Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 13

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Gunmen Kill EFCC Operative, Injure Others

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs Farida Waziri, has said gun attacks on its operatives will not deter the EFCC from responsibilities. Five EFCC operatives were attacked penultimate Friday in Owerri while returning from the Federal High Court, where the commission is prosecuting one Chief Hubert Chikwe over a N40 million fraud. One of the operatives, Eze Edoga, was killed, while others were critically wounded. Waziri stated that while the practice in the past was to frustrate prosecution of cases, the new dimension of violence, should be condemned by well meaning Nigerians. The Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) has condemned the killing and called for the immortalization of slain operatives and prompt payment of compensation to their families.

Police Kill Umuahia Butcher over N20

A policeman on Tuesday shot dead a butcher at Umuahia, Abia State, for alleged refusal of the driver of the deceased's bus to give N20 bribe. Traders and butchers trooped to the Government House to protest the shooting. The butchers alleged that the bus driver was asked to stop by the police on duty who allegedly demanded for ‘N20 Roger’ which was not given. The refusal to stop provoked the police into shooting at the vehicle. In the process, a bullet hit and killed one person. Reacting, the Police Commissioner, Jonathan Johnson, blamed his men for shooting irrationally. He disclosed that the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, was enraged and had ordered full investigation into the matter.

Imo Traditional Ruler Kidnapped

A traditional ruler in Imo State, Eze Herbert Obichere of Oforola in Owerri West LGA was kidnapped, penultimate Sunday. Eze Obichere was abducted inside the Christ Anglican Church during a church service by some hoodlums. The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aloysius Okorie confirmed the incident and assured that the police would fish out the hoodlums. The Chairman of Imo State and South East Council of Traditional Rulers, His Royal Highness, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, expressed worries on the ugly phenomenon, and called for serious action to stem the scourge.

Four Dead in Imo Youth Clashes

Four persons have been killed in a clash between youths of Asaa community in Imo State. Violence broke out during a disagreement involving the election of the leaders of the youth association in the community. While members of one of the factions insisted that those pressing to be inaugurated were not elected, their opponents insisted that as elected leaders of the association, they had to be inaugurated. Separately, several houses were razed in Umuakpu community in the state, as a lingering intra-communal feud over the death of a woman escalated. Some members of the village accused a man of being the killer of the woman while his relatives insisted on his innocence. The disagreements had led to killing of an unspecified number of people in February with several buildings razed.

Appeal Court Removes Emordi from Senate, Declares ANPP Candidate Senator

The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu, Thursday, upheld the decision of the Elections Petition Tribunal and nullified the election of the chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Joy Emordi, insisting that Emordi was wrongfully declared as the winner of the 2007 National Assembly election held in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The court also returned the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the said election, Chief Alphonsus Igbeke, as the winner of the election and as such should be sworn in by the Senate without further delay. Emordi had spent close to three years in the Senate before the nullification of her election.

Woman, Child, Maid Found Dead in Enugu

A pregnant woman, her one-year-old son and a housemaid were found dead in their two-room apartment in Enugu on Wednesday, following a fire outbreak that gutted one of the rooms. One of her neighbours said that the woman was not seen in the morning, arousing their curiosity. According to him, sensing that something was wrong, they called the police. The police discovered that the only door to the house, was still locked from inside, causing them to force the door open, only to discover their lifeless bodies. It was observed that the sitting room was gutted by fire. They were suspected to have died after inhaling the smoke that emitted from the burnt furniture.  The roof of the building was, however, intact.

Policeman Shot Dead in Port Harcourt

A police sergeant was shot dead on Tuesday around Circular road in Port Harcourt by a gang of four armed robbers. Confirming this, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Rita Innoma-Abbey, said the armed robbers disappeared with the rifle of the deceased police officer. According to her, the deceased policeman was on escort duty with a company when the incident occurred. She said the driver of the escort vehicle was also shot, but was rushed to the hospital by sympathizers. Meanwhile, the Dean of Medical Sciences, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Prof. Victor Datonye Dapper, was on Wednesday night rescued by security operatives in Abia State, after being kidnapped for three days.

