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(Nigeria) A Federal High Court, Lagos, on Thursday ordered the officials of the Ikoyi Prison, Lagos, to allow a sick convict, Adeyemo Abiodun, get medical attention. Abiodun was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, for the sale of adulterated teething mixture, "My Pikin". He was sentenced by Justice Okechukwu Okeke on May 17, alongside one Ebele Eromosele, both employees of Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Ltd., makers of the teething syrup. Justice Mohammed Idris, gave the order for medical treatment, following the hearing of an exparte application filed on behalf of the convict by his counsel. Counsel in his application, prayed the court to allow the convict whom he said collapsed for the second time in custody, to be admitted in a nearby hospital for proper medical attention. Justice Idris in his ruling, ordered that the convict be allowed to seek medical attention at the prison's clinic. The judge said that ``where it is evidence that medi

(Nigeria)  Abductors of Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, wife of a Supreme Court Justice, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, his daughter and driver, collected N3 million ransom before they released them on   Monday night.   It was gathered that the ransom was paid more than a week before they were released, but the kidnappers still kept them because the other victims in their camp were yet to pay their ransom, and they were only released when all the victims' families had paid up. It was learnt that one of the victims is a top official of   Delta State Water Board, who was also kidnapped, some weeks ago, and he was released along with the Rhodes-Vivours Monday night,   after his ransom was also paid. It was gathered that the victims were held at a camp in Delta State. The kidnappers, it was gathered,   contacted the families of their victims and the judge’s family paid N2 million, while somebody else paid N1 million to bring the total to N3 million. The victims were sunsequent

For the first time in France, two men who were together for six years, on Wednesday exchanged vows in the city hall of the southern city of Montpellier, reports Xinhua . The first gay marriage came after the Socialists's major reform that triggered month-long hot debates and violent street protests. Wearing black suits, Vincent Aubin and Bruno Boileau, the gay couple, arrived to the town hall of France's most gay-friendly city at around 17:47 local time (15:47 GMT) under the crackling flashes. The two men entered the ceremony room to sounds of "Love", a Jazz song of Nat King Cole. Aubin, a 40-year-old gay activist and Boileau, a government worker in his 30s were the first same-sex couple who signed the marriage registry entry for gay people before Montpellier's mayor Helene Mandroux who declared them "united by the marriage link in the name of the law." "This day you have dreamed of, and today, it becomes reality. Vinent and Bru

The number of American troops committing suicide has increased to nearly two a day, with experts beginning to take notice of its deleterious effects, Press TV reports.   “I think we’ve paid more attention to it. The data wasn’t too good in the beginning. They really don’t take it seriously till 2010. The other thing that’s happening is the cumulative effect,” said Lary Korb, a US military health advocate. This is while a new US military report released last week recorded 161 potential suicides among active US troops and service members in 2013, indicating that the pace of self-inflicted deaths is set to rival the record rate in 2012. The military registered 349 suicides or one every 17 hours in 2012, much higher than the 295 American soldiers who died in Afghanistan during the same period.   “They don’t really talk about it. It’s not something the people - I mean I don’t know it that close enough that they would tell me about it,” said Richard Weitz, a US foreign policy

A number of Afghan lawmakers have reiterated their opposition to United States of America plans to establish permanent military bases in Afghanistan, reports Presstv. The lawmakers affiliated with different political factions said in a statement on Wednesday that the US was taking advantage of the worsening security situation across the country. They noted that US’s long-term military presence would not help deescalate the ongoing tensions in Afghanistan. Several weeks ago, the US and Afghanistan signed a bilateral security agreement, which allows US forces to use nine military bases on Afghan soil. Under another security pact signed last year, Washington has to provide support for Afghan forces. Meanwhile, Afghan National Unity Party leader Bismillah Shir has called on President Hamid Karzai to provide further clarifications on the US plan. “We have already made it clear that we do not need American bases in our country. What we need at this point of time is an econo

At least three soldiers have been killed and three others injured in an attack on a military patrol in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi, reports Presstv. Military spokesman Abdullah al-Shaafi said on Wednesday the bomb attack killed at least one soldier on the spot while the other two later succumbed to their injuries. “An explosive device that was concealed in a rubbish bin blew up near a patrol of the Al-Khandak Brigades,” al-Shaafi said. Heavily-armed assailants have attacked several army posts in the troubled eastern city over the past few weeks. Benghazi is the cradle of the 2011 uprising which toppled the long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The city has since been the scene of numerous attacks and assassinations.

