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(Nigeria) The Minister of Interior, Mr Abba Moro, said on Friday that 22,000 illegal immigrants were repatriated  in the last six months. Moro said this in  an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse, Jigawa State. According to him,  the  various arrests made during many crises in the country, revealed that some foreigners were among the perpetrators. ``We mobilised immigration officers from various commands to deploy to vulnerable borders to prevent entry of illegal immigrants,” he said. The minister stated that his ministry had concluded plan to provide 11 armoured patrol vehicles to be used along  the borders in addition to  purchasing  some technologies that would help in monitoring activities along  the borders. He said  the ministry had also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Machinery Corporation in Beijing on the  provision of electronic equipment  for use along  the borders. The minister said that plan was underway to

(Nigeria) The Police Command in Edo on Saturday confirmed the kidnap of Chief Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Moses Eguavoen, who confirmed the kidnap to newsmen in Benin, said that Ozekhome was kidnapped on Friday on the Benin-Auchi Road. Eguavoen said that intelligence report also confirmed that the kidnappers abducted Ozekhome’s driver and  killed four police officers in a shootout. He said that some of the suspected kidnappers escaped with bullet wounds. The Edo State House of Assembly recently passed a bill for law prescribing death penalty for kidnappers in the state. Section four of the law says that any person who attempts to commit kidnapping is liable upon conviction to life imprisonment.

(Nigeria) One person died on Saturday when the motorcade of the Deputy Governor of Zamfara, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala, was involved in an accident in Jere town on the Kaduna-Abuja highway. Malam Yusuf Idris, the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Gusau, saying that the driver of the pilot vehicle died on the spot. Idris said the accident occurred when a motorcyclist suddenly crossed the road while the motorcade was passing. He said that four security men sustained various degrees of injury in the accident. ``The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Tafa health facility while those injured are responding to treatment,'' Idris said.

(Nigeria) The Joint Task Force in Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, said on Saturday that it  discovered oil spill in the oil field operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company, Bonny, Rivers. Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Media Coordinator, JTF, Yenagoa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the task force discovered the spill during anti oil theft raid. Nwachukwu said the JTF observed that the spill was caused by corrosion noticed along SPDC’s pipeline at Cawthorne Channel 2 area, adding it had notified the company to fix the leakage. ``The patrol team reported a leakage close to a signpost marked KP-67 located around Pulokiri/Money Ground between Adamakiri and Creek 6 general area. ``An assessment of the spot reveals that a brownish liquid substance was observed jetting out from an opening on the pipe line. ``The Commanding Officer, 146 Battalion, Lt Col. Lander Saraso, attributed the leakage to corrosion on the pipeline.''  He urged

(Nigeria) Dozens of suspected Boko Haram militants in Magumeri forest, Borno, have turned to human eaters after being stranded for days without food or water. Magumeri forest is about 150 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital. Mallam Momodu Bukar, a suspected militant, told newsmen on Saturday in Maiduguri that he fled the camp at the forest on Thursday when it became obvious that he was going to be eaten. ``I thank God that I escaped because I would have been slaughtered by now to provide meal for my colleagues at the camp,'' Bukar said. The suspected militant was captured by a Youth Vigilante Group, popularly known as the civilian JTF at Baga Road motor park, Maiduguri, on Friday.. He said the militants had been in the forest since May, when they were dislodged from Marte, Marte Local Government Area, by the Joint Task Force,  JTF, on Operation Restore Order, ORO, after the declaration of the State of Emergency. ``Our group, consisting of about 300 w

Egyptian police arrested spokesman of the Muslim Brotherhood Ahmed Aaref  in Cairo in the early hours of Thursday, official news agency MENA reported. Aaref has been transferred under intensive security measures to Torah prison complex, where Brotherhood top leader Mohamed Badie and his first deputy Khirate Shater, as well as hard-liner Islamist preacher Safwat Hegazi and the group's media adviser Morad Mohamed Ali are detained, the report said. Aaref was arrested in his father-in-law's apartment in Cairo's northeastern district of Nasr City. The apartment is near Rabaa al- Adawiya Square, one of the two sites where supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi used for their rallies. According to another MENA report, the Egyptian prosecution has ordered the detention of Hegazi for 30 days (renewable) pending investigations of charges of inciting violence and killing anti- Morsi protesters.