A’Ibom Police Arrests for Selling Baby

A middle-aged woman has been arrested by the Akwa Ibom State police for allegedly selling her seven- day-old child for N150, 000. The state Commissioner of Police, Walter Rugbere, said that the woman was arrested alongside two others in connection with the sale of the baby. The woman has reportedly confessed that she was forced by terrible economic circumstances to sell her child. The woman, Rugbere said, claimed that since she was blessed with many children and her present economic condition could not support all of them, she had no alternative but to sell the baby.

Kidnappers Besiege Aba, Kidnap 5

Kidnappers have made Aba their hub in recent times with the abduction of five persons, including a preacher, Evangelist Jacob Achilefu. Few days after the clergyman’s abduction, another gang of six stormed the Grail Centre along Opobo Road, shooting sporadically and forcing even soldiers to withdraw as they were over powered by the superior fire power of the armed gang. The gunmen were said to have kidnapped the septuagenarian wife of a fast food eatery owner, alongside two others. Also in the week, three other persons were kidnapped and released after paying various sums of money as ransom. Residents decried the renewed violent crime in the town.

Politicians on Trial for Cultism in Cross River

Eighteen persons, mostly politicians, are standing trial for cult related activities in Cross River State. Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mr Bassey Okim, who disclosed this, added that the authorities will prosecute any person or group associated with cultism. In recent times, the state has witnessed an upsurge in violent crimes that have adversely affected peace, security and tranquillity for which the state is noted. He disclosed that about 18 councillors of Calabar South and Ogoja LGAs are currently facing murder and cultism charges.

FG to Clean Up Oil Spill Sites in N/Delta

The Federal Government, on Tuesday, commenced measures to remedy 2,405 oil-impacted sites in the Niger Delta. As part of steps to address the issue, a 16-member sub-committee was inaugurated by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Biodun Nathaniel Olorunfemi. Olorunfemi said government was particularly worried that a significant proportion of these oil spills were as a result of vandalism and other illegal activities.

EFCC Defies Court Order, Charges Bayelsa Officials

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday slammed a six-count charge of criminal conversion of N2.5 billion public funds on four principal officials of Bayelsa state government before a Federal High Court in Abuja. The commission also secured an order of the court to keep them in its custody for two weeks, disregarding the order of a Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, which had ordered the EFCC to release them. The accused include the State’s Accountant General, Francis Okokuro; Director of Treasury in Government House, Abbot T. Clinton and Director of Finance in the Ministry of Finance, Ikobho Anthony Howells, while the State Commissioner of Finance, Dr. Charles Sylva Osuala is said to be on the run.

Renewed Ebonyi Crisis Claims 10 Lives

The conflict between the people of Ezillo and Ezza communities in Ishielu LGA of Ebonyi State claimed more casualties, Tuesday, as 10 persons including a police officer were allegedly killed with several others wounded following a renewed clash between the two communities. It was learnt that the people lost their lives when two buses, in which they were travelling were attacked at Ezillo. They were said to have run into the exchange of fire between the thugs and the police. But the police denied the death any of police man, claiming only one person was killed but many others sustained bullet wounds. Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Augustine Nwankwaegu, called on security agencies to find ways to end the crisis.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Armed Robbers Besiege Benin-Lagos Road

Motorists plying the Benin-Lagos Road were on Tuesday attacked by armed robbers that took over the Edo State axis of the road for several hours, robbing with impunity. The robbers had a field day for over three hours as the police only arrived when the hoodlums had left. Although the victims were robbed of their cash and other personal items amounting to several millions of naira, no life was reportedly lost. Some of the victims said that they made unsuccessful efforts to reach the Edo State Police Command and the state's special anti-crime outfit. But a police officer said that they mobilised to the scene immediately they got the information.

