International News
UK Sanctions Ugandan Speaker, Other Politicians Over Corruption Claims
Britain on Tuesday imposed sanctions on several Ugandan politicians, including the speaker of the East African country’s parliament, following claims of corruption.
London said it was the first time its new “global anti-corruption sanctions regime” had been used on individuals facing corruption claims in Uganda, and that it was part of a worldwide crackdown.
Anita Among, the speaker of the Ugandan parliament, was one of three people targeted with the UK travel bans and asset freezes.
The other two — Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu — were previously ministers responsible for Uganda’s isolated and impoverished border region of Karamoja.
A statement issued by the Ugandan parliament, however, said the sanctions were based on a “false premise”.
Among had “never been charged with corruption in any courts of law, contrary to the insinuation in the statement”, it said.
It added that the claims of corruption had been used as a “ruse to conceal the real unstated but clearly obvious reason for the sanctions” which it said was her “stance on the recently enacted Anti-Homosexuality Act”.
The legislation, adopted in May 2023 and supported by Among, imposes penalties of up to life in prison for consensual same-sex relations and contains provisions that make “aggravated homosexuality” an offence punishable by death.
The statement did not say if the parliament believed Kitutu and Nandutu had been charged or not.
Kitutu and Nandutu have faced allegations of stealing roofing materials destined for the poor under a Ugandan government-funded project and redirecting them to politicians and their families.
Uganda’s government last year announced prosecutions against dozens of ministers and legislators over the illegal scheme, in what was seen as an unusually robust response to a corruption scandal involving high-profile figures.
Some 26 ministers and 31 legislators were named in connection with the case, although the exact status of the case and any charges brought remains unclear.
London noted that since April 2021, it had introduced sanctions on 42 individuals and entities under its new criteria to combat corruption around the world.
AFP
German authorities deported at least 137 Nigerian citizens across five chartered flights between February and June 2026, according to migration monitoring reports.
Data from the DERS Team and Refugees4refugees.org shows the deportations occurred in phases, with 27 Nigerians returned in February, 37 in March through a joint European Union operation, 24 in April, 23 in May, and 26 in June.
The February operation departed from Stuttgart and landed at Lagos Cargo Airport, with Baden-Württemberg listed as a primary participant. The March operation represented the largest single return of Nigerians recorded over three years and was executed in collaboration with Spain, Austria, and Belgium.
The reports indicate a growing reliance on multi-national chartered flights by European states to repatriate undocumented or non-resident individuals to Nigeria.
The United States has condemned the killing of members of the family of Plateau-based cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, describing the attack as horrific and urging Nigerian authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for stronger measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
“The United States strongly condemns the horrific killing of members of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo’s family in Plateau State, Nigeria. The continued violence targeting Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is deeply alarming,” the bureau said
The US said it had already engaged Nigerian officials on the worsening security situation, stressing that urgent action was needed to curb recurring attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
“As I discussed last week with Nigerian officials, we must do more to prevent violent acts. The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities,” the statement added.
The bureau reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to working with the Nigerian government to combat terrorism and violent extremism, stressing that Christians and other Nigerians should be able to practise their faith without fear of violence.
The statement followed the July 12 attack on Kum community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, where nine members of Rev. Dachomo’s extended family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed.
According to the cleric, the attackers, believed to be armed Fulani militias, asked for him by name before opening fire on his relatives.
Dachomo, who serves as Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, said his family had repeatedly been targeted because of his outspoken criticism of the violence in Plateau State.
He recalled that his grandmother and an uncle were also killed in previous attacks, adding that days after burying his relatives, he received a written death threat from the same group, warning that he would be their next target.
Saudi Arabia has updated its tourist eVisa programme for 2026, limiting eligibility in Africa to only three countries as part of its list of 66 nations whose citizens can apply through the Kingdom’s online visa platform.
The move leaves most African countries, including Nigeria, outside the simplified entry scheme.
The electronic visa allows eligible travellers to visit Saudi Arabia for tourism, leisure activities, family visits and Umrah, excluding the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Applications are completed online, eliminating the need for embassy visits and lengthy visa processing.
Saudi authorities said the eVisa forms part of ongoing efforts to expand tourism, attract international visitors and simplify travel procedures through a fully digital application system. The visa is available only to citizens of approved countries and territories listed on the Kingdom’s official tourism portal.
Below is the list of African countries eligible for Saudi Arabia’s eVisa.
1. Mauritius
2. Seychelles
3. South Africa
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