Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 8

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Police Intercept Illegal Arms in Owerri, Arrest One

A team of men from the Imo State Police Command, last weekend in Owerri, apprehended one person for being in possession of several quantities of arms and ammunition. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Deji Adebanjo, displayed the seizure, which included 4140 rounds of ammunition, 138 AK47 magazines, two military assault rifles and five AK47 rifles. According to him, the police was able to achieve the feat following information the command received.

Bomb Discovered at PDP Campaign Rally

The Police found a powerful bomb planted under one of the seats of a stand for top officials at a political campaign rally in Enugu State, according to police spokesman, Ebere Amaraeze.  The bomb had been placed in the stand reserved for state governor, Sullivan Chime, and other dignitaries, he added. The police had launched an investigation but no arrests had been made. The rally, staged by the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) went ahead as planned.

Court Nullifies Bayelsa Deputy Governor’s Impeachment

The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt on Wednesday reinstated Mr. Peremobowei Ebebi as Bayelsa State Deputy Governor. Ebebi was impeached by some members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in June 2010. But the appellate court held that due process was not followed in the impeachment of Ebebi. But the state House of Assembly has taken the matter to the Supreme Court, asking it to set aside the judgment of the Appeal Court.

President Orders Special Training for Security Agencies after Stampede

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, ordered the nation’s security agencies to undertake special training courses on crowd control. Jonathan issued the directive at the Federal Executive council meeting on Wednesday. The directive followed the loss of several lives in a stampede at the Port Harcourt Liberation Stadium when Jonathan inaugurated his presidential campaign in the South-South. The incident, which is currently being investigated, has been blamed on poor crowd control measures implemented by security operatives at the stadium’s gates.

Panel Begins Investigation of Stampede

Seven persons, on Monday, testified at the inaugural sitting of the six-man panel directed by President Goodluck Jonathan to find out the causes of the Port Harcourt stampede. The Panel Chairman, Mohammed Abubakar, who is the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 6, has assured that nobody would be harmed or arrested at the open sitting. Manager of the Liberation Stadium, Mr. Nmehielle James, disclosed that security operatives from Abuja chased him and other workers out of their offices before taking over the gates of the stadium. He explained that the operatives only opened three out of the five gates, a development that put much pressure on the main gate. Also, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations in Rivers State, Mr. Habila Joshak, maintained that security lapses led to the stampede. A witness also alleged that gunshots from the security operatives led to the confusion and stampede.

MEND Threatens Fresh Attacks

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has rejected the appointment of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku. In a statement by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, MEND decried President Goodluck Jonathan’s insistence on appointing Kuku as his aide on Niger Delta matters, adding that he (Kuku) lacked the vision and understanding of the key issues concerning the agitations of the Niger Delta people. MEND said it would not work with anyone who was not prepared to address the problems of the Niger Delta. It further threatened to embark on an all out assault on the Nigerian oil industry.

JTF Fault Dutch Legislator, Denies Complicity in Alleged Oil Theft

The Joint Task Force (JTF) has described as untrue claim by some politicians including a member of the Dutch parliament that its personnel were involved in crude oil theft in the Niger Delta. The JTF said its operation had brought about improved security in the region with the spate of sea robbery, kidnap of oil workers and vandalism of the nation’s oil infrastructure greatly reduced even though of its personnel had to die for the security and stability in the Niger Delta. Some politicians including a Dutch parliamentarian, Sharon Gesthuizen, had accused the personnel of the JTF of complicity in the oil theft and violence in the region.

Kuku Warns Ex-Militants against Indiscipline

Federal Government has said that it would continue to enforce discipline on ex-militants of the Niger Delta who are in training in various countries outside Nigeria, stating that the opportunity given to them was not one for them to misbehave. This assertion is coming on the heels of the recent stakeholders parley on some of the challenges identified with the Amnesty Programme. Speaking against the backdrop of the deportation of seven ex-militants from Ghana, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Kingsley Kuku said that government has put its foot on the ground to send a strong message to others who plan to default.

