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Showing posts from February, 2013

Explosion rocks Maiduguri, as gunmen attack Taraba, kill 2 police

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Four Improvised Explosive Devices suspected to have been planted by terrorists in Maiduguri,   Borno State, Thursday, went-off at different locations within the town. The explosions went-off simultaneously on Baga Road, Customs, Gamboru general areas at 3pm, while that last one at London ciki went-off at 6pm. Meantime, gunmen have stormed a residence in village of Tella, that housed foreign workers, killing two police guards in an attack a company source said, Thursday was a failed kidnapping. Police in Taraba State confirmed the raid in the village of Tella at the site owned by the Triacta engineering firm. But an official from Triacta, who requested anonymity, told AFP that "based on what has been happening (recently in Nigeria), we have every reason to believe that our expatriates were the target. It was a clear case of a failed kidnap," he added. "Last night, there were shootings around the house where the expatriate construction workers are living,"

S.Africa court delays sentencing of Nigerian militant Okah

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Henry Okah A South African court on Thursday was forced to delay the sentencing of Nigerian national Henry Okah, convicted of 13 terrorism charges, after he sacked his lawyers. Okah was last month found guilty of masterminding the 2010 independence day twin car bombings in Abuja that killed 12 people. He will now be sentenced on March 18. The High Court was to have handed down the sentence on Thursday when Okah suddenly fired his lawyers, prosecutor Shaun Abrahams told AFP, dismissing the move as a stalling tactic. "This is an elaborate and deliberate plan by the accused to frustrate the adminstration of justice," said Abrahams. The court said this latest postponement would be the final one, he added. "The court has said even if he dismisses his new lawyers, the court will not grant him a further adjournment and will proceed with sentencing on March 18," the prosecutor said. Okah, 46, who has permanent residency in South Africa, faces life in prison

Bradley Manning pleads guilty to misusing classified data in WikiLeaks case

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The U.S. Army private accused of providing diplomatic cables and other secret documents to the WikiLeaks website pleaded guilty on Thursday to misusing classified material, but denied the most serious charge in the case, aiding the enemy. Private First Class Bradley Manning, 25, entered the pleas prior to his court martial, which is set to begin on June 3, in a case that centers on the biggest leak of government secrets in U.S. history. "I believe that if the general public...  had access to the information ... this could spark a domestic debate as to the role of the military and foreign policy in general," Manning, dressed in full military uniform, testified calmly.   Reading from a 35-page statement as he remained seated next to his lawyers, the short, slight private described his feelings after he submitted the secret information to WikiLeaks. "I felt I accomplished something that would allow me to have a clear conscience,&

Uniport students murder: Court discharge 7 suspects

Nigeria (Lagos) Seven out of the eighteen suspects, arrested in connection with the killing of four students of the University of Port Harcourt on October 5, last year at Omuokiri- Aluu, Rivers State, were, Thursday, discharged by a Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate, Mr Emma Woke, Rivers State, following the advise of the state Director of Public Prosecution, DPP. Rivers State DPP had in its advise, noted that the seven suspects were arrested by the police on grounds of mere suspicion, as no case of murder   was established against them   The court said the seven were released based on the advice of DPP.   He read out the advice before discharging the seven. According to the advice, the seven suspects were charged to court based on mere suspicion. The seven are Cynthia Chinwo, George Nwadei, Ekpe Daniel, Gabriel Ochie   and    Endurance Edet, Lucky Agwurum and Finebone Jeffrey, aka Soso The DPP in   the advice, said “It is a trite law that suspicion no matter how strong cannot

$4,095 SEC fraud: EFCC presents more witnesses

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Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Wednesday February 27, 2013 presented two more witnesses in the on-going trial of the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Markets and Other Institutions, Herman Hembe and his deputy, Chris Ifeanyi Azubogu before Justice Peter Kekemeke of the FCT High Court,   Abuja. The two lawmakers are being prosecuted on a two count charge bordering on fraud. They were alleged to have sometime in October 2011, converted to their use, $4, 094, being money given to them by the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, as travelling allowances to Puncta, Dominican Republic to attend a conference. The duo allegedly pocketed the money though they did not attend the conference, thereby committing an offence contrary to section 308 of the Penal Code Act Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004. At the resumed hearing, EFCC counsel led the two witnesses who are staff of SEC in evidence. The first witness, Ibrahim