(Nigeria) The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Ituku/Ozalla in Enugu State on Thursday became a shadow of itself after its workers joined their colleagues in an indefinite strike. The hospital had on Wednesday recorded a partial strike when a few unions downed their tools in response to the call by a joint union of medical health workers to embark on the strike. At a mass rally of the workers in Ituku/Ozalla on Thursday, the leaders of the various unions mobilised their members to join the strike. They declared unanimously that there was no going back on the strike until their national leadership said otherwise. Meanwhile, relations of patients began moves to relocate them shortly after the rally as the workers, including nurses, packed their bags and left them stranded. The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Mr Cyril Keleze, told NAN that doctors were not part of the strike and that the hospital would not close down. Keleze said patients with `

(Nigeria) A Federal High Court on Thursday in Abuja will on August 27  hear a motion challenging Chief Victor Umeh-led All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA for screening governorship aspirants for the party in Anambra State. Chief Maxi Okwu led  Ibrahim Carefor, Chief Dickson Ogu, Dr Gbenga Afeni and Alhaji Abubakar Adamu to file the suit. Giving ruling in an exparte motion seeking a leave to serve the respondents the motion of notice, Justice A.R Mohammed held that the prayer of the applicants were not out of place. ``I have read the motion ex parte seeking a leave to serve the respondents a motion on notice by substituted means. ``I have gone through the affidavit, the written address and the depositions in support of the application. With regards to some of the specific depositions, the court is moved to grant a leave for the respondents to be served all the processes by substituted means. In the circumstance, the court orders that the motion on notice and all other relev

(Nigeria) The police in Enugu State on Thursday arrested four persons in connection with a shooting incident at Ogwuago near Abakpa Nike, Enugu during which two persons lost their lives. A statement from the Enugu State Police Command said the shooting took place on Wednesday and that five other persons were injured during the incident. The statement, signed the command’s spokesman, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, named the dead as Sunday Eze and Nebechi Mba, adding that their bodies had been deposited at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu mortuary. Amaraizu said the police had launched a full scale investigation into the matter to ascertain its root cause. He said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Abubakar Mohammed, had urged members of the public to remain law-abiding as the police had beefed up security in the area.

(Nigeria) Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, Thursday, said that politicians were behind crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region. Bayelsa State chapter chairman of CLO, Mr. Nengi James,  during a visit to the state’s Federated Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ in Yenagoa, said  the ordinary folks in the region do not have the resources to engage in crude oil theft, which according to him, was highly technical and capital intensive. "I am always disappointed when people say that the common people in the Niger Delta are those involved in oil theft. This is a fallacy.  The real thieves are politicians who use the ordinary persons as fronts. It is time the security agents go for the real culprits." He advocated comprehensive life insurance for journalists, saying journalists operate under risky conditions in the country. "Journalists operate under very risky situation in the country. It is imperative that organizations and government institute compreh

(Nigeria) President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on Thursday reaffirmed his administration’s determination to do all within its powers to facilitate and encourage the rapid diversification of Nigeria’s economy. The president stated this at an audience with the outgoing Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Nigeria, Mr. Jaroslav Siro. Jonathan declared that his administration was fully committed to moving the Nigerian economy away from dependence on crude oil exports by promoting the development of the country’s non-oil sectors. He said that in keeping with the commitment, the Federal Government was actively exploring all avenues of boosting trade and economic relations with other countries in areas not related to the oil and gas sector. "With current developments in the world, we are more interested in diversifying our economy, not in over-emphasising oil and gas exports. "Our intention is to move our country away from being a mono-product economy that depends pri

(Nigeria) A 51-year-old trader, Yetunde Sodipo, was on Monday arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos for unlawfully selling late father’s house being contested in court. Sodipo, who resides at No 5, Ganiu Oduntan St., Ikorodu, is facing a three-count charge of forgery, stealing and unlawful selling a property. The Prosecutor, ASP Effiong Okon, said the accused committed the offence on May 14 at No. 41 Ondo St., Ebute Meta, where the house is located. Okon said the accused allegedly forged  the house's document of Dr John Sodipo, her father and sold the house to one Mr Tunde Kudus, at the cost of N6 million. He said Yetunde knew that the house was being contested in court in a suit no LD/1632/2010, but proceeded to sell the property. The prosecutor said the offence contravened sections 285, 312 and 363 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. Section 312 provides that anyone found guilty of the offence is liable to15 years imprisonment. The accus

(Nigeria) The Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, says the death in Lagos of commercial motorcycle operator,  Olalekan Ajayi, will be properly investigated to ensure justice. Abubakar made the promise in a statement issued by Mr Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer on Thursday. ``The Force will do its utmost best to ensure that investigation into the death is properly done and concluded in record time,’’ he said. The statement directed the commissioner of police in charge of the state to take urgent steps to ensure expeditious execution of justice on the matter. Ajayi was allegedly shot and killed on Tuesday at Ikorodu by a policeman attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, after he resisted seizure of his motorcycle. Aggrieved residents of the area took to the street on Wednesday to protest the killing. The statement said that the policeman linked with Ajayi’s death had been detained and was undergoing investigation. It condoled with the