Delta Community Shuts Agip Site

The people of Oleh in Delta State have vowed to continue to disrupt the operations of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) until the company meets their demand to change the name of the oil well in Oleh from Irri-5 to Oleh–A. The oil well was shut down by protesters, mainly women and youths, who besieged the company’s site and forced the workers to evacuate the yard, penultimate Thursday. The protesters condemned the failure of the company to rename the oil well to reflect where it is currently drilling.

Benin Chief, Wife Arrested over Actors’ Death

The police in Edo state have arrested a Benin chief and his wife, and are hunting for two of their children in connection with the recent murder of two actors in his house. Police spokesman, Mr. Peter Ogboi, confirmed the arrest. According to Ogboi, the couple, said to be the proposed in-laws of one of the slain actors, Mr. Erauyi Ogbeide, invited him to their house only to be killed along with his colleague, who had accompanied him. It was alleged that the chief, on witnessing the killing, went into hiding instead of contacting the police, while his wife allegedly told the police that her husband was receiving medical attention in an undisclosed hospital for bullet injuries he sustained during the attack.

Suspected Robber Dies as Gun Explodes in Pocket

A locally made pistol concealed by an armed robber under his trousers exploded killing him during an operation in a students’ hostel at Okada town, Edo State. The deceased said to be the leader of a two-man gang alleged to have been unleashing terror on students of Igbinedion University, had in the company of his partner, broken into the students’ hostel about 4pm on Monday when the gun exploded while attempting to pull it out. The other member, who was arrested, Adetokunbor Daniel, said that they were arrested while he was trying to rush his wounded ‘boss’ to the hospital. He admitted to the crime.

Women Lay Siege on PPMC Depot, Protest Oil Spillage

Activities at the Warri depot of the Pipeline Product Marketing Company (PPMC) were Tuesday halted as protesting women, angered by alleged negligence of the PPMC following the unmitigated oil spills in their communities, laid siege on the companys’ office. Heavily armed troops deployed in the area, overpowered the protesting women who put up stout resistance to the attempt to evacuate them from the PPMC gates. According to the women, the oil spills occurred in June 2009, and the PPMC has exhibited palpable negligence and insensitivity to the plight of the people of the affected area.

Oil Worker Abducted in Delta

Barely 12 days after two workers of National Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Benin City, Edo State, Messrs Danjuma Bashir and Malabu A. Ahmad, were kidnapped and murdered at Mosogar area of Delta State, another oil worker from Total ENP, Mr. Anthony Abiagomuwa Nwanze, was kidnapped Tuesday around Ibusa area of the State. President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association, (PENGASSAN), Comrade Babatunde Ogun, called on the Delta State government and all security agencies to do everything possible to secure the release of Nwanze. PENGASSAN also issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and security agencies to fish out the killers of two oil workers.

Protesting Ex-Militants Hold Students Hostage in Benin

Protesting ex-militants, Monday, held students and staff of Federal Government Girls College, Benin hostage, and block the Benin-Lagos road, over their non documentation in the FG’s Amnesty programme. Spokesman of the group, Eti Confidence, disclosed that they surrendered their weapons after the October 4th, 2009 deadline, but have not been documented. An ex-militant, who met the deadline, said the protesters are only seeking recognition. The protesting ex-militants were dispersed by anti-riot policemen.

Groups Want MEND to Apologise over Warri Explosions

Three more groups have called on the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) to apologise for the bomb blast that aborted the post-amnesty dialogue organized by Vanguard Newspapers in Warri recently. The groups -the Niger Delta Expedition Force, Delta State Youth Council and the Initiative for Better Power Supply -all cautioned youths in the region not to allow themselves to be used to scuttle the peace in the state. Alleged MEND leader, Henry Okah, has denied responsibility for the blasts, but maintained his demand for the rights of the Niger Delta people to their land and resources. Okah challenged anyone who claimed that he masterminded the blasts to present evidence. Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Dokubo Asari, accused Okah of being responsible for the attacks, for which MEND had claimed responsibility.