FG to Build Military Commands in Bayelsa

The Minister of Defence, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, says the Federal Government will soon build two new military commands in Yenagoa. This is contained in a statement signed by Mobolaji Yusuf for Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Defence. According to the minister, the two military facilities, the Nigerian Army Training Depot and Nigeria Air Force Air lift Command, will be sited in Okodia/Zarama in Yenagoa LGA.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Police Arraign 2 in Asaba for Kidnapping, Robbery

The police in Delta State, on Monday arraigned two persons before an Asaba Chief Magistrate’s court for kidnapping. The suspects were alleged to have kidnapped one Ifeanyi Akukalia in September 2010 in Warri. They were also alleged to have been in possession of two locally-made guns, which they used to rob Akukalia. The police prosecutor, Mr Benedicto Idegbekwu, told the court that the accused persons and others now at large committed all the offences on the same day and place. The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Helen Okonkwo-Ikeh, did not take the pleas of the accused persons. She ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody.

Varsity Students Riot in Ekpoma

The Edo State Police Command on Wednesday deployed more policemen in Ekpoma in response to a protest by students of the Ambrose Alli University in the town. The students had, during the protest over shortage of water and hike in school fees on Wednesday, blocked the Benin-Abuja Road. The spokesman of the state command, Mr. Peter Ogboi, said that the police were making efforts to restore order to the area. The students had last week given the state government a two-week ultimatum to reduce the fees.

5 Suspected Armed Robbers Killed in Delta

The Police in Delta State have killed five suspected armed robbers in separate incidents in Warri, Sapele and their environs. The Police Public Relations Officer, Charles Muka, said that one Isaiah Orumah, a notorious robbery suspect, was also killed, while four others escaped into the bush with bullet wounds. Muka explained that two double-barrel guns, one locally made cut to size single-barrel gun, two live cartridges and a female hand bag were recovered. He said the Police were on the trail of the fleeing members of the gang.

Police Arraign Female Kidnap Suspects

Two female kidnap suspects, who were alleged to have kidnapped their own brother, were arraigned in court on Wednesday. Their case was adjourned to March 15. Meanwhile, three suspected vandals alleged to have been involved in vandalising Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN) equipment in Delta communities were during the weekend apprehended by members of a vigilance team in Ethiope East LGA of Delta State. The suspects were transferred to Police headquarter in Asaba.

Task Force Accuse NUPENG, PTD of Vandalism

Chairman of the Edo State Taskforce on Protection of Pipelines’ Vandalism Committee, Comrade Osakpamwan Eriyo, has accused some officials of the NNPC Benin Depot, particularly those of the NUPENG and PTD of involvement in pipelines vandalism and adulteration of petroleum products in the state. Eriyo said that findings by his committee have shown that operators of the Benin depot are the brains behind what he termed as ‘economic sabotage’ as he alleged that they get the fuel from the depot and take it elsewhere to adulterate. But, Chairman of NUPENG, Comrade Godwin Asemota, debunked the allegations and urged Eriyo to provide evidence of its officials adulterating petroleum products.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

NNPC Drains 450000 litres of Petrol from Leak Site

A team of pipeline engineers and safety/environment experts from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) have successfully drained over 450,000 litres of premium motor spirit from an oil leak site at Isheri Olofin in Lagos. The NNPC/PPMC team had moved into the area early last month to avert a possible environmental tragedy following report by residents that water from their wells has been polluted with PMS. Prince Haruna Momoh, the Managing Director of PPMC informed that the Corporation is determined to avert any tragic incident arising from the unfortunate development.

Trader Murdered by Her Driver

A 36-year-old trader, Mrs Abigail Osakwe, has been murdered by her driver, Sule Salau, over an undisclosed sum of money in Jebba, Kwara State. The elder brother of the deceased, Mr Alex Osakwe, said that the deceased the driver were to travel to Ilorin to buy building materials the following day when the driver allegedly visited her room at about 3.00a.m and killed her in an attempt to get the money. He stressed that it was the 5-year-old son of his late sister, who identified the suspect. Mr Osakwe said that the deceased and her son slept together in the same room when the suspect entered the room through the window and asked the boy not to shout before attacking her with a pestle.

Politicians Blamed for Ekiti Killings

The police said the clash in Ikole-Ekiti recently over the location of a federal university was caused by politicians. Three people lost their lives at Ikole-Ekiti when demonstrators against the location of the federal university at Oye-Ekiti attacked the Federal Government College; Ikole-Ekiti. The Police spokesman, Olusola Amore, said that “the present crisis was brought about by some persons with political interest, spreading the rumour that the university was initially located in Ikole-Ekiti.” The demonstration was against the rumoured relocation of a federal university from Ikole-Ekiti to Oye-Ekiti. He said the Inspector-General of Police Hafiz Ringim regretted the death of the three demonstrators killed and warned that police will not allow government properties being set on fire and people killed.

