Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 32

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Bayelsa Militant Leader, Kitikata, Killed

A dreaded militant leader in Bayelsa state, Woki Godswill Ibaralanyou, aka Kitikata, was on Sunday killed in a shootout with security operatives in Obioku, Nembe area of Bayelsa state. It could not be confirmed what led to the shootout, but he was expected to show up at the arms collection centre of the Amnesty Implementation Committee. Meanwhile, his boys and allies have vowed not show up at the arms collection point at Nembe as the military action was a breach of the assurances given for surrendering arms.

JTF HQTRS Relocates to Bayelsa

Men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta have commenced its full relocation to Yenagoa, Bayelsa state. This followed the relocation of its operational headquarters from Warri in Delta State to Yenagoa in Bayelsa presumed to be the centre of Niger Delta region. It was gathered that the relocation exercise is expected to be completed in one week. Heavy military equipment had earlier been moved into Yenagoa at nights in order not to cause panic among residents of the state capital. The move was initiated by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike, and approved by President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Key Militant Leader Surrenders As Amnesty Takes Off

As the presidential amnesty for Niger Delta militants began, Thursday, a militant leader, Soboma Jackrich alias Egberipapa, opted to accept the offer. Jackrich was arrested in December 2008 by the Joint Task Force (JTF) and has been in detention since then.

Oil Companies Dissociate from Amnesty

Indications emerged that the major oil companies operating in the country have refused to participate in the amnesty programme, on the grounds that they have already spent huge sums of money in community programmes in the troubled region. It was learnt that Yar'Adua had appointed some members of his cabinet, in addition to the Amnesty Committee members, to lobby the oil companies to make financial contributions to the programme, but the government lobbyists were said to have been frustrated by the oil companies, who described the programme as a purely government affair.

Police Sergeant Kills Landlord

A police sergeant, Peter Aka, in Ogoja, Cross River State, has been arrested for killing his landlord. Aka on August 3, dealt a blow to his landlords head with a stick, after a minor misunderstanding between his wife and Ms. Theodore Iyaji, the younger sister to the landlord. The landlord’s body is now in the mortuary of the General Hospital, Ogoja. Members of his family have also fled the compound to an unknown destination.

MEND’s Ex-Commander Accuses Yar’Adua Aid of Sponsoring Militants

Embattled former commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), “General” Boyloaf, has revealed that a top member the President Yar’Adua’s cabinet is a militant sponsor, alleging that the top presidential aide reportedly gave him, N15 million in 2005 to execute “Operation Black February”. Boyloaf said the presidential aide who had been in the forefront of sponsoring militants would ruin the amnesty programme of Mr. President for his selfish political motives if not put in check.

Police Raid Suspected Asari Dokubo’s Armoury, Recover Arms and Ammunition

The Rivers State Police command on Thursday raided an arms depot allegedly belonging to leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, in Rumuodemanya part of the state. The arms and ammunition recovered include twenty-six AK-47 rifles, seven used AK-47 rifle magazines; one K.2 rifle, nine hundred rounds of live ammunition, 68 magazines, eleven boxes of live ammunition containing 7.62mm bullets. Prince Wisdom Amachree, aka (General Adekunle) who claims to be the second-in-command to Asari Dokubo said that he facilitated the arrest and recovery, as he had decided to accept amnesty. According to him, the arms were procured by the group to prosecute its plan to severe the region from the federation.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Militants Shun Arms Collection Centres in Delta

No militants appear at the Delta State arms collection centre for the amnesty implementation. Security agents manning the centres sat doing nothing, as there was no militant willing to surrender his arms.

Ex-Commissioner Shot Dead in Edo

Suspected assassins, penultimate Thursday, shot dead Bar. Anthony Iyalekhue, the immediate past Commissioner for Lands, Surveys and Housing in Edo state. Iyalekhue was reportedly shot severally in front of his private residence in Benin City by the gunmen. The spokesman of Edo State Police Command, Peter Ogboi, vowed that the police would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the killers are brought to book, adding that investigation had begun.