The United Nations human rights chief urged countries on Wednesday not to supply Syria with weapons and to press both sides to find a political end to the war. ``This has become urgent and imperative to prevent more massacres and the threat to regional stability,.'' Navi Pillay said. ``If the current situation persists, or deteriorates further, increased inter-communal massacres are a certainty, rather than a risk," Pillay told the UN Human Rights Council. Referring to efforts to convene a peace conference in Geneva in coming weeks, she said: ``This is an extremely important opportunity for states with influence to pull the parties back from the brink of catastrophe ... The flow of arms must stop and the process of national dialogue must begin now." Pillay spoke after the European Union decided to let an EU arms embargo on Syria to expire and Russia said it would deliver an advanced S-300 air defence system to the Damascus government in spite

(Nigeria) Governor  Peter Obi of Anambra State,on Wednesday granted amnesty to 21 prisoners drawn from Awka, Onitsha, Aguata and Enugu prisons, as part of activities to mark the Democracy Day, This is contained in a statement in Awka by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Mike Udah. According to the statement, the exercise was in compliance with the constitutional powers of the governor. The statement noted that three inmates: Chidiebele Okolisa, Nafiu Mohammed and Kenechukwu Nwobodo, were released from Awka Prison, while Chibuzo Ekweizu and Chukwudi Okonkwo were released from Aguata Prison. "The beneficiaries from Onitsha Prison are Mmaduabuchi Ojimba, Dick Iboro, Ikechukwu Nnamani, Amaechi Oloh, Chukwunonso Igbomalu, Sunday Udezulu and Ibrahim Ahmed. ``Other lucky ones from Onitsha Prison are Chinedum Ephraim, Adebayo Damilare, Christian Okeke, Julius Nweke, Sundy Ogugua, Chijioke Oforkalu, Nnamdi Nwabunwanne and Donatus Obioha. The statement said

Insurgents attacked the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, killing an Afghan guard in the second major assault on a humanitarian organisation in less than a week, reports Reuters. Seven staff members, believed to be the total number of foreign workers at the ICRC in Jalalabad, were rescued by Afghan police during the attack, which involved a suicide bomber and three gunmen, an Interior Ministry spokesman said. Police carried away the blood-soaked body of the guard who was shot dead at the beginning of the assault, which started when the suicide bomber detonated explosives at the ICRC gate at 5:30 p.m. (1300 GMT). The attack was the first of its kind on the strictly neutral ICRC in Afghanistan since it started operations in the country in 1987. ICRC water engineer Ricardo Munguia was shot dead in Afghanistan in 2003. The ICRC's $90 million-a-year operations in Afghanistan are the group's bi

A Kenyan High Court has ordered police to reinvestigate complaints of rape by 11 girls in a landmark case brought by a children's charity on behalf of more than 240 victims of child rape. Reports say some of the victims are as young as three years old. Mercy Chidi, who runs the Ripples International children's charity in Meru, Kenya, filed a petition on behalf of the girls, who came to the charity for help after being raped by fathers, grandfathers, uncles, police officers and neighbours. The police rarely investigated their complaints, even locking one girl in a cell after she reported one of their colleagues had raped her, Chidi said. Police demanded bribes to investigate rape, refused to investigate unless the victims produced witnesses, and said victims had consented to intercourse, the victims said. The court order released late on Tuesday in Meru, 240 km northeast of Nairobi, said police contributed to a culture of tolerance for sexual violen

(Nigeria) Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday tasked political leaders to adopt practical measures to accelerate effective utilisation of human and natural resources for sustainable development in the country. Obasanjo gave the challenge while speaking at the maiden Jigawa Economic and Investment Summit in Dutse. The summit was organised by the state as part of the activities to mark the 2013 Democracy Day celebration. The major highlight of the summit was to encourage investment on agriculture, information and communication technology, ICT, solid minerals and small and medium scale enterprises, SMEs. Obasanjo said that Nigeria was endowed with abundant natural and human resources, which could be transformed to the social and economic benefit of the people. “Nigeria is a land of opportunities and it is blessed with all it takes to develop, it has been stagnant for so long, it is about time to change these opportunities to actuality. “There i

(Nigeria) The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji  Aminu Tambuwal, has called on Nigerians to nurture and protect the country's democracy by participating actively in governance process at all levels. This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, to commemorate the Democracy Day in Nigeria. The speaker in the statement stressed the need for Nigerians to participate fully in the country’s democratic process at both the local, state and federal levels. He also urged those in authority to build institutions of governance in so that the country's democracy would stands on “sure footing'' 'for the benefit of the future generation. Tambuwal said that one of the cardinal principles of democracy was openness and transparency. “Therefore, those in authority must be open and transparent in the conduct of their activities at all times, " he said.

