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BBC Pidgin of Friday, 1 September 2023

Source: BBC

Videos wey show suitcases of money afta di Gabon coup na true?

Ali Bongo, ousted president of Gabon Ali Bongo, ousted president of Gabon

Following di way dem remove Gabonese president Ali Bongo Ondimba from power, some videos claim to show former goment officials wey dem arrest wit suitcases wey money full inside. Di videos don dey circulate online.

But di BBC don establish say at least one of di videos dey mislead pipo.

Di video show di 2022 arrest of di former president of di Gabonese National Assembly, Guy Nzouba-Ndama.

For di video, oga Nzouba-Ndama dey for middle of a crowd behind one truck as dem break di locks on two suitcases wey reveal say CFA francs notes full inside.

Di incident happun for di Congolese border.

Nzouba-Ndama, wey be di leader of di opposition party di Démocrates (LD), bin later dey under house arrest, according to news report from dat period.

Di posts on social media wrongly claim say dem record di video on August 30 2023.

Oda videos dey for social media wey users dey claim say e from Gabon but di BBC neva fit verify dem.

Two of dem show plenti men inside one room wey plenti open suitcases wey dey filled wit money dey.

For one point for one of di videos, di camera move to di right and partially show one man wearing a uniform wey match di unique woodland pattern of di Gabonese Republican Guards, di military unit wey lead di coup wey removed Ali Bongo.

Some social media users claim say di video na for Ali Bongo son house dem record di video, while odas claim say na for im relative house.

Ali Bongo son Nouredin Bongo Valentin and im chief of staff Chislain Ngoulou dey among di pipo wey di junta detain.

'Make noise' - Ali Bongo call on supporters for help

On Wednesday Gabon president call on "friends all over di world" to "make noise" over di coup for Gabon, inside one clip wey dey circulate on social media.

E sidon for wetin e call im residence - inside one grand room complete wit wood-panelled walls, ornate carpets and leather-bound books - Ali Bongo say: "My son dey somewhere, my wife dey anoda place.

"Nothing dey happun. I no know wetin dey happun."

E again urge im "friends" to speak up, before e come thank dem.

Notably, Bongo speak for English. Di official language of Gabon - wey be former French territory, from wia dem gain independence for 1960 - na French.

Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba wey dem comot from power dey under house arrest, di AFP news agency quote military officers.

"President Ali Bongo dey under house arrest, surround by im family and doctors," dem tok for one statement dem read out on state TV.

One of di president sons don chop arrest for "treason", di statement reportedly add.

Army officers appear on national television over di weekend for Gabon to say dem don take over power.

Di officers for di announcement say dem don cancel di results of Saturday election, wia di electoral body declare Oga Bongo as di winner.

Di electoral commission say oga Bongo bin win di election wit just under two-thirds of di votes for election di opposition argue say mago-mago full inside.

E overthrow from power go end im family 53-year reign in power for Gabon.

12 sojas bin appear on television shortly afta di announcement of di election results, dem cancel di results of di election and dissolve "all di institutions of di republic".

One of di soldiers tok on TV channel Gabon 24 say: "We don decide to defend peace by putting an end to di current regime."

Im add say dis move dey down to "irresponsible, unpredictable governance wey don continue to worsen social cohesion and risk dey say e fit lead di kontri into chaos".

Oga Bongo come into power wen e father Omar die for 2009.

For 2018, e suffer stroke wey sideline am for almost a year and lead to calls for am to step aside, but e still remain.

Di following year, one coup attempt wey fail see di goment send di sojas wey organise di mutinyi to prison.

Dis na di latest coup wey don happun for Africa afta sojas seize power too for Niger Republic one month ago.

Mali, Burkina Faso don also witness coups recently and na military Juntas dey lead dia goments presently.