UNIBEN Lecturer Abducted, Regains Freedom after Ransom

A lecturer at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Dr Julius Iyasele, was, penultimate Sunday, abducted from his residence in Benin. The spokesman of the Edo State Police Command, Mr. Peter Ogboi, denied knowledge of the matter, while the Public Relations Officer of UNIBEN, Mr. Harris Osarenren, confirmed the kidnapping. Iyasele was reportedly released on Wednesday after a ransom of N1.5 million was paid.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Pirates Attack Turkish Ship off Nigeria’s Coast

Suspected Sea Pirates, Thursday, attacked a Turkish cargo ship off the coast of Nigeria, near Lagos, injuring three crew members. According to reports, about 10 pirates with automatic weapons boarded the ship named Ozay 5, robbing the crew of money and cell phones but fled after the ship began making distress calls. The ship's cargo was not damaged in the attack. Two of the injured crew members were Turkish and one was Nigerian.

Osun Police Parade 19 Robbers, Kidnapper

Osun State Police command, penultimate weekend, arrested 19 suspected armed robbers who have confessed to recent robbery incidents in the state. Exhibits recovered from them are five guns, two toy-guns, numerous sim cards, 16 life cartridges, a sword and one Motorcycle, and charms. The state police Commissioner, Mr. Solomon Olusegun, also paraded a suspected kidnapper, who kidnapped a six-year-old girl in Ilesha, but was arrested while trying to pick a ransom of N100, 000. Five other suspects, ages 15 to 18, were arrested for stealing, assault and sacrilege, after they allegedly attacked a Pastor in Modakeke-Ife. All the suspects confessed their involvement in the crime.

Vehicles Crush Five to Death

A motorcyclist and his passenger lost their lives after they were crushed by a fast moving car along the Festac-Okota road, in Lagos, recently. An eyewitness said that the driver of the car was trying to escape police when the incident occurred. However, some angry passers-by on sighting the corpse descended on the driver, but policemen from Festac Police Station rescued the driver from the mob. In a similar incident, a 60-year-old woman and her two grand-children were, penultimate Wednesday, crushed to death by a vehicle, at Adekunle area of the state, as she was about crossing the road with the children. The driver of the vehicle was said to have sped off. Confirming the incident, spokesman the State Police Command, Frank Mba, said effort was on to apprehend the fleeing driver.

Lecturer Killed in Sagami

A lecturer at Tai Solarin University of Education (TA-SUED), Ogun State, Mr. Wale Surakat, was last weekend, killed by suspected cultists. Surakat's car was left untouched, ruling out armed robbery. Cultists have been operating at an alarming rate in Ogun State, resulting in six deaths in Sagamu, penultimate week. Confirming the murder, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said another person's car was snatched by the suspects to escape from the spot they shot the lecturer, and later abandoned it.

16 Killed in Kwara Road Accident

An auto crash involving an 18-seater bus and a petrol tanker, penultimate Sunday, claimed the lives of 16 persons along Ilorin-Bode-Saadu-Jebba expressway in Kwara State. An eyewitness said the accident occurred as the bus driver wanted to avoid a pothole, but rammed into the petrol truck. The source said 16 passengers in the bus died on the spot. The spokesperson of Kwara State Police Command, Dabo Ezekiel, confirmed the incident.

Woman Remanded for Child Theft

An Ile-Ife Magistrate’s Court has remanded a 41-year-old woman, Folashade Sanda, in police custody for allegedly stealing a three-day-old baby. The police claimed that Sanda and one other now at large, had conspired to steal the baby on July 24, 2009. The prosecuting lawyer, Mr. Gboyega Amusan, informed the court that the teenage mother of the baby was abducted when she was pregnant, adding that the victim was later abandoned after she gave birth and her baby taken away from her.

