Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 2

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Alaibe’s Supporters Attacked in Bayelsa

Gunmen, on Friday, attacked and killed several supporters of Timi Alaibe, a governorship aspirant in Bayelsa state during a gathering at his home in Okpokuma. Alaibe recently quit as presidential adviser on the Niger Delta to run for the governorship of Bayelsa state under the platform of Labour Party. Witnesses say at least four people died and two were critically injured. Police spokesman, Eguavoen Emokpae, said that police are still investigating the attack. There is alleged bitter rivalry between Alaibe and the incumbent governor, Timipre Sylva.

Youths Protest Death of Rights Activist

Ameke-Abam in Arochukwu LGA of Abia State erupted in violence on Monday when the youths of the community engaged in protests over the recent killing of Comrade Chidi Nwosu. The protesters burned property and maimed members of the community suspected to have a hand in the killing. The youths were irked by the gruesome murder of Nwosu, a prominent civil rights crusader who had been fighting previous and present governments in Abia State over policies considered to be anti-people as well as alleged corruption amongst government functionaries. Nwosu was killed in his house in the early hours of December 28, 2010.

19 Prisoners get Pardon in Cross River

Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, has granted pardon to 19 inmates across the six prisons in the state. The amnesty is in consonance with Section 212 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 5(a) of the prerogative of Mercy Law, Cap p.8 Law of Cross River State, 2004. They were granted amnesty following the recommendation of the state advisory council on the prerogative of mercy.

Actor’s Wife, Son Kidnapped in Enugu

Heavily armed men suspected to be kidnappers, Wednesday night, invaded the Enugu State home of actor/comedian, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr. Ibu and abducted his wife and three children. The abductors later released two of his children, but were still held the wife and one of the sons, demanding a ransom of N50m, which was later reduced to N6m. Okafor from Nkanu, Enugu State, condemned the act and pleaded with the kidnappers to immediately release his wife and son without any further delay.

Akpabio Lauds Crackdown on Kidnappers

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State is impressed with the ongoing effort of his administration to check the activities of kidnappers in the state. He commended the arrest and trial of several suspects and the recent discovery of 31 AK-47 rifles and 61 rocket-propelled grenades stockpiled by kidnappers, saying that the government is winning the war against the vice. Akpabio pledged to intensify the campaign and prosecution of culprits to make the state safe.

Court Remands Lawmaker, Others in Prison over Aspirant’s Murder

All the persons linked with the assassination of an Akwa Ibom State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Assembly’s aspirant, Joseph Akpan Akpanakpudo, on New Year Eve have been arraigned before a Chief Magistrates Court in Uyo. The accused include a member of the House of Representatives, Bernard Udoh; a member of the state House of Assembly, Ekong Sampson; Chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Council, Mfon Nkanteen; Secretary to the Council, Ubong Inyang; Leader of the Legislative Council, Udobong Godfrey, and former chairman of the council, Imowo Udobia. All the five accused persons except Udoh indicated interest in the PDP ticket for the Mkpat Enin state constituency. Chief Magistrate Edet Obot said the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear murder case and ordered that all the accused persons be remanded in custody.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Hoodlums Raze INEC Office

The Independent Electoral Commission’s (INEC) building in Ughelli North LGA of Delta State was on Tuesday torched by unidentified persons. This incident is feared to be connected with the outright rejection of the January 6, 2011 rerun gubernatorial election in the state by some groups and political parties. This has generated tension in the state, as INEC insists on using the old voters’ register. A group, identified as the Democratic Militia has claimed responsibility for the arson. “Lieutenant” Tamuno Labutua, spokesman for the group said the arson was the first in the series of strikes that will take place across the state and was carried to serve as a “serious warning to INEC, security agencies and all political parties that election rigging of all kinds shall no longer be tolerated in Delta state”.