7 Injured as AC, LP Supporters Clash in Ondo

Seven persons were seriously injured during a clash between supporters of Labour Party (LP) and that of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Idanre LGA of Ondo State, last weekend at the CAN secretariat. Property worth thousands of naira at the ACN secretariat were also said to have been vandalized. Chairman of ACN in the LGA alleged that members of the Labour Party attacked members of his party while they were holding their general meeting at the party secretariat. But, the Chief of Staff to the Ondo State governor, Dr. Kola Ademujimi, said the allegation by the ACN members was baseless.

LASTMA Official Kills LAWMA Official in Lagos

A vehicle driven by an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), while pursuing a commercial bus on Tuesday, ran over and killed a staff of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) at Ojota, who was sweeping the road. The police on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of one of the LASTMA officials, who was at the scene of the incident. In another road incident, a woman was crushed to death on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway on Tuesday, when a truck lost control as a result of brake failure and ran into the woman waiting to board a bus. The incident left several passengers in the bus and those waiting at the bus stop critically injured.

5 Die in Ife-Ondo Road Accident

About 5 persons died on Wednesday in a motor accident along Ife-Ondo Road in Osun State. The incident involved a car and an 18-seater bus. Eyewitnesses said that the three passengers in front of the bus died on the spot while two out six passengers inside the car died. The 18-seater bus was owned and driven by a businesswoman who is electronics dealer. The businesswoman, popularly called Iya Pupa, who was one of the three passengers who died instantly in the accident, was blamed for causing the accident because she overtook another vehicle at a sharp bend leading to a head-on collision with another car.

Community Threatens Chevron

For allegedly excluding their community in its welfare programmes despite alleged environmental pollution in the area, the people of Obe-Nla in Ilaje LGA of Ondo State have threatened to shut down the operations of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) in its domain. The community said they have given Chevron a one-month ultimatum to right the wrongs. One of the demands of the community is the payment of a N250 million compensation, which they claimed had been agreed as a settlement claim at a meeting since July 2002. The community also wants the implementation of the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) agreement under the Ilaje Regional Development Commission (IRDC). The community accused CNL of neglecting them since 28 years ago when it began operation in the area.

Two Remanded in Prison over Alleged Murder

An Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, on Wednesday ordered a 68-year-old landlord and a security man remanded at the Ikoyi Prisons over the shooting to death of an alleged armed robber. The Magistrate, Mrs. J. Ugbomoiko, ordered the landlord, Lekan Adigun, and Dele Alayande, 28, remanded for allegedly shooting to death Chidi Okoye, 25. The court did not take the pleas of the suspects. The Prosecutor, Corporal Ishaku Babaji, told the court that Adigun owned a double-barrelled gun, but its license expired six years ago. Babaji said Adigun gave the gun to Alayande, a security man, to assist him in his security work on their street at Iju-Ishaga.

Gunmen Shoot Two in UNILAG

Gunmen on Monday night shot two unidentified persons near one of the halls of residence in the University of Lagos. The fate of the victims or the reason for the attack could not be ascertained. UNILAG authorities explained that the matter was being investigated. Students of the institution attributed the shooting to a supremacy battle between two rival cult gangs, the Eiye Confraternity and Buccaneer Confraternity. Spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said that the police had started investigating the incident.

FG Probes Oyo Disturbances

Indications emerged on Tuesday that the Federal Government has ordered a probe of Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala and Police Commissioner, Baba Adisa Bolanta, over their roles in the various crises, which have rocked Oyo State. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, directed the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Hafiz Ringim, to “investigate the various allegations against Bolanta and Alao-Akala in relation to the numerous crises confronting the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state.

Undergraduate Nabbed for Drug Trafficking

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an undergraduate student of the University of Brunel, London, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for drug trafficking. He was nabbed with 1.160kg of cocaine hidden in his stomach on his way to London. NDLEA Commander at the airport, Alhaji Hamza Umar, promised to charge the 27-year-old suspect to court in connection with unlawful exportation and possession of 1.160 kg of substance that tested positive for cocaine. The suspect, who hails from Abeokuta in Ogun State, said that he wanted to use the money promised him by his sponsors to pay his school fees.

