Madagascar’s president said Sunday that an attempted coup was underway in the Indian Ocean country, just a day after members of an elite army unit joined youth-led protests against the government and called for the president to step down.
President Andry Rajoelina’s office offered no details on who was behind the attempt and no signs of violence were immediately visible on the streets on Sunday, although there was a large military presence.
A commander of the elite CAPSAT unit, Col. Michael Randrianirina, denied any coup had taken place, but the unit claimed to have taken control of all of Madagascar’s armed forces and said it had installed a new leader of the military, Gen. Demosthene Pikulas.
“We responded to the people’s call,” Randrianirina told reporters. Pikulas, who spoke alongside Randrianirina, declined to say if they had asked Rajoelina to resign, but the CAPSAT army unit appeared to be in a position of authority.
Madagascar has been shaken by three weeks of the most significant unrest in years in the nation. The protests were led by a group calling itself “Gen Z Madagascar,” and the United Nations says the demonstrations have left at least 22 people dead and dozens injured. The government has disputed this number.
The whereabouts of the president were not immediately known on Sunday. His office said he “wishes to inform the nation and the international community that an attempt to seize power illegally and by force” has been “initiated.”
“In view of the extreme gravity of this situation,” the president’s office “strongly condemns this attempt at destabilisation and calls upon all forces of the nation to unite in defense of constitutional order and national sovereignty,” it said.
CAPSAT is the same army unit that was pivotal in a 2009 military-backed coup that first brought Rajoelina to power as the head of a transitional government.
A turning point in these protests came Saturday when soldiers from CAPSAT joined weekslong anti-government demonstrations and called for Rajoelina and government officials to step down.
Saturday’s protests were among the largest since the unrest began on Sept. 25 and Randrianirina said his troops had exchanged fire with security forces who were attempting to quell the protests and that one of his soldiers had been killed.
Speaking to crowds from an armored vehicle, Randrianirina said Saturday that Rajoelina, his new prime minister, the minister of the gendarmerie and the commander of the gendarmerie “must leave power. That’s all.”
“Do we call this a coup? I don’t know yet,” Randrianirina had said.
Madagascar, a large island of 31 million people off the east coast of Africa, has had several leaders removed in coups and has a history of political crises since it gained independence from France in 1960.
The 51-year-old Rajoelina first came to prominence as the leader of a transitional government following a 2009 coup that forced then-President Marc Ravalomanana to flee the country and lose power. Rajoelina was elected president in 2018 and reelected in 2023 in a vote boycotted by opposition parties.
As the news of Rajoelina’s statement broke, the U.S. Embassy in Madagascar advised American citizens to shelter-in-place due to a “highly volatile and unpredictable” situation. The African Union urged all parties, “both civilian and military, to exercise calm and restraint.”
The youth-led protests first erupted last month over electricity and water outages but have snowballed into larger dissatisfaction with the government and the leadership of Rajoelina.
Protesters have brought up a range of issues, including poverty and the cost of living, access to tertiary education, and alleged corruption and embezzlement of public funds by government officials and their families and associates.
Civic groups and trade unions have joined the protests, which have resulted in nighttime curfews being enforced in the capital, Antananarivo, and other major cities. The U.N. criticised the security forces for a “violent response” in the early days of the protests that led to the deaths of largely peaceful protesters, it said.
Rajoelina attempted to appease the protesters by firing his entire government, including the prime minister, on Sept. 29. But the protesters have not relented.
The Gen Z protesters who inspired the uprising have mobilised over the internet and say they were inspired by other protests that toppled governments in Nepal and Sri Lanka. – AP
The Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, has approved a review of the existing restriction on the operations of commercial tricycles, known as Keke NAPEP, in parts of the state for the 2026 Ramadan period.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Humwashi Wonosikou, on Friday.
The statement said the restriction, which previously ran from 10pm to 5am would now commence an hour later.
“Under the revised directive, the restriction which previously ran from 10pm to 5am will now commence from 11p to 5am daily throughout the 2026 Ramadan period.
“The review takes immediate effect,” the statement read.
The government explained that the adjustment was introduced to ease movement for Muslim faithful during the holy month.
“The adjustment is intended to allow Muslim faithful attend late-night tafsir sessions with ease during the holy month,” it added.
The statement recalled that the Adamawa State Government had, in February 2021, imposed restrictions on the movement of tricycles and motorcycles through the Adamawa State Restriction of Movement of Tricycles/Motorcycles Executive Order No. 1 of 2021, as part of measures to strengthen public safety and security.
It noted that the latest review reflects the administration’s effort to balance religious observance with security considerations.
“The present review is therefore informed by the Government’s commitment to supporting religious observance, while maintaining the gains recorded in peace and security across the state,” the statement said.
Fintiri also directed security agencies to intensify patrols across the affected local government areas.
“Governor Fintiri has accordingly directed security agencies to intensify patrols, particularly within Yola North, Yola South and Girei, through the deployment of additional personnel to safeguard lives and property.
“He warned that any breach of the law will be dealt with decisively,” the statement added.
The governor further appealed to residents to act responsibly and avoid actions that could undermine the peace and stability currently enjoyed in the state.
The Department of State Services (DSS) will on February 25 arraign former Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on alleged cybercrime and breach of national security
LIB had earlier reported that the DSS on Monday, February 16, filed a three-count criminal charge against El-Rufai following his alleged involvement in wiretapping the telephone lines of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
According to the court papers, El-Rufai was alleged to have, on Feb. 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, “admitted during the interview that he and his cohorts unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA, Mr Ribadu.”
The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 12(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
In count two, the ex-governor was alleged to have, on February 13, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV station’s Prime Time Programme in Abuja, stated during the interview that he knew and related with a certain individual who unlawfully intercepted the phone communications of the NSA, without reporting the said individual to relevant security agencies.
The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 27(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
Count three alleged that El-Rufai and others still at large, sometime in 2026, in Abuja, did use technical equipment or systems which compromised public safety and national security and instilled reasonable apprehension of insecurity among Nigerians by unlawfully intercepting the NSA’s phone communications.
The DSS said the ex-governor by his own comment during the live interview committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 131(2) Nigerian Communications Act 2003.”
The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Malam Shehu Mohammed, has praised the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Police Force for their swift and decisive response during the recent attack on the Benin Toll Gate Unit Command Office.
The attack occurred on Thursday at the RS5.12 Benin Toll Gate Unit on the Benin–Lagos Expressway, following a crash involving two trucks, the statement said.
One truck driver died in the accident, while FRSC personnel sustained critical injuries, with one officer later succumbing despite urgent medical attention.
“In the aftermath of the crash, an angry mob besieged and vandalised the Unit Command formation. However, the prompt response by security agencies helped to restore order and prevent further escalation,” Mohammed said in a statement issued on Friday by the FRSC spokesman, Olusegun Ogungbemide, in Abuja.
The Corps Marshal condemned the attack on FRSC personnel and facilities as “deeply regrettable and unacceptable,” emphasising that the operatives were on lawful duty to save lives.
He also commiserated with the families of the deceased driver, the fallen officer, and the entire FRSC workforce.
Mohammed has ordered a comprehensive investigation into both the immediate and underlying causes of the crash and the circumstances that led to the mob action.
He assured the public that anyone found culpable would be brought to justice.
The FRSC boss reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to ensuring safer roads for all Nigerians and called on the public to remain calm, law-abiding, and supportive of its activities.
