Headline
Coup: Why We Took Over Power — Gabon Army
Military officers announced on Wednesday overturning the government in Gabon, in an apparent coup targeting President Ali Bongo Ondimba who has been in power for 14 years and whose re-election was just announced.
The status of Ali Bongo, whose family has ruled the oil-rich African country for over 55 years, was not immediately clear but the area around his residence appeared to be quiet.
While the officers made their televised statement announcing the cancellation of the vote results one of the officers said “all the institutions of the republic” had been dissolved.
The address was read by an officer flanked by a group of a dozen army colonels, members of the elite Republican Guard, regular soldiers and others.
It came moments after the national election authority said Bongo, 64, had won a third term in Saturday’s election with 64.27 percent of the vote.
Bongo has been in power for 14 years, after being first elected in 2009 following the death of his father who had ruled the country for 41 years.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Gun Battle In Gabon Is Soldiers Seize Power
The announcement came in the middle of an overnight curfew and amid a nationwide internet shutdown, imposed by Bongo’s government as polling drew to a close on Saturday to prevent the spread of “false news” and possible violence.
Internet was restored on Wednesday morning after the TV address.
“Today, the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis,” the officer said on TV channel Gabon 24.
He said the recent election “did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so much hoped for by the people of Gabon.
“We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime,” the officer said, adding that he was speaking on behalf of the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions”.
“To this end, the general elections of 26 August 2023 and the truncated results are cancelled,” he added.
‘Fraud’ accusation
“All the institutions of the republic are dissolved: the government, the Senate, the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court,” he added, announcing the closure of the country’s borders “until further notice”.
READ ALSO: [JUST IN] COUP: African Union Suspends Niger, Demands Restoration Of Constitutional Order
Bongo and his main rival Albert Ondo Ossa led a race of 14 candidates vying for the top job in the oil-rich central African state.
According to the results issued prior to the officers’ announcement, Ondo Ossa won just 30.77 percent of the vote.
Before polls closed on Saturday, he had accused Bongo of “fraud” while claiming he was the rightful winner.
On Monday, Ondo Ossa’s campaign manager Mike Jocktane called on Bongo to hand over power “without bloodshed”, insisting a partial count had Ondo Ossa clearly ahead, without providing any proof.
The elections in Gabon — presidential, legislative and municipal — went ahead without the presence of election observers.
The country’s broadcasting authority had also provisionally banned the French channels France 24, Radio France Internationale (RFI) and TV5Monde, accusing them of “a lack of objectivity and balance” in election coverage.
Gabonese law forbids any publication of partial results pending the final result which only the Gabonese Elections Centre, the body that organises the polls, is legally allowed to publish.
READ ALSO: Africa Climate Summit Built On False Solutions, Friends Of Earth Africa Alleges
Paris said it was following events in Gabon with “the greatest attention”.
China also said it was “closely following the developing situation” and called for the safety of Bongo to be “guaranteed
Family ruler
Gabon has been ruled by the same family for more than 55 out of its 63 years since independence from France in 1960.
Bongo’s father Omar was one of France’s closest allies in the post-colonial era and his son has long been a regular in Paris, where his family owns an extensive real estate portfolio that is being investigated by anti-corruption magistrates.
Paris maintains a military presence in many of its former territories — including Gabon where it has 370 soldiers permanently deployed, some in the capital Libreville, according to the French defence ministry website.
During a speech in Libreville in March, French President Emmanuel Macron denied any French ambitions to interfere in Africa, saying that the age of meddling was “well over.”
The French mining group Eramet, which employs 8,000 people in Gabon, said that it had halted activities in the country “for the safety of staff and the security of operations”.
The status of Ali Bongo, whose family has ruled the oil-rich African country for over 55 years, was not immediately clear but the area around his residence appeared to be quiet.
READ ALSO: Niger Coup: Pro-democracy Group Protests In Katsina, Seeks Bazoum’s Release
While the officers made their televised statement announcing the cancellation of the vote results one of the officers said “all the institutions of the republic” had been dissolved.
The address was read by an officer flanked by a group of a dozen army colonels, members of the elite Republican Guard, regular soldiers and others.
It came moments after the national election authority said Bongo, 64, had won a third term in Saturday’s election with 64.27 percent of the vote.
Bongo has been in power for 14 years, after being first elected in 2009 following the death of his father who had ruled the country for 41 years.
