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Showing posts from February, 2014

Court remands 8 over alleged conspiracy, cult membership

(Nigeria) An  Upper Area  Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, on Thursday ordered  eight accused persons to be remanded in prison for alleged criminal conspiracy. The accused persons were also charged for being members of an unlawful society, extortion and for causing grievous hurt by dangerous means. The accused persons  are Abraham Adah, alias “doctor” ( 28) ; Joseph Eseh alias “condition”( 29);  Francis Jeremiah, alias “general”(26);  Sabo Dominic (28);  Sule Daniel (27);  Alade Achiroko (29);  Jonathan Johnson (29 )and Godwin Onoja,  all of Kabayi Mararaba. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Prosecutor, Mr Jospeh Ahua, told the court that, one Micheal  Ogwuche and Udoma Daniel,  both of Kabayi , Mararaba Nasarawa State, reported the matter to the ‘A’ Division  Police Station, Mararaba, on February 21. Ahua said that on the same date, the accused persons were operating at Kabayi as members of unlawful societies known as ‘Arrow Confraternity’ and ‘Bagas.

killed in violent attacks across Iraq

At least 47 people were killed and 72 others wounded on Thursday in separate attacks across Iraq, including three deadly bombings here, police said. In the Shiite area of Sadr City in east Baghdad, a booby- trapped motorcycle exploded at a popular market, killing at least 32 people and injuring 56 others. At the Muthafar Square of the same city, an improvised explosive device struck a minibus, killing five civilians and wounding two others. In a separate incident, a roadside bomb struck a bus in the neighborhood of Shaab in northeast Baghdad, killing a passenger and wounding three others. In Tarmiya area, some 30 km north of Baghdad, two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three others wounded when a car bomb targeted an army patrol. Another similar attack injured three soldiers earlier in the day. In Salahudin province, gunmen attacked a checkpoint manned by members of a government-backed Sahwa paramilitary group in the city of Shirqat, some 110 km north of the provincial capital Tik

killed in violent attacks across Iraq

At least 47 people were killed and 72 others wounded on Thursday in separate attacks across Iraq, including three deadly bombings here, police said. In the Shiite area of Sadr City in east Baghdad, a booby- trapped motorcycle exploded at a popular market, killing at least 32 people and injuring 56 others. At the Muthafar Square of the same city, an improvised explosive device struck a minibus, killing five civilians and wounding two others. In a separate incident, a roadside bomb struck a bus in the neighborhood of Shaab in northeast Baghdad, killing a passenger and wounding three others. In Tarmiya area, some 30 km north of Baghdad, two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three others wounded when a car bomb targeted an army patrol. Another similar attack injured three soldiers earlier in the day. In Salahudin province, gunmen attacked a checkpoint manned by members of a government-backed Sahwa paramilitary group in the city of Shirqat, some 110 km north of the provincial capital Tik

Jonathan re-appoints NITT DG

President Goodluck Jonathan has re-appointed Dr Aminu Yusuf as the substantive Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology, NITT,  Zaria, Kaduna State, for a second term of four years. A statement by Mr Paul Mshelizah, the Chief Public Relations Officer of the institute, said that the reappointment would take effect from March 19, when the first term would expire. The statement said the renewal of the tenure was contained in a letter by the Minister of Transport,  Sen. Idris Umar, and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Nebolisa Emodi. Aminu was first appointed as the Director-General and Chief Executive of  NITT on March 19, 2010. He had within the first tenure contributed to the development of not only the institute but the transport industry in general, the statement said. Some of his achievements included stabilisation of NITT long term programmes by affiliating the Post Graduate Programmes of the institute to Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria. The

Police arraign man, 34, over alleged cybercrime

A 34-year-old man, Victor Kekong, who allegedly manipulated some Federal Government data and produced forged official documents at a cybercafe, was on Friday in Lagos charged before a Yaba Magistrates Court, Lagos. Kekong, who resides at Ifako-Ogba area of Lagos, is facing an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, stealing and obtaining money under false pretences. He, however, denied the charges. But the prosecutor, Mr Felix Ifijen, insisted that the accused had sometime between Febuary and December 2013 manipulated the data of some federal government agencies and also forged some documents. According to Ifijen, the offences were committed at a cybercafe at Ifako-Ogba. ``Kekong, between February and December 2013, forged the following documents: a Memorandum of Acceptance signed by the IGP, Mohammed Abubakar, a certificate of legality signed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, and the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, a foreign dr

