Senegal’s prime minister said it is “regrettable” that 18 people from the country have been handed prison sentences after being convicted of hooliganism offences related to disturbances at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.

The Teranga Lions followers were detained after being accused of violence against security forces and of causing damage during the match in Rabat on 18 January.

There was unrest in the stands after Morocco were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time, with a section of Senegal’s support attempting to invade the pitch.

Some Senegal players left the field of play in protest at the referee’s decision but eventually returned and Morocco and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz had his penalty attempt saved before the West Africans won 1-0 after extra time.

Last Thursday a court in the Moroccan capital handed out the prison sentences ranging from three months to one year and fines worth up to 5,000 dirhams ($545, £403).

“It seems this matter goes beyond the realm of sport and that is regrettable,” Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said.

“For two countries that call each other friends, like Morocco and Senegal, things should not have gone this far.”

Moroccan prosecutors had sought a maximum two-year sentence for some of those involved, saying the defendants had “deliberately sought to disrupt the proper conduct of the match”.

The 18 men denied any wrongdoing, decided not to appeal, but are set to submit a request for a royal pardon to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.

Senegal’s football federation (FSF) expressed “profound dismay and distress” at the verdicts, which were described as “incomprehensibly harsh” by Bacary Cisse, president of the FSF’s communications committee.

Sonko said Morocco’s handling of the case “does not honour” relations between the two countries, adding that Senegal had done “all it should” to secure their release.

He added that Senegal could, if necessary, activate a bilateral agreement allowing the mutual transfer of convicts in order to expedite the return of the 18 supporters.

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday revealed that over N98 billion was disbursed last year to strengthen primary healthcare delivery across Nigeria, marking one of the largest single-year investments in grassroots health services in recent times.

Tinubu, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen.

The President said the funds were released through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) to support operational expenses in more than 8,300 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) nationwide.

He added that the disbursement is part of the administration’s broader push to reposition the health sector as a cornerstone of national development.

Tinubu explained that the financial injection has supported the ongoing revitalisation of PHCs, with 2,565 centres already upgraded and another 1,456 currently undergoing rehabilitation.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Yomi Odunuga, in a statement, quoted the President as saying that the upgraded facilities now provide 24-hour services, staffed with trained health workers and equipped with essential medicines, basic medical equipment, as well as stable power and water supply.

He further revealed that the funding framework is being expanded to accommodate an additional 5,212 facilities, which will bring the total number of benefiting primary healthcare centres to over 13,500 across the country. The move is expected to deepen access to quality healthcare, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

His words: “We have strengthened the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and consistently disbursed the quarterly allocation to primary healthcare centres, with over N98 billion disbursed to support operational expenses for over 8,300 primary healthcare facilities last year. Also, we are expanding this very critical and sustainable domestic financing mechanism to an additional 5,212 primary healthcare centres to reach a total of over 13,500 facilities. We have expanded health insurance coverage and provided it to over 10 million vulnerable individuals.

“In 2023, I tasked the Minister of Health with retraining 120,000 primary healthcare workers within four years. This is to empower them to deliver quality healthcare services to our people and also enable them to compete with their counterparts across the world. In just two years, over 78,000 frontline health workers have been trained. These include doctors, nurses, midwives, CHEWs and JCHEWs.”

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to comprehensive health sector reform, declaring that quality healthcare delivery remains a central pillar of his Renewed Hope Agenda.

Tinubu described the health sector as fundamental to national productivity, security, economic growth and human dignity, stressing that “a country cannot be prosperous if its citizens are unhealthy.”

The President further highlighted progress under the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), which he said is tracking pregnant women in 172 high-burden local government areas. He said more than 100,000 pregnant women have been linked to health facilities for antenatal, delivery and postnatal services, with free emergency maternal and newborn care provided in supported facilities.

Tinubu also spoke on efforts to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported medicines through the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC). He said the initiative is incentivising local pharmaceutical manufacturing, strengthening regulatory capacity and promoting the backward integration of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Calling on the All Progressives Congress governors and legislators to align with federal reforms, the President urged states to increase health budget allocations towards the 15 per cent Abuja Declaration benchmark, ensure the functionality of primary and secondary health facilities, strengthen state health insurance schemes and publish measurable annual health scorecards.

“As a ruling party, we must hold ourselves accountable,” he said, posing questions about budgetary priorities, facility functionality, worker motivation and direct funding to health centres.

Tinubu emphasised that health reform must transcend politics, describing it as an act of patriotism. He challenged the party’s National Executive Committee to consider requesting annual reports on key health and development indices from governors and local government chairmen.

“This convention must not turn into a mere talk shop,” the President said. “Let APC be the first party to institutionalise health reform in Nigeria.”

He also called on the private sector, development partners, traditional rulers and faith leaders to deepen collaboration with the government in delivering accessible and affordable healthcare services.

The arraignment of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, was stalled on Wednesday, following his absence in court, with the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdumalik, adjourning proceedings to April 23, 2026.

At the resumed sitting, prosecution counsel, Oluwole Aladedoye, informed the court that although the matter was scheduled for arraignment, the defendant could not be produced as he was currently in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

He urged the court to adjourn the matter to March 10 to enable the anti-graft agency to produce his client, adding that the DSS had no control over the ICPC, despite being a sister agency.

Meanwhile, Defence Counsel, Oluwole Iyamu, while he did not oppose the application for adjournment, told the court that based on discussions with the prosecution, the state would not oppose an application for bail.

The prosecution confirmed in open court that the offences charged were bailable.

The defence subsequently applied for the bail application to be taken before further proceedings in the matter.

However, the prosecution opposed the move, urging the court to defer consideration of bail for two weeks.

Iyamu argued that keeping the defendant in custody for two additional weeks would amount to suppression, stressing that his client had not been brought before the court for arraignment.

He maintained that the defence did not take the defendant into custody and therefore could not produce him in court.

According to him, it would have been a different situation if the Department of State Services had custody of the defendant, suggesting that the circumstances surrounding his detention required judicial intervention.

Relying on Section 159, counsel urged the court to exercise its powers to order the production of the defendant, regardless of which agency currently had custody of him.

Ruling on the submissions, Justice Abdumalik held that since the defendant had not yet been arraigned, the issue of bail could not arise.

Citing Section 156 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015), the judge described the bail application as premature.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter to April 23, 2026, for arraignment.

PUNCH Online reports that the DSS had, on February 16, 2026, slammed a three-count charge against El-Rufai before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing him of unlawfully intercepting the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The charges, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, alleged that the former governor admitted during a February 13 appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time Programme that he and others intercepted the NSA’s communications.

The offences were said to be punishable under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.

Meanwhile, the former Governor, through his lawyers on Tuesday, filed a motion on notice before the court, praying the court to quash the charges against him, which he said were “unconstitutional and an abuse of court process.”

He further prayed the court to award N2 billion in costs against the DSS, accusing the agency of abusing and misusing the criminal justice system to harass, embarrass and publicly victimise him.