The announcement came in the middle of an overnight curfew and amid a nationwide internet shutdown, imposed by Bongo’s government as polling drew to a close on Saturday to prevent the spread of “false news” and possible violence.
Internet was restored on Wednesday morning after the TV address.
“Today, the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis,” the officer said on TV channel Gabon 24.
He said the recent election “did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so much hoped for by the people of Gabon.
“We have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime,” the officer said, adding that he was speaking on behalf of the “Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions”.
“To this end, the general elections of 26 August 2023 and the truncated results are cancelled,” he added.
‘Fraud’ accusation –
“All the institutions of the republic are dissolved: the government, the Senate, the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court,” he added, announcing the closure of the country’s borders “until further notice”.
READ ALSO: [JUST IN] COUP: African Union Suspends Niger, Demands Restoration Of Constitutional Order
Bongo and his main rival Albert Ondo Ossa led a race of 14 candidates vying for the top job in the oil-rich central African state.
According to the results issued prior to the officers’ announcement, Ondo Ossa won just 30.77 percent of the vote.
Before polls closed on Saturday, he had accused Bongo of “fraud” while claiming he was the rightful winner.
On Monday, Ondo Ossa’s campaign manager Mike Jocktane called on Bongo to hand over power “without bloodshed”, insisting a partial count had Ondo Ossa clearly ahead, without providing any proof.
The elections in Gabon — presidential, legislative and municipal — went ahead without the presence of election observers.
The country’s broadcasting authority had also provisionally banned the French channels France 24, Radio France Internationale (RFI) and TV5Monde, accusing them of “a lack of objectivity and balance” in election coverage.
Gabonese law forbids any publication of partial results pending the final result which only the Gabonese Elections Centre, the body that organises the polls, is legally allowed to publish.
Paris said it was following events in Gabon with “the greatest attention”.
China also said it was “closely following the developing situation” and called for the safety of Bongo to be “guaranteed
Family ruler
Gabon has been ruled by the same family for more than 55 out of its 63 years since independence from France in 1960.
Bongo’s father Omar was one of France’s closest allies in the post-colonial era and his son has long been a regular in Paris, where his family owns an extensive real estate portfolio that is being investigated by anti-corruption magistrates.
Paris maintains a military presence in many of its former territories — including Gabon where it has 370 soldiers permanently deployed, some in the capital Libreville, according to the French defence ministry website.
During a speech in Libreville in March, French President Emmanuel Macron denied any French ambitions to interfere in Africa, saying that the age of meddling was “well over.”
The French mining group Eramet, which employs 8,000 people in Gabon, said that it had halted activities in the country “for the safety of staff and the security of operations”.
Headline
Trump Warns Of More Strikes In Nigeria If Attacks On Christians Continue
US President Donald Trump has warned that he could authorise additional military strikes in Nigeria if attacks against Christians continue, citing the security situation in the West African nation as a key concern.
In an interview with the New York Times on Thursday, Trump was asked whether the Christmas Day strikes in Sokoto State, which targeted Islamist militants, were intended as part of a broader campaign. “I’d love to make it a one-time strike. But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike,” he said.
READ ALSO:Russia, China Afraid Of US Under My Administration — Trump
Trump’s comments follow his 2025 designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” due to what he described as an “existential threat” to its Christian population. The remarks have drawn criticism from Nigerian officials, who insist that jihadist groups target people regardless of religion. “Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike” are affected, a government spokesperson said, rejecting claims that Christians are being singled out.
When pressed about reports that most victims of jihadist groups in Nigeria are Muslims, Trump responded, “I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians.” Nigeria, with a population exceeding 230 million, is roughly evenly divided between Christians in the south and Muslims in the north.
The December strikes targeted camps run by a jihadist group known as Lakurawa in Sokoto, a largely Muslim region near the border with Niger. Both the US and Nigerian authorities have linked the militants to Islamic State-affiliated groups in the Sahel, although the IS has not formally claimed any association with Lakurawa. Details of casualties from the strikes remain unclear, as neither government has provided official figures.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said the operation was a “joint effort” and emphasised that it was not motivated by religion. He confirmed that the strikes had the approval of President Bola Tinubu and included
participation by Nigerian armed forces. Addressing the timing of the strikes, Tuggar added that they were unrelated to Christmas, though Trump described them as a “Christmas present”.
Headline
Science Discovers Why Hungry, Broke Men Prefer Bigger Breasts
A scientific study has found that men who feel financially insecure or hungry are more likely to find larger female breasts attractive.
