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Kenyan police charges four officers over disappearance of three people, including two Indian nationals

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Four Kenyan police officers who were part of the notorious Special Service Unit (SSU), linked to extrajudicial killings and other crimes, were on Tuesday, charged over the disappearance of three men whose bodies have never beeThe victims, two Indian nationals and their driver, a Kenyan, were reportedly abducted and murdered by the SSU team in July and their bodies were never found.

The officers, according to media reports in Nairobi, were part of the dreaded SSU that was shut down last week by President William Ruto over accusations of involvement in a spate of abuses, abductions and violent murders.

“The accused are charged with conspiracy to commit a felony and abduction over the disappearance in July of two men, both Indian nationals, who were part of Ruto’s campaign team.

“Their driver, a Kenyan, also vanished and has not been found.

“This investigation is complex and requires more time and collaboration with other government agencies including India,” state prosecutors said in court papers.

The prosecutors also told the court they had “faced interference and threats to life from serving public servants including police officers” since taking on the case.

A Nairobi-based civil society group, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), said in a statement on Tuesday that it had begun investigations and an audit of the SSU “as a matter of priority.

“As a watchdog established by parliament to keep a check on a powerful institution whose reputation also ranks among Kenya’s most corrupt, IPOA is determined to begin an extensive investigation into the activities of members of the force and a total audit of the SSU,” it said.

The SSU, which was formed 20 years ago, was disbanded by Ruto last Thursday folowing public outcry over their activities and the controversy surrounding the disappearance of the three men, and their officers being linked to a string of crimes.

“We can efficiently and effectively suppress crime, monitor, disrupt and apprehend criminals without abducting, torturing, killing or causing citizens to disappear,” Ruto had said before disbanding the unit.

“It is time to retire these terrible tactics and professionalise our criminal justice system,” the President added.

Metro

Zambia’s ruling party UPND warns against personal attacks on President Hichilema

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Zambia’s ruling party, the UPND, has warned opposition politicians and critics against personal attacks on President Hakainde Hichilema as his meekness should not be mistaken for weakness.

Secretary-General of the UPND, Batuke Imenda, who gave the warning in a statement in Lusaka on Monday, urged political opponents to always engage in mature and issue-based discourse.

Zambia Monitor reports that Imenda’s warning, was directed at the leader of Zambia Must Prosper (ZMP) party, Kelvin Bwalya Fube, whose recent remarks Imenda described as “provocative” and a “feeble attempt to mislead citizens.”

“Provocative words uttered by Kelvin Bwalya against our party and President Hichilema are a clear demonstration of naivety,” Imenda said in the statement.

He further advised Bwalya to abandon personal attacks and focus on substantial political issues.

The UPND Secretary suggested that Bwalya’s attacks stemmed from a desire for relevance amid declining political fortunes, hinting at a possible alignment with former President Edgar Lungu.

“It appears KBF is hoping that Edgar Lungu might support his embattled political career by unjustly attacking President Hichilema,” he said.

Imenda defended the President’s record, highlighting that under Hichilema’s leadership, Zambia’s democratic space had expanded compared to the previous PF administration, which he accused of stifling freedoms.

He noted that while criticism was welcome, it should not devolve into baseless attacks, warning that opposition figures should not misinterpret Hichilema’s restraint as weakness.

Imenda also criticized Bwalya for overlooking the gains in transparency and justice since the change in government, claiming that past regimes were marked by resource mismanagement and corruption.

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Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

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The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest that spread across the country from August 1 to the 10th.

The nation was thrown into shock on Friday when the Nigeria Police presented 76 protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on treason. Among the suspects were four minors who slumped before they could be arraigned before the court.

This caused serious uproar in the country with Nigerians condemning the government and calling for the unconditional release of the kids and the dismissal of the charges against them.

The decision to withdraw the charges against the underage accused came following a directive by President Bola Tinubu who ordered the immediate withdrawal of the charges and an in-depth investigation into what led to the arrest and detention of the minors.

Tinubu had also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN) to officially take over the case file as well as review the cases following public outcry that came with the arraignment of the minors.

The charges were finally withdrawn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja through an application for discontinuance filled by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the AGF.

According to Abubakar, the discontinuance application was based on provisions of sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.

The DPPF also applied for further proceedings to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of Section 266(b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.

In response, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Fanala (SAN), who stood in for the accused as well as other defence lawyers in the matter, did not oppose the applications which promoted the judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, to strike out the charges, while the four affected minors were also delisted from the charge sheet.

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