Ghana said Friday it was repatriating 327 nationals from Ivory Coast after they were displaced by demolitions in Abidjan, where authorities have been clearing settlements in a push to “restore urban order”.

Ghana’s foreign ministry said 228 Ghanaians had arrived on Thursday after being evacuated from the Port-Bouët district of the Ivorian economic capital.

Home to an estimated six million to seven million people, about double its population in the late 1990s, Abidjan has undergone a construction boom, including in neighbourhoods vulnerable to deadly seasonal flooding.

Ivorian officials say the demolition operation targets informal settlements built in disaster-prone areas and aims to prevent loss of life from flooding and landslides.

But it has displaced dozens of families, raising concerns about its humanitarian impact and access to shelter for those who have been uprooted.

“The Government of Ghana is repatriating… 327 Ghanaians who were affected by the ongoing mass demolition exercise,” the ministry said in a statement.

The remaining evacuees were expected to return on Friday, with authorities providing buses and trucks free of charge to transport them and their belongings.

The repatriated Ghanaian nationals “were previously residing in areas affected by the demolition exercise and became stranded having lost their sources of livelihood”, the statement added.

Ghana said its diplomatic mission in Abidjan was coordinating the evacuation and would remain engaged with Ivorian authorities, who have indicated plans to compensate those affected.

West African countries share strong migration ties, with many Ghanaians living and working in Ivory Coast.

AFP

The Senate has distanced itself from the warrant of arrest reportedly issued against former Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mallam Mele Kyari, by its Committee on Public Accounts.

The upper legislative chamber declared that no Senate committee has the authority to independently issue, authorise or execute a warrant of arrest without strict compliance with the provisions of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and the approval of the Senate President.

The Senate also dissociated itself from comments attributed to Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who reportedly described the NNPCL as a “bunch of criminals and thieves” during a committee hearing.

The development followed Wednesday’s decision by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, chaired by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo (PDP, Gombe North), to order the arrest of Kyari for allegedly failing to appear before it over questions relating to an alleged unaccounted N210 trillion in NNPCL finances between 2017 and 2023.

The committee issued the warrant during an investigative hearing in Abuja after Kyari failed to attend the session.

However, the matter was brought before the Senate on Thursday by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), through a point of order based on Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Rules.

In his submission, Bamidele urged the Senate to reaffirm that, pursuant to Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, only the Senate President has the authority to issue a warrant compelling the attendance of any witness before the Senate or any of its committees.

He argued that no committee possesses the power to independently issue, authorise or execute a warrant of arrest.

Following deliberations, the Senate resolved that all committees must operate within the limits prescribed by law and that any warrant relating to legislative investigations must receive the approval of the Senate President before it can be validly issued or enforced.

Meanwhile, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) defended himself against allegations that he used unparliamentary language during the committee proceedings.

According to Oshiomhole, his remarks were made in response to what he described as provocation and were intended to defend the integrity and reputation of the Senate.

The controversy stems from the ongoing investigation by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts into alleged discrepancies and unaccounted funds amounting to N210 trillion in the financial records of the NNPCL between 2017 and 2023.

UEFA has appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup just days after he was denied entry into the United States and ruled out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Artan, who was set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup, will take charge of the UEFA Super Cup clash between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League champions Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria, on August 12.

Announcing the appointment on Thursday, UEFA said the decision followed discussions with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) under a recently signed cooperation agreement between the two bodies.

The 34-year-old has been on FIFA’s international referees list since 2018 and was named CAF Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025. Among the biggest matches of his career was the second leg of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League final.

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin praised the Somali official, describing him as one of the leading young referees in world football.

“Omar Artan is an excellent young but already experienced referee, who has proven himself at the highest competition level of the Confederation of African Football,” Čeferin said.

“Football is made to connect people, and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills, which had earned him such a prestigious nomination.”

CAF President Patrice Motsepe also welcomed the decision, saying Artan had made Somalia and Africa proud through his achievements on the international stage.

“Omar Artan has made Somalia and the entire people of the African continent extremely proud,” Motsepe said.

“This is a great honour for Omar Artan and for African referees and is also an excellent example of football bringing together and uniting people from Africa and Europe and worldwide.”

The appointment comes amid continuing debate over Artan’s exclusion from the FIFA World Cup. The Somali referee was among the officials selected for the tournament but was denied entry at Miami International Airport despite holding a valid visa and FIFA accreditation.

Artan later revealed he underwent an 11-hour immigration interview before being detained and placed on a return flight. FIFA subsequently confirmed that he would be unable to officiate at the World Cup, making his case one of several controversies surrounding the tournament, alongside Iran’s complaints over revoked fan ticket allocations and visa-related concerns affecting participating nations.