Oil Royalties: FG Bows to S’South Govs Demand

The controversy surrounding the exclusion of payment of royalties to oil-producing communities in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is set to be resolved. The original bill gave five per cent of the royalties to the community and 25 per cent to the states where the oil is produced, but that was, however, withdrawn in favour of a second bill, which excluded the host communities from any interest. This, along with the reported relocation of the Petroleum University from Effurun, Delta State, to Kaduna, incurred the wrath of South-south governors who subsequently threatened to pull out of the amnesty deal for militants. It emerged on Tuesday that the FG might have agreed to incorporate payment of royalties to the communities in the bill, while the governors re-pledged their support to the amnesty.

Search for 12 Missing Soldiers Continues -JTF

The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) has said the search for its 12 missing soldiers in Gbamaratu, Delta state continues. The military outfit said the missing soldiers would be produced dead or alive even though the process takes years. Spokesman of JTF, Col. Rabe Abubakar, who disclosed this, said the cordon-and-search, operation is over because of the amnesty granted by President Yar’Adua to militants in the Niger Delta. The JTF also announced that it was pulling out its remaining troops in the coastal Ijaw communities of Delta State in line with the terms of agreement reached with stakeholders in the region.

Militants Gives Fresh Condition On Amnesty

A splinter group within the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has presented its own demand to participate in the amnesty offer and warned against government ignoring their demands and rules of engagements. The spokesman of the ‘Tompolo Government faction’ of MEND, Prince Joseph Onwuchekwa, insisted that all multinational companies exploring oil in the Niger Delta must submit their certificate of oil bloc allocations, last receipt of payments to the FG, the number of oil wells and the company’s name, including the names of directors, and daily production from each oil well. Meanwhile, MEND has disowned its Bayelsa State Commander, Boyloaf, who was said to have been in Abuja and pledged support for the amnesty deal and agreed to return to civilian life.

N’Delta Elders Declare August 11 Non-Violent Day

As part of efforts to bring lasting peace to the Niger Delta region, elders in the region on Wednesday resolved to declare Tuesday, August 11, 2009 as a day of non-violent action. The elders under the aegis of Niger Delta Elders and Leaders Forum (NDELF), in a communiqué said that all workers in the Niger Delta region, including workers of the multinational oil and gas companies, should stay at home on the said date. The NDELF condemned public offices holders from the region who had either been passive or publicly distanced themselves from the position of the South-south governors on issues relating to the region.

Delta Refugees Return Home amidst Shootout

As the FG’s Amnesty programme took off on Thursday, the Joint Task Force (JTF) has said that it was solidly behind the return of displaced persons to Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri with the first batch of 250 people being ferried home. JTF Spokesman, Col Rabe Abubakar said 1000 people were expected to be returned to their communities with JTF supervising and giving all necessary security support. But it was twisted when pandemonium broke out during a shooting as the soldiers who were escorting the returnees in Benikruku and Kokodiagbene engaged suspected militants in a gun battle. The shooting began when they encountered a boat approaching them on top speed. The soldiers scared them away.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

50 Fake Soldiers Arrested

Over 50 military impostors have been arrested by men of the Nigerian Army attached to the 81 Division in Lagos, since January 2009. The suspects were handed over to the Nigeria Police for prosecution. According to the Provost Marshal of the 81 Division, Colonel Ibim Lawson, some of them have been convicted. Colonel Lawson said it is an offence for any body not recruited into the Armed Forces to wear military uniform or claim to be military personnel.

Ekiti Police Mourn 3 Dead Colleagues

Ekiti State Police Command has lamented the death of 3 of its men who were killed by suspected robbers on Sunday night in Ado-Ekiti. The Officer-in-Charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state, Mohammed Manua, was among the policemen killed on Sunday in what was described as a reprisal attack by robbers. The gang, according to eyewitness operated in a heavily tinted black Toyota Camry car and killed all the SARS men in the police van. The slain policemen were said to be coming from the command headquarters on Iyin Road when the robbers car, which was following them opened fire on the unsuspecting policemen.