China issues report on U.S. human rights

China on Friday responded to the United states criticism and irresponsible remarks of its human rights situation China issues report on U.S. human rights by publishing its own report on the U.S. human rights issues. The Human Rights Record of the U.S. in 2013 was released by the Information Office of China's State Council. The Cabinet released it in response to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013 issued by the U.S. State Department on Thursday. China said in the report that there were still serious human rights problems in the U.S in 2013, with the situation in many fields even deteriorating. Posing as ``the world judge of human rights,’’ the U.S. government ``made arbitrary attacks and irresponsible remarks’’ on the human rights situation in almost 200 countries and regions again in its just-released reports, the report says. ``However, the U.S. carefully concealed and avoided mentioning its own human rights problems,’’ it adds. The report calls the U.S. t

China issues report on U.S. human rights

China on Friday responded to the United states criticism and irresponsible remarks of its human rights situation China issues report on U.S. human rights by publishing its own report on the U.S. human rights issues. The Human Rights Record of the U.S. in 2013 was released by the Information Office of China's State Council. The Cabinet released it in response to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013 issued by the U.S. State Department on Thursday. China said in the report that there were still serious human rights problems in the U.S in 2013, with the situation in many fields even deteriorating. Posing as ``the world judge of human rights,’’ the U.S. government ``made arbitrary attacks and irresponsible remarks’’ on the human rights situation in almost 200 countries and regions again in its just-released reports, the report says. ``However, the U.S. carefully concealed and avoided mentioning its own human rights problems,’’ it adds. The report calls the U.S. t

China issues report on U.S. human rights

China on Friday responded to the United states criticism and irresponsible remarks of its human rights situation China issues report on U.S. human rights by publishing its own report on the U.S. human rights issues. The Human Rights Record of the U.S. in 2013 was released by the Information Office of China's State Council. The Cabinet released it in response to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013 issued by the U.S. State Department on Thursday. China said in the report that there were still serious human rights problems in the U.S in 2013, with the situation in many fields even deteriorating. Posing as ``the world judge of human rights,’’ the U.S. government ``made arbitrary attacks and irresponsible remarks’’ on the human rights situation in almost 200 countries and regions again in its just-released reports, the report says. ``However, the U.S. carefully concealed and avoided mentioning its own human rights problems,’’ it adds. The report calls the U.S. t

Suspended LG Chairman admits diverting hajj funds

(Nigeria) The suspended Chairman of Borgu Local Government Area of Niger, Alhaji Mohammed Pissa, on Thursday admitted that he diverted N13.8 million meant for Hajj. Pissa said that the money belonged to persons in his area who wanted to perform the pilgrimage to Mecca in 2013. He made the admission in Minna while testifying before a Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice Aisha Bawa-Bwari on alleged misappropriation of hajj funds in Borgu and Rafi Local Government Areas. He told the commission that the money was paid to him between February and May, 2013 by the intending pilgrims but that the funds were diverted to other uses in the council. He said the intending pilgrims were unable to perform the hajj due to the diversion of the money to some of the council’s obligations. He said that he obtained the approval of the council to use the funds for their services. He, however, said that he had started refunding the money to some of the people, adding that he had paid N2.2

4 killed in Colombia supermarket blast

Four people were killed and 10 injured Wednesday by a strong blast that tore through a supermarket in western Colombia, local authorities said. "The daughter of the store's owner was among the dead, along with three employees," said General Rodolfo Palomino, head of the national police. The attack took place in the town of Quibdo, capital of Choco province, on the border with Panama. Officials believe the explosion was caused by a package bomb left at the store late Tuesday. Palomino said he believes the bombing was carried out by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, (FARC), a leftist group with between 7,000 and 8,000 rebels under arms. The FARC, which has been battling the government for a half-century, has been in peace talks with Bogota for more than a year, but continues its armed attacks in the absence of a ceasefire agreement. Palomino said police also are investigating the possible involvement of another armed group, los Urabenos. That group,