23,000 Policemen Deployed to Delta

The Nigeria Police High Command reportedly deployed at least 23,000 regular and mobile policemen to ensure peaceful and credible re-run governorship election, which held on Thursday in Delta State. The high command has also vowed to arrest and immediately prosecute anyone caught attempting to disrupt the peaceful process of the election. The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Hafiz Ringim, has also sent the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) ‘B’ Department (Operations), Mr. Audu Abubakar to command the operation aimed at ensuring peaceful election in the state.

PDP Wins Delta Re-run Poll

The candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) in the Delta State re-run polls, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has been declared winner of the Thursday elections. The election in Delta state came after a court invalidated the result of the April 2007 election that returned Uduaghan elected, following fraud allegations and ordered a re-run. Uduaghan’s main challenger, Great Ogboru of the Democratic People's Party (DPP), finished with 138,244 votes compared to Uduaghan's 275,253. Ogboru earlier alleged that his supporters were barred from voting and some of his party's poll agents were arrested. Many places recorded peaceful voting, while some places witnessed late arrival of electoral materials. But Ughelli and some part of Warri recorded violence, shootings and snatching of ballot boxes by alleged political thugs who stormed various centres to cart away voting materials after beating up presiding officers.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Teenage Girl Saved from Attempted Kidnap

A teenage hawker in Lagos was, last weekend, rescued from a suspected kidnapper who posed as a customer who wanted to buy detergent. An angry mob, which rescued the 13-year-old girl from the suspected kidnapper’s car, set the car ablaze. The teenager told policemen that the owner of the vehicle sprayed a liquid substance into her face, following which she lost consciousness. But on-lookers who sensed all was not well, raised an alarm, following which some commercial motorcyclists and motorists rescued her. The suspect told policemen that his intention was to rape the teenager. Police spokesman, Frank Mba, condemned the mob’s action for setting the car on fire as he noted that although members of the public had right to arrest, they had no right to take law into their hands.

Five Killed as Tanker Explodes in Ekiti

Five persons lost their lives in an explosion caused by a fuel tanker accident in Ido-Ekiti, Ido-Osi LGA of Ekiti State, on Monday, while a residential house belonging to the State Coordinator of the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Akinyemi, was destroyed by the fire. The fuel tanker was on its way to Abuja from Lagos, when it lost control, killing five people, while the resultant inferno consumed Akinyemi’s house. However, no life was lost in the house as he was said to have relocated to Usi-Ekiti, with the entire household, three days earlier. The tanker driver and one other person injured in the accident are receiving treatment. Three sons of same parents, and a visiting relative were amongst those killed. The parents have lamented that the owner of the tanker was yet to pay them a condolence visit.

Bereaved Father Laments Police Killing of Sons over N20

A mob attacked policemen and killed a policeman, who allegedly shot two brothers in Oke-Afo, Ikirun, in Ifelodun LGA of Osun State over N20. Alhaji Saka Adesina, father of the deceased boys and a businessman said he sent his sons on an errand before the police officer cut short their lives. He, however, denied his involvement in the reprisal attack that led to the death of the killer policeman. The DPO in charge of Ikirun division, Mr. Abiodun Alabi, who is currently on hospital bed, decried the acts by the youths, saying that some police officers in the town were injured during the crisis, saying that the Police officer did not intentionally shoot the boys, as it was an accidental discharge.

Senate Leader Remanded in Prison for Murder

Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, was on Tuesday arraigned before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrate’s Court. Folarin was charged, along with three other persons, with a two-count offence of conspiracy and murder of the former transport union boss in Oyo State, Lateef Salako aka Eleweomo. Salako, factional chairman of the State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), was, penultimate Thursday, murdered. The Chief Magistrate agreed that her court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the case, and did not take the plea of the accused. She therefore ordered that Folarin and others be remanded at the Agodi Prison till January 14, 2011, pending when the bail application would have been filed, argued and secured at the High Court.