Woman Stabs Man to Death in Lagos

A female prostitute, Nkechi Okafor, 26, in Lagos has stabbed a man, who came to patronize her neighbour in a hotel, to death. Nkechi claimed she stabbed the man in self-defense after he slapped and punched her because she asked him to stop knocking on her neighbour’s door. According to her, she never knew that the bottle would kill Samuel as she only stabbed him on the hand close to the chest region. Samuel, she said, later died in a hospital and she was arrested by the police. She begged for forgiveness, saying that it was not her intention to kill the deceased. Lagos State police spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, said the suspect would soon be charged to court.

Trailer Crushes Bus Passengers in Oyo

A trailer overran a commercial bus, killing its 15 occupants, including the driver and a policewoman along Ibadan-Eruwa Road, in Oyo state. The accident occurred in Okolo area when the bus driver was trying to overtake a vehicle. The trailer on top speed from the opposite direction ran over the bus and crushed the 15 occupants to death. The truck driver escaped from the scene.

Mob Sets Robber Ablaze in Lagos

A robbery suspect was on Wednesday morning, along Isolo-Egbe road in Lagos, set ablaze after a mob dragged him out of the canal where he tried to escape into. According to eyewitnesses, two robbery suspects on a motorcycle snatched the bag of a lady and sped off. But an angry mob gave them a hot chase. One of the culprits escaped with the bag, but the other suspect was not lucky.

Gunmen Invade Senator’s House

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain in Oyo State, Senator Lekan Balogun, Tuesday, escaped assassination by an armed gang that attacked his residence. The six assailants were said to have dressed in white cassocks, pretending to be roving prayer warriors. Balogun said he owed his escape to the gallantry of his personal security men, who repelled the marauders in a gun duel. Another gang of gunmen, who are still at large, killed the PDP Chairman for Atiba LGA, Azeez Adegbile, at his residence, on March 4, while an Action Congress member, Taiwo Falade, was killed in a similar manner the following day. Balogun is a member of a faction of the PDP battling the Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala’s faction over the party’s leadership in the state. He is also a contender to the Olubadan stool.

Two Arrested for Fraud, Forgery

A 31-year-old woman, Gloria Ubani, has been arrested by the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) Lagos for allegedly masquerading as a major distributor of MTN Nigeria, to defraud members of the public. This came just as the Unit arrested a man who attempted to use forged documents of the United Nations (UN) to withdraw $500,000 from a bank. The SFU boss, Moses Saba, on Thursday, disclosed that Gloria had allegedly collected over N37 million from her victims, on the pretext that some used power generating sets, transformers, batteries and other valuables were being auctioned by MTN and offered her victims an opportunity to buy the items at cheaper prices. But as soon as she collected the money, she would vanish.

GENERAL

US Partners Nigeria Police on Training, Logistics

United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Robin Sanders, has said that the US government will assist the Nigeria Police in training on community policing and combat, with a view to curtailing civil disturbances. Sanders also said the US would provide equipment and logistics to the police. Reacting, Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ogbonna Onovo, expressed the willingness of the Police and Nigeria to collaborate with the US in any area of training aimed at enhancing proactive policing and called for deeper cooperation in the areas of crime prevention and control.

Police Arrest 377 Suspects, Prosecute 162 over Jos Crisis

The Police authorities in Abuja, Tuesday, said that 377 persons were arrested in connection with the January and March crises in Jos. Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said out of the number, 162 suspects were being prosecuted for various offences. Out of these numbers, we are charging 41 for culpable homicide punishable with death. Another 121 are to be charged with multiple offences, which include unlawful possession of fire arms, rioting and mischief by fire and causing grievous hurt. He denied any suspect being arrested with fake military uniform, as he allayed fears of reprisals. Meanwhile, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has alleged a “quiet Jihad” to exterminate Christians in some parts of the north, alerting of fresh plans to launch similar attacks on other states of the north.