Ban deplores brutal slaying in north-eastern Nigeria

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United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has condemned the brutal slaying of dozens of students at a college in north-eastern Nigeria and voiced the hope that the perpetrators would be swiftly brought to justice. In a brief statement obtained on Wednesday, Ban extended his sincere condolences to the bereaved families. He noted that he was deeply concerned about the increasing frequency and brutality of attacks against educational institutions in northern Nigeria. He also reiterated that no objective can justify such violence. According to media reports, at least 49 teenage boys died in the attack by unidentified gunmen on the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, Yobe. The region has been prone to attacks by Boko Haram sect who have in the past targeted civilians, including students and worshippers, politicians, members of government institutions and foreign nationals.

Kidnapped Pakistan polio team released

A six-member polio vaccination team was released by their captors Wednesday, two days after gunmen kidnapped them in southwest Pakistan, officials said. A polio worker, his driver and four tribal police guards were abducted on Monday after administering polio drops in Awaran town, 700 kilometres (435 miles) west of Quetta, the capital of oil and gas rich Baluchistan province bordering Iran and Afghanistan. The kidnapping was the latest setback to efforts to eradicate the disease in Pakistan -- one of only three countries in the world where the crippling virus is still endemic, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria. "The vaccination team members, who had been snatched on gunpoint by over a dozen armed men Monday evening, returned to Awaran town Wednesday morning," senior local police official Rafiq Lasi told AFP. He said the kidnapped men were released on the intervention of the local tribal elders. A senior local administration official Bashir Baluch also confirmed th

Killers of South African politician Hani attacked in prison

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The convicted killers of South African anti-apartheid hero Chris Hani were attacked by a fellow inmate wielding a kitchen spoon, a correctional services spokesman said on Wednesday, reports Reuters. Clive Derby-Lewis and Janus Walus suffered head and hand injuries after they were attacked by an inmate at a Pretoria prison, spokesman Manelisi Wolela said in a statement, reports Reuters. The two had been treated and told officials the matter was "nothing serious", Wolela said. Police were investigating the attack, he said. Derby-Lewis and Walusz are serving life sentences for the 1993 murder of Hani, a charismatic activist and politician, who was both a senior member of the African National Congress (ANC)and the head of the communist party when he was gunned down. His murder threatened to derail South Africa's transition from white minority rule to multi-racial democracy, leading to riots across the country and triggering fears of a civil war. Walus, a Polish i

Hezbollah vows response to 'Israeli air strike'

Hezbollah on Wednesday threatened to retaliate after Israel's first reported air raid targeting a position of the Lebanese Shiite movement since a 2006 war. The statement comes two days after Israeli warplanes struck a Hezbollah position in eastern Lebanon, amid fears that the region may be dragged into further conflict. "On Monday night... the Israeli enemy's warplanes bombarded a Hezbollah position on the Lebanese-Syrian border, near the area of Janta in the Bekaa Valley" of eastern Lebanon, Hezbollah said. Wednesday's statement was the group's first admission that it had been the target of the raid, although Lebanese sources had previously reported the attack. "This new attack amounts to blatant aggression against Lebanon, its sovereignty and territory," the militant group said, adding that "it will not stand without a response from the Resistance, which will choose the appropriate time, place and means." Hezbollah said: "

N. Ireland leader threatens to quit after IRA bomb trial collapse

Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson threatened to resign Wednesday unless there is a judicial inquiry review into the collapse of the trial of a man suspected of carrying out a 1982 IRA bomb in London. Robinson said the British government had kept him in the dark on the issue of secret amnesty letters given to fugitive suspects -- the issue that caused the high profile Hyde Park bombing trial to be aborted. A judge on Tuesday ruled that John Downey, 62, should not be prosecuted for the attack after it emerged he had received an official letter in 2007 assuring him he would not face prosecution if he re-entered the United Kingdom. The letters were part of the 1998 Good Friday agreement that ended decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. Downey was charged with killing four cavalry soldiers in the Hyde Park bombing by the Irish Republican Army. He was arrested last May at London Gatwick Airport while en route to Greece. A visibly furious Robinson, wh