Briton Found Hanging in Lagos

The expatriate Managing Director of Coastal Inland Maritime Services Ltd., Mr. Nicholas Anderson, penultimate Friday was found dead, hanging in his Victoria Island apartment. Though no suicide note was reportedly left by the Briton, Lagos State Police spokesman, Mr. Frank Mbah, said that the police are working on the hypothesis that it is a case of suicide.

Five Killed in Lagos Road Accidents

Five persons were killed last weekend in two road accidents in Lagos. In the first incident along Isolo-Ikotun Road incident, a truck lost control and rammed into two vehicles. Four persons died on the spot. While in the second incident, a yet-to-be identified driver of a commercial bus collided with a trailer on Ikotun-Idimu Road. The driver of the commercial bus died in the hospital. Police spokesman, Frank, Mba said all the cases were under investigation.

7 Taken Hostage in Ekiti

About seven people were reportedly kidnapped last week in various parts of Ekiti State. The kidnappers also demanded N50 million as ransom from the victims’ families. Those kidnapped include the Chairman of the state Internal Revenue Board, Mr. Femi Ajepe, and his wife; the wife of the paramount ruler of Ilawe Ekiti, and her daughter, Adedoyin. Others include a Mr. R.K. Olaiya, his wife and a client. The Oba’s wife was said to have been released but her daughter is still being held. The state Police boss, Mr. Fabian Ojiri, said he was aware of the incidents, and added that most of the recent abduction cases were as a result of mere communal crises.

Four Killed as Robbers Raid Banks in Ogbomoso

Robbers raided 3 commercial banks simultaneously in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Wednesday, killing four people. Three robbers were also shot dead. It was learnt that a huge sum of money was carted away. The robbers were said to have numbered about 60 and engaged security men in fierce gun battles that lasted about an hour. The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Baba Adisa Bolanta, led a special rescue team to Ogbomoso while mobile policemen and an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) were also deployed in the town to ensure security of life and property.

Police Alerts on Cases of Missing Persons, Vehicles in Lagos

To ensure the protection of lives and property, the Lagos State Police Command has alerted on the rising cases of missing persons and stolen vehicles in the state. About a week ago, the command recovered about 14 stolen vehicles in the Lagos metropolis. Confirming the ugly development, the Lagos state police command spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, said the force was now stepping up measures to curb the menace.

Body Laments Delayed Justice in Child Sexual Abuse Cases

A Lagos-based non-governmental organization, Media Concern Initiative -for Women and Children (MEDIACON) has lamented the delayed justice in cases of child abuse, rape and other forms of sexual violence against women in Lagos State. According to the organization’s Executive Director, Princess Olufemi-Kayode, some of the cases the organization is pursuing on child sexual abuse and rape has dragged on for over a year with several adjournments, which frustrates efforts at stemming child sexual abuse in the state.

Robbers Besiege Ikorodu

Armed robbers have continued to lay siege on Owutu, Ikorodu, Lagos, attacking residents and carting away household properties worth thousands of naira. The men of the underworld struck again last weekend at Olutoye Street, Owutu, in a bid to rob some houses in the area, but the quick response by the police foiled the attempt. Earlier on Friday, a four-man robbery gang had stormed a house on Ayo Street and robbed the occupants of valuables, including money and handsets. It was also gathered that robbers have been harassing residents, using commercial motorcycles, otherwise known as Okada.

Boy Kidnapped from Home in Ondo

Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped a 16-year-old boy, Dele Osadipe, in Ute, Ose LGA of Ondo state. The boy, a nephew of a former LG chairman in the state, Mr. Dupe Ogundiminigha was forcefully taken away from his parents’ home. The kidnappers demand a ransom of N50 million for the boy’s release.

7 Suspected Militants Arrested in Ibadan

Oyo State Police Command, on Thursday, arrested seven people suspected to be militants in Ibadan, with one of them said to have dressed in an army uniform. This, it was learnt, made the people to suspect them as they were said to have looked like some of the armed robbers who attacked three banks in Ogbomoso on Wednesday. It was gathered that the need to avert what happened in Ogbomoso, and the attack on an old generation bank in the area early this year, made the residents to become suspicious of their movements and quickly informed security agents. A senior police officer, who was involved in the arrest of the suspect, confirmed that they were militants from the Niger Delta area.