Gunmen Kidnap LG Chairman in Zamfara

Chairman of Gummi LGA in Zamfara State, Alhaji Suleiman Gyalange, who was recently reinstated by the Court of Appeal in Sokoto, was on Tuesday whisked away from the LG the Secretariat by unknown men in police uniforms. An eye witness said that some armed men in police uniform invaded the secretariat and told the chairman that he was under arrest, just as they ordered that nobody should make any funny move. The local government council was dissolved by the immediate past administration of Ahmad Sani Yarima over political differences. The chairman, who was elected under the platform of Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), instituted a suit against the state government and the court had ruled in his favour and reinstated him back to power.

Police Guard Killed as Ex-Yobe Governor Escapes Assassination

A policeman was shot dead, Tuesday, in Damaturu, Yobe State when gunmen invaded the residence of a former governor of the state, Bukar Abba Ibrahim. The suspected assassins, about five in number, struck at about 7pm and opened fire on a group of people going out of a mosque within the residence. The gunmen, according to sources, were under the notion that the former governor was in the crowd. The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Sule, said that the attack had clear political undertone, because the gunmen did not steal and did not attempt to dispossess the late constable of his service riffle.

Victim of Ritualist Attack Dies in Hospital

A 37 year old-man, Malam Salisu Maigadi, whose eyes were plucked by suspected ritualists in Funtua, Katsina State, has died. Maigadi, a security guard, was penultimate week, attacked by suspected ritualists, who subdued him and removed his two eyes. A relative urged the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to expose the evil people who terminate people's lives for worldly gains.

Strange Weather Forces NAMA to Cancel Flights

Air Passengers in were stranded, early last week, following flight disruptions occasioned by the strange weather in parts of Nigeria. The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, said the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) would close airports affected by the weather to flights when the runway visual range is measured at less than 800 metres. NCAA has also warned pilots in the country to adhere to the weather reports provided by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) for safe take-off and landing. Airports affected by the weather condition included Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, Bauchi, Yola and Calabar.

10 Million Nigerian Children Undernourished -Experts

More than 60 per cent of maternal and infant deaths in Nigeria have been attributed to malnutrition, with 10 million children said to be chronically undernourished. President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, urged experts to dwell on the country’s basic food requirements. Similarly, a non-governmental organisation, Life and Peace Development Organisation, has lamented the high number of deaths caused by water-borne diseases in Nigeria. The Executive Director of LAPDO, Mr. Frank Oloniju, commemorating the World Water Day, on Monday, said that the importance of the day was to draw the attention of the government to the importance of clean water to good health.

Onovo Clamps Down on Illegal Road Blocks at Borders

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo, on Monday said that the Nigeria Police had started clamping down on some operatives mounting illegal roadblocks along the nation’s international borders. He said that some arrests have been made in the last two weeks and that the exercise was a continuous one. He said police authorities were aware of complaints of too many checkpoints and harassment by security agencies at the borders. He said that the initial purpose of the checkpoints before they were abused was to detect crime.

Secret Killings Continue in Jos

Meanwhile, the spate of secret killings in Jos continued on Tuesday with the discovery of the corpse of one Adamu Haruna Abubakar, who was abducted by unknown persons, penultimate Friday. Adamu was last seen when he left their house to attend Juma’at prayers. His corpse was found by family members yesterday at the Plateau Hospital mortuary. Hajiya Khadija, an official of Jama’atu Nasril Islam and chairperson of Hausa Fulani Muslim Women Peace Forum in Plateau State, said the killing of Adamu was part of the ongoing secret killings in some parts of Jos North. She said at the Jamaatu Nasril Islam office in Jos that they have so far recorded 23 people killed and another 58 people missing between March 8 and 21.

Navy Beefs Up Security at Oil Fields

Apparently to forestall any future attack by suspected militants, the Federal Government has directed defence authorities to strengthen its security apparatus around the country's largest oil field "The Bonga," situated at the Gulf of Guinea as well as other oil rigs in the Niger Delta region. In compliance, the Nigerian Navy was said to have deployed more of its war ships and personnel to the specified areas. The proactive measure taken by the Navy is to assure the nation of its determination to adequately provide security for the nation's territorial waters.

