Guinea-Bissau coup was stage managed, ceremonial – Ex President Jonathan gives shocking details
Guinea-Bissau coup was stage managed, ceremonial – Ex President Jonathan gives shocking details
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed reports of a full-scale military coup in Guinea-Bissau, insisting that authorities should proceed with announcing the results of Sunday’s elections.
His comments come after a group of military officers identifying themselves as the “High Military Command for the Restoration of Order” claimed they had assumed “total control” of the country.
The officers declared an immediate suspension of the electoral process “until further notice,” ordered the shutdown of all borders, and imposed a nighttime curfew.
Their announcement followed a tense standoff in which both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and opposition candidate Fernando Dias separately claimed victory.
Embalo, speaking to France24 by phone, said, “I have been deposed,” adding that he was being held at the military’s general staff headquarters.
Jonathan, who had led a joint foreign observer mission to monitor the elections, was among several individuals stranded when the crisis erupted. He was later evacuated from Guinea-Bissau and returned to Nigeria on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Jonathan recounted his experience and cast doubt on assertions that the military had staged a genuine coup.
He suggested that emerging developments pointed to an internal political struggle, hinting that President Embalo “did not want to leave power.”
“Specifically, what happened in Guinea-Bissau was not a coup; maybe, for want of a better word, I would say it was a ceremonial coup. It is the president, President Umaro Embaló, that announced the coup,” he said.
“Before later, a military man came up to address the world that they were in charge of everywhere. Embaló had already announced the coup, which is strange.
“Not only announcing the coup, but Embaló, while the coup took place, was using his phone and addressing media organisations across the world that he had been arrested.
“I mean, I’m a Nigerian close to 70 years, and I know how they keep heads of state when a coup takes place.
“Recently, I was a mediator in Mali, and within that period, we had a military coup. Militaries don’t take over government and the sitting president that they overthrow would be allowed to be addressing press conferences and announcing that they are being arrested.
“Who is fooling who? Basically, what happened in Guinea-Bissau is quite disturbing to me, who believes in democracy. In fact, I feel more pains than the day I called Buhari to congratulate him when I lost the election.”
Jonathan said results from all nine regions had been collated and were ready for final declaration when Embaló suddenly announced a coup.
He also called on ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) to make public the results as a matter of democratic integrity.
“When they were almost through and we were all waiting for the results to be announced, then Embaló announced that there was a coup, that they had taken over, they had arrested him,” Jonathan said.
“But from all indications, nobody arrested him. My conviction is that, and my charge to ECOWAS and AU is that they must announce the results.
“They have the results because AU and ECOWAS officials were at all the regions when the results were collated. They cannot change those results. They should tally all those results and announce. They cannot force the military out. They must announce, let the world know who won that election. And they owe the world that responsibility.”
Jonathan said it was disturbing that Embaalo, a former ECOWAS chairman and retired military officer, could be linked with an event that disrupted the election.
“He should be the person that can prevent any coup in Guinea-Bissau. I don’t expect a coup that would remove him from office,” he said.
News
Two men docked for allegedly defiling underaged girl
Two men docked for allegedly defiling underaged girl
The police in Lagos on Friday, charged two men before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defiling an 11- year-old girl.
The defendants are: Prince Tomnyie, 40, a businessman, who resides at Agege, and Micheal Adenuga, 24, a furniture maker, who resides at Atere Street in Lekki.
They are standing trial on charges of defilement, and had each pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, ASP Adegoke Ademigbuji told the court that they committed the offence sometimes in December 2024, and September 2025, at Langbasa Ajah and Igbara Lekki, Lagos .
The prosecutor alleged that the victim’s father, had taken his daughter for medical check and it was discovered that the minor had been defiled.
The prosecution alleged that the victim had told her father that his friend, Tomnyie, defiled her sometimes ago.
Ademigbuji alleged that the victim also mentioned the second defendant’s name who lives in their neigbourhood.
The offence contravenes the provisons of section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr L. A Owolabi, granted the defendants bail in the sum of of N600,000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.
He adjourned the case until March 5, for mention. (NAN)
News
Report any officer asking for money for release of suspect as Police insist bail is free
Report any officer asking for money for release of suspect as Police insist bail is free
The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has insisted that bail is free, and called on the public to report any officer asking for money to release a suspect on bail.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
Adeh spoke in reaction to public outcry that some police officers were demanding money to release suspects on bail in the territory.
She said the report of the erring officers would serve as a deterrent to others, adding that it was fraudulent to demand for money to release a suspect on bail.
Adeh blamed the yielding to such fraudulent demand on ignorance on the part of the victims who refused to stand on their rights.
“A similar case was reported where an officer demanded money to release a suspect on bail and when the matter was reported, we requested for evidence from the victim.
“The evidence was provided because the money was transferred to the officer’s account and actions are being taken on the issue.
“So, I encourage the public to take advantage of the FCT Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) lines on 08107314192 to report such misconduct with evidence,” she said.
Adeh urged the public to always insist on their rights and refuse any form of payment to release a suspect on bail.(NAN)
News
Former President sentenced to five years in prison by Court
Former President sentenced to five years in prison by Court
South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol was on Friday sentenced to five years in prison for obstruction of justice.
The Seoul Central District Court found that the 65-year-old conservative, with the help of the presidential security service, had tried to prevent his own arrest and deleted multiple documents related to the investigation against him.
Yoon shocked the nation by imposing martial law on December 3, 2024, amid a budget dispute with the opposition, plunging the country into a political crisis.
He justified the drastic measure as necessary to protect South Korea’s democratic order and accused the left-leaning opposition of being infiltrated by communists with ties to China and North Korea, though he provided no evidence for these claims.
In a separate trial, prosecutors have sought the death penalty for Yoon on charges of incitement, with a verdict expected on February 19.
While the death penalty remains legally in force in South Korea, it has not been carried out for nearly 30 years.
Yoon’s actions previously alarmed international investors and led to withheld investments, damaging the reputation of South Korea as a political and economic model for the region.
Since last summer, South Korea has been led by President Lee Jae Myung, a left-leaning centrist and long-time political rival of Yoon. (dpa/NAN)
-
6 years ago
Our situation in Kano terrible – Gov Ganduje cries out
-
News11 months agoFG pledges commitment to enhance Police officers Welfare, implement Tinubu’s 8-point agenda for NPF
-
News11 months agoBREAKING; NSCDC gets approval to commence 2025 recruitment exercise
-
News9 months agoAlleged cocaine deal: Court issues orders in suspended DCP Abba Kyari’s case
-
News12 months agoDPO under investigation for allegedly taking teenage girl to his home while in police custody
-
News12 months agoJUST IN; Commissioner of Police bows out of Service
-
News9 months agoJUST IN; Police Inspector dies watching Arsenal match
-
News12 months agoBREAKING; NLC declare nationwide protest