(Nigeria) The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Dr Nasir Fagge, on Thursday vowed that ASUU would continue its on-going strike until the union's demands were met by the Federal Government. Fagge made the declaration while addressing newsmen at the University of Lagos, UNILAG, on the latest development on the strike. ``I wish to state clearly our position so far in the whole process of the negotiations with government since the strike commenced. ``We are currently calling on government to meet our demands as presented in the agreements we both signed in 2009 and then we can start talking about any other form of re-negotiation. ``A lot of people are asking us to shift grounds by accepting government’s offer of N30 billion and going back to class while we reach an agreement on when the next instalments will be paid. ``I do not see that as being acceptable to us for now because we had made that mistake before, whereby only the salary c

(Nigeria) Chief Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, has urged Nigerian editors to assist in the transition of the country from oil dependancy to other sectors.   In a good will message to the 9th All Nigerian Editors Conference organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Delta State Government on Thursday in Asaba, Anyim noted that the conference was timely. He said the theme for discussion ‘’Nigeria Beyond Oil: Role of Editors ‘’ was apt especially now that the revenue from oil has beginning to drop. He noted that this was the first time any organisation was presenting the topic for discussion in the country and added that the editors had thought it wise to come up with the issue for discussion. He charged the meeting to deliberate and come up with workable solutions to address the challenges of   transiting the country from its present status. ‘’Whether we like it or not we are transiting from an oil Nigeria to non oil Ni

Gunmen in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli killed at least three people when they opened fire on a supporter of the Lebanese Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah, security sources said. This happened outside his house in the early hours of Thursday, security sources added. They said two men on a motorbike shot dead Hossam al-Mouri in the Zahrieh neighbourhood in the largely Sunni city. A member of the security forces and another man at the scene were also killed. The incident highlights the rising sectarian tensions in Lebanon, which are being stoked by the conflict in neighbouring Syria in which more than 100,000 people have been killed. Many of Lebanon's Muslim Shi'ites support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is fighting a largely Sunni insurgency against his rule. Both Sunni and Shi'ite Lebanese fighters have participated in the war in Syria. Hezbollah has sent men to fight alongside Assad's forces, angering Sunni Muslims in Lebanon and the r

(Nigeria) Delta State governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, said on Thursday that government was repositioning the state to become a regional economic power. The governor, who spoke at the 9th all Nigerian editors conference in Asaba, said government  was also building the future of the state beyond oil. He said the economic development was hinged on its access to the sea, airports , roads and many urban and coastal  areas in the state.  ‘’ What we know and which is why we are so determined in the direction we are pushing is that it is clear that economic development in Delta is going to be shaped greatly by its location.  And that is, we are an emerging regional power. ‘’ With access to the sea, the Warri seaport, and with two airports, several dualised roads on a strategic network and of course, with our two great poles, with Warri and Asaba and many urban and riverine areas. The people of Delta must feel they have a government that cares about them. They must feel the impa

 Four rockets were launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel on Thursday afternoon, for the first time since 2011, Israeli security forces confirmed to Xinhua. Three rockets landed in open territories near the city of Nahariya in northwestern Israel, with no injuries or damage being reported, Israeli Emergency Services spokesperson Zaki Heller told Xinhua. One of the rockets was successfully intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile battery, an IDF spokesperson confirmed. At around 16:30 local time (1330 GMT), Israeli residents reported hearing sirens and sounds of explosions. The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed the sirens were activated. Following the launch of rockets, the IDF spokesperson asked residents in the area to remain close to secure places and shelters and follow the orders of the Home Front Command. IDF Spokesperson Yoav Mordechai said it is possible that the global Jihad in Lebanon is responsible for the shooting. However, there has been no responsibili

(Nigeria) One Ademola Ismaila, 32;  and  Omotosho Saheed, 35;  were on Thursday arraigned before an Osogbo Chief  Magistrate Court, Osun State for allegedly robbing a trader of vegetable oil worth N1.3 million. The police prosecutor, Insp  Wilson Meriti,  alleged that the accused persons and others at large conspired and committed the offence on June 21  at about 2.30  a.m.  at  Gbongan in Ayedade Local Government Area of  Osun State. Meriti told the court that  the accused persons robbed a trader, Ibrahim Islam, of 40 containers of vegetable oil valued at N1.3 million. He said the offence committed contravened  sections 516 and 402(1) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol.11 Laws of  Osun , 2003. The accused persons,  however,  pleaded not guilty to the charge. Counsel to the accused persons,  applied for their bail. Chief Magistrate  Olusola Aluko granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000 and two sureties each in like sum. Aluko said that the sureties must be resident