Oyerinde murder: Police has power to investigate case ---Adoke, SAN

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  Mohammed Adoke, SAN, AGF   Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr.   Mohammed Adoke, SAN, Thursday, excused him self, from the debate over who has the power to prosecute suspects in the murdered of Mr. Olaitan Oyerinde, former Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, saying it was the state that can prosecute murder cases. Adoke in a letter to Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions,   which re-opened the matter on Wednesday, in Abuja in the murder of Oyerinde, following allegation by Governor Oshiomhole of highest level in the investigation of the case, said it was the police that have the power to investigate the case. The AGF in the letter, said “My attention has been drawn to the representations made by Mr. O.T. Olaitigbe, Deputy Director, Public Prosecutions of the Federation on behalf of my office and the Federal Ministry of Justice at the Public Hearing organised by your Committee on February 27,

Man who raped 4 years girl to death arrested in Imo

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Nigeria (Imo) Police in Imo State, have arrested a 30-year old man, Onyebuchi Ejimkonye, for allegedly raping a four-year old girl to death. The victim,  was said to be on her way to school, when she was ambushed by Ejimkonye, who subjected her to a marathon sex in a nearby bush and she died on the spot. The police also rescued a 15-year old girl, Miss Odinaka Chukwu, who was abducted by suspected ritualist and taken to a shrine a forth-night ago. Parading Ejimkonye in Owerri, Thursday, the state Commissioner of Police,  Mr. Mohammed Katsina, said the ritualist was on the run, though the police has his identity and are trailing him. On the death of little girl, Katsina said that some villagers, who were passing close to the scene of the crime sensed that something was wrong and sought to find out what it was. He said, “Ejimkonye, who hails from one of the communities in Oru East,  Imo State, was on the verge of burying the little girl in a shallow grave, when he was nabbed

Babalakin gets court nod to travel to South Africa for medical treatment

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*Wale Babalakin A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Thursday, granted  Chairman of Bi-Courtney Services Ltd.,Dr Wale Babalakin, SAN, permission to travel to South Africa for medical treatment. Babalakin is facing trial for alleged transferring of N4.7 billion on behalf of former Delta State Governor. He is standing trial alongside one Alex Okoh and their companies--Stabilini Visioni Ltd., Bi-Courtney Ltd. and Renix Nigeria Ltd. The court's permission was sequel to the application filed by Babalakin's lawyer. He had informed the court that he  needed treatment of his hypertension at the South African hospital. Counsel to Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC, did npt opposed the application, but requested that Babalakin should return to Nigeria before March 27, so as not  to stall the trial. Trial judge, Justice Onigbanjo, who granted the request, ordered EFCC  to release Babalakin's international passport.

Leadership battered journalist case adjourned to April 21

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Battered Benedict Uwalaka on the day of the incident An Ikeja Magistrate Court, has adjourned till April 21, for trial of the mortuary official, Bayo Ogunsola, who  assaulted and battered Mr. Benedict Uwalaka, a Senior photojournalist with the LEADERSHIP Newspapers. Meanwhile, counsel to Uwalaka, has that the journalist was about to initiate a civil action against Ogunshola for malicious damage. The defendant, Ogunsola, who was working with TOS Funerals, an undertaker company situated in the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, was accused of unlawful assault on the photographer while attempting to take pictures of the families of the victims of the Dana air-crash at the mogue last year. The trial in the matter,  was delayed due to change of trial Magistrate. However, the new magistrate handling the matter, Mrs. B.Osunsanmi, Thursday, adjourned the matter, after it was called for mention. Though the trial magistrate had intended to start the trial, she al

Iheanacho, former Interior Minister slams N90bn suit against NIMASA, others

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  *Captain Iheanacho Former Minister of Interior, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho, has filed a N90billion suit against Nigerian Maritime Admnistration and Safety Agency, NIMASA and its Director General, Mr Zikade Akpobolokemi, before a Lagos High Court sitting in Lagos. Iheanacho is asking for the money as damages for the alleged assault on him and his false imprisonment. Integrated Oil and Gas Limited owned by Iheanacho is co-claimants in the suit, while other defendants are NIMASA's Executive Director in charge of Maritime, Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr Callistus   Obi and the agency's Head of Public Relations, Hajia Tumaka. Iheanacho, former Vice President of the Indigeneous Ship Owners' Asscociation, is contending in the suit that as a result of the invasion of his farm tank in Ibafon, Lagos between August 29 and September 28, 2012 by 30 policemen under the command of NIMASA on the allegation that   stolen oil products was being stored in his premises, he

