Crime
Former president of Burkina Faso, Compaore gets life imprisonment
Former president of Burkina Faso Compaore gets life imprisonment
A military tribunal on Wednesday ruled that Burkina Faso’s former president Blaise Compaore be sentenced to life imprisonment for complicity in the 1987 murder of his predecessor Thomas Sankara in a coup.
The charismatic Marxist revolutionary Sankara was gunned down in the West African nation’s capital Ouagadougou at the age of 37, four years after he took power in a previous putsch.
Compaore was charged in absentia along with his former Head of Security, Hyacinthe Kafando, who was also sentenced to life imprisonment.
Both have previously denied any involvement in Sankara’s death along with 12 other defendants accused of involvement in the plot, three of whom were declared innocent on Wednesday.
“The court finds Blaise Compaoré and Hyacinthe Kafando guilty of attack on state security, complicity in murder and concealment of a corpse,” the tribunal said in its ruling.
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Compaore went on to rule for 27 years before being ousted in another coup in 2014 and fleeing to Ivory Coast, where he is still believed to live.
Fondly known as Africa’s “Che Guevara”, Sankara took power on a promise to thwart corruption and post-colonial influences, denouncing foreign aid as a control mechanism.
He rolled out mass vaccination against polio, banned female circumcision and polygamy, and was one of the first African leaders to publicly recognise the growing AIDS epidemic as a threat for the continent.
A former fighter pilot, Sankara won public support in the impoverished nation by selling a government fleet of Mercedes, lowering the pay of well-off public servants and forbidding first class state travel.
He cut his own salary, refused to work with air conditioning and jogged through Ouagadougou unaccompanied.
Critics said his reforms curtailed freedoms and did little to enrich ordinary people. But admiration remains.
Over the weekend, students gathered around white flowers marking the spot where Sankara was shot.
(Reuters/NAN)
Police raids lead to arrest of 104 suspects in Abuja
By: Zagazola Makama
Police operatives in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) carried out successful raids across multiple criminal hotspots on April 23, resulting in the arrest of 104 suspects.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the coordinated operation involved officers from Karshi, Kubwa, Kabusa, Nyanya, Lugbe, Utako, Maitama, Apo, Mpape, Karmo, Tungan Maje, and G/Lada Divisions.
During the raids, authorities recovered cutlasses, dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, and illicit drugs.
The arrested suspects, who have been profiled, are currently in custody, undergoing screening and interrogation. Those found to be involved in criminal activities will be charged to court.
Police raids lead to arrest of 104 suspects in Abuja
Man stabs fellow mentally unstable person to death in Delta
By: Zagazola Makama
A tragic incident occurred on April 22 in Aladja, Delta State, when Jerry David, a mentally unstable man, allegedly stabbed his fellow companion to death with a broken bottle.
Zagazola Makama understands that a violent altercation between two mentally unstable individuals in his house.
When security personnel arrived the scene discovered that Jerry David had stabbed his fellow resident multiple times on the left hand, rib, back of the head, and left shoulder, causing fatal injuries.
The victim, whose identity is still unknown, was confirmed dead from the injuries. The police evacuated the body and deposited it at Noble Mortuary in Owvian, pending autopsy.
Police sources say an investigation is underway, and efforts are being made to subject Jerry David to a mental evaluation to determine the appropriate course of action.
Man stabs fellow mentally unstable person to death in Delta
Troops Intensify Search for Kidnapped Pastor in Kauru LGA
By: Zagazola Makama
The Nigerian Army troops of 1 Division in Kaduna State are working in collaboration with other security agencies to rescue a 55-year-old pastor who was abducted by bandits in Kurmin Rizga village, Kauru Local Government Area (LGA), in the early hours of April 23, 2025.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that a group of armed bandits invaded Kurmin Rizga, firing sporadically, and kidnapped Rev. Ibrahim James, the pastor of the Catholic Church in the village, taking him to an unknown location.
In response, the troops launched a search operation to locate and rescue the pastor unharmed. Efforts to apprehend the suspects and ensure the pastor’s safe return are ongoing.
Troops Intensify Search for Kidnapped Pastor in Kauru LGA
Police raids lead to arrest of 104 suspects in Abuja
Man stabs fellow mentally unstable person to death in Delta
Summit University Offa Matriculates 194 Students in Grand Ceremony
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