GENERAL

Police Council Confirms Onovo as IG

Nigeria Police Council on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of Ogbonnaya Onovo, as the 14th indigenous Inspector-General of Police. Onovo, who was appointed on July 24 in acting capacity by President Yar’Adua, replaces Mike Okiro, who retired after attaining 60 years of age. The police council, chaired by the President, comprises all the 36 state governors, chairman of the Police Service Commission, the Inspector General of Police and the Police Affairs Commission.

IGP Admits Police Failure on Boko Haram

The Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Mr Ogbonna Onovo, has blamed the police for the Boko Haram crisis in the north in which many persons were killed. Onovo stated that the police should have taken proactive measures in quelling the disturbances rather than combating the problem after it erupted. The police boss explained that due to lapses in intelligence management, the police lost 14 men as well as arms and ammunition, barracks buildings and vehicles.

Police Nab Suspected Robbers, Recover Weapons

Police operatives in Plateau State have arrested five robbery suspects, who allegedly invaded the residence of a member of House of Representatives, Joe Dazwan, recently and carted away his property and money. According to the state police commissioner, Mr. Greg Anyanting, the bandits who were armed to the teeth, also raped a housemaid before dispossessing other occupants of their valuables at gunpoint. Two pistols, four pieces of ammunition, a Volkswagen car, and one Jincheng motorcycle were recovered from them.

Islamic Leaders to Vet Clerics
…Northern Leaders Seek Overhaul of Security Agencies

In a bid to prevent a reoccurrence of the Boko Haram saga, religious leaders in the North will henceforth vet Islamic clerics. Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, said that "a preaching board is to be reconstituted to ensure that only qualified and reliable clerics are allowed to preach in mosques and in other places, while traditional rulers will also be empowered to enforce relevant laws that guide and regulate the establishment and activities of religious groups or sects. Meanwhile, Unity Forum, a northern coalition of former ministers and retired permanent secretaries, has called on the Presidency to overhaul the nation’s intelligence and security agencies by making them more responsive to local and external threats.

Boko Haram: CAN Alleges Cover Up, Indicts Sheriff
…laments death of 3 pastors, 20 burnt churches in Borno

The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Borno state chapter, Rev. Yuguda Zubagai Ndurvuwa, has accused Governor Ali Modu Sheriff of complicity in the emergence of Boko Haram, as it alleged a cover-up by the state Government in the manner the sect leader, Mohammed Yusuf, and Alhaji Buji Fai, Sheriff’s former commissioner for Religious Affairs, who was said to be a key financier of the sect, were killed in police custody. He said that over 20 churches were burnt, three pastors killed and church properties worth N150 million were destroyed. He lamented Christians being attacked in religious crises in the North. The State Director of Press, Usman Ciroma, said it was preposterous and laughable that the tragedy, which befalls the state, could be trivialized in that manner.

Yar’Adua Orders Probe of Boko Haram Leader’s Death
•Another sect traced to Niger State

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has ordered a probe of the death of Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf, an incident that has raised questions of extra-judicial killing by security agents. While the police claimed he died in a shoot-out, a BBC photo of the sect leader in handcuffs proved he was taken alive and might have been slain by security agents. This comes as a security source said that a similar group has been traced to Niger State, adding that security agents are keeping tabs on members of this sect. The Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo, has summoned the five Commissioners of Police in the North East Zone to explain the roles of their men in the alleged extra-judicial killing.

Impounded Ukrainian Plane Released

The Ukrainian cargo plane impounded in Kano by officials of the Nigerian Military in June, this year, has been released. The plane, along with its eight-member crew, was allowed to leave for Malabo, Equatorial Guinea’s capital, after the Federal Government was satisfied that the 18 crates of arms and ammunition aboard it truly belong to the Equatorial Guinea government.