(Nigeria) Residents of three communities in Yamaltu/Deba and Kwami Local Government Areas of Gombe State, have been cut-off from the rest of the state following the collapse of the Lubo Bridge, reports NAN. The bridge, located in Yamaltu/Deba council, collapsed on Tuesday, after several hours of rain. The affected communities include Diffa, Lubo and Kinafa in Yamaltu/Deba local government, as well as Daban Fulani in Kwami local government. It was gathered that motorists, passengers and pedestrians from the communities are facing difficulties travelling in and out of the area. The situation had forced them to detour through Gaji-Bauchi-Malam Sidi road to reach Gombe, a resident, has said. Mr Jafar Tijani-Zambuk, of Zambuk town, neighbouring the affected communities, said even the residents of Zambuk also had to travel to Malam Sidi through Gombe before linking with their relations in Difa town. According to him, before the bridge collapsed, travellers from Zambuk spent

(Nigeria) The Lagos State Government said on Thursday that it had rescued no fewer than 25 children from a suspected child trafficker in Egbeda area of the state. Mrs Alaba Fadairo, Director, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, told newsmen in Ikeja that the children were rescued at an illegal orphanage on August 17. ``Government officials in collaboration with security agents stormed St. Stephens Charity Foundation, Egbeda, where the children were kept and rescued them. ``During the raid, the security officials arrested the operator of the Foundation,’’ she said. Fadairo added that the suspect (names withheld), who was being questioned at the Alausa Police Station, would soon be charged to court for child trafficking. ``The suspect was using the 25 children kept in a room to raise money and to defraud unsuspecting members of the public, who want to adopt children. ``There were no records whatsoever about the children of between ages six months and 12 years. Als

(Nigeria) An Ikole-Ekiti Customary Court Akwa-Ibom State on Thursday dissolved a 19 year-old marriage between Olawale and Mary Adeniyi over the inability of the husband to pay the bride price. Mary had on July 27, 2012 dragged her husband before the court for failing to pay her pride price. She also accused her husband of lack of  care for the family, constant fighting and threat to her life. Mary, who has now re-married and known as Mrs Oguntuase, told the court that the union between her former husband was a mere association and was blessed with three children. She accused her former husband of chasing their eldest child with a cutlass when the child demanded for her school fees from him. Adeniyi denied all the allegations levelled against him, saying that the plaintiff had always sought for an excuse to leave him despite all he had done for her. The President of the court, Mrs Yemisi Ojo, dissolved the union and directed the two parties to be jointly responsible for t

(Nigeria) The Police in Lagos on Thursday arraigned a 30-year-old bus conductor, Akeem Jamiu, before an Apapa Senior Magistrate Court, Lagos State, for allegedly using a plank to hit a police Sergeant. The accused, who resides in Amuwo Odofin Area of Lagos, is facing a two-count charge of assault and breach of the peace. The Prosecutor, Cpl. Friday Inedu, told the court that the accused used a plank to attack Sgt. Sama Ahmed and injured him, while on official duty. ``The accused unlawfully attacked the policeman while performing his official duty,” Inedu said. He said the accused committed the offences on June 29 at Mile 2, Lagos-Badagry expressway, Lagos. The prosecutor also said that the offences contravened Sections 171 and 228 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Senior Magistrate, Adeyemi Amos, granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum. He directed that the surety must show evid

Egypt's state prosecutor on Thursday cleared ousted leader Hosni Mubarak for conditional release from prison while he stands trial, judicial sources said. The prosecutor's office informed prison authorities Mubarak could be released after judges ruled he could no longer be imprisoned during his retrial on corruption and murder charges. He will be placed under house arrest on leaving prison. The decision, made after determining Mubarak was not wanted on any charges other than the ones he is standing trial for, means he could be released later on Thursday. Mubarak was convicted last year of corruption and complicity in the murder of protesters during the uprising that forced him to resign in early 2011. An appeals court ordered a retrial on technicalities. His lawyer had contested his detention, arguing that the maximum period for pre-verdict detentions had expired, and Mubarak had paid back the money involved in one of the cases.

