

“Upon arrival, we discovered that the accident involved six trucks (gas tankers and trailer trucks) and two cars, resulting in a fire outbreak,” he said.

“Five persons were recovered dead, while eight others were rescued and handed over to the team of the Federal Road Safety Corps led by SRC Adegbite from Toll Gate, Ibadan, for further medical attention at the nearest hospital.”

Firefighters eventually brought the inferno under control after hours of operation, while security operatives and traffic officials worked to clear wreckage and restore movement on the busy expressway.

Normalcy has since returned to the road, but the tragedy has left behind a grim reminder of the dangers of mechanical failure and unsafe haulage on Nigeria’s busiest highway.

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Family Horror in Daura as Woman, 20, Allegedly Beats Grandmother, 97, to Death

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A deeply disturbing incident has left residents of Daura Local Government Area, Katsina State, in shock after a 20-year-old woman allegedly killed her 97-year-old grandmother during a family dispute.

The Katsina State Police Command confirmed that the tragic incident occurred at about 7:00 p.m. on June 12, 2026, following an argument between the suspect and her paternal grandmother at their residence.

According to preliminary investigations, the disagreement escalated into violence when the young woman allegedly struck the elderly victim on the head with a wooden chair. The blow reportedly left the nonagenarian severely injured and unconscious.

The victim was later discovered in a pool of blood after the suspect’s father reported the incident to the Sabon Garin Daura Police Station. Police operatives immediately rushed to the scene and evacuated her to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.

Despite efforts by medical personnel, she was confirmed dead by a doctor shortly after arrival.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Katsina State Command, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, said the suspect was arrested in the course of investigation and had reportedly made a confession to the crime.

He added that the suspect remains in custody and will be charged to court upon the completion of investigations, assuring that justice would be served in accordance with the law.

The command also appealed for calm among residents, reiterating its commitment to a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.

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Photos: Midnight Fire Razes 20 Ibadan Shops, Destroys ₦200m Goods

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No fewer than 20 shops were razed while goods valued at over ₦200 million were destroyed after a midnight fire gutted a shopping complex in the Dugbe area of Ibadan, Oyo State.

The inferno, which started around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, affected the Nigerian Postal Service shopping complex located beside the Dugbe General Post Office.
Eyewitnesses told our correspondent on Sunday that the fire was allegedly triggered by an accident involving a Lexus saloon car.

According to residents, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while travelling from the Queen’s Cinema axis towards Iyaganku.

The vehicle was said to have rammed into a giant billboard situated in front of the Nigerian Railway Corporation station in Ibadan before somersaulting and splitting into two.

Witnesses said the rear part of the vehicle, reportedly carrying a Compressed Natural Gas tank and back tyres, detached and rolled into the shopping complex, where an explosion occurred, igniting the fire.

The blaze razed about 20 shops dealing in stationery, computer accessories and clothing materials, leaving traders counting heavy losses.

Men of the Oyo State Fire Service were, however, able to prevent the fire from spreading to the General Post Office and adjoining buildings.

The occupants of the Lexus reportedly escaped unhurt.

Although some eyewitnesses alleged that the occupants were heading towards the Ring Road area before the crash, authorities had yet to officially confirm details surrounding their identities and movement as of the time of filing this report.

When our correspondent visited the scene around 8 a.m. on Sunday, firefighters and security operatives were still at the complex battling the aftermath of the inferno as smoke billowed from sections of the affected structure.

Shop owners and residents gathered at the scene, lamenting the destruction of goods and property.

One of the affected traders, Kingsley Chioma, said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Iyaganku Police Station assured victims that efforts were underway to apprehend the driver.

“We lost goods worth millions of naira to the fire. The DPO assured us that the driver responsible for the incident would be arrested,” Chioma said.

As of the time of filing this report, officials of the Oyo State Fire Service and the police had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

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