Army Restates Support for Democracy

The Nigerian Army has reaffirmed its commitment to the growth of the nation's democracy by ensuring that the territorial integrity of the country is defended at all times. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Abdul Rahmon Dambazau, said the Nigerian army would continue to ensure that democracy is fully enshrined in the country. He charged the army to be unflinching in their loyalty to the constituted authority within the civil rule. "Your loyal obligation must be unflinching at all time.

50 Suspects Arrested in Jalingo

Taraba State Police Command has intercepted about 50 people suspected to be members of the Islamic Fundamentalists, Boko Haram in Jalingo. Daily Sun investigation on Thursday revealed that the suspects who include men, women and children and conveyed in a truck, were intercepted around Jalingo main market. Confirming the arrest, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Taraba State, Usman Isa Baba, revealed that recovered from the suspects were military uniforms, knives and different charms. It could not be immediately ascertained if they are members of Boko Haram or not but the police was screening them.

Kidnappers Kill Policemen, Abduct 2 LG Bosses in Kogi

An eight-man gang of suspected kidnappers swooped on LGA chairmen in a hotel in Kabba, Kogi State on Thursday abducting two and killing three policemen. The kidnappers stormed the hotel and dispossessed 17 LG chairmen, who passed the night in the hotel after an overnight meeting, of valuable items. One of the chairmen managed to escape into the bush, and called the police, but the kidnappers killed three of the policemen that came to the scene instantly, while the police shot dead one of the marauders, and demobilised some of their vehicles. Confirming the incident, the acting Commissioner of Police in the state, Abdullahi Magaji, said a fourth policeman was killed in Itakpe.

Army to Relocate Ammunition Depot

The Nigerian Army will relocate its ammunition depot currently in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, to a safer place in order to avoid harm to residents of the town. Commandant of Nigerian Army Ordinance Corps, Major General Olayemi Lasisi Abidoye, said that the relocation becomes necessary considering the fact that the present location of the depot is within the vicinity of residential areas. He said the new location, situated along Kaura Namoda road in Gusau, would be better equipped to handle the storage of the army's ammunition.

Hajj: 15-Year Jail Term Awaits Human Traffickers

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has revealed that the Saudi government has passed a law that prescribes 15years imprisonment for pilgrims that engage in human trafficking. A statement by NAHCON’s Media Officer, Malam Uba Mana, stated that henceforth, anybody convicted of the offence is liable to 15-year in prison and a fine of $267,000 by Saudi Authorities. The statement also disclosed that the new law defines human trafficking as holding a person under control for sexual abuse, forced labour, involuntary begging, slave or slavery-like practices and forced organ removal for medical experimentation.

Protests in Lokoja as Assailants Kill Man

Killing of a middle aged man, Suraju Salisu, by a group of youths in Lokoja, weekend, threw the ancient town into serious bloody communal clash, as aggrieved youths set several houses and vehicles ablaze. Suraju Salisu, younger brother to Alhaji Bala Salisu, former Chairman, Lokoja LG Council, was killed after being lured by a group of friends who initiated a parley aimed at reconciling him and his assailants. When the news of his death filtered into Maigari palace, youths in the area, in a reprisal attack, mobilised and marched to Kabawa Street to face Suraju’s assailants. They set houses ablaze when they could not get their targets. Anti-riot policemen were drafted to the area to restore peace.

51 Prisoners Released by Boko Haram Re-Arrested

The Nigeria Prisons Service said on Tuesday in Maiduguri that it had arrested 51 of the 351 prisoners freed last week by members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect in the town. The sect had launched an attack on July 27 on the Maiduguri New Prison, setting all the 351 prisoners in custody. Malam Abdullahi Maina, the Controller of Prison in Borno said that arrangements had been made to detain the re-arrested prisoners at the Maximum Security Prison on Baga Road, Maiduguri.

As 10 Die in Niger Road Crash

10 people died while one was injured in an auto accident along the Bida–Minna road on Monday afternoon. Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission in Minna, Mr. Emmanuel Abe, said when two vehicles collided while trying to avoid potholes on the road. Abe blamed the accident on speeding on the part of the two drivers and poor condition of the road and, therefore, appealed to the Niger State government to quickly rehabilitate the road to save lives.