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose last week but the trend in layoffs continued to push lower, the Labor Department said Thursday. Initial jobless claims totaled 336,000 in the week ending August 17, a gain of 13,000 from the prior week's revised reading of 323,000. Claims were in line with the average analyst estimate of 337,000. The four-week moving average of new claims fell by 2,250 to 330,500, the lowest level in nearly six years. The average was 10.4 percent lower than a year ago, further evidence of slow improvement in the distressed labor market since the Great Recession began in late 2007. The unemployment rate fell to a four-year low of 7.4 percent in July, from 7.6 percent in June, but jobs growth came in at a paltry 162,000.

Japan has demanded Russia investigate the situation surrounding violation of Japan’s airspace by Russian planes, reports Itar-Tass. “We have received a request from Japan,” an official of the Russian Embassy in Japan told Itar-Tass on Thursday. The Japanese Defence Ministry said the F-2 fighters were ordered to intercept two Russian bombers Tu-95. The latter entered Japan’s airspace at 7:09am Moscow time to the north-west of Okunoshima Island, Fukuoka Prefecture. The bombers left the area in two minutes, the ministry reported. This has been the first violation of Japan’s aerospace by Russian planes since February 2013.

Zimbabwe's veteran leader Robert Mugabe on Thursday was sworn in for a new five-year term and remains Africa's oldest ruler at the age of 89. Mugabe took the oath that was administered by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku shortly before 12 o'clock local time (10:00 GMT). "I Robert Gabriel Mugabe swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Zimbabwe and observe the laws of Zimbabwe. So help me God," Mugabe said. "I will defend the constitution and all other laws of Zimbabwe. And I will promote whatever to advance and oppose what may harm Zimbabwe." Tens of thousands of people witnessed the ceremony, complete with 21-gun salute and cultural gala, at the country's giant 60, 000-seat national sports stadium. His inauguration marks the end of the factitious four-year coalition government with outgoing Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and also marks the coming into full force of the country's new constitution adopte

(Nigeria) An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Wednesday remanded a member of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Ismaila Ramon, in prison over the alleged killing of a socialite, Alhaji Abdulkarim Kadri. The Chief Magistrate, Miss S. Solebo, remanded the accused at the Ikoyi Prisons, Lagos pending a legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions. The court did not take the plea of the OPC member. Ramon, 30, who resides at No. 22, Akosile St. Ijora, Badia is facing a charge of manslaughter. The prosecutor, Insp. R. Odigie, said that the accused committed the crime on August 4 at Gaskia College in Badia at a prayer meeting by some Muslim faithful during the Ramadan. He said that the accused was one of the OPC members employed to maintain peace and order during the Ramadan prayer. According to Odigie, the accused arbitrarily shot his Dane gun and a bullet hit Kadri, 72. The prosecutor said that the offence committed contravened Section 222 of the Crim

(Nigeria) Police in Delta State on Wednesday said it rescued six kidnapped persons, including a mother and her two kids, from their captors on Obiaruku Road, Obinoba. The Police Public Relations Officer,  in the state, Mr Lucky Uyabeme, told newsmen in Asaba that the victims were rescued on Tuesday. He said they were kidnapped around Ekpoma and Igbanke towns in Edo and were being taken them to an unknown destination in Delta when the police intercepted them. Uyabeme named the woman as Mrs Glory Barry and her children: Zoryii, 3, and Oremene, 2. ``Police received information that some suspected kidnappers operating in a sky blue Siena bus, red Nissan Primera and red Kia Cerato cars kidnapped some persons around Ekpoma and Igbanke towns in Edo and headed toward Delta. ``Sequel to the information, the Special Anti-kidnapping Unit went in search of the hoodlums and intercepted them at Obinoba. Police had a gun duel with the suspects during which the kidnappers were forced to

(Nigeria) No fewer than 44 suspected criminals arrested for various offences by the Edo State Police Command, Wednesday in Benin City. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, who paraded the suspects, also assured the people of its commitment to prevent crime in the state. The Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso Adebanjo, gave the assurance in Benin while parading 44 suspected criminals arrested in the state for various offences. He said the command had fashioned out new strategies to prevent crime following the kidnapping of five teachers and three toddlers recently in Benin. He said among the suspects arrested by the police were three youths who allegedly kidnapped three primary school teachers and collected N7 million ransom before setting them free. Adebanjo said that a 24-year-old man, who allegedly defiled a four-year old girl in a private toilet on Dumez Road within Benin City was also among the suspects. The Commissioner said that all the suspects would soon b

