FILE - President of Burkina Faso Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 23, 2022, at the U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)
FILE - President of Burkina Faso Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 23, 2022, at the U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Togolese authorities said Tuesday they have extradited Burkina Faso's former leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba following a request by the military government there.
The former since his ouster in 2022. He is wanted in his country on suspicion of criminal embezzlement of public funds, incitement to commit crimes and other charges.
Damiba was arrested on Jan. 16. Earlier this month, the Burkina Faso junta said it had foiled a coup and alleged that Damiba was behind the plot.
Damiba, who led the West African nation between January and September 2022, was in turn deposed by current junta leader Ibrahim Traore as the country witnessed back-to-back coups.
The West African region has experienced . Soldiers seized power on the pretext of a deteriorating security crisis as attacks by armed groups spread across the Sahel, an arid swath of land south of the Sahara, and spilled into the coastal region.
Burkina Faso is one of the three West African countries led by juntas that have also broken away from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the regional bloc.