Onovo Threatens Dismissal for Policemen Guarding Individuals

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ogbonna Onovo, yesterday said 100,000 Policemen are still working as private and corporate guards, contrary to the Federal Government's directive that they go back to base. Onovo, who said this yesterday at a media briefing in Abuja, ordered immediate withdrawal of the policemen and their return to base within seven days, or face dismissal.

Nigeria Rated with High Prevalence of Malnutrition in Children

Statistics rolled out by international and local bodies have shown that malnutrition and poor health services now account for more deaths among Nigerian children in six northern states. On the global chart, Nigeria is one of the two African nations listed among the 20 responsible for 80 per cent of malnutrition in children, with states in the North rated as the major contributors to the country's poor rating. The states worst affected in what UNICEF called "silent malnutrition emergency" are Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Adamawa and Gombe states. Kebbi has an under-five and maternal mortality of between 269 and 800 per 1,000.

Police Arrest 7 Security Operatives

The Police have arrested seven security operatives attached to the British High Commission, for protesting against violation of the Labour Laws by the Commission. The men, with their uniforms worn inside-out and red bands on their arms, went about their normal duties. The peaceful protest was organised by National Union of Hotels and Personal Services Workers and took place simultaneously in Kaduna, Kano, Enugu and Abuja. They protested against what they called “slave labour” in the form of poor conditions of service; being subjected to 12 hours of service instead of eight, no leave grant or severance pay,” and outsourcing the services to an oppressive indigenous company.

Sultan asks Moslems to Ignore Boko Haram's Teachings

The Sultan of Sokoto and President of Jama'atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Sa'ad, has condemned the recent violence perpetrated by Boko Haram Islamic fundamentalists in some part of the North. He added that all Moslems in the country should jettison the teachings of the sect and pursue the acquisition of both western knowledge and sound Islamic teachings with a view of national growth. Sa'ad, in a statement signed as both President of JNI and National Supreme Council for Islamic affairs, commiserated with families of the victims of the Boko Haram crisis.

Dangote is NSE's President

The Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Thursday, elected foremost industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote as its 17th President. Director General of NSE, Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, said the council members were unanimous in Dangote's choice. Also, the Council elected Chief Reginald Abbey Hart and Dr. Erastus Akingbola as the 2nd Vice President and 1st Vice President respectively.

INTERNATIONAL

16 Killed as Indonesian Plane Disappears

Indonesian police said 16 people were feared dead as their plane last weekend disappeared over a jungle-clad and mountainous region in eastern Indonesia. Suspected wreckage of the plane was discovered on Tuesday with no signs of survivors. Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan affirmed that by nightfall, there was no trace of the Twin Otter plane, which lost contact with officials. The plane was on a 50-minute journey from Sentani, a major airport in Papua, to the town of Oksibil, said Capt. Nikmatullah, the director of operations of the airline operating the plane, Merpati Nusantara.

55 Die, Many Missing in Asian, Pacific Incidents

A gale of tragedies swept through Asia and the Pacific on Thursday, leaving more than 55 people dead and dozens missing. A roadside bomb killed 21 Afghan wedding guests, and a bus veered off a narrow mountain road and plunged into a river in northern Pakistan, leaving about 34 people missing and feared dead, police said. And an overnight ferry with sleeping passengers flipped in heavy seas near the Pacific island nation of Tonga, leaving over 30 people missing. An American soldier, five Afghan policemen and two truck drivers died in a series of other strikes, which have raised fears that violence will mar the August 20 polls in Afghanistan. Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said his militia was not involved and instead blamed US forces. Military officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

46 Journalists Killed in 2009

At least 46 journalists have died while reporting the news in 21 countries this year, with Somalia and Mexico recording the highest casualties, while the rate in Iraq was dwindling rapidly with decline in violence in the country, according to the International News Safety Institute (INSI). According to INSI, up to the end of July, six Somali reporters for local and foreign news organisations had been killed, while two journalists taken hostage in 2008 remained in captivity 11 months later.