7 CPC Members Killed in Auto Crash

Seven members of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), including the Oyo State chairman, died in an auto crash on the Ibadan-Ife road last weekend. The party’s governorship candidate in Oyo State, Mr Bayo Shittu; his deputy, and the Publicity Secretary of the party, Afeez Oladejo, sustained injuries. Those who lost their lives in the crash were the party's state chairman, Chief Yekini Adisa; the campaign director-general and another stalwart of the party and some local government executives of the party.

Political Aide Arrest for Alleged Gun-Running

Mr Bunmi Ojo, the Personal Assistant to the ousted governor of Ekiti State, Engr Segun Oni, has been arrested and detained by the Ekiti State Police Command over an allegation of supplying arms to a criminal suspect. A leader of criminal gang, Kenneth George, had in his confessional statement, alleged that Ojo gave him some guns he was using. Ojo was apprehended and clamped into detention following a tip-off that he was planning to run away from the state after being implicated by the robbery suspects who allegedly worked for his principal as thugs at the rerun election. The State Police PRO, Mohammed Jimoh, confirmed the arrest. Oni described the arrest of his former PA as having political undertone.

23 in Court over Ekiti Polls’ Violence

The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested and charged 23 persons to court for various crimes they allegedly committed during the recent bye-election in the state. Police Commissioner in the state, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, said the state was not as volatile as it is portrayed in the public. Balogun, a former Commissioner of Police in the Police Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi and Principal Staff Officer to the Inspector-General of Police (PSO), who assumed duty in the state a few weeks ago, assured of maximum security in Ekiti during his tenure.

NDLEA Couple, Student with Drugs

Luck ran out on a couple who tried to smuggle illicit drugs to as they were apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on December 31 during routine checks on passengers to the United States. The duo allegedly ingested 160 wraps of substance that were found to be heroin weighing 2.280kg. Each of them swallowed 80 wraps that weighed 1.140kg. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) also arrested a final year student, Egboaka Matthew, at the same Airport, during the screening of passengers to Malaysia. The suspect allegedly ingested 68 wraps of substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. NDLEA Airport Commander, Hamza Umar, confirmed the arrest.

Bomb Scare in Lagos

There were rumours that terrorists may soon strike in Lagos state. The rumour, contained in text messages being circulated, warned residents to avoid crowded areas. The message was sent to the top echelons in the security agencies. The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, described the rumour as the handiwork of some unscrupulous politicians and assured of the preparedness of the Police to combat terrorism. Heads of security agencies in the state allayed the fears, saying there was no cause for alarm. But the fear of bomb explosion swept through a section of the state on Thursday. The bomb scare at Motorways complex, by old Toll Gate, threw people into pandemonium. Policemen arrived at the scene to quell the disturbance.

GENERAL

Gunmen Kill Six at Tavern in Gombe

Unidentified gunmen, on Friday, opened fire at an open-air tavern in Gombe state, killing six people, police said on Sunday. The motive for the attack was not immediately clear and police could not provide details on the assailants. No arrests had been made.

12 Killed, Several Houses Torched in Jos Clashes

Fresh violence Jos, Plateau state left many houses torched on Sunday, forcing the deployment of security forces to restore calm. State Commissioner of Police (CP), Abdulrahman Akano, said that six people were injured. Akano mentioned that youths set one house ablaze in the Bukuru area when the owners had gone to church and Christian residents sought to retaliate. Meanwhile, on Friday, an attack on two buses outside Jos carrying Muslim passengers left one killed and eight missing. The eight are feared dead. In another violent incident on Saturday, 11 people were killed amid fresh tensions linked to a political meeting, according to the commander of Special Military Task Force (STF), Brigadier-General Hassan Umaru.

Countries Seek Action against Perpetrators of Abuja Bombing
…As MEND Dissociates Self from Attacks

United Kingdom (UK), Canada and Russia have expressed worry over the upsurge in violence in Nigeria, urging the Federal Government to do everything within its powers to arrest and prosecute masterminds of the New Year’s Eve bomb blast in Abuja. The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has condemned the bombing, saying the FG’s inability to identify and bring perpetrators of previous killings to justice is fuelling the violence. Meanwhile, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has denied any involvement in the bombings. MEND’s spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, explained that attacks carried out by the group are always preceded by a warning in other to prevent casualties. MEND which carried out the October 1, 2010 attacks in Abuja, condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians by any persons or groups for what so ever reasons.

