Northern Elders Forum (NEF) says shutting down communication and imposing curfews will compound living conditions in the northern region. As part of efforts to curb insecurity, some state governments had shut down markets and schools. On Saturday, the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) shut down telecommunication services in Zamfara over lingering insecurity in the state. Reacting in a statement on Sunday, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, NEF spokesperson, said the measures could embolden the bandits. “Northern Elders Forum is closely following the condition of many Northern communities that have become particularly vulnerable to attacks and abuse by bandits, kidnappers and related organized criminals,” the…

Mutinous soldiers in the West African nation of Guinea detained President Alpha Conde on Sunday after hours of heavy gunfire rang out near the presidential palace in the capital, then announced on state television that the government had been dissolved in an apparent coup d’etat. The country’s borders were closed and its constitution was declared invalid in the announcement read aloud on state television by army Col. Mamadi Doumbouya, who told Guineans: “The duty of a soldier is to save the country.” “We will no longer entrust politics to one man. We will entrust it to the people,” said Doumbouya,…

A Guinean army colonel seized control of state television airwaves Sunday and announced that President Alpha Conde’s government had been dissolved hours after heavy gunfire erupted near the presidential palace. Conde’s whereabouts were not immediately known, and Col. Mamadi Doumbouya made no mention of the 83-year-old president whose popularity has plummeted since he sought a third term last year. “The personalization of political life is over. We will no longer entrust politics to one man, we will entrust it to the people,” Doumbouya said, adding that the constitution was also dissolved and land borders now closed. AP’s earlier story follows…

Federal Government recorded a revenue shortfall of N1.76tn in the first half of this year, official data have shown. According to a revenue performance report obtained from the Budget office of the federation, Federal Government’s projected revenue for the 2021 fiscal year was N7.9tn, of which N3.9tn was earmarked as pro rata target for the first six months. As at June 2021, the government had only generated N2.3tn, or 44.1 per cent of the pro rata estimate, indicating a revenue gap of N1.8tn. During the period under review, the aggregate revenue of N2.23tn comprised oil revenue of N492.4bn, non-oil revenue…