GENERAL

Senate Passes Anti-Terrorism Bill, Prescribes Death Sentence

The Senate, on Thursday, passed a tough Anti-Terrorism Bill, prescribing death for any act of terror including kidnapping, pipeline destruction or similar acts that leads to loss of human life. Persons convicted for belonging to terror groups under the bill passed by the Senate would be liable to a maximum of 20 years imprisonment while individuals convicted of involvement in kidnapping which do not lead to loss of life would be liable to imprisonment for up to 10 years. The passage of the Bill followed the adoption of the report presented by the joint Senate committees on Security and Intelligence, Judiciary and Justice. But the House of Representatives is yet to pass the bill. The House suspended consideration of the bill following complaints by some of the lawmakers against a hasty passage of the report on the bill in order to protect the basic rights of majority of Nigerians.

Riot Breakout in Kano after Suspect Died in Custody

One person was feared killed and two government buildings and a church were torched when riots broke out in Kano state after a man, police described as a notorious thief died in police custody on Sunday. Rioters and his family blamed police for his death, claiming they tortured him. Police Commissioner, Muhammad Tambari Yabo, denied officers were to blame fro his death and said authorities later shot into the air when the mob sought to burn down the police station. According to police, the alleged thief stole a motorcycle on Friday night after being released from jail. He was pursued by a mob that badly beat him before being brought to police. Police said Sunday evening that calm had been restored to the town and 35 arrests were made.

Military Kills 3 Boko Haram Suspects, Recover Weapons Cache

Security troops in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Saturday, killed three suspected Boko Haram sect members in a shootout and uncovered a cache of weapons in separate incidents. The gunmen had allegedly opened fire on a military patrol team, and the military responded, killing all the three gunmen, Brigadier-General Tanko Yusuf Gaya said. In the second incident, a tip-off from residents led soldiers to locate a cache of weapons in a car in a village near where the shootout occurred. The weapons included a machine gun, rocket-propelled grenades, Kalashnikov rifles, explosives, hand grenades and a large quantity of ammunition, the army chief said.

4 Killed in Bauchi Inferno

A mother and her three daughters were burnt to death in a morning fire disaster in Kandahar area of Bauchi, penultimate Sunday. According to witnesses, the fire started about 5 a.m. at the deceased’s residence. Narrating the incident, her husband, Malam Mohammed Kabir, alleged that the fire was caused by fluctuation in power supply.  He said that when it started, there was confusion in the house, adding that neighbours and personnel from the Bauchi State Fire Service stopped the fire from spreading to the other rooms in the house. Mohammed described the incident as an act of God.

EU Condemns Upsurge of Violence in Nigeria

The European Union Heads of Mission has condemned the upsurge of violence in Plateau, Bauchi and Borno States of Nigeria. The EU Head of Mission in Nigeria urged Nigerian authorities to take necessary steps to bring perpetrators of violence to account, and advised them to adopt measures to protect the civilian population effectively irrespective of ethnic or religious affiliation, in line with international human rights standards and international humanitarian law. The head of mission further called on all stakeholders to promote peaceful coexistence, credible elections and avoid hate speech and violence during the electoral campaigns.

Four Killed as Fire Razes Deposed Monarch’s Residence

Four members of the family of deposed Olugbo of Ugbo-Ilaje, Prince Adebanjo Mafimisebi, comprising his wife and three daughters, penultimate Friday lost their lives in an inferno, which gutted their residence. The inferno defied intervention from neighbors. A daughter of the deposed monarch, who escaped the inferno, alleged that the residence was bombed by unidentified men. Younger brother of the deposed monarch, Barrister Idowu Mafimisebi, said the incident is not unconnected to the crisis over the Olugbo stool. The incumbent Olugbo, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan, who said he received the news of the incident with shock, described Mafimisebi’s allegation as baseless.

Eid-el Maulud: 12 Killed in Jos

12 persons, including a policeman were killed in Jos, Plateau State, during the eid-el maulud celebration on Tuesday. Violence began when two persons, including the policeman, were killed by two Hausa butchers when they went to buy meat. This provoked angry Christian youths to retaliate by killing a motorcycle operator, believed to be Hausa. Muslim youths immediately made to retaliate on the Christians, who were battle ready. At the end it was discovered that about 12 people had been killed. Confirming the incident, the state Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abdulrahman Akano, said four people had been arrested and that only the policeman was killed.