The research was published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE and was conducted by psychologists Viren Swami and Martin J. Tovée.
The study examined whether breast size acts as a signal of fat reserves and access to resources, and whether men facing resource insecurity rate larger breast sizes as more attractive than men who feel economically secure.
Researchers carried out two separate studies across Malaysia and the United Kingdom.
In the first study, 266 men from three areas in Malaysia were assessed. The locations represented low, medium and high socioeconomic backgrounds. Participants were shown rotating computer-generated images of women with different breast sizes and asked to rate which they found most attractive.
READ ALSO:Wike: Why Removing Fubara Will Be Difficult – Ex-Commissioner
The findings showed a clear socioeconomic pattern.
Men from low-income rural areas preferred larger breasts.
Men from middle-income towns preferred medium to large breasts.
Men from high-income urban areas preferred smaller to medium breasts.
PLOS ONE study showing how hunger and financial insecurity affect men’s breast size preferences
Cover page of a PLOS ONE study examining how resource insecurity influences men’s breast size preferences. Source: PLOS ONE
As stated in the study, “Men from relatively low socioeconomic sites rated larger breast sizes as more physically attractive than did participants in moderate socioeconomic sites, who in turn rated larger breast sizes as more attractive than individuals in a high socioeconomic site.”
READ ALSO:Rare 1937 ‘Hobbit’ Discovered In House Clearance Sells For $57,000
The researchers noted that the lower a man’s financial security, the stronger his preference for larger breast size.
The second study focused on hunger rather than income.
In Britain, 124 male university students were divided into two groups. Sixty-six participants were classified as hungry, while 58 had recently eaten. Both groups viewed the same breast size images under identical conditions.
Hungry men consistently rated larger breasts as more attractive than men who were full.
READ ALSO:‘I Discovered My Husband Was Sterile 5 Yrs After We Got Married’
According to the researchers, “Hungry men rated a significantly larger breast size as more physically attractive than did the satiated group. Taken together, these studies provide evidence that resource security impacts upon men’s attractiveness ratings based on women’s breast size.”
The researchers explained that these shifts suggest attraction is not fixed but responsive to immediate conditions.
They noted that men experiencing hunger or financial pressure may place greater value on physical traits that signal access to resources or stability.
The study added that temporary states such as hunger can shape attraction in the same way long-term economic conditions do, reinforcing the idea that social and environmental factors play a key role in how physical attractiveness is judged.
Headline
Man With Lengthy Criminal Record Shoots Nigerian To Death Inside Bus In Canada
A 40-year-old man with an extensive criminal history has been charged with first-degree murder after a Nigerian national was shot dead on a GO bus at the Yorkdale GO Bus Terminal in Toronto, marking the city’s first homicide of 2026.
Toronto Police, in a statement on their website, said officers were called to the terminal, near Yorkdale Road and Allen Road, at about 7 p.m. on Sunday, January 4, following reports of a shooting. Investigators allege that both the suspect and the victim boarded a GO bus at the terminal, where the suspect shot the victim before fleeing the scene on foot.
According to the statement, officers arrived to find a man suffering from a gunshot wound, but despite carrying out life-saving measures, the Nigerian was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim was later identified as Osemwengie Irorere, a 46-year-old man from Nigeria, the Toronto police said in a later statement.
READ ALSO:Canada Flags Nigeria, 16 African Countries As High-risk In New Travel Advisory
Local media reports noted that an eyewitness who was seated just behind the victim said the bus had been dark and crowded as passengers waited to depart when a single gunshot rang out.
“I assumed it was a popped tyre or something, but immediately after, a guy sitting in front of me got up, shoved his hands in his pocket and ran off the bus,” the witness said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons.
“Right after, I stood up and I looked at the seat in front of me and I saw a guy, bleeding,” he added, saying he could smell smoke in the air after the shot was fired.
Police said the suspect was located and arrested a short time later near the Yorkdale subway station, and a firearm was recovered.
READ ALSO:Nigerian Musician Dies In Canada
The accused has been identified as Tyrel Gibson, 40, of Toronto. He appeared at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on Monday, January 5.
Court documents show that Gibson has a lengthy criminal record dating back to 2000, with nearly two dozen charges. He has previously been convicted of offences including attempted murder and firearm-related crimes. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, using a firearm, possession of a firearm with ammunition and possession of an unauthorised firearm and was handed a lifetime weapons prohibition. He was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2017, although it remains unclear how much of that term he served.
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