185 Dead in Tribal Raid - South Sudan Official

More than 185 people were killed when heavily armed South Sudan tribal fighters launched a dawn raid on a rival group, according to officials. Most of the victims were women and children when men from the Murle ethnic group attacked a camp in the Akobo area of the region's swampy Jonglei state. Akobo commissioner, Goi Jooyul Yol, affirmed that a small force of southern soldiers that had been stationed in the area to protect the settlement was overrun by the attacking Murle. The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said its forces fought off an army ambush around midday on Sunday close to the town of Babanusa, leaving an unknown number dead.

Philippines Bid Farewell to Late Former President, Aquino

Thousand of mourners, Monday, trooped to the funeral procession of former President of Philippines, Corazon Aquino. Aquino is celebrated for the key role she played to oust a military dictator 23 years ago. The ex-president, whose husband was assassinated by forces loyal to Dictator Ferdinand Marcos after returning home from exile in 1983, died of cancer. There has been a massive outpouring of tributes for the woman fondly called Tita, or Auntie, Cory, a grandmotherly figure credited with restoring democracy to the nation.

10 Killed in Uganda as Rebels Attack Towns

Members of a Ugandan rebel group have launched attacks against towns in the Central African Republic, leaving about 10 people dead in the last two weeks, according to humanitarian groups. United Nations (UN) and aid group officials said the attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), launched from its rear bases in the Democratic Republic of Congo, had also forced hundreds of people to flee their villages. Nearly 600 Congolese refugees have crossed the border to take shelter in the Central African Republic since the start of July, the humanitarian groups said.

Kibaki Commutes Death Sentences to Life

Kenyan President, Mwai Kibaki, has said more than 4,000 death row inmates would have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. No death sentence has been carried out in the past 22 years in the East African nation. Kibaki, according to reports said he made the decision following advice of a constitutional committee and that he was commuting the sentences using powers provided under Kenya's constitution.

17 Feared Dead in China's Building Collapse

About 17 people were, Tuesday, killed after an unfinished factory building collapsed amid a violent thunderstorm in northern China. The two-story building housing an iron casting company, according to reports, went down as torrential rain hit the city of Shijiazhuang. It said 20 people, most of them employees of the Tengfei Malleable Iron Casting Co. Ltd., were buried in the rubble, but only three people had been rescued and hospitalised. Stifling heat and high humidity have brought thunderstorms to large parts of northern China in recent days.

Man Kills 3, Himself, in Pennsylvania Gym

A gunman walked into a Fitness gym outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, turned off the lights and fired off 50 rounds, killing three women before killing himself Tuesday evening, police said. At least 10 other people were injured in the barrage of bullets that sent people in the gym ducking for cover, Moffatt said. A law enforcement source identified the gunman as George Sodini, a 48-year-old gym member.

Russia Accuses U.S. of Re-Arming Georgia, Readies Troops

Russia has accused the United States of quietly rearming Georgia a year after the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, and warned that it would respond accordingly. Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili, has called on the United States (U.S.) and the European Union (EU) to send a "clear message" to Russia to help prevent a repeat of the war. But both countries have downplayed the likelihood of renewed fighting, but for deeply different reasons. Meanwhile, a senior Russian general on Wednesday shrugged off the United State's concern about Cold War-style patrols of Russian nuclear submarines off the U.S. coast, saying it was business as usual for Russia to keep its navy in shape.

Taliban Leader, Mehsud, Killed in Missile Attack

Pakistan's Taliban chief, who has led a violent campaign of suicide attacks and assassinations against Pakistan's government, has been killed in a CIA missile strike. The officials said Baitullah Mehsud was killed in Wednesday's missile attack on the home of his father-in-law and that his body was buried in the village of Nardusai in South Waziristan, not far from the site of the missile strike. But one of the officials said no intelligence agent had actually seen the remains.