Suspected Boko Haram Kills Associate

A suspected Boko Haram member on Sunday in Maiduguri mistakenly shot dead his associate while attempting to assassinate someone else. A witness, Mr Simon Joseph, disclosed that three suspected militants had attacked the Bulumkutu residence of one John Musa, shooting sporadically into the air. Joseph said that Musa engaged one of his attackers in a scuffle. He explained that as Musa and one his attackers wrestled, the other two attackers, mistakenly shot dead their colleague. Malam Lawal Abdullahi, the Police Public Relations Officer, said the sporadic shooting attracted police patrol teams to the scene. The police recovered an AK 47 rifle, a GSM handset and four empty shells of live ammunition at the scene.

2 Soldiers Die in Boko Haram Clash

Two soldiers died on Tuesday night in Maiduguri following a bloody attack between the military personnel and armed men suspected to be Boko Haram at the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) Church. There was also a gun battle between the sect and soldiers deployed to another Church also within the metropolis. The Army Public Relations Officer, Lt. Danbeki said the two clashes between soldiers and sect members at Simari and Ruwan Zafi Wards. The Borno State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Abubakar, confirmed the attacks and killings.

Police Arrest Robbers N1.9m Theft

Two robbery suspects who dispossessed the traditional ruler of Lokoja, the Meigeri of Lokoja, Muhammed Merkarfi III, of N1.9 million have been arrested in Lokoja. The suspects and two others, who are at large, were said to have dispossessed one of the errand men of the traditional ruler of the said amount of money. But luck ran out on the suspected robbers as they were caught, after committing another offence of assaulting some ladies. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Sanmi Ajayi, said that the suspects were identified by the victim and stated that full scale investigation had begun into the case despite the fact that the suspects denied involvement in the robbery incident.

FG Allows Training of Female Officers at NDA

The wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, has lauded the Federal Government’s decision to redress the anomalies in the enlistment and training of female officers by the Armed Forces. The Federal Government had on Monday announced that female regular combatant officers can also undertake four-year courses at the Nigeria Defence Academy instead of the six-month short-service courses that had been the norm. The President’s directive will now reverse the trend and afford women the opportunity to compete favourably with their male counterparts for the highest office in the military. She urged all eligible women to avail themselves of the opportunity and register.

Herdsmen Kill Five in Jos

The Chief Accountant of Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Vom, Jos South LGA of Plateau State, Audu Chobe, his wife and their three-year-old daughter, were, penultimate Thursday night murdered by suspected Fulani attackers. The incident also left the college electrician and the Chief Security Officer, Haruna Danjuma, dead, and seven others severely injured as the assailants shot sporadically into the air and made away with at least 30 cows from the school premises. The police got to the scene shortly after the assailants had escaped.

Courts Sentences Killer Policeman to Death by Hanging

An Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Abubakar Talba, on Monday, sentenced a police corporal, Obanla Julius, to death by hanging for killing a motorist at a police check-point without justification. The judge noted that there had been incessant killing of innocent citizens of the country in the manner in which the police corporal killed his victim. Corporal Obanla Julius was charged with culpable homicide for killing one Shagari Haruna at the Federal Housing Authority road junction at Kubwa on May 2, 2002. Julius made a confessional statement in which he described how Haruna was killed. He said the deceased was driving a Honda Car and was ordered to stop for checking at about 12:30am but failed to stop. He said he was infuriated by the attitude of the deceased following which he shot him.

Robbers Kill Policemen in Gombe

Suspected armed robbers, on Tuesday evening, shot dead a police inspector in Gombe State. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ahmed Doma, confirmed that two men, who were riding on motorcycle, shot and killed a police officer, after a robbery operation at Uche Kings International Company, near Railway station, in the town. The manager of the building material store, Mr Chukwudi Ezenwa, said around three persons stormed his store, ordering him and some other people at gunpoint to lie down while demanding for money. He said the robbers made away with over N500000. In a related development, robbers on motor cycle, on Monday, attacked a retail communication produce store in daylight, in Gombe and carted away undisclosed amount of money.

