Former Nigerian Power Minister Arrested After Fleeing 75-Year Corruption Sentence
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has captured former Power Minister Saleh Mamman, who went into hiding after being sentenced to 75 years in prison for embezzling millions meant for critical energy projects.
Mamman, who served under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2021, was convicted on 12 counts of diverting $14 million allocated to two hydroelectric power initiatives. Investigators revealed that the funds were funneled through shell companies and associates, a scheme the presiding judge condemned as a “gross betrayal of public trust.”
The arrest ends a weeks-long manhunt and marks a rare high-profile conviction in Nigeria’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts. Authorities have not disclosed where Mamman was apprehended.
Sierra Leone Accepts First Group of U.S. Deportees Under Controversial Program
Sierra Leone has received its first batch of migrants deported from the United States under a contentious immigration enforcement policy. A chartered flight carrying nine West Africans—including nationals from Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, and Senegal—landed near Freetown this week.
The deportations are part of a U.S. agreement to send up to 300 migrants annually to Sierra Leone, despite criticism from human rights groups. Similar programs have relocated individuals to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, and South Sudan.
Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba defended the arrangement, but advocacy organizations like Human Rights Watch argue that deporting migrants to third countries violates international protections and exposes vulnerable people to further risks.
Uganda Faces Backlash Over Ebola Strain Named After Bundibugyo District
A growing debate in Uganda questions why a deadly Ebola variant still bears the name of Bundibugyo District, despite global health guidelines discouraging geographic labels for diseases. The controversy flared after a Congolese patient died from the Bundibugyo strain at Kibuli Hospital.
First identified during a 2007 outbreak in western Uganda, the name remains entrenched in scientific literature. Health officials explain that renaming it now could disrupt vaccine research and historical outbreak tracking.
Local leaders, however, argue the label stigmatizes the region. “No community should be synonymous with a deadly virus,” said one Bundibugyo resident. The World Health Organization revised its naming policies in 2015 to avoid such associations, but existing classifications like Bundibugyo remain unchanged.
Mali Accused of Using Banned Cluster Bombs in Northern Conflict
Mali’s military and its Russian allies have allegedly deployed internationally banned cluster munitions in northern anti-jihadist operations, according to eyewitnesses and rights groups. Two separate strikes reportedly hit villages near Timbuktu and Kidal, regions long plagued by insurgent violence.
The Azawad Liberation Front, a separatist group, claims to have collected unexploded bomblets as evidence. Humanitarian organizations warn that the weapons pose lasting dangers to civilians, particularly children and nomadic herders.
Mali’s government has not commented, but the use of cluster bombs—prohibited by over 120 nations—could escalate scrutiny of its counterterrorism tactics.
ICC Holds Pivotal Hearing on Libya War Crimes Suspect
In a historic move, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has begun hearings to determine whether Libyan militia leader Khaled El Hishri should stand trial for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The proceedings, running from May 19–21, 2026, mark the first ICC case tied to Libya’s 2011 uprising.
El Hishri is among 14 suspects wanted by the ICC; four have since died, and eight remain fugitives. Victims’ families hope the hearing will bring long-delayed accountability for atrocities committed during the conflict.
Human Rights Watch has published a detailed guide to the case, calling it a “critical step for justice in Libya.”
Reported by Nexio News