U.S. obesity rates remain high despite encouraging signs seen in young children

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The prevalence of obesity remained high in the United State, with about one-third of adults and 17 per cent of children and teens obese in the 2011-2012 period, alongside encouraging development monitored among two- to five-year-olds, a new survey released has showed. Researchers from the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, examined trends for childhood and adult obesity among 9, 120 persons with measured weights and heights in a 2011 to 2012 nationally representative study known as National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Overall, the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicated that there had been no significant changes in obesity prevalence among two- to 19-year-olds or adults in the U.S.between 2003 to 2004 and 2011 to 2012 periods. For youth aged two to 19 in the U.S., 16.9 per cent were obese and among adults, 34.9 per cent were obese, it said. Though overall obesity rates remained unchanged, rates in young childr

Police recover 2-months-old stolen baby in Kaduna

(Nigeria) Kaduna State Police Command on Wednesday said it had recovered a two-months-old baby, Sulaiman Adamu, stolen from his mother by a customer. Its Public Relation Officer, Aminu Lawan, disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna. Lawan said the mother of the baby, Marwa Adamu, had earlier reported the case at the Police Divisional Headquarters in Rigachukwu on January 31. He said the mother had complained that a woman, Hassana Mohammed, had run away with the child from Maraban Jos, in Igabi Local Government Area of the state. Lawan said the child was recovered on February 16, when the woman who took away the baby called her friends on phone, who immediately alerted the police. The police spokesperson said the woman was encouraged to return and on arrival in Maraban Jos, was arrested for child theft, adding that she would soon be prosecuted. Narrating the incident, the mother of the baby, Marwa Adamu (28), said the suspect had run away with t

Syria rebel-jihadist fighting 'kills 3,300 since January'

Some 3,300 people have been killed in fighting between rebels seeking President Bashar al-Assad's ouster and their erstwhile jihadist allies since clashes erupted in January, a monitoring group said Wednesday. "Some 3,300 people have been killed ever since the start of fighting on January 3 between the (jihadist) Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL on one side, and (rebel) Islamist and other groups on the other," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The deaths came "in car and (other) bomb attacks, suicide blasts and fighting," said the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on activists and other sources inside Syria. While rebels initially welcomed ISIL in their battle to overthrow Assad, many of them later turned against the group, accusing it of hijacking the rebellion and carrying out a string of kidnappings and killings of activists and rival rebels. Among the overall fatalities were at least 281 civilians, the majority of them ki

Lebanon arrests a commander of Syria's Al-Nusra

Lebanon's army on Wednesday arrested a commander of Syria's Al-Nusra Front, a branch of Al-Qaeda and ally of rebels fighting to bring down President Bashar al-Assad, a security official told AFP. "Army intelligence arrested an Al-Nusra commander in the region of Masharia al-Qaa," which borders Syria, the source said on condition of anonymity. An army spokesman confirmed the report. "A man suspected of being an Al-Nusra Front commander was arrested in the east of the country," the spokesman said, adding: "He is being interrogated." Al-Nusra Front brings together Syrian and foreign jihadists. It has become an increasingly prominent player in Syria's war over the past year. It is staunchly opposed to the regime in Damascus but also to its ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah, which has dispatched thousands of fighters into Syria to join Assad's troops. The Lebanese army frequently arrests Lebanese, Palestinians and Syrians suspected of li

South Africa to launch its first Islamic bond

South Africa will launch its first sukuk Islamic bond this year, as it seeks to diversify its debt obligations, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said Wednesday. "Our first sukuk (Islamic) bond will be launched this year," he told lawmakers while unveiling his annual budget. Complying with Islamic Sharia law, in which interest is not charged, such a bond has been on the cards as South Africa tries to tap a broad range of lenders to limit risk. "Options for introducing a sukuk retail savings bond are also being explored," he added. Islam-friendly debt is a rapidly growing market, worth around $144 billion in 2012, according to the Global Islamic Finance Report. Used from Malaysia to the Gulf to Gambia, it is seen as a safer, more stable option by some investors. South Africa's debt is set to hit 44.3 percent share of GDP by 2016.