Collapsed Sand Mine Buries 10 in Kano

About 10 people lost their lives, Thursday, when a pit collapsed at Lajawa Village in Wudil LGA of Kano State. The victims were at the site, digging sand when the pit suddenly collapsed on them. The state fire fighters were immediately called to rescue the victims, who were trapped under the sand. The fire service was yet to recover the bodies as at the time of filing this report, because the equipment used could not dig the large sand that collapsed on them.

FRSC Arrests 22,617 Bike Riders over Crash Helmet

Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has arrested 22,617 motorcycle operators across the country for non-use of safety helmet between January and February this year.  These figures bring the total arrests since the commission began implementation of the policy on January 1, 2009 to 183,558. Corps Public Education Officer, Samuel Obayemi, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

INTERNATIONAL

Iceland Evacuates Residents as Volcano Erupts

A volcano, which erupted near a glacier in southern Iceland, shooting ash and molten lava into the air, forced the evacuation of hundreds of people from a nearby village. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the volcano but a state of emergency was declared and scientists feared the eruption could trigger a larger and potentially more dangerous eruption at the nearby Katla volcano. The penultimate Saturday eruption came weeks after a series of small earthquakes. Authorities evacuated 450 people. Iceland sits on a large volcanic hot spot in the mid-oceanic ridge.

China Warns US against Sanctions over Currency Control

Chinese commerce minister, Chen Deming, has warned the United States (U.S.) against imposing trade sanctions over China's currency controls. The US and other trading partners are pressing China to ease controls that have kept its yuan currency steady against the dollar for 18 months to help its companies compete amid weak global demand. Some U.S lawmakers have demanded to have China declared a currency manipulator, which could precede possible trade sanctions. Business groups say China's currency controls keep the yuan undervalued by up to 40 per cent, giving its exporters an unfair price advantage and swelling its trade surplus. Chen dismissed charges that controls are the cause of the surplus, blaming instead U.S restrictions on exports of certain goods to China.

ECOWAS Adopts Framework Climate Change

To ensure a friendlier environment, the specialised Ministerial Technical Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has adopted a fresh framework that will ensure better climate change. The document sets the tone for the development and building of capacities for the region on resilience and adaptation to climate change and severe climate conditions. The development is coming as the newly elected president of the ECOWAS Commission, Ghanaian born Victor Gbeho, assumed duties last week.

Mauritania Severs Ties with Israel over Gaza

Mauritania has fully severed diplomatic ties with Israel, Mauritania’s foreign minister, Naha Mint Mouknass, disclosed. Mauritania was one time the only Arab country to have full diplomatic relations with Israel. The move came in response to Israel's attacks on Gaza. Israeli aircraft struck two targets in the Gaza Strip, penultimate Friday, a day after a rocket fired from the Palestinian enclave killed a Thai worker in Israel.

US Raises Alarm on Possible al-Qaeda Attack on Ships off Yemen

The US government has warned ships sailing off Yemen’s coast of the risk of al Qaeda attacks similar to a suicide bombing of the US warship, Cole, in 2000 that killed 17 US sailors, according to reports. The US Office of Naval Intelligence said that ships in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab strait between Yemen and Djibouti, and the Gulf of Aden along Yemen‘s coast were at the greatest risk.

Kenya Arrests Somali Pirates

Security forces in Kenya have arrested 11 Somali pirates for the first time, after a failed attempt to hijack a fishing vessel. Kenya is one of the few east African countries prepared to put pirates on trial and has more than 100 suspects in jail facing charges. Police sources said the suspects ran out of fuel at sea and hijacked a fishing boat, then ordered the crew to sail to Somalia. But one of the crew made a telephone call which led to the intervention of Kenyan security forces based in Lamu. Somali sea gangs accounted for more than half of piracy incidents worldwide in 2009. Foreign navies patrolling the areas have prevented some hijackings and captured scores of suspected gunmen.