Police Claim Clues to Abuja Bombing

Claiming to have stumbled on a clue about the New Year’s Eve bomb blasts at the Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja, police authorities, Tuesday said the perpetrators would soon be arrested and prosecuted. Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in-charge of Zone 7 Command, Felix Ogbaudu, said the clues which will lead to the arrest of those behind the blasts and their sponsors were gotten through collaboration of Nigerian security agencies and their foreign partners. While urging the police officers to shun temptations by politicians to indulge in rigging during the 2011 elections, the AIG disclosed that cameras and other covert devices among other technologies would be deployed to monitor the polls.

Army Pays Compensation for Misdeeds of Personnel

The Nigerian Army has paid N19 million as compensation for the misdeeds of some of its personnel. It was learnt that the payment followed the agreement reached between the Federal Government, representatives of the Nigerian Army and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Unit of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), which led to the calling off of the November 30, 2010, nationwide strike. Beneficiaries of the compensation include the owner of an oil tanker arrested two years ago in Port Harcourt but could not be found and the owner of a petroleum tanker that was involved in an accident with an Army officer in Ibadan. The other is the family of tanker driver shot dead by a soldier. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubike Ihejirika, said the Army has ensured that those involved in the incidents and have been identified, were punished.

Navy, NIMASA Directed to Beef Up Security on Waterways

The Nigerian Navy has been directed by the presidency to beef up security within the Nigerian territorial waters, so as to foreclose possible escalation of crimes. According to the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, the Navy has to fully cooperate and collaborate with NIMASA to ensure total elimination of loopholes. The DG also tasked all stakeholders to lend a helping hand, stressing that in issues of national security, all hands had to be on the deck.

1 killed, Several Injured in Niger PDP Primaries

One person was killed and several injured in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries into the Niger State House of Assembly in Edati LGA. The deceased was reportedly hacked to death with several others injured while eight vehicles were burnt into ashes. Trouble started when delegates suspected that plans had been concluded in Minna to impose a candidate on the people. The PDP chairman was warned against raising an aspirant to oppose the incumbent lawmaker. In other places, however, the primaries went on smoothly where majority of the incumbent lawmakers were returned.

Boko Haram Kills Police Officer in Borno

Two suspected Boko Haram gunmen have killed a policeman in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The victim was returning from night patrol to his Gwange residence in mufti when the bandits struck. The murder of the policeman came two days after Saturday’s setting ablaze of Victory Christ Church (VICC) in the same neighbourhood of Gwange ward by 10 suspected members of the Islamic sect. Meanwhile a suspected financier of the sect, Alhaji Bunu Wakil, was arrested in Maiduguri alongside 91 other suspects during a routine check, the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Jinjiri Abubakar, disclosed. He said giant three fuel pumps, six bottles of chemicals daggers, towels and preaching cassettes of the late Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf, were found in his house. Alhaji Abubakar said the financier confessed that he was a member of the sect.

Hoodlums Invade Police Station to Free Detained Colleagues

Some hoodlums were said to have invaded a police station in Lokoja, penultimate Sunday evening, in an attempt to free their colleagues arrested for being in possession of arms and weapons. The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Amanana Abakasanga, confirmed the incident and noted that a number of the suspected perpetrators were apprehended in connection with the incident. It was learnt that the hoodlums were intercepted by policemen while returning from the shadow primary election held in the town. A report said that some supporters of the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Musa Ahmadu, who won the shadow election, were in celebrating when policemen intercepted them, which was resisted by the supporters, leading to a fracas. The former SSG confirmed the arrest of some of his supporters, describing it as politically motivated.