Jordan PM warns peace deal with Israel may be reviewed

Prime Minister Abdullah Nsur warned on Wednesday that Jordan might review a 1994 peace treaty with Israel after the Knesset began a debate on allowing Jewish prayer at Jerusalem's sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound. "If Israel wants to violate the peace treaty in this issue, the entire treaty, its article, details and wording will be put on the table," Nsur told Qatar's Al-Watan paper in an interview. Under the peace treaty, Jordan is the custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. Nsur's remarks, as cited by the state-run Petra news agency, came as Jordan's parliament passed a motion urging the expulsion of Israel's ambassador to the kingdom, Daniel Nevo. The vote followed a motion the previous day signed by 47 MPs demanding that the peace treaty with Israel be scrapped. "All deputies who attended a meeting today to discuss Israel's debate on sovereignty over Al-Aqsa voted to kick out the Israeli envoy and recall the Jordanian ambass

Egypt sentences 26 to death for Suez Canal plot

Egypt's Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Wednesday 26 people in absentia to death for forming a terrorist cell to target ships passing through the Suez Canal, state-run Ahram website reported. The 26 defendants were also charged with making missiles and explosive devices and possessing automatic weapons and huge amounts of ammunition. Since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last July, the security conditions in Egypt have been deteriorating as hardliners frequently stage attacks on military and police premises as well as the energy facilities.

ASUP will not call off strike unless its demands are met--Spokesman

(Nigeria) The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, in Yola on Wednesday said it would continue with its six months old  strike unless the Federal Government met its demands. ASUP National Public Relations Officer, Mr Clement  Chirman, told newsmen it was unfortunate that the Federal Government had not demonstrated enough will to accede to the teachers’ demands. Chirman said the union had, therefore, decided to solicit the support of the members of the public in pressing home its demands. ``The attitude of government is a clear manifestation of government’s estimation of the importance of polytechnic education. It is this same perception that acerbated the discrimination and marginalisation of the sector and its graduates by both the public and private sectors of the economy,’’ he said. He blamed the country’s slow technological development on government’s insensitivity to polytechnic education. ``We make bold to say that the critical state of the polytechnic sector

Herbalist remanded for manslaughter

(Nigeria) An Osogbo Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Osun State, has ordered the remand of a 24-year-old herbalist, Francis Eze, at the Ilesha prison for alleged manslaughter. The police prosecutor, Sgt. Elisha Olusegun, said the accused on February 9,  allegedly sold poison to  one Alao Hammed, referring to it  as herbal medicine. Olusegun said Hammed, who resides  at Ifesowapo quarters in Ile-Ife, Ife North Local Government Area of Osun, started to convulse  after drinking the concoction and later died. He said the offence committed by the accused contravened section 325 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol.11 Laws of  Osun, 2003. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Chief Magistrate, Mr Olusola Aluko, ordered the accused to be remanded at the Ilesha prison and asked his counsel, Mr Taiwo Awokunle, to file a formal bail application. He adjourned the case to March 31 for mention.  

APC calls Yobe school attack horrific

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The All Progressives Congress, APC, has unreservedly condemned Monday night's horrific attack on the Federal Government College in Yobe state, in which over 40 students were reported to have been brutally murdered by blood-thirsty insurgents. In a statement in Lagos on Wednesday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the attacks, which were extremely gory even by the scorched-earth tactics of the terrorists, plumbs the depth of horror. ''What a sad day for Nigeria and indeed for all of humanity, when innocent school children were used as soft targets by a group of cowardly terrorists, who have shed their toga of humanity on the altar of a meaningless ideology. ''We condole with the families of the victims as well as the government and people of Yobe State over this abominable crime. We urge the state and federal government to work together to ensure that schools in the state are adequately protected,'' it

SERAP drags Coca-Cola, NBC to UN over harmful drinks and abuse of right to health

