- Twelve soldiers appeared on national television announcing the overthrow of Bongo’s government
- According to Alarabiya News, the soldiers also detained his son for “treason” alongside his allies
The son of the ousted Gabonese President Ali Bongo has been arrested by the military junta in the country on allegation of trason.
Within Nigeria had earlier reported that Bongo was toppled in a coup in the early hours of Wednesday, ending his family’s fifty three years reign in the central Africa country.
Twelve soldiers appeared on national television announcing the overthrow of Bongo’s government.
According to Alarabiya News, the soldiers also detained his son for “treason” alongside his allies.
“President Ali Bongo is under house arrest, surrounded by his family and doctors,” they said in a statement read out on state TV.
Bongo’s son and close adviser Noureddin Bongo Valentin, his chief of staff Ian Ghislain Ngoulou as well as his deputy, two other presidential advisers and the two top officials in the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) “have been arrested,” a military leader said.
They are accused of treason, embezzlement, corruption and falsifying the president’s signature, among other allegations, he said.
The military takeover in Gabon is the latest spreading across West and Central Africa, as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is still battling with Niger crisis that happened on July 26.