NEWS - The African Mirror

Jan

27

2026

Tinubu’s appointment of scandal-tainted ex-spy chief ignites political firestorm

NEWS

NIGERIA’S President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has plunged his administration into fresh controversy with the appointment of Ayodele Oke as Ambassador-designate, reigniting one of Nigeria's most explosive corruption scandals and raising fundamental questions about the government's commitment to accountability. The nomination of Oke, 66, a retired career diplomat who served as Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) until his dramatic suspension in 2017, represents perhaps the most politically toxic appointment of Tinubu's presidency — one that threatens to undermine his administration's credibility both domestically and internationally. The $43 Million Apartment Scandal The controversy surrounding Oke centres on events from…

Jan

28

2026

By STAFF REPORTER

South African court delivers historic 35-year sentence for power station sabotage

NEWS

IN what authorities are calling the strongest judicial message yet against infrastructure sabotage, a South African court has sentenced a former Eskom contract worker to 35 years imprisonment for deliberately damaging equipment at a major power station, highlighting the country's intensifying crackdown on crimes that have crippled the national electricity grid. Simeon Majaonke Shongwe, 46, will serve 20 years behind bars after the Ermelo District Court handed down the landmark sentence on Monday for his role in causing R22.7 million (approximately $1.2 million) in damages to the Camden power station in Ermelo in November 2022. The severe punishment marks a…

Jan

27

2026

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

Retired judge demands accountability from Museveni over post-election crackdown

NEWS

A retired Ugandan judge has issued a scathing public indictment of President Yoweri Museveni on Liberation Day, demanding answers about a wave of alleged state violence, abductions, and unlawful detentions targeting opposition figures since the January 15 presidential election. Justice Esther Kitimbo Kisaakye, in an open letter published January 26, directly challenged the president and Commander-in-Chief to explain whether security forces are operating with his authorisation in what she characterised as systematic persecution of National Unity Platform (NUP) leaders and supporters. "Can all of the above be happening without your knowledge or consent?" Kisaakye wrote, referencing a catalogue of alleged…

Jan

27

2026

By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Major anti-trafficking operation sees significant action across Africa

NEWS

A coordinated global operation led by INTERPOL has resulted in the safeguarding of 4,414 potential victims of human trafficking and the detection of 12,992 irregular migrants across 119 countries, with significant enforcement action taking place across the African continent. Operation Liberterra III, conducted from 10 to 21 November 2025, led to 3,744 arrests worldwide, including more than 1,800 for human trafficking and migrant smuggling offences. The operation mobilised over 14,000 law enforcement officers globally, with extensive participation from African nations. INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza emphasised the evolving nature of the threat: "Criminal networks are evolving, exploiting new routes, digital…

Jan

26

2026

By The African Mirror

When waters rise: The devastating toll of Mozambique’s catastrophic floods

NEWS

THEbrown waters of the Limpopo River have transformed entire neighbourhoods into inland seas. Families cling to rooftops as rescue helicopters circle overhead. Roads that once connected communities now lie submerged beneath meters of floodwater. Welcome to Mozambique in January 2026, where nature's fury has unleashed one of the most severe humanitarian crises in recent memory. The Scale of Devastation An estimated 600,000 people have been affected by flooding across southern and central Mozambique, particularly in Gaza, Maputo, and Sofala provinces. The crisis has escalated with terrifying speed since mid-December, when persistent rainfall began battering the region. More than 513,000 people…

Nov

12

2025

By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Dawn of freedom in Nigeria: 86 lives reclaimed from terror’s grip

NEWS

THE sun had barely crested the horizon over Borno State when the call came through. Intelligence reports crackled over military radios: Boko Haram terrorists were moving along the Buratai - Kamuya Road, and they weren't alone. Dozens of kidnapped civilians, men, women, and children, were being dragged deeper into the nightmare that has gripped northeastern Nigeria for years. For the soldiers of the 135 Special Forces Battalion under Operation HADIN KAI, this was not just another mission. This was a race against time, a chance to bring families back together, to restore hope where terror had tried to extinguish it.…

Jan

26

2026

By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The barbarism of impunity: Uganda’s security forces and the assault on democracy

NEWS

WHEN Ugandan security forces could not locate opposition leader Bobi Wine, they turned their fury on his wife, transforming her home into a theatre of state-sanctioned brutality that laid bare the complete erosion of legal constraints on Museveni's coercive apparatus. The raid on the Kyagulanyi residence follows a pattern that has become grimly familiar in authoritarian consolidation: when the target proves elusive, the state attacks the vulnerable. Barbra Kyagulanyi, found at home and unarmed, became the proxy for her husband's defiance. According to her testimony from her hospital bed, soldiers strangled her, held her at gunpoint, and subjected her to…

Jan

26

2026

By The African Mirror

A classroom reborn: How one girl’s dream illuminates Sudan’s path to healing

NEWS

IN war-torn Sudan, the simple act of opening a school door has become an act of defiance - a declaration that bullets cannot kill dreams, and that even amid chaos, hope takes root in the hearts of children determined to learn. Seventeen-year-old Omnia sits at the back of a sun-drenched classroom in Al Jabalain, her pen moving steadily across the page as her teacher writes English verbs on the freshly painted wall. For most teenagers, conjugating verbs might seem mundane. But for Omnia, each word she writes is a small victory - a reclaiming of the future that war tried…

Jan

27

2026

By CONRAD ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Smartphone upgrades are surging across Africa

NEWS

AFRICA is witnessing a mobile phone upgrade cycle moment. The obvious trend has been that of feature phones losing significant market share as millions of users migrate to entry-level smartphones in a rush to access mobile internet, e-commerce, social media and government services. While this mobile adoption trend concentrates solely on sub-US$100 entry-level prices, the latest growth cycle, however, shows a different kind of adoption. More Africans are now opting for premium and “premium-lite” models that offer stronger cameras, faster processors and larger storage at mid-range prices, up to US$500. The trend is fueled by rising device financing for both…

Jan

24

2026

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

Uganda’s nightmare succession: A dictator’s son promises worse to come

NEWS

IF Ugandans thought the present was unbearable, they should be terrified of the future. In a chilling display of impunity that should alarm every citizen contemplating their country's trajectory, the man positioned to inherit Uganda's presidency has openly confessed to crimes that would typically be concealed, denied, or justified through official propaganda. Lt. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of 81-year-old President Yoweri Museveni and chief of Uganda's military, has done something unprecedented in the annals of authoritarian succession: he has publicly bragged about systematic state violence. In a series of social media posts following the disputed January 15 election that secured…