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(Nigeria) Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has dragged Coca-Cola Limited and the Nigerian Bottling Company Limited to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights over “serious breaches of corporate responsibility to respect the right to health of Nigerians and the failure to provide effective remedies to victims.” SERAP said “This failure of due diligence has implications for the enjoyment of the economic and social rights guaranteed under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.” The petition by its Executive Director, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni followed last week’s disclosure by the Nigerian Consumer Protection Council of cases of harmful drinks including two half-empty cans of Sprite, a product manufactured by the NBC under the licence and authority of Coca-Cola Limited, and rusty bottle crown corks, rusty cans and foreign particles in products. The CPC also said that these companies have failed to put in

Land fraud: Prosecution drops charge against Ojikutu

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(Nigeria) The Prosecution on Wednesday dropped a criminal charge against a former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, over N130 million fraud. The Police Special Fraud Unit had brought a three-count charge of conspiracy, fraud and stealing against the former deputy governor. When the case was mentioned, the prosecutor, Mr Effiong Asuquo, informed the court that the prosecution was withdrawing the charge against Ojikutu. Asuquo, therefore, made an oral application for the charge to be withdrawn. Justice Mohammed Yunusa, in a short ruling, granted the prayer of the prosecution and accordingly struck out the charge. In the charge, Ojikutu was alleged to have committed the offence in September 2011. She was alleged to have conspired with one Sampson Ojikutu, who was at large, to fraudulently obtain the sum of N130 million from one Cajetan Okekearu for land at Lekki, Phase 1. 

Lekki International Airport project on course----Fashola

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(Nigeria) Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State said on Tuesday night that the state government had not jettisoned its plan to build an international airport in Lekki area of the state. Fashola told State House correspondents in Lagos that the delay in actual take-off of the project did not mean it had been abandoned. He said  that the state government had already done all the preparatory work on the project and was engaging the right investors to translate it to fruition. According to him, what the government plans to build is an international airport that will live to its true name and comply with the best aviation standards. ``There are airports and there are airports. What we think Lagos deserves is a truly international airport that can compete globally. And those are not the kinds of airports that government would build and run. ``We have acquired the land for the project, government is fencing the land. We are doing the financial and the technical study of the p

5 illegal miners found dead in South Africa

Police said on Wednesday in Johannesburg that the bodies of five illegal miners had been found laid near an abandoned mine in western Johannesburg. It said the five were confirmed dead after paramedics rushed to the scene. It is believed the bodies were brought to the surface by other illegal miners, however it was still unclear when and how they died as the police  are launching an investigation. It said miners regularly risk their lives by illegally excavating in dangerous abandoned mines in South Africa to make money. It said a corpse was recovered from the same mine on Sunday, while two bodies were found in a deserted mine in eastern Johannesburg last week. On Saturday the National Union of Mineworkers warned the spread of illegal mining would lead to big disasters if the practice could not be curbed. Susan Shabangu, Minister of Mineral Resources, promised on Friday that the government would do more to crack down on illegal mining in the country. It said mining had

3 killed, 5 others injured in foiled robbery in Kenya

Two suspected robbers were gunned down by police and five others wounded in a dramatic shoot-out on  a busy street in Nairobi's central business district on Tuesday, police command said. Benson Kibue, Nairobi police commander, said on Wednesday in Nairobi that the slain gangsters were on a robbery mission in the city centre. He said another woman who was caught by stray bullets also died at the hospital. "We gunned down the two gangsters and recovered two pistols from them in a foiled robbery mission and the injured were rushed to the hospital," he said. Kibue said two victims in critical conditions were transferred by St John Ambulance to Kenyatta National Hospital, while three others remained admitted at the nearby Acacia Clinic. He said most people had to seek cover under vehicles as police pursued the armed gangs. One suspect was shot dead on Kimathi Street while the second one was gunned down on Kamba lane, off Moi Avenue. Kibue said the incident took pl

Alleged N15b fraud: Court fixes March 14 for ex-Gulf Bank MD's trial

(Nigeria) A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday fixed March 14 for the trial of a former Managing Director of the defunct Gulf Bank, Johnson Adebami, and three others over alleged N15 billion fraud. Justice Mohammed Yunusa granted the adjournment in accordance to the prayers of the prosecution. Adebami is being tried alongside Uche Uwechia, a Briton, Gareth Wilcox, and his companies -- Ibom Power Ltd and LYK Engineering. They are facing a 21-count offence bordering on fraud. At the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday, the prosecutor, told the court that another accused would soon be arraigned. Prosecution asked for an adjournment as a result of the new development. The accused, who were arraigned on December 23, 2013, had pleaded not guilty to the charges. The judge granted them bail in the sum of N200 million each with two sureties each in like sum. The accused were alleged to have converted over N15 billion, property of the defunct bank to personal use on t

