{"id":19512,"date":"2026-01-12T20:40:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T20:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/19512\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T20:40:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T20:40:10","slug":"afcon-ref-drama-nigeria-wins-big-at-afrima","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/19512\/","title":{"rendered":"AFCON Ref Drama, Nigeria Wins Big at AFRIMA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every day, OkayAfrica shares a roundup of news we\u2019re following but haven\u2019t published as full articles. These short updates cover what\u2019s happening on the continent \u2014 in culture, politics, and beyond. For more on stories like these, be sure to check out our News page<\/a>, with stories from across the regions.<\/p>\n

CAF to Investigate Post-Match Incidents During AFCON Quarterfinals<\/p>\n

African football\u2019s governing body, CAF, has opened investigations<\/a> into \u201cunacceptable behavior of players and officials,\u201d after an unruly sequence of events followed Saturday\u2019s quarterfinal match between Nigeria and Algeria at the ongoing men\u2019s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Tensions ran high, particularly among Algerian players and team staff, who were visibly angry at referee Issa Sy and blamed him for favoring the opposition in the 2-0 loss. Viral clips posted on social media showed Sy being shielded from verbal insults and attempted physical assaults by angry Algerian team members, as well as disorderly conduct in the mixed zone for journalists and media broadcasters.<\/p>\n

In a statement today, Monday, January 12, CAF says it has \u201creferred the matters to the disciplinary board for investigation and has called for appropriate action to be taken if the identified persons were to be found guilty of any wrongdoing.\u201d Nigeria won thanks to goals by forwards Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams, and were in control of the entire game, limiting Algeria to just two shots.<\/p>\n

CAF is also investigating incidents during the quarterfinal match between Morocco and Cameroon, with the latter complaining bitterly that it was denied two penalties by referee Dahane Beida. Morocco coach Walid Regragui has kicked against claims<\/a> that his team was being favored by referees, saying that as hosts and favorites, \u201cpeople will try to find all sorts of reasons to say Morocco has an advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rema, Burna Boy Lead Nigerian Winners at AFRIMA 2026<\/p>\n

Nigerian artist Rema emerged as the biggest winner at Sunday night\u2019s 9th edition of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA). The Benin-raised singer\/rapper won the awards for Artist of the Year and Best Male Artist in Western Africa, as well as winning in the R&B\/soul category. He won the awards for \u201cCalm Down,\u201d his blockbuster hit that went to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2023. AFRIMA was last held in early 2023<\/a> before Sunday\u2019s event. Meanwhile, Burna Boy won the much-coveted Album of the Year award for last year\u2019s No Signs of Weakness, his least acclaimed in recent years. Burna also won Collaboration of the Year for his feature on \u201cLaho II\u201d by Shallipopi. \u201cLaho,\u201d the original version, won Song of the Year honors.<\/p>\n

While Nigerian artists won more than a handful of awards, the winners were spread across multiple countries<\/a>. Tanzanian singer Jux won Best Male Artist in Eastern Africa, Madagascar\u2019s Denise came out tops in the Best Female in Eastern Africa category, while the Congolese pair of Singuila and Cindy Le Coeur won the Best Male and Female in Central Africa awards. Senegal\u2019s Bakhaw Dioum won Songwriter of the Year, Element Ele\u00e9h represented Rwanda with a Producer of the Year win, while South African artist Ciza was anointed Breakout Artist of the Year for his smash hit \u201cIsaka (6am).\u201d<\/p>\n

Museveni Heads for Seventh Term as Uganda Votes Under Tension and Succession Talk<\/p>\n

Ugandans go to the polls on Thursday, January 15, with President Yoweri Museveni widely expected to extend his nearly 40 years in power<\/a>, even as the campaign has been marked by violence, arrests, and tight security around opposition events. Museveni, 81, is seeking a seventh term against seven challengers, led by pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine<\/a>, who won 35 percent of the vote in 2021 and has rallied young voters angry about corruption, unemployment, and what he calls decades of dictatorship. Security forces have used tear gas, live bullets, and mass arrests at Wine\u2019s rallies, killing at least one person, while the government says the actions are needed to maintain order.<\/p>\n

The vote comes as Uganda prepares to start commercial oil production<\/a> later this year through projects run by France\u2019s TotalEnergies, China\u2019s CNOOC, and the state oil company, which Museveni says will drive growth. Wine has vowed to review those contracts and push for more political freedoms if he wins. Beyond the election, many Ugandans and analysts are watching the succession question, with Museveni\u2019s son, army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba<\/a>, widely seen as the likely heir despite internal resistance within the ruling party and concerns over growing military influence in politics.<\/p>\n

Adichie Accuses Lagos Hospital of Negligence After Death of Her Toddler Son<\/p>\n

Acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused a private Lagos hospital of medical negligence<\/a> following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu Nnamdi, after a brief illness on January 6. Lawyers for Adichie and her husband, Dr. Ivara Esege, have served Euracare hospital with a legal notice demanding CCTV footage and medical records, alleging serious lapses in care and a lack of basic resuscitation equipment during the child\u2019s admission. In leaked WhatsApp messages confirmed by her team, Adichie said a doctor told her an anesthesiologist had given Nkanu an overdose of the sedative propofol, leading to cardiac arrest despite ventilation and resuscitation efforts. Euracare denies wrongdoing, while Lagos state authorities have ordered an investigation, and tributes have poured in, including from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.<\/p>\n

Gambia Leads UN Court Case Accusing Myanmar of Genocide Against Rohingya<\/p>\n

The Gambia told the International Court of Justice today, Monday, January 12, that Myanmar carried out genocide<\/a> against the Rohingya people during a 2017 military campaign that forced more than 700,000 people to flee into Bangladesh, opening hearings in a case it first filed in 2019 under the Genocide Convention. Gambian Justice Minister Dawda Jallow says no one has been held accountable and that Myanmar\u2019s military later seized power again, while the country\u2019s lawyer Philippe Sands says the evidence of genocidal intent is strong even if some actions were framed as counter-terrorism. Myanmar denies the charges and is also challenging the court\u2019s jurisdiction, as around 1.2 million Rohingya now remain in overcrowded camps facing hunger, exploitation, and the impact of recent foreign aid cuts.<\/p>\n

Schools Reopen in Parts of Northern Nigeria After Mass Kidnappings<\/p>\n

Schools in some parts of northern Nigeria reopened today<\/a>, Monday, January 12, after being shut for months following the abduction of hundreds of students in November, as the federal government said new security measures made it safer for classes to resume. In Kaduna State, families cautiously sent children back to boarding schools, though many remain fearful after the wave of kidnappings that targeted schools. In Niger State, where more than 300 students and staff were taken, most schools are still closed, with officials saying areas facing ongoing security threats will remain shut until further notice.<\/p>\n

Sudan\u2019s Wartime Government Returns to Khartoum After Three Years<\/p>\n

Sudan\u2019s military-led government has moved back to Khartoum<\/a> after nearly three years in Port Sudan, with Prime Minister Kamil Idris saying the \u201cgovernment of hope\u201d will start restoring basic services in a city devastated by war and mass displacement. The army retook the capital from the Rapid Support Forces in March after being driven out when fighting broke out in 2023, forcing about five million people to flee and leaving large parts of Khartoum in ruins. Idris promised work on electricity, water, health care, and schools, even as the UN says the war has killed at least 150,000 people, displaced around 12 million, and created the world\u2019s worst humanitarian crisis, with both sides accused of abuses and foreign powers still backing the fight.<\/p>\n

Malawi MP Blasts Mutharika Over Pardon of Men Convicted in Albino Killing<\/p>\n

Malawi lawmaker Baba Malondera has accused President Arthur Peter Mutharika of betraying justice after pardoning men convicted in the killing of Buleya, a key witness in the country\u2019s albino murder cases, who were freed after serving less than a year of a 21-year sentence. In a public statement, the Malawi Congress Party youth director says he had warned Parliament months earlier that prison funds could be misused to support politically driven pardons and is now demanding answers on who approved the releases, on what grounds, and with which public money. Rights groups and members of the albino community have also condemned the move, saying it weakens protection for people with albinism and exposes deep flaws in Malawi\u2019s opaque presidential pardon system.<\/p>\n

Nigerian Defense Company Raises Almost $12 Million to Scale Capacity<\/p>\n

Terra Industries has raised $11.75 million from U.S.-based investors to scale its capacity as a defense company. The company, based in Nigeria\u2019s capital city, Abuja, was formerly known as Terrahaptix and had briefly exited the defense market. It is now fully re-entering, with co-founder and CEO Nathan Nwanchukwu\u00a0stating<\/a>\u00a0that Terra now \u201chas millions of dollars in commercial and [government] contracts.\u201d The funding round was led by 8VC, a venture capital firm founded by Joe Lonsdale, a co-founder of American software company Palantir. Nwanchukwu says Terra was intentional about sourcing investment from investors who understand the defense market. \u201cWe need to protect Africa\u2019s critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks,\u201d Nwanchukwu\u00a0told<\/a>\u00a0Techpoint Africa. \u201cWe have been a bit wary of calling ourselves a defense company, but now we\u2019re doing it fully.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every day, OkayAfrica shares a roundup of news we\u2019re following but haven\u2019t published as full articles. These short…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19513,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[122],"class_list":{"0":"post-19512","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nigeria","8":"tag-nigeria"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19512\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}