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Africa Live: Gabon's Bongo goes on hunger strike over son's 'torture' - BBC News Africa Live: Gabon's Bongo goes on hunger strike over son's 'torture' - BBC News
(about 1 hour later)
Nkechi Ogbonna Will Ross
West Africa business journalist, BBC News Africa editor, BBC World Service
There are reports of heavy fighting and shelling in the city of El Fasher in Sudan's Darfur region.
Nigeria's once powerful central bank governor has pleaded not guilty to illegally printing new naira notes. Since mid-April the city has been besieged by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Godwin Emefiele appeared in court on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja to face charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Fighting with the Sudanese army escalated on Friday and since then medical workers say more than 50 people have been killed and around 400 wounded.
Mr Emefiele has been embroiled in a corruption scandal since last year. The UN says the fundamental laws of war and international humanitarian law are being violated every day during the fight for control of El Fasher.
The anti-corruption It says appeals for the protection of civilians are being ignored. The city is a refuge for hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced by fighting elsewhere.
agency says the embattled bank boss committed wrongdoing when implementing the naira
swap policy during former President Muhammadu Buhari's administration.
Mr Emefiele, 62, is already standing trial for a
26-count charge on abuse of office and procurement fraud to the tune of 1.6bn naira ($1 million).
He has denied all allegations.
In November 2022, the former central bank
governor implemented a redesign of the country’s 200, 500 and 1,000 naira
banknotes.
Amidst backlash from some political quarters,
the former bank governor said the policy was aimed at mopping up excess cash in
circulation, combatting the financing of terrorism and preventing currency counterfeiting, which it
alleged had spiked owing to improved photographic technology.
Nigerians had a short window to exchange
their old notes for new ones, which caused a months-long scarcity of banknotes.
The dearth of notes caused panic among the population. Street protests and attacks
on commercial banks occured in some parts of the country.
Both the old and new banknotes are currently
in circulation.
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