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(Nigeria) The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, on Thursday released 129 inmates from the Ikoyi Prisons in Lagos. Justice Phillips ordered the release when she paid a visit to the prison, as part of activities marking the 2013/2014 Legal Year of the state Judiciary. NAN also reports that the Chief Judge had on Wednesday released another batch of 119 inmates from the Kirikiri Medium and Maximum Security Prisons in Lagos. Releasing the inmates, Phillips admonished them to ``go and sin no more". She reiterated her commitment towards decongesting the prisons, adding that the inmates being released had spent many years awaiting trial. Phillips said: ``It is very sad to note that there are so many inmates awaiting trial despite our modest attempt to decongest the prison. ``However, I am very glad to hear that none of the inmates released on my last visit to Ikoyi Prison, Lagos in November 2012, have made their way back here." She, therefore, adv

(Nigeria) Over 8,000 women on Thursday matched to the Zamfara State Hisbah Commission seeking the state government's assistance to enable them get married. Led by the Chairperson of the Zamfara Widows Association, Hajiya Suwaiba Isa and their patron Alhaji Sa'idu Goshe, the women said they were not living a normal life and needed husbands to become whole. ``Many of us cannot afford two meals in a day because there are no men to support us," they said. The patron, said the association has over  8,000 women, comprising 5,380 divorcees, 2,200 widows, 1,200 orphans and 80 others, whom he said, were looking for men to marry. He said the women also needed assistance to purchase household items such as beds, mattresses and other basic necessities needed to move to their husband houses. Goshe appealed to the commission to assist the association in screening suitors for the women. He said the screening would determine the suitors health status, source of livelihood an

The Iranian authorities before the chemical attack near Damascus had warned the United States that the terrorist groups acting in Syria had access to chemical weapons, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday in an interview with the U.S. PBS television channel, reports Itar-Tass. He said that the Iranian side had informed U.S. officials that the facilities (for the production) of chemical weapons were in the hands of terrorist groups in Syria. Rouhani stressed that Iran strongly condemned the use of chemical weapons by anybody. As for the chemical attack in a suburb of Damascus, according to the Iranian president, it was necessary to carry out additional work to find out who did it.

(Nigeria) The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has confirmed Malam Rislanudeen Muhammad as the acting Managing Director of Unity Bank Plc. This followed the retirement of Mr Ado Yakubu Wanka. A statement issued by the bank on Thursday in Lagos said the appointment was contained in a letter to the bank, dated Sept. 20 and signed by CBN Director of Banking Supervision, Mr A. O. Idris. The statement said that Muhammad started his banking career over two decades ago in one of the nine legacy banks that merged to form the Unity Bank Plc., in 2006. ``He also holds a B.Sc degree in Economics from the Bayero University, Kano, and an M.Sc degree in the same field from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,’’ it added. The statement said that Muhammad was part of the management team that built the strong corporate governance culture of the bank.

(Nigeria) Justice Daniel Okungbowa of the Edo State High Court has been abducted in the state. Meanwhile, the Edo State Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, on Thursday protested the  abduction of Justice Okungbowa. Okungbowa was reportedly kidnapped in Benin on Wednesday. The Chairman of the association, Mr Oriene Akhere, who led the protesting NBA members to the state police command, called on the state's Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, to ensure that the judge was released unhurt and unconditionally. The command's Public Relations Officer, Mr Moses Eguavoen, who received the angry lawyers on behalf of the commissioner, promised to bring the perpetrators to book. ``We appreciate your effort and we identify with you. We assure you that we are working tirelessly to arrest the situation in the state. ``It is not the first time incident like this is happening. We cannot do it alone, that is why we need your cooperation. ``We urge you to help the police

(Nigeria) The National Commercial Tricycles and Motorcycles Owners and Riders Association NATOMORAS, has appealed to the Federal Government to set up a commission of inquiry to unravel the mystery behind the Apo killing. The FCT Chairman of the Association, Alhaji Usman Gwarzo, made the appeal at a one-day seminar on the Challenges of Tricycle and Okada Operators in Abuja. The seminar was organised by the Alliance for Credible Elections, ACE, an election monitoring group in collaboration with NATOMORAS. `` We shall immediately be embarking on protest throughout the entire FCT, if this is not adhered to within the next seven days,’’  Gwarzo said. According to him, about eight tricycle operators lost their lives, while about 13 of them sustained various degrees of injury as a result of the shooting. He, however, commended the support of the Senate, the Human Rights Commission and concerned citizens of the country for independently raising panels to probe the Apo killing. Gwarzo r

Interpol said on Thursday it had issued an intentional arrest notice for Samantha Lewthwaite, the British woman dubbed the "white widow", at the request of Kenya, reports Xinhua. "An INTERPOL Red Notice, or internationally wanted persons alert, has been issued for UK national Samantha Lewthwaite at the request of authorities in Kenya," Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble announced in a statement. "Lewthwaite, aged 29, who is also believed to use the alias 'Natalie Webb', is wanted by Kenya on charges of being in possession of explosives and conspiracy to commit a felony dating back to December 2011," said Interpol. "Through the INTERPOL Red Notice, Kenyan authorities have ensured that all 190 member countries are aware of the danger posed by this woman, not just across the region but also worldwide," said the head of Interpol. The Interpol's notice comes after Kenyan forces on Tuesday defeated attackers from Som