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Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali Announce Plan To Form Tri-State Confederation

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Military-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger plan to proceed with the establishment of a confederation, the Malian foreign ministry said on Thursday, as the three countries deepen ties via an alliance that threatens broader West African integration.

Daily Trust on Sunday reports that the military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger January 28, announced their withdrawal from the West African bloc ECOWAS.

The leaders of the three Sahel nations issued a statement saying it was a “sovereign decision” to leave the Economic Community of West African States “without delay”.

Again, on Monday, the leader of the military junta in Niger, Abdourahamane Tchiani, vowed that none of the three Sahel nations would rejoin the regional bloc.

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Reuters reports that at a meeting in the Burkinabe capital Ouagadougou, their three ministers confirmed a joint commitment to withdraw from ECOWAS without delay and continue cooperation under a pact known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

They “reaffirmed their commitment to advancing resolutely in the process of implementing the AES and creating the Tri-State Confederation,” the Malian foreign ministry said in an online post.

The group has not shared details on how the proposed confederation would work or on how closely they plan to align political, economic and security interests as they struggle to contain a decade-old battle with Islamist insurgents that has destabilised the subregion.

Last November, their finance ministers said they would weigh the option of setting up a monetary union and top officials from all three countries have, to varying degrees, voiced support for abandoning West Africa’s CFA franc common currency.

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The juntas have all severed long-standing military ties with former colonial ruler France, dealing a blow to France’s influence in the Sahel and complicating international efforts to fight the militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.

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Just in: AEDC restores power in some parts of Abuja

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By Mario Deepromoter

The power outages Nigerians experienced on Monday evening have been restored in some parts of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company franchise areas.

A check carried out by NAN revealed that places like Deidei, Suleja, Lugbe, Kuje and other areas had their light restored on Tuesday at about 5:15 am.

Customers in the AEDC were told of the disruption in supply, which was attributed to the collapse of the National grid.

In a statement on its Twitter handle on Monday, the company said that the system collapse occurred at about 6.58 pm.

Be rest assured that we are working with relevant stakeholders to restore power as soon the grid stabilises,” it said.

NAN

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Bayero v Sanusi: Court of Appeal fixes new date To hear Kano Emirship dispute

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By Mario Deepromoter

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has set October 17 for the hearing of appeals related to the ongoing emirship tussle in Kano State.

The dispute centres around the appointment of the Emir of Kano, a position that has sparked legal challenges involving several parties.

A three-member panel of justices, led by Justice Mohammed Mustapha, reserved judgment on Monday after listening to submissions from the lawyers involved.

The two major appeals are filed by Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero against the Attorney General of Kano State and 10 others, as well as a separate case involving the Kano State House of Assembly versus Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan Agundi and six others.

The hearing will also address a motion to stay the execution of the July 25 judgment concerning the enforcement of fundamental rights.

A Federal High Court in Kano, presided over by Justice Abdullahi Liman, has nullified Governor Abba Yusuf’s decision to depose Emir Ado Bayero and appoint Muhammadu Sanusi II on May 23.

The court also held as “null and void” the Kano Emirate Council (Repeal) Bill, 2024, passed by the Kano State House of Assembly, which voided Bayero’s seat.

The judge said, “The above action violates the order of this court earlier stated,” adding “The balance of convenience is on the applicant herein (Alhaji Aminu Babba Dan Agundi).”

However , the ruling comes as a Kano State High Court had also restrained Ado Bayero from acting as the emir.

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Super Eagles: Tunisian Pilot Narrates How Plane Was Diverted

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By Mario Deepromoter

Tunisian pilot who flew the Super Eagles team to Libya reveals he was instructed by Libyan authority to divert the plane to a different location.

According to the pilot, the original flight plan was to land the aircraft in Benghazi, Libya, as approved by the aviation authorities. But later they were suddenly directed by officials to divert to another airport just as they neared their destination.

“The flight plan was to land in Benghazi. We got the approval from the Libyan civil aviation authority that we were approved to land,” the pilot explained. “But unfortunately, when we started the descent, they asked us to divert to Mitiga, which is almost 150 miles (300 km) away. This was not even our alternate airport.”

The pilot said he warned the officials that the diversion would have severely impacted their fuel reserves, and could compromise the safety of the flight.

I asked them several times, at least eight times, and I warned them that I would be in trouble for the fuel situation,” the pilot recounted. “They said it was from the highest authority and that we had to divert to Mitiga immediately.”

The pilot later complied with the directive. Thankfully, the aircraft landed safely in Mitiga with no challenges.

This revelation comes hours after Super Eagles players reported that had been mistreated by Libyan authorities ahead of their Tuesday match, which they later boycotted and flew back home after being held hostage for 20 hours.

In a series of tweets early Monday morning, Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong described the situation as “disgraceful,” accusing the hosts of playing “mind games.”

He revealed that the team was kept in an abandoned airport with no access to food, drink, or phone connections.

Nigeria defeated Libya 1-0 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, October 11. Both nations were scheduled to play the return leg in Libya on October 15.

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