THE second in command in Nigeria’s military regime, Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe, has threatened to sue publishers of a Lagos magazine which last week accused him of shady business dealings. Lawyers for the Nigerian chief of general staff sent a letter to the publishers of The News magazine, demanding an immediate retraction of the article, an apology and 500-million naira ($5,2-million) compensation. The article was one of several in recent weeks to accuse leading members of the outgoing regime of feathering their nests before leaving power on May 29, when an elected civilian president takes office. A spokesman for the magazine had no comment on the action on Wednesday. It is extremely rare for such matters to be brought to court in Nigeria.
VIOLENCE ON ANJOUAN
VIOLENCE has flared anew between rival militias on the separatist Comoran island of Anjouan, with one of the armed groups taking control Tuesday of the island’s fuel supplies. Witnesses on Anjouan reached by telephone said militiamen from Mirontsy, on the outskirts of Mutsamudu, the island’s main town, seized the storage tanks along the coast towards the airport so they could sell the fuel. The television station on the nearby French island of Mayotte reported that automatic arms fire had been heard, and added that Anjouan’s electricity supply was cut for much of Tuesday morning. Factions on Anjouan are divided on the future of the island, which declared unilateral secession in August 1997, and some accuse new Comoran military ruler Abeid of trying to sabotage the implementation of the unity agreement.