Govt Plans CCTV in Public Places

The FG is planning strategies to combat crime and acts of terrorism in the country. As part of the measures being planned, the government plans to mount Close Circuit Television (CCTV) sets in public places. All armouries licensed by the police are also to be inspected. These are some of the decisions taken at the emergency meeting of Nigerian Security Council called by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja Monday following the New Year Eve’s bomb blasts in Abuja, according to Presidential spokesman, Ima Niboro. He said in the build-up to April’s general elections, the council directed the police to ensure prompt arrest and prosecution of political thugs. There were strong indications that a Special Investigation Panel (SIP) may be raised today to probe the explosions. President Jonathan is also expected to name a special advisor on terrorism soon.

Multiple Road Accidents Kill 13 in Kano

At least 12 persons died; while 45 others suffered varying degrees of injuries in two separate multiple road accidents that occurred along the Kano-Wudil road, in Kano State on Monday. Eyewitnesses attributed the cause of the crash involving three vehicles, to reckless overtaking by one of the drivers, which resulted in a head-on collision by two of the vehicles. Confirming the incident, the Kano State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Alhaji Ahmed Hassan Kogari, attributed the cause to dangerous overtaking.

US Jails Nigerian for Gun-Running

A federal judge in the United States has sentenced a Nigerian, Mr. Emenike Nwankwoala, to more than three years in prison for shipping guns and ammunition to Nigeria. Nwankwoala, 50, a former state probation officer, was sentenced on Monday in the US District Court in Greenbelt. Prosecutors said Nwankwoala told an undercover agent that he had been buying shotguns and shipping them to Nigeria for the past decade, turning a large profit. Nwankwoala told the agent that he hid the guns in shipping containers with vehicles.

Police Foil Jailbreak in Jimeta Prison

An attempted jail break was on Tuesday averted at the Jimeta Prison in Yola, Adamawa State. The officer-in-charge of the prison, Mohammed Gwami, was attacked and slightly injured by the inmates. The timely intervention of anti-riot mobile police saved the situation. Gwami said that he was in the prison yard for a routine roll call when suddenly the inmates started protesting and insisted that they will not return into their cells. He stated that it was at this juncture that the inmates started attacking him and other warders with stones and pebbles.

INTERNATIONAL

21 Killed in Coptic Church Bombing

Hundreds of Egyptian riot police are deployed outside the church in Alexandria where 21 Christians were killed in a New Year's Day bomb attack. On Sunday, crowds of Christians took to the streets of Alexandria and Cairo to denounce the attack. Several suspects are being questioned over the bombing, which the Egyptian authorities have blamed on foreigners. The country is on high alert ahead of the Coptic Christmas holiday, which falls on Friday. Security forces have tightened surveillance at airports and ports to prevent suspects from heading out of Egypt, and set up new checkpoints across the country, press reports said.

Gbagbo Agrees to Peaceful Settlement of Crisis

Hope appears in sight for the peaceful resolution of the Cote d’Ivoire crisis as President Laurent Gbagbo has agreed to a peaceful settlement. Opposition leader, Alhassane Ouattara, has also indicated his willingness to ensure a “dignified exit” for Gbagbo, if Gbagbo accepts the outcome of the presidential election as declared by the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) and certified by the United Nations (UN). These were disclosed at a briefing yesterday by the Five-Member Joint High-Level Delegation of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that undertook a mission to Côte d’Ivoire. Worried by the plan of the ECOWAS to sanction the government of Cote d’ Ivoire under the control of Gbagbo, the government embarked on a diplomatic shuttle appealing to African countries, not to yield to international propaganda.