Private Guards Kill Somali Pirate

Private security guards shot and killed a Somali pirate during an attack on a merchant ship off the coast of East Africa, the EU Naval Force spokesman said Wednesday. The death comes amid fears that increasingly aggressive pirates and the growing use of armed private security contractors’ onboard vessels could fuel increased violence on the high seas. An EU Naval Force frigate helped locate the pirates. Seven pirates were found, including one who had died from small calibre gunshot wounds. The EU's naval force has freed the six pirate suspects because the crew of the cargo vessel refused to give evidence.

Man Stabs Eight School Children to Death in China

A former doctor, Tuesday, went on rampage outside an elementary school in eastern China, stabbing eight children to death and wounding five others. His rampage was stopped by passers-by and school security guards. The attacker, Zheng Minsheng, 41, who was later arrested, according to reports, has a history of mental illness. China has witnessed a series of school attacks over the past years, leading to calls for improved security. In a related development, a fatal weekend police shooting of an unarmed autistic man has prompted the American Civil Liberties Union to urge the Los Angeles Police Department to re-examine its policies. Steven Eugene Washington was shot by police officers after he approached them and appeared to remove something from his waistband, police said. No weapon was recovered.

Libya Frees 200 Islamist Prisoners

About 200 former Islamist militants, Wednesday, walked out of the gate of Libya's prison, after a release brokered by Saif al-Islam, a son of Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Those freed included leaders of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, who had ties to al Qaeda but renounced militant thought in a book they released last year from the prison. The release was part of a programme of reconciliation with militants who killed dozens of soldiers and police in the 1990s. More than 1,000 prisoners were shot dead in the Abu Salim prison in June 1996. It has traditionally been used to imprison Islamist militants and, according to foreign rights groups, people judged to have broken strict laws on dissent.

AU, ECOWAS Check Human Trafficking in Africa

The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are working out a set of standards to arrest the scourge of human trafficking on the continent. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, Joy Ezeilo, admitted that Africa needs to do more to combat human trafficking. About 43 of the 53 countries in Africa, including 13 of the 15 in West Africa, have ratified the Palermo Protocol, but the AU Commissioner for Social Affairs, Bience Gawanas, says that impunity was still a major problem in the fight against human trafficking.

Troops Kill 24 Militants in Pakistan

Pakistani troops killed at least 24 militants after some 150 Taliban militants attacked a military post in the northwest, Friday. Home-grown Taliban militants are seeking to topple the U.S-backed government of President Asif Ali Zardari. A senior military officer and four paramilitary soldiers were also killed in the attack in Orakzai; a day after Pakistani jets killed nearly 50 people, mostly militants. Fourteen soldiers were wounded in the Taliban assault. Orakzai, one of seven Pakistani tribal regions near the Afghan border, has seen a surge in military attacks in recent months, targeting militants who were driven out of militant bastion of South Waziristan. In another incident, one person was killed and four others injured in a bomb blast in Pakistani southern city of Quetta on Monday. The bomb was planted in a bicycle on a road side.

Britain Expels Israeli Diplomat over Assassination of Hamas Leader

An Israeli diplomat has been expelled by Britain over Israel's alleged use of forged British passports in the assassination of a Hamas operative in a suspected Mossad hit. Dubai authorities have accused Israel's Mossad spy agency of being behind the January 20 slaying of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai and have identified no fewer than 26 suspects of an alleged hit squad that travelled to Dubai on fake identities and forged European and Australian passports. At least 15 of the names used by the suspected killers match those of Israeli citizens who are dual nationals of Western countries. All have denied involvement, saying their identities were stolen.

Police Officers Jailed in Angola for Extra-Judicial Killings

For killing eight men, seven Angolan police officers have been sentenced to 24 years in jail in a rare case of police brutality being punished. After being told the men were criminal suspects, the officers told them to lie down and then shot them in the back. One of those shot managed to identify two of the plain clothes officers before dying of his injuries. Judge Salomao Filipe described their actions as “unjustifiable” adding that the sentence of 24 years was the maximum he could pass.