18 Killed in Pre-Dawn Raid of Benue Communities

Some Benue villages in Gwer-West LGA were invaded by at least 200 armed Fulani herdsmen in the dead of the night, killing at least 18 villagers, penultimate Tuesday. The Ter Nagi (traditional ruler), Chief Daniel Abomtse, said the Fulani herdsmen were assisted by mercenaries from Chad and were armed with sophisticated weapons. The villagers fled their homes and took refuge in Naka, headquarters of Gwer LGA. The State Government has set up a relief committee to support the displaced and have donated relief materials.

FG Vows to Tackle Plateau Security Challenges

President Goodluck Jonathan, Thursday, declared that the Federal Government is working hard to tackle the security challenges in Plateau state, and assured that Plateau will rise and be vibrant again. Jonathan, who gave this assurance at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium, Jos, where he flagged off his presidential campaign for the April polls, also noted that his government would not discriminate against any Nigerian irrespective of tribe or religion.

INTERNATIONAL

Several Killed in Mexican Attacks

Gunmen burst into a home in the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez and killed a woman and her two daughters, officials said Tuesday. A man in the house was also seriously wounded. In a separate incident late Monday, nine people were injured when a grenade was tossed into a shop in the city of Matamoros. In the same region, 18 people were killed Monday in a series of attacks on a bus, a private car and public buildings. Armed men also opened fire and hurled a grenade into a crowded nightclub, penultimate Saturday, killing six people and wounding at least 37 in Guadalajara. The gunmen fled after the pre-dawn attack, a witness said. More than 34,600 people have died in drug violence since December 2006, when President Felipe Calderon ordered a crackdown on the illegal cartels. A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was shot and killed in Mexico and a second was wounded in an attack by "unknown assailants".

Somali Pirates Force Hostages to Attack Vessels

Somali pirates forced a hostage crew to hijack vessels in exchange for freedom, a released seaman, Joseph Amere, said on Tuesday. Somali pirates seized the South Korean MV Golden Wave in October and deployed the fishing vessel as a mother ship, a strategy that has allowed them to extend their reach. Amere, who had acted as the crew’s chief negotiator with pirate bosses, said they had been illegally trawling for crabs off the shores of Somalia. The 43-strong crew, which included two Chinese and two South Korean nationals, had been forced to launch 17 raids on ships plying the busy waterways between east Africa and the Seychelles archipelago, he said.

14 Killed as Plane Crashes in Honduras

Fourteen people have been killed after a small Honduran airliner crashed near the capital of Tegucigalpa. All on board were killed, including a senior government official and a union leader. The Central American Airlines flight was carrying two pilots and 12 passengers when it crashed on Monday morning in the town of Las Mesitas, approximately three miles from the Toncontin International Airport, where the flight was due to land. The airport is considered to be dangerous due to its short runway and surrounding hills. At least 10 planes have crashed in and around it since 1989. According to the National Service of Civil Aviation, the crash happened minutes after air traffic controllers instructed the pilots to land.

Anti Government Protest Rocks Libya

There are reports of protests by hundreds of people in the Libyan city of Benghazi.
Eyewitnesses told the BBC that the unrest had been triggered by the arrest of a lawyer who is an outspoken critic of the government. The lawyer was later said to have been released but the protests continued. Pro-democracy protests have swept through several Arab countries in recent weeks, forcing the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt from power. A call has been put out on the internet for protests across Libya on Thursday. The government has so far not commented on events in the city.

50 Migrants Drown in Ship Wreck

At least 50 Somali and Ethiopian migrants died when a ship carrying 129 people sank off the northern coast of Mozambique recently. Survivors, thought to be illegal migrants, have been taken to refugee camps, according to reports from Mozambique on Tuesday. The Tanzanian captain of the ship also drowned, it said. Mozambique, with its vast coastline and lax legal system, has been increasingly used as a destination for illegal activities including drug trafficking, analysts and United States government officials have said.

Police Break Up Protests in Bahrain

Security forces in Bahrain have dispersed thousands of anti-government protesters in Pearl Square in the centre of capital, Manama. Hundreds of riot police using tear gas and batons moved in before dawn, with tanks now reported on some streets. At least three people died in the police operation, according to the opposition, with 100 injured. The protesters are calling for wide-ranging political reforms and had been camped out since Tuesday. Clashes earlier in the week left two dead and dozens injured in the country. Similarly, in Algeria, 400 anti-government protesters including four Members of Parliament have been arrested in Algiers following clashes with police. Under the country‘s long-standing state of emergency, protests are banned in the capital but people have taken to the streets to demand democratic change and jobs.