Man Sets 14 Family Members Ablaze

A fourth person died early Wednesday from a New Year's attack in which police say a Puerto Rican man using kerosene and a propane tank set fire to more than about 14 of his family members and a visitor as they sat down for dinner. The mother of the man suspected of carrying out the attack, 45-year-old Justino Sanchez Diaz, also died of her injuries. The blaze occurred Saturday in the central Puerto Rican mountain town of Florida, where Sanchez Diaz lives with his parents and a sister, police Lt. Reinaldo Jimenez said. Police and firefighters found Sanchez Diaz in a bathroom where he had filled the tub and sink with water, Jimenez said. Since the blaze, Sanchez Diaz has refused to eat or talk about a possible motive, the police officer said.

Migrants Drown off Yemen Coast

More than 40 African migrants trying to reach Yemen by boat have drowned in heavy seas off the coast.  Also, a second boat with up to 40 Ethiopians aboard has been declared missing. Yemen’s Interior Ministry said that three Somalis were rescued after a vessel carrying 46 people, mostly from Ethiopia, capsized, and a second boat carrying Ethiopians was missing. The United Nations (UN) refugee agency, said five men among 46 Ethiopian and Somali passengers had survived the tragedy, which witnesses said began when the engine was caught in fishing nets of the boat, which had left Djibouti three hours earlier.

Dozens Die in Northern India, China in Mass Evacuation over Freezing Weather

Near-freezing temperatures and icy Himalayan winds have killed dozens of people in northern India over the past two weeks and forced schools to close in the capital. A spokesman for worst-hit Uttar Pradesh state said five people died from the cold overnight, pushing the number of deaths there to 41. Temperature dropped to 3.7 degrees Celsius (38.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in the capital, where the average January temperature is about 14 C (58 F). Authorities in some areas arranged bonfires at major public places to keep people from dying from the cold, Mayor Dinesh Sharma said. Low temperatures have also forced the evacuation of thousands from their homes in China.

Passengers Foil Hijack Attempt aboard Turkish Airline

A man claiming to have a bomb tried to enter the cockpit of a Turkish Airlines plane about to land in Istanbul, Turkey, but was tackled by passengers and taken into custody, Turkish media reported Wednesday. The man, identified as 40-year-old Cuma Yasar, approached the cockpit during the descent of the flight from Oslo, Norway, into Ataturk International Airport. He threatened to blow up a bomb he said he was holding, and urged the captain to fly back to Oslo, but passengers Firat Faysal Ali and Dag Gjerstad tackled the man and overpowered him. Airport police took him into custody after the plane landed but found no explosives on him. But they found an identification card for the handicapped on Yasar, who suffers a mental illness.

57 Killed in India, Brazil Tragedies

About 57 people have been confirmed dead in separate tragedies which occurred in India and Brazil on Thursday. 22 Indian tourists visiting a hill town at the foot of the Himalayas died when their bus overturned and plunged into a gorge. Local villagers and government rescue officials in northern India worked for hours to bring the injured and the dead back up to the road. In Brazil, authorities said 35 people died after heavy flooding which also forced more than 30,000 out of their homes across the country, particularly in the city of Jundiai and the state of Minas Gerais. Heavy rains since Christmas in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo states have killed more than 20 people and left about 20,500 homeless.

Missile Strike Kills 6 in Pakistan

A suspected U.S. drone fired four missiles at a vehicle in a lawless area of North Waziristan area of Pakistan on Friday, killing six alleged militants, intelligence officials said. The US has stepped up such attacks in the past year in an attempt to kill Taliban militants who use Pakistani territory to launch attacks against foreign troops. The U.S. has pushed Pakistan to launch a military offensive in the area, but the government has resisted.

Suicide Bomber Kills 17 Worshippers in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber struck a bath house in a southern Afghan city as men gathered to wash up before Friday prayers, killing 17 people, including a border police officer, according to the governor's spokesman, Zalmay Ayubi. NATO also announced Friday that one of its service members was killed in a roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan. The apparent target was the inspector, who works for the border patrol, he said. Twenty-three other people were wounded. The blast reflected the continuing instability in Afghanistan, particularly in the southern part of the country.

8 Persons Dead as Gunmen Open Fire on Honduras Bus

Gunmen killed 8 people and wounded three others in an attack on a minibus in Honduras on Thursday. The attack, in the eastern province of Olancho, appears to have been aimed at one of the passengers on the minibus, said Security Ministry spokesman Leonel Sauceda. Assailants tried to force the driver of the bus to stop, and when he failed to do so, they opened fire with assault rifles on the vehicle. The attackers fled in two vehicles, and police are searching for them. The motive for the attack is still being investigated.

Mass Rape in New Year’s Attack in Congo

Dozens of women were raped in a coordinated attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo on New Year's Day, a humanitarian agency, Doctors Without Borders, disclosed on Thursday. The agency said 33 women were raped in Fizi, South Kivu, in the eastern part of the war-torn country. "Women had been restrained with ropes or beaten unconscious with the butt of a gun before being attacked, some in front of their children," said Annemarie Loof, an official with the agency. Rape is a frequent weapon of war in Congo, the United Nations says, with 15,000 women raped in eastern Congo in 2009.

UN Decries Press Restriction, Arrests in Sudan

Sudanese authorities restricted press freedom and made arbitrary arrests ahead of the referendum to endorse secession by south Sudan, last weekend, according to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Chief, Navi Pillay. Pillay also voiced concern that some Sudanese officials had made inflammatory remarks about the future of more than 1.5 million southerners living in the north. She urged authorities to guarantee that voters’ rights are not violated to ensure that the outcome of the referendum is credible. She welcomed Khartoum’s pledge to respect the outcome of the referendum, which is expected to lead to secession under a 2005 north-south peace deal that ended its civil war. Sudan’s President, Omar al-Bashir had promised to welcome and assist Southern Sudan as a new country if it votes for independence as expected in a referendum.

Tanzanian Police Kill Two, Arrest Opposition Chiefs

Tanzanian Police have shot dead two anti-government protesters and arrested at least 10 opposition figures during a violent demonstration. Opposition leader Willibrod Slaa, who ran in the 2010 disputed presidential election, was among those detained along with the party chairman. His Chadema party alleged a crackdown on the opposition. Police arrested 49 people in total. Opposition leaders have cried foul over the election of a ruling party candidate to mayor of Arusha, an opposition stronghold. In Algeria, rioting youths, Thursday, set buildings ablaze and hurled stones at police amid anger at recent price rises and chronic unemployment. The violence came after hikes in prices for milk, sugar and flour in recent days, and amid simmering frustration that Algeria’s gas and oil resources have not translated into broader prosperity.

Morocco Smashes al-Qaeda-Linked Group

Moroccan authorities have arrested a member of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) among 26 others who planned to attack security services and rob banks using weapons they hid in an area of the disputed Western Sahara. An interior ministry statement said Moroccan security forces recently broke up the 27-member cell and had discovered weapon caches in Amghala, an oasis located in the disputed Western Sahara. The ministry did not say when or where they were arrested. Mohamed Darif, an expert on Islamic militancy in Morocco, said the latest arrest is the first to suggest the existence of links between AQIM and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks independence in the Western Sahara.

Strong Quake Destroys Iranian Villages

A powerful earthquake measuring 5.3-magnitude on Wednesday jolted southern Iran, injuring 16 people and destroying as many as 10 villages. No fewer than five aftershocks occurred after the main quake, which also rattled the provincial capital of Shiraz, Mehr reported. Iran sits astride several major fault lines in the Earth’s crust and is prone to frequent quakes, many of which have been devastating.

Bar Owner Charged for Homicide after Deadly Stampede

Police in South Africa have charged the owner of a township tavern where 10 people were killed in a stampede early New Year’s Day with culpable homicide. Police spokeswoman, Adele Myburgh, said that James Lepholletse, 47, was arrested on Sunday and would face charges of causing death by negligence. Myburgh added that a witness alleged that the owner shot a firearm in the bar to encourage patrons to leave and the shots caused panic that led to the stampede. Myburgh said investigations are ongoing.