Gunmen blew up gas pipeline in Egypt

Gunmen blew up a natural gas pipeline on  Tuesday evening in Egypt's Arish city of North Sinai governorate, a local security source has said. It said on Wednesday in Arish that the assailants bombed the pipeline in southern Arish that provides natural gas to the industrial area, and pointing fingers at extremist supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. It added that the pipeline basically provides natural gas to factories belonging to the armed forces. It said since Morsi's removal by the military in July 2013, gas pipelines in Sinai have been targeted several times, and the al- Qaida-inspired and Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group have always claimed responsibility for the attacks. It said on February 11, a pipeline in Arish providing natural gas to Jordan and some plants in Sinai was similarly blown up.

Sanusi, not a whistle blower----- Maku

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(Nigeria) The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, said on Tuesday in Abuja that  the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi was not a whistle blower. Maku said this when he  spoke to newsmen after the 2014 budget defence of his Ministry before the Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs. He said that as the manager of the nation's monetary policies, a central bank governor must weigh his utterances before making them public. "The role of the CBN governor is a quiet role. You don't even hear them talk.  And if he makes any statement, it affects the capital market and the entire economy. "Sanusi is not a whistle blower but governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. I have not heard in any nation where the central bank governor is a whistle blower. He is the manager of the nation's monetary policies as an adviser to the President of Nigeria on those issues. "So, the fact that he (Sanusi) has moved

Afghan army officers sacked after deadly attack

Afghan Defence Council on Tuesday  dismissed nine army officers for dereliction of duty after a deadly Taliban attack that killed 20 soldiers in a remote army outpost. Zahir Azimi, Defence Ministry spokesman, said the officers were accused of negligence in their duties and failing to take preventive measures to stop the assault early Sunday in the Ghaziabad District of the eastern province of Kunar. ``The high defence council decided to dismiss these officers after a report prepared by the army chief of staff’’, he said. Aximi said nine people, including one high-level officer and two intelligence officers who served at the military corps in the eastern part of the country were dismissed. He said their cases have been referred to the Attorney General’s office for further investigation and prosecution. Azimi said it was a very big attack planned outside Afghanistan, as there was evidence human and electronic intelligence showing that hundreds of fighters had come from the oth

Journalist dies in Gombe

(Nigeria) The Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Gombe State has lost one of its members, Mr Mike Ogbu, of Daily Independent Newspaper. A statement signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the chapel, Mr Timothy Choji and Williams Attah respectively in Gombe on Tuesday said Ogbu died in his home town, Obuofia in Nkanu West local government of Enugu State. The statement said the late Ogbu, who had stayed in Gombe for 10 years, was survived by a wife and five children - three girls and two boys. It said the chapel had opened a condolence register for its members and others to register their condolences. The statement said that burial arrangements for the deceased would be announced by his family. “His wife, Mrs Ngozika Ogbu, who confirmed the death, said he died at the age of 48 in the early hours of February  25 after battling with a protracted illness,” it said.

Man jailed 7 months for drug peddling in Ekiti

(Nigeria) A Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State on Tuesday sentenced one Gbenga Osungoroye to seven months imprisonment  for drug peddling. Trial judge, Justice Adamu Hobon,  sentenced the convict without an option of fine. He said the sentence would serve as a lesson to others  who might want to take to  the illicit trade of drug dealing. Justice Hobon said he considered the mitigation of sentence for the convict on the ground that he was battling tuberculosis. This, the judge said, was revealed by the medical report presented to the court by the defence counsel. He, however, directed that  the jail term should commence  from the date of  his arrest on July 21, 2013. The counsel to the NDLEA, had told the court  that the convict  was arrested on the  Ise/Orun road in Ise/Orun Local Government Area of Ekiti. Prosecution said the convict at the point of arrest was carrying 23.8 kilogrammes of Indian hemp. The counsel said the offence contravened section 11(c) o