12 Tourists Killed as Vietnam Boat Sinks

At least 12 people, many of them foreign tourists, have drowned after a tour boat sank in Halong Bay in north-east Vietnam. The boat was touring in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Quang Ninh province when it went down. Fifteen people, including nine foreigners, have been rescued. It is not yet clear why the boat sank. A government official says initial information suggests part of the boat broke without warning.

32 Dead in Tanzanian Munitions Dump Blast

At least 32 people have been killed in multiple explosions after an accident at a munitions dump in Tanzania's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, officials say. The blasts lasted several hours at the Gongola Mboto military base. Residents were encouraged to stay inside their homes and away from windows after the explosions. Debris was hurled across the city and chief of staff Gen Abdurahman Shimbo said 32 people had died.  Earlier Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said 17 bodies had been recovered.

Pirate Sentenced gets 34 Years Jail Term

A US court sentenced a Somali man to nearly 34 years in prison Wednesday for acts related to high-seas piracy after he and three other men hijacked a U.S.-flagged ship in 2009. Abduwali Abukhadir Muse pleaded guilty to the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama. In the hijacking, U.S. Navy SEALs ultimately rescued the ship's captain, Richard Phillips, while he was held hostage. Some 685 sailors are currently being held for ransom aboard 30 ships off the Somali coastline, according to the International Maritime Organization. Pirates often hijack ships to be used as bases, or mother ships, for launching further attacks, using the ships' crews as "human shields," the organization said in a written statement. Muse was the only survivor among the men who hijacked the Alabama.

Philippines Slum Blaze Renders Thousands Homeless

About 10,000 people on Tuesday day lost their homes and a child was killed after fire razed one of the Philippines’ largest slums, authorities said. Residents said the blaze ripped through the sprawling Bahay Toro slum, leaping from house to house and burning ferociously for three hours before firemen could get it under control. The cause of the blaze was unknown, fire inspector Catherine Albino said. The city mayor pledged to repair the slum. The incident occurred as Philippines government and communist rebels resumed peace talks, more than six years after the last round broke down. Philippine President Benigno Aquino’s administration expressed hopes that the festering conflict would be over by 2014.

Clashes at Demonstrator's Funeral in Iran

Fresh clashes erupted on Wednesday in Iran during the funeral of a student killed in anti-government protests on Monday. Rival groups of pro- and anti-government protesters both claim the dead man as one of their supporters. Saneh Jaleh, 26, was among two people killed during Monday's protests. On Monday, thousands of supporters of opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi took to the streets of Tehran to demonstrate their solidarity with the opposition movements in Tunisia and Egypt, which have both succeeded in toppling their unpopular leaders. Two people were killed and several wounded during Monday's clashes with riot police in Tehran. Some 1,500 people have been detained, opposition groups say, but official figures put the figure at 150. Iranian MPs later called for the two leaders to be tried and executed.

Israeli Soldiers Kill 3 Palestinians at Gaza

Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinians along the tense border with the Gaza Strip on Thursday. The Israeli military released a statement saying soldiers fired on the men after they were spotted planting an explosive device in a no-go zone along the border. A spokesman for the armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine - a small group that only rarely carries out attacks - identified one of the men as a member of the group and said he had been killed "during a mission carried out by our military wing." The Israeli military maintains a buffer zone along the border fence, where militants have planted bombs targeting Israeli forces in the past.

Yemen Factions Clash

Government loyalists wielding batons and daggers clashed with anti-government protesters in the Yemeni capital Wednesday. Police were unable to keep the two sides apart as protesters gathered for a demonstration to demand the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a U.S. ally against al Qaeda who has ruled the impoverished state for more than 30 years. Hundreds of Saleh backers charged at protesters, who quickly fled. Recent protests have been smaller than in preceding weeks, when tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets. But they are erupting more spontaneously and violently, and have become more strident in calling for Saleh's resignation.

Military Rulers Dissolve Egyptian Parliament

Egypt’s military leaders dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution on Sunday, meeting two key demands of protesters, who have been keeping up pressure for immediate steps to transition to democratic, civilian rule after forcing Hosni Mubarak out of power. The military took over when Mubarak stepped down, penultimate Friday. The protesters had been pressing the ruling military council to immediately move forward with the transition process by appointing a presidential council, dissