By Francesca Hangeior

President Bola Tinubu has extended condolences to the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, over the death of his elder brother, Sunday Makinde.

In a statement personally signed by the President on Monday, he expressed his sympathy to Makinde, his family, and the people of Oyo State, describing the loss as a “profound sorrow.”

“With a heavy heart, I extend my deepest sympathies to you, your family, and the people of Oyo State on the passing of your beloved elder brother, Engineer Sunday Makinde,” the President said.

Acknowledging the pain that comes with losing a loved one, Tinubu noted, “The loss of a loved one, especially a cherished elder brother, is a profound sorrow. In this time of mourning, I want you to know that I, along with many others, stand with you and your family.”

The President also prayed for comfort and strength for Makinde and his family during this period of grief. He emphasised the importance of family values and unity, which he said have always been exemplified by the Makinde family.

“This moment reminds us of the importance of family, unity, and love—values that your family has always exemplified and that we all hold dear. May these values strengthen you and your loved ones in this time of grief,” Tinubu added.

He concluded by praying for the peaceful repose of the deceased’s soul and reassured the governor of his unwavering support.

“I pray for the peaceful repose of Engineer Sunday Makinde’s soul and for the Almighty to grant you and your family the strength to navigate this challenging time. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and that you are not alone in this period,” the statement read.

By Francesca Hangeior

The Anambra State Police Command has raided a criminal hideout at Umudike, Amaokpala in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state and recovered various incriminating items.

In a press statement on Monday, the Command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said during the raid, items recovered include a large quantity of substance suspected to be hard drugs, two mobile phones and N73,150 cash suspected to be proceeds from the sales of the hard drugs.

Ikenga said the joint security team comprising police operatives from Oko Divisional Headquarters and vigilante operatives, acting on intelligent-driven information on Saturday by 10.30 pm raided the criminal hideout.

He said, “The joint security team comprising of police operatives from Oko Divisional Headquarters and AVG operatives, acting on intelligent-driven information on January 25, 2025, by 10.30 pm raided an identified criminal hideout at Umudike, Amaokpala in Orumba North Local Government Area.

“Items recovered during the crackdown include a large quantity of substance suspected to be hard drugs, two mobile phones and a cash sum of N73,150 suspected to be proceeds from the sales of the substance.

“The fierce-looking criminals took to their heels on sighting the Joint Security Team and ran into the nearby bushes.”

According to him, the operatives have taken over the scene, destroyed the camp and are on the offensive against the criminals for possible arrest and to make sure they don’t regroup anywhere in the state.

By Francesca Hangeior

The withdrawal of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States takes effect on Wednesday after a year of political tensions, fracturing the region and leaving the bloc with an uncertain future.

On January 29, 2024, the three countries led by military regimes formally notified ECOWAS of their desire for “immediate” withdrawal. But the texts of the West African organisation required one-year’s notice for it to be effective.

This will happen on Wednesday, all three countries having ignored ECOWAS’s call to extend the period by six months to try to find a solution.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are now united in a confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Their military rulers accuse ECOWAS of having imposed “inhuman, illegal and illegitimate” sanctions against them after the coups that brought them to power.

They also believe that the West African organisation has not helped them enough to fight jihadist violence. ECOWAS, they argue, is subservient to their former colonial ruler France.

Paris has become the common enemy of these juntas, which now favour partnerships with countries such as Russia, Turkey and Iran.

The rupture was sparked by the July 2023 coup in Niger. ECOWAS threatened to intervene militarily to reinstate the deposed president and imposed heavy economic sanctions on Niamey, which have now been lifted.

The three countries will put their own common passport into circulation on Wednesday and have announced a unified army of 5,000 men to fight the jihadists soon.

The loss of three founding members will “weaken ECOWAS’s ability to regulate political crises in the regional area”, Gilles Yabi, founder of the West African think tank Wathi, told AFP.

The AES and some ECOWAS countries are now at loggerheads. Niger refuses to open its border with Benin, which it accuses of hosting bases where jihadists train, while accusing its Nigerian neighbour of “serving as a rear base” to “destabilise” it.

In the sub-region, the diplomatic cards have been reshuffled, with the role of Togo boosted.

As well as playing the role of mediator, its port in the capital Lome supplies the landlocked countries of the AES.

For Yabi, Togo has a “short-term vision”, based on “calculations of economic interests” that will “weaken ECOWAS”.

Togo’s foreign minister recently declared his country did not rule out joining the AES.

If ECOWAS loses a fourth member such as Togo, with maritime access, “we can wonder in what state it will be able to survive”, said Rinaldo Depagne, deputy Africa director at the International Crisis Group (ICG).

The AES “is trying to convince other countries that ECOWAS does not work and that they are a credible alternative…,” said one diplomatic source. “They have understood that they could not survive alone.”

Ghana, under the newly elected President John Dramani Mahama, is also reaching out to the AES. He has met its leaders and announced that he will name an envoy to the new bloc.

“The new president does not have the same position of principle towards the coups as his predecessors,” said the ICG’s Depagne.

“The question that arises now is whether we can be with the AES and with ECOWAS at the same time.”