Japan's PM, Urge Worldwide Eradication of Nuclear Weapons

World leaders have been urged to back United States (U.S.) President Barack Obama's call to abolish nuclear weapons and promote global peace and understanding. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Hiroshima's mayor Tadatoshi Akiba made the call on Thursday as they marked the 64th anniversary of the world's first atomic bomb attack. Aso also spoke at the ceremony, saying he hoped the world would follow Tokyo's efforts to limit nuclear proliferation. In April, Obama said that the United States has a "moral responsibility" to act and declared his goal to rid the world of the weapons.

Israel Threatens Severe Action in Any Conflict with Lebanon

Claiming that the militant Lebanese Hezbollah group has stockpiled 40,000 rockets, Israel's Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, Thursday, warned that the Jewish state would get tougher in case of a conflict with Lebanon.  Meanwhile, the United States (U.S.) has asked Israel to freeze West Bank settlement for a year to prod Arab countries to take steps toward normalising relations with the Jewish state.

India Sentences 3 to Death for Mumbai Blast

An Indian court has sentenced two men and a woman to death Thursday for their roles in a 2003 terrorist attack in the city of Mumbai that killed 52 people and wounded 100. The trio were convicted last month of murder, conspiracy to kill and damaging public property, but they had pleaded not guilty and their lawyers said they planned to appeal the verdict. Investigators believe the bombings were revenge for religious riots in the western state of Gujarat in 2002.

Police in Australia Foils Terrorist Attack

Four people were on Tuesday arrested by Australian police over a terrorist plot in which extremists with ties to an al-Qaida-linked Somali Islamist group planned to invade a military base and open fire with automatic weapons until they were shot dead themselves. Officers from state and national security services, according to reports took part in 19 raids on property in Melbourne. Australian Federal Police Acting Commissioner Tony Negus said the raids followed a seven-month surveillance operation of a group of people with alleged ties to al-Shabaab, an Islamist organization fighting to overthrow Somalia's Western-backed transitional government.

Bomb Kills 5, Rockets Strike Kabul in Pre-Election Attack

A string of rockets Tuesday slammed into Kabul in a major attack on the relatively calm Afghan capital. A suicide bomber also killed five people and wounded 18 in southern Afghanistan, and a provincial governor escaped injury in an attack on his convoy. Afghan officials said at least eight rockets hit the Afghan capital. A Taliban spokesman claimed militants fired nine rockets at the international airport and two at an Afghan military headquarters, in a neighborhood of embassies and government buildings, to show that the government cannot ensure security in the capital.

Police Assault Women Protesting at Sudan Dress Code Trial

Sudanese police on Tuesday fired tear gas and beat women protesting outside a court during the trial of a female journalist, Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein, accused of violating the Islamic dress code by wearing trousers in public. Her lawyer, Jalal al-Sayyid, said the judge decided to delay the trial to September 7 to determine whether Hussein, who also works with the United Nations, has legal immunity as argued by one of her lawyers, even after she waved her immunity. French President, Nicholas Sarkozy, has expressed his support for Lubna, describing her as courageous.

33 Killed in Zimbabwe's Bus Crash

About 33 people were, last weekend, confirmed dead and several others injured when a bus overturned after colliding with a lorry south of Harare. Zimbabwe police spokesman, Andrew Phiri, said the bus, which was travelling from Harare to f Masvingo tried to overtake a vehicle in front of an oncoming lorry resulting in the collision. The injured were taken to hospitals in Harare and Chivhu, according to the radio report. Road accidents are among the major killers in Zimbabwe where roads are in a state of disrepair, including huge potholes, after years of neglect.

Ex-U.S. Lawmaker, Jefferson, Convicted Of Bribery

Former United States lawmaker, William Jefferson, has been convicted of 11 of 16 charges of money laundering and bribery, and faces up to 150 years imprisonment and likely forfeiture of alleged proceeds from sleaze. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was accused of taking bribe from Jefferson in turn for juicy contracts in Nigeria - a charge he denied. Atiku has continued to deny any wrong doing or intent to collect bribes. Jefferson, who was caught with $90,000 in cash in his freezer, was found guilty late Wednesday. But Jefferson can appeal his conviction.