Gunmen abduct 4 on Lagos-Benin expressway

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Nigeria (Edo) Five persons were abducted on Wednesday by suspected kidnappers on the Lagos-Benin expressway, by Ogbemudia farms. It was gathered that the passengers were among occupants of a Greener Line space wagon Siena bus traveling from Warri, Delta State to Lagos, when they ran into a barricade on the Benin-Ore- Shgamu-Lagos expressway by Ogbemudia farms. The suspected kidnappers were said to have blocked the highway with a truck, and the bus driver on sighting the barricade, slowed down. Moments later, gunmen emerged from the bush and took the passengers hostage after allowing the driver and one passenger to go so as to report the incident. It was gathered  that one of the victims, who lives in Lagos, was said to be returning to Lagos after a naming ceremony of his new-born baby in Warri, Delta State, when he was abducted along with other passengers. The father of the victim, a retired army colonel, said the kidnappers had made contact and demanded N3 million ranso

Nigeria loses 300,000 children to diarrhea annually

Nigeria (Abuja) Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, Dr. Precious Gbeneol, Thursday, said despite the intervention efforts of government to reverse the undesirable tide of diseases such as malaria and diarrhea, about 300,000 Nigeria children still die of the diseases annually. She spoke at the flag of ceremony of the Community Health Improvement Programme, CHIP, which was aimed at improving maternal, new-born and child health especially in the area of malaria control and diarrhea in Abuja. She said, “a recent report by UNICEF and World Health Organidation identified diarrhea diseases as a leading killer among children rated only second to malaria and accounting for an estimated 1.5 million childhood deaths annually especially in sub-Saharan Africa with about 300,000 of such mortality attributable to Nigeria despite intervention efforts.” “In sub-Saharan Africa, the scourge of infectious diseases accounts for about 90 persen

4 die in auto crash in Benue

Nigeria (Benue) Four persons were , Thursday, burnt to death in an auto crash involving a trailer and a J-5 bus on the  Makurdi Bank Road in Benue State. It was gathered that the J-5 bus was conveying the four persons, who were believed to be traders, from Aba, Abia State to one of the northern states, when the slept off on the wheels and rammed into a stationary trailer. A source said,  "this J-5 overtook my car before the Makurdi mechanic village and the way the driver drove recklessly, I just had a premonition that something unfortunate could happen. "I was driving behind the J-5 driver, when I noticed that the bus was gradually skidding off the road, which could have been as a result of sleep because it was as if they drove all night from East. "Unfortunately, we saw the bus plunge into the parked trailer, just like a movie, and the bus immediately exploded," the source added. It was learnt that nobody could go near the burning bus to rescue its fou

Pope Benedict steps down

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  Pope Benedict slips quietly from the world stage on Thursday after a private last goodbye to his cardinals and a short flight to a country palace to enter the final phase of his life "hidden from the world". In keeping with his shy and modest ways, there will be no public ceremony to mark the first papal resignation in six centuries and no solemn declaration ending his nearly eight-year reign at the head of the world's largest church.   His last public appearance will be a short greeting to residents and well-wishers at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence south of Rome, in the late afternoon after his 15-minute helicopter hop from the Vatican. When the resignation becomes official at 8 p.m. Rome time (02.00 p.m. EST), Benedict will be relaxing inside the 17th century palace. Swiss Guards on duty at the main gate to indicate the pope's presence within will simply quit their posts and return to Rome to await their next pontiff. Avo

SERAP asks UN Rights Chief to hold session over Nigeria's violations of police trainees’ rights

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  * Ms Navi Pillay A s the UN Human Rights Council session opens this week, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP , has sent a request to the High Commissioner for Human Rights , Ms Navi Pillay, urging her to “use your good offices and position to publicly condemn the reports of dehumanising and degrading conditions of police trainees across police colleges in Nigeria.”   The session of the Human Rights Council is scheduled to hold February 25 -March 22 2013. The organi s ation also wants Ms Pillay to “call or facilitate a public session of the UN Human Rights Council and civil society to discuss the problem with a view to putting pressure on the Nigerian government to urgently address and remedy the serious and systematic violation of the human rights of the trainees to human security and dignity, and to an adequate standard of living.” In the petition signed by Solicitor to SERAP, Femi Falana, SAN, and sent to Ms Pillay today, the organization said th