(Nigeria) A  42 year old Cameroonian lady, Evelyn Atemkeng was on Wednesday arrested  in Calabar, Cross River State with  a three day old baby she allegedly bought for N1.2 million. Atemkeng accompanied by her 70 year old mother, Anastasia Fambong was said to have bought the baby boy from the matron of a clinic in Delta State, after paying the money into her account. The Commander of Cross River State Immigration Command, Samuel Ichoi, who ordered the arrest of the woman, told reporters  that his men accosted the lady while boarding a ship to Cameroon and during interrogation, she confessed that she bought the baby. “The lady came from Cameron to Nigeria on Friday without any sign of pregnancy but this morning (Wednesday) she was found to be carrying a baby and when my men examined her, there are no signs that she just gave birth, so we apprehended her and the baby.” He further said that the lady, in May last year, she was given some herbs in Okigwe, Abia State, where she “m

A bus travelling from the Malaysian hilltop gambling resort of Genting Highlands to the capital Kuala Lumpur plunged 60 metres into a ravine on Wednesday. Officials said the bus accident caused the dead of as many as 32 people. Rescue workers had taken 17 survivours to hospital, but said 32 passengers were still in the wreckage. ``Our early observations indicate they are all dead,’’ Federal Territory Fire and Rescue assistant director Azizan Ismail said in a statement. No other details were immediately available. Genting Highlands, 55 km from Kuala Lumpur, has the country's only legal casino

The Syrian opposition accused President Bashar al-Assad's forces of killing 1,193 people in chemical weapon attacks in suburbs of Damascus on Wednesday. The announcement was made by Badr Jamous, Secretary-General of the Syrian National Coalition, and George Sabra, President of the Syrian National Council, at a press conference in Istanbul. The Syrian opposition leaders said that the death toll was increasing the since rescue operation was still going on in the Damascus suburb of Gouta. Syria’s military command denied the opposition’s claims that the government troops had used chemical weapons on the outskirts of Damascus. Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said such claims on the part of the opposition were illogical and had been fabricated. Meanwhile, Syrian authorities would not use chemical weapons when the U.N. mission arrived in the country to investigate different cases of the use of chemical weapons, ex-ambassador to Yemen, Libya and Tu

(Nigeria) The Lagos State Police Command said on Wednesday that it has arrested the policeman, who allegedly pulled the trigger and killed a motorcyclist in Ikorodu on Tuesday. The command’s spokesman, DSP Ngozi Braide, confirmed this in an interview with  News Agency of Nigeria. The mass protest had trailed the killing of the motorcyclist which had necessitated the deployment of heavily armed policemen in the town. The protest has also paralysed socio-economic activities in the ancient town. The protesters, who are mainly youths, are demanding the release of the motorcyclist’s corpse to them by the Ikorodu General Hospital to avert what they called possible foul play. Braide said:``Four of them are already in police custody, including the officer who shot the motorcyclist. ``The policeman who was attacked by the motorcyclists is being treated at a hospital.’’ She said the situation was under control, adding that investigation into the incident was ongoing. ``We want to

Bradley Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison. He was initially charged with 22 offenses, including communicating national defense information to an unauthorised source and aiding the enemy. He was convicted in July 2013 of most of the charges, including several violations of the Espionage Act, but was acquitted of aiding the enemy, the most serious charge. He will be eligible for parole after serving one third of his sentence. The U.S. court handed down an “unjustifiably harsh” verdict in the case of Bradley Manning, a U.S. Army soldier who was arrested in May 2010 in Iraq on suspicion of having passed classified material to the website WikiLeaks, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s commissioner for human rights, democracy and the rule of law Konstantin Dolgov said. “American officials can often be heard criticising certain court judgments made in other countries with regard to alleged infringements upon the freedom of speech, assembly and other c

An Egypt court ordered to release former President Hosni Mubarak on bail on his last corruption case, independent Hayat channel reported on Wednesday, reports Xinhua. Mubarak still faces a retrial on charges of involvement in the killing of protesters during the 2011 unrest which toppled him, but the term limit for remand in custody has expired. In this corruption case, Mubarak and his two sons were charged with misusing power and accepting gifts from Ahram institution via his information minister. Mubarak's lawyer, Farid al-Deeb, told Xinhua that the former president will pay back the money equivalent to the worth of the gifts, and that he is confident that the ex-president will be released. "Mubarak will be freed (on bail) unless he is charged with other crimes," legal expert Aly Mashallah told Xinhua, adding the prosecution is the sole authority to determine his final release. He asserted Mubarak will be released on Thursday or Friday as the prosecutio

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday faced calls to address parliament on why the country's top civil servant pressured the Guardian newspaper to destroy or return Edward Snowden's leaked files. The call from a senior lawmaker came as Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's spokesman said that asking the daily to comply was better than taking legal action over the documents handed over by the former US National Security Agency, NSA, contractor. Britain meanwhile faced fresh international criticism over both the computer incident and the detention at the weekend of David Miranda, the boyfriend of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald who worked with Snowden on the leaks. The left-liberal Guardian's editor Alan Rusbridger has claimed he was ordered to destroy some of the newspaper's classified Snowden files during a shadowy visit from a senior government official a month ago. The government confirmed on Wednesday that the official sent to the Guardia