(Nigeria) Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said the Army authority had handed over to the commission 26 suspects arrested in connection with alleged illegal oil bunkering in Lagos. Acting Head of Media and Publicity EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren in a statement, Wednesday, said the Army arrested the suspected illegal oil bunkering vessels believed to be loading unspecified quantity of stolen fuel. EFCC said that the Army seized the vessel - MT-Swordfish of two barges and arrested two crew members of the vessel and two staff of Liberty Jetty, Elegbeta, Marina Lagos, where the vessel was harboured. It said that 20 other staff of Liberty Jetty, Elegbeta were arrested and handed over to the EFCC by Col. H. I. Dasuki of 81 Division Nigeria Army. It added that the military authority also handed over to the commission six other trucks as exhibit. The statement said that the arrest was made at about 04:a.m.  May 22, by the men and officers of 'OPMESA’, w

By Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa I listened to Governor Babatunde  Fashola, SAN of of Lagos State, Governor, with a very heavy and burdened heart, as he commissioned the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge, Lagos, today, Wednesday. I was thoroughly shocked and bewildered to hear the governor announce toll fees for the use of the bridge. This is in spite of a pending court case, in the federal high court, Lagos. I am at a loss on how a very learned senior counsel, of the highly esteemed rank of a senior advocate of Nigeria, such as the governor of Lagos State, will treat a court of law and indeed our hallowed judicial system, with such odium, disdain and wanton disrespect. I have continued to commend His Excellency for the initiatives and developments that he had midwifed in Lagos State, but that cannot, by any stretch of imagination, justify impunity and contempt for the judiciary. On May 22, 2013, I was at the federal high court, Ikoyi, Lagos, with the Hon Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr Ad

(Nigeria)President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday in Abuja, implored Nigerians to assess his administration based on individual scorecards. Jonathan said this while presenting the mid-term report of his four-year Transformation Agenda. He advised his critics to assess the report he presented based on their individual scorecards. The president said that all the achievements had been enumerated by the ministers in his cabinet. He, therefore,  urged anyone willing to assess the government “to develop a marking scheme and mark us”. He said that the essence of the forum was to formerly present a document to Nigerians about the workings of government in the last two years.

Champions League winners Bayern Munich have taken over as the most valuable football brand in the world from Premier League club champions Manchester United. The 2013 list compiled by British company Brand Finance values the Bundesliga club at $860 million - $23 million  more than United. Real Madrid, valued at $621 million, are third, with their Spanish rivals, Barcelona fourth, valued at $572 million. Five Premier League clubs are in the top 10, with the other five places belonging to two German clubs, two Spanish clubs and AC Milan.

(Nigeria) Nigerians have expressed mixed feelings over governance as the country celebrates its 14 th Democracy Day . The Federal Government had declared May 29 Democracy Day in 2000 to commemorate the return of civil rule after many years of military governance of  the country. Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, handed over power to  President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999 and the year after, the latter declared the date a national holiday. Commenting on the celebration, the Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters’ Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Khalid, urged Nigerians to offer special prayers for peace, unity and national stability. Khalid told News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that prayer was the only way for the country to sustain its democracy. ``We are calling on Nigerians to intensify prayers for the strengthening of our evolving democracy in line with international best practices,’’ Khalid said. He, however, advised Nigerian leaders to address issues of justice

(Nigeria) The leader of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram claims in a video obtained by AFP on Tuesday that Nigerian soldiers have retreated during an ongoing military offensive while insurgents have sustained little damage. The video marks the first public comments from Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau since the start of a sweeping offensive by the Nigerian army on May 15 and also includes a call for foreign Islamists to join the fight in Nigeria. Shekau's whereabouts cannot be determined in the video, in which he is shown seated and dressed in camouflage with a turban, an AK-47 at his side. His comments contradict statements from the military, which has claimed major successes during the offensive, including the destruction of Boko Haram camps and dozens of arrests. It has been impossible to verify the claims of either side independently, with the military having cut mobile phone service in much of the country's northeast and access to remote locations restricted.