Jonathan condemns killing of college students in Yobe

(Nigeria) President Goodluck  Jonathan has condemned the killing of scores of students  by suspected terrorists at a college in Yobe State in the early hours of Tuesday. The condemnation is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by Dr Reuben Abati, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity. Abati said that the President received with immense sadness and anguish, the news of the murder of the students. ``On behalf of himself and the Federal Government, President Jonathan extends heartfelt condolences to the parents and relatives of the murdered students. The President wholly condemns the heinous killing of the guiltless students. ``He assures the nation that his administration will not relent in its ongoing efforts to end the scourge of terrorism in parts of the country, which has sadly claimed more innocent lives today.’’ The special adviser said the President had assured that the Armed Forces and other security agencies would continue to prose

Anambra election tribunal dismisses Obidigbo’s petition

The Anambra State governorship election tribunal has dismissed the petition filed by an aspirant of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Dr Chike Obidigbo, to be joined in the petition. In a ruling in Awka on Tuesday, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ishaq Bello, said Obidigbo could not be joined in the petition in the spirit of the Electoral Act. He said Obidigbo had no business in the tribunal. Obidigbo had filed a petition against Chief Willie Obiano, the candidate of APGA, who was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. He also sought to be joined in the petitions filed by the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Sen. Chris Ngige, and Mr Tony Nwoye of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, claiming that he was the rightful candidate of APGA. Justice Bello said it was the view of the tribunal that the applicant was not known to be a party in the election and could not statutorily be joined in the petition.

Protests in Caracas, US expels Venezuelan diplomats

Student protesters marched toward the Cuban embassy Tuesday in yet another day of anti-government demonstrations in Caracas as the United States announced the tit-for-tat expulsions of three Venezuelan diplomats. The US action, which answered Venezuela's expulsions of three American diplomats last week, came a day after President Nicolas Maduro said his government would name a new US ambassador to Washington. A State Department official said the Venezuelans would have 48 hours to leave the United States. Caracas appeared to be slowly returning to normal after a night of sporadic clashes, although in some middle class neighborhoods streets were still partially blocked by barriers of rubble and garbage. Tuesday morning, small groups of youths made their way toward the Cuban embassy, another potential flashpoint and a target of opposition ire. "Venezuelans who don't protest, don't get out of this. Join us," read a banner set amid a small group of students.

Second Niger Bridge to gulp N117 billion - FG

(Nigeria) The Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen, said on Tuesday in Abuja that N117 billion will be spent to construct the second Niger Bridge. Onolememen made this known while defending the ministry's budget before the Sen. Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi) led Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P). The minister said that N30 billion of the amount would be sourced from the SURE-P while the balance would come from the private sector partners. "What government set up to do from the beginning was that the N30 billion counterpart fund for the second Niger Bridge was going to be paid through the SURE-P. It was postulated that every year, the sum of N10 billion would be provided in the SURE-P for the second Niger Bridge and because it did not take off in 2012, we downgraded the allocation until the project takes off." According to him, there is massive mobilisation going on now at the location and the ground breaking ceremony wi

Ejigbo torture: Police Arrest 12 suspects, declare 4 wanted

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(Nigeria) The police have arrested 12 suspects and declared four others wanted in connection with the torture of a woman and her two daughters. Notice of the arrest is contained in a statement issued by Mr Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer in Abuja on Tuesday. It would be recalled that three women were tortured at the Oba Morufu International Market, Ejigbo in Lagos in February 2013 over alleged stealing. Mba gave the supects’ names as Isiaka Waidi (the Baba-Oja of the market), the mastermind of the act, Haruna Abdullahi and Buhari Yusuf. Others are Saheed Adisa, Lateef Tijani, Ahmed Adisa, Oloruntoyin Dauda, also known as Iya-Oja, Adenkunle Adenuga, Jimoh Busari and Azeez Akinosun. Mba said it was Buhari Yusuf who mixed a concoction of pepper and spirit, which was applied on the body of the victims, including their private parts. Those declared wanted, according to him, are Tiri, Otepa Oluronti, Akeem and Machael Abolore. ``Tiri was captured in a video foo