(Nigeria) Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has called up a total of 42 players made up of 24 from the local league and 18 from overseas for a World Cup qualifier against Malawi next month. Only five of the 24 players from the domestic championship will eventually join the 18 overseas-based stars for the qualiifer, as well as for a friendly against Burkina Faso in Kaduna on September 10. Goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim, defenders Azubuike Egwuekwe, Solomon Kwambe and Benjamin Francis, as well as midfielders Sunday Mba and forward Gambo Mohammed headline the locally-based contingent. "We are calling up 24 home boys in order to be able to identify new players for the 2014 African Nations Championship, for which we have already qualified," said Keshi. Goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide, defenders Efe Ambrose and Elderson Echiejile, midfielders Mikel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi and Victor Moses and forwards Emmanuel Emenike, Ahmed Musa and Brown Ideye top the list of the Europe-

(Nigeria) Suspected Islamist extremists dressed as soldiers opened fire on residents of a town in Borno State, Nigeria on Wednesday after luring them out of their homes, killing four people, residents said. The incident involving suspected members of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram occurred around 1:00 am in the town of Gamboru Ngala near the border with Cameroon. Residents said the attack appeared to be in reprisal for the recent arrests of Boko Haram members. The gunmen dressed in military uniforms went into the Fulatari neighbourhood and called on residents to come out and see Boko Haram members they claimed they had arrested. "They took up positions and shot whoever came out of his house to see the Boko Haram men they claimed they arrested," Musa Zango, a member of a local vigilante group helping the military hunt Boko Haram members, told AFP. "They deceived the people in the area into believing they were part of the (vigilante groups) that have spru

(Nigeria) The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, said on Wednesday that seven power plants and 150 new sub-stations built across the country were ready for inauguration. This is in furtherance of the establishment of 10 power plants across the country in the National Integrated Power Plants, NIPP, project. Nebo said this in Abuja when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan. The minister also announced that the council approved 10.2 million dollars for the procurement of six units of 40MVA 132/33KV Mobile Substations (with spare parts and accessories) to boost electricity supply across the country. He said an additional N247.3 million was approved for the clearing of the equipment at the port, its transportation and Value Added Tax, VAT. He said the mobile sub-stations would be used to ensure the continuity of supply of electricity to consumers nationwi

(Nigeria)  Eight members of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia State, were confirmed dead on Wednesday following an auto crash on the Awka-Enugu expressway. The accident reportedly happened at about 11 p.m. on Tuesday when they were returning to Umuahia from Awka, where they monitored the party’s ward congresses. Narrating the incident to newsmen, the driver of the PDP Hummer bus, Mr Sunday Iroegbu, explained that they were driving in a motorcade from Awka to Enugu when the accident occurred. Iroegbu, who sustained a minor injury on his left wrist, blamed the accident on over-speeding by the pilot vehicle. He explained that some of the vehicles were doing 120 kilometres per hour and above and that it was drizzling. He said he trailed other vehicles and relied on their tail light to keep pace with them when the bus suddenly veered off the road and landed in a ditch. The Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Dr Abali Chuku, who confirmed the incide

(Nigeria) Three men were on Wednesday in Lagos arraigned for allegedly attacking two policemen while performing their official duties. The accused -- Afeez Ismaila, 29; Eddy Thomas, 40; and Wasiu Lateef, 40 -- are facing a charge of assault before a Somolu Magistrate Court, Lagos. Prosecutor Akinlabi Adegoke told the court that the accused, who reside at No. 27, Olabiran St., Somolu, Lagos, attacked the policemen on August 19 at Olabiran Street. Adegoke, who named the policemen as Cpl. Jacob Obande and Cpl. Olugbenga Olaore, said they were attacked with sticks and pelted with stones. He said the policemen had gone there following a tip-off by residents that a gang of robbers had invaded the area.  ``They chased the suspected robbers, who took to their heels after they had snatched a motorcycle at gun-point. The policemen chased them to Olabiran Street where they were attacked by the accused with some dangerous weapons.'' Adegoke said the offence contravened Sectio

