A Nepal commission has recommended the prosecution of ex-prime minister KP Sharma Oli in connection to the deadly September 2025 uprising that toppled his government, according to a leaked report.

At least 77 people were killed in the anti-corruption youth uprising on September 8 and 9, which began over a brief social media ban but tapped into longstanding fury over economic hardship.

Four-time prime minister and Marxist leader Oli, 74, was defeated in the polls this month by the 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, whose Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won in a landslide after promising to oust an ageing elite, stem corruption and fix the economy.

The commission’s recommendations, set out in a report leaked by Nepali media, came ahead of the swearing-in later on Thursday of newly elected members of parliament.

“It was decided to recommend to the Government of Nepal that an investigation, inquiry, and prosecution be carried out against the then executive head, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli,” according to a copy of the report seen by AFP on Thursday.

At least 19 young people were killed in a crackdown on the first day of protests.

No one has been convicted over the killings.

– ‘Negligent conduct’ –

Former interior minister Ramesh Lekhak and ex-police chief Chandra Kuber Khapung should also be investigated and prosecuted, according to the recommendations in the report.

Lekhak bore “overall responsibility for home administration, security agencies, and maintaining law and order”, the report said, adding that he and Oli “did not appear to have made any effort on the afternoon… to prevent further human casualties”.

The report said it was “not established that there was an order to shoot”, but “no effort was made to stop or control the firing and, due to their negligent conduct, even minors lost their lives”.

The report said victims in 48 out of 63 completed autopsies died of bullet wounds, and that the majority were struck in their chest or head.

The nationwide unrest in September saw the parliament and government offices being set ablaze and led to Oli’s ouster.

Former chief justice Sushila Karki took on the role of interim prime minister and established a commission to investigate the violence.

The commission’s report was submitted this month and protesters have demanded that its findings be released.

Commission member Bigyan Raj Sharma told reporters the team had questioned more than 200 people and submitted a 900-page report — with more than 8,000 additional pages of evidence.

Karki’s office said on Wednesday evening that she would release the report but the official version was not out yet.

The March 5 election returned a new 275-seat lower house of parliament, with the RSP winning a commanding majority of 182.

New lawmakers will take the oath of office later on Thursday in the newly constructed parliament building, parliament secretariat spokesman Ekram Giri told AFP.

Shah, popularly known as Balen, is expected to be sworn in as prime minister on Friday.

AFP

The Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Ekaete Fabian F-Obot, has effected the release of 63 additional inmates from Uyo Custodial Centre, as she concluded her tour of correctional centres across the state.

The latest addition brings the number of freed inmates this year to 100, an unprecedented figure, having released 37 from Ikot Abasi, Eket and Ikot Ekpene custodian centres last week.

The release of the 63 inmates followed a careful review of their cases, including input from the Director of Public Prosecution, court clerks, and medical personnel within the correctional system.

A statement obtained from the judiciary press unit on Wednesday said 24 inmates out of the number were discharged on special grounds, while 39 were pardoned on compassionate grounds, including missing case files, trumped-up charges, and lack of diligent prosecution.

Among the special cases were 20 inmates suffering from serious health conditions, including one Godwin Francis Etim, who, battling tuberculosis, was referred to the Infectious Disease Hospital in Ikot Ekpene for treatment.

Also released to access special care was a pregnant inmate in her final trimester, facing medical complications beyond the facility’s capacity.

Another notable case was that of one Magdalene Bassey Edet, whose situation highlighted the importance of regular inspection.

According to the statement, she had been convicted by two different courts on separate charges arising from the same offence.

Having already completed a 10-year sentence, she was serving an additional two-year term for the same matter, having been convicted by another court while serving the 10-year term.

In granting her release, the CJ acknowledged the report of her good conduct and placed her on probation for the remaining two years, requiring her to report every three months.

“Go and sin no more and don’t indulge in acts that will bring you back here,” the CJ warned.

Among those released on other grounds were four inmates whose cases could not proceed due to missing files, reportedly linked to the prolonged illness of a prosecutor absent for about three years.

Six others were found to have been wrongfully charged.

One such case involved Idara Christopher Kingsley, who had been detained in place of her husband after reporting a machete assault against her.

Her husband was wanted in connection with a fight involving family members, but she was arrested instead.

The chief judge urged all released inmates to maintain good conduct and refrain from returning to crime.

“I urge you all to maintain good conduct and not to indulge in criminal activities that will bring you back here,” the CJ added.

She criticised the practice by some police officers of obtaining remand orders and abandoning cases without returning to court after the stipulated 21 days.

She also advised magistrates to take proactive steps by fixing dates to strike out such cases and notify relevant parties, emphasising that cases should be struck out where there is a failure to follow due process.

Welcoming the CJ to the facility, the Officer in Charge, DCC Ezekiel Inyang, described the visit as timely, noting that the custodial centre was grappling with severe overcrowding.

He revealed that the facility, built in 1912, is significantly overstretched, with over 1,600 inmates.

He recounted the impact of a recent windstorm accompanied by heavy rainfall on Tuesday, February 17, which damaged three cell blocks and brought down part of the perimeter fence, plunging the facility into disarray.

He, however, said there were no casualties, nor were there escapees.

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