Slain Pakistani Governor Buried under Tight Security
…as Suspect Appears in Court

Thousands of Pakistani police were on high alert in Lahore on Wednesday for the funeral of an outspoken governor who was shot dead by a bodyguard that was enraged by his opposition to laws decreeing death for insulting Islam. Punjab Gov. Salman Taseer, regarded as a moderate voice in a country increasingly beset by zealotry, is the highest-profile Pakistani political figure to be assassinated since former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was slain three years ago, and his death underscores the growing danger in this country to those who dare to challenge the demands of Islamist extremists. An intelligence official who interrogated the suspect, Mumtaz Qadri, said the 26-year-old commando disclosed that Qadri said he was proud to have killed a blasphemer. Qadri was on Thursday arraigned in court amid tight security.

Thieves Make Tunnel into Bank, Empty Deposit Boxes

Bank robbers in Argentina have tunnelled into a vault and emptied more than 100 safety deposit boxes, police say. The robbery in Buenos Aires was only detected when bank staff returned to work after the New Year weekend. The thieves are thought to have spent six months digging a 30m (100ft) tunnel complete with lights and ventilation. Bank executives did not say how much was stolen as the contents of the deposit boxes are confidential. "It was a really impressive job," said prosecutor Martin Nikilson, adding that investigators had not ruled out the possibility that the thieves had an accomplice inside the bank.

16 Injured in Bus Bombing

Police say a remote-controlled bomb tore through a bus carrying children of paramilitary soldiers in southwest Pakistan. Fifteen children were wounded, five of them critically. Area Police Chief, Abdul Latif, says the attack occurred Tuesday in Turbat, 435 miles from Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province. The bus was being escorted by two other military vehicles, but they were not hit. A bomb blast in the Afghan capital killed a police officer and wounded three other people early Tuesday, a government official said, on the day marking the adoption of the country's post-Taliban constitution. It was a jarring preamble to the scheduled departure Tuesday of members of a government-appointed peace delegation to Pakistan to discuss efforts to launch talks with Taliban rebels.

Woman Stabs Lawmaker to Death in India

Police say a school principal fatally stabbed a Hindu nationalist lawmaker while he was meeting with supporters at his residence in an eastern Indian state. Neelmani, the top police officer in Bihar state, says Rupan Pathak pulled out a knife from her shawl and stabbed Raj Kishore Kesri, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker, in his stomach on Tuesday, killing him instantly. Neelmani says Kesri's guards overpowered Pathak and beat her up. She was hospitalized in critical condition. Neelmani says Pathak was charged with murder. Pathak accused Kesri, who inaugurated her school four years ago, of sexually harassing her last year but did not file a complaint. Bihar is considered India's most lawless state.

Guatemala Bus Fire Claims 5 Lives

Five people are dead and 10 others injured from a fire inside a Guatemalan passenger bus that police say may have been caused by an arson attack. National police spokesman, Donald Gonzalez, says investigators have not ruled out mechanical causes. But he acknowledges that some witnesses say the bus was attacked. Firefighter Carlos Hernandez told a local radio station Monday that someone tossed a fire bomb at the bus in the capital, Guatemala City. Street gangs have demanded protection money from bus drivers on the route in the past and killed drivers who refused to pay. Rights activists say 60 drivers were killed in 2010.

Gunmen Kill 3 in Mexico

Gunmen, Monday, opened fire on a group of people gathered at a corner in the city of Monterrey, killing two adults and a 13-year-old boy, authorities said Tuesday. The boy's twin brother and two men were wounded in the attack Monday night, the Nuevo Leon state attorney general's office said. Authorities had no immediate suspects and the motive was unclear. Mexican drug cartels have recruiting younger members and the government has increasingly detained youths under 18 for drug-related crimes. In another town in Nuevo Leon state, a shooting broke out Monday night between marines and suspected cartel gunmen. Five suspected members of the Zetas drug cartel were arrested, including a minor.