(Nigeria) Five university students on Wednesday appeared before an Abeokuta Magistrate Court, Ogun State for allegedly belonging to a secret cult. The accused -- Opeyemi Fakeye, 28; Samuel Popoola, 28; Oladejo Musiliu, 20; Christian Dada, 25; and Mustapha Disu, 28, -- are from the various universities. The accused, who were not represented by any counsel, are facing a four-count charge bordering on membership of an unlawful secret society and breach of peace. The Prosecutor, Insp. Augustine Ozimini, told the court that the accused committed the offences on Aug. 4 at 11.05 a.m. at Ijaiye-Obirinti area of Abeokuta. He alleged that the students with others still at large caused a breach of peace as members of an illegal secret society -- ``Eye Fraternity.’’ ``The accused and 15 others at large assembled in a bush at Obiritin area, singing, drumming and making noises. ``They were arrested by the police following a tip-off," Ozimini said. He said the offences contrave

(Nigeria) Doubts persisted on Tuesday over a Nigerian military claim that the leader of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram may have been killed, with questions raised over the timing of the announcement. A security task force in northeastern Nigeria issued a statement on Monday saying Abubakar Shekau, declared a "global terrorist" by the United States, "may have died" from a gunshot wound after a clash with soldiers on June 30. "It is greatly believed that Shekau might have died between 25 July to 3 August 2013" after being taken over the border into Amitchide in neighbouring Cameroon, the statement said. It was issued on the day the task force wrapped up its work and handed over duties to a newly created military division charged with the battle to end Boko Haram's four-year insurgency. Task force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa declined to comment when contacted on Tuesday, saying he had left Maiduguri, the epicentre of Boko Hara

(Nigeria) Public health institutions, will from Wednesday, mid-night, be shut due to an industrial strike that will cripple the already strained health sector, as health workers embark on indefinite strike action. Already, public universities in Nigeria are on strike, being spearheaded by lecturers under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, forcing students to be out of school in the last seven weeks. Health workers under the aegis of Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria, MHWUN; National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives and Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Association Institution in a strike notice Tuesday, said “ You will recall that on August 1, 2013, we issued a statement containing 21 days ultimatum to government. “The ultimatum borders on 10 points demand made to government and agreements reached on May 10, 2012 on five items and resolutions made as follows: The meeting also resolved that other

(Nigeria) An Enugu Customary Court on Tuesday dissolved a five-year-old marriage between Raphael Oko and Loveth Oko, both of  Dunukofia Local Government Area in Anambra State. The court dissolved the marriage following the couple's statement that they were tired of the union. Loveth told the court that since their wedding in March 2008, Raphael abandoned her and their five-year-old child, Chukwuka. She said the husband had not been providing money for the upkeep of the family. She also said that Raphael had left her with several scares and pains on her body following consistent beating, adding that she no longer had interest in staying with him. The Chairman of the panel, Mr Felix Agu, dissolved the marriage and granted Loveth the custody of the child. Agu said that Raphael should pay N10,000 to Loveth every month for the upkeep of the child. He also directed Rapheal to pay N2,000 for failing to appear in court on the judgement day. 

(Nigeria) A housewife, Nike Ishola, who allegedly attacked a man with a pestle, was on Tuesday charged before an Apapa Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. Ishola, 40, who resides at No. 62, Zumuratu St., Ajegunle, a Lagos suburb, is standing trial on a charge of assault. The Prosecutor, Mr Austine Onwuemene, said the accused committed the offence on July 28 at 8.00 a.m. at No. 62, Zumuratu St., Ajegunle. ``Ishola assaulted her co-tenant, Feranmi Alabi, with a pestle and inflicted injuries on his face and all parts of his body without provocation.  ``Alabi was immediately rushed to the hospital where he was given treatment,’’ he told the court. Onwuemene said the offence contravened Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The accused pleaded innocence of the offence and was granted bail in the sum of N25, 000 with one surety, who should show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government. The Senior Magistrate, Mr M. K. Fadeyi, adjourned the case to Aug. 23 fo

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, has been accused by Grassroots  Development Initiatives, GDI of violating the constitution is his choice of acting Chief Judge of the state, by his appointing Justice Peter Agumagu of the State Customary Court of Appeal, instead of the most senior judge in the state high court. President General of  GDI, Bright Amaewhule, in the statement, also called on Governor Amaechi to resign for the rape of the constitution. She said “In the early hours of  Tuesday, August 20, 2013 an act of rape of the 1999 Constitution took place at the Government House Port Harcourt when Governor Rotimi Amaechi swore in the President of the Rivers State Customary Court of Appeal,  Justice Peter Agumagu as the acting Chief of Rives State on the advice of his Attorney General, Worgu Boms. “Prior to this glaring act of constitutional rape, both Amaechi and his Chief Lawyer, Boms, boycotted the valedictory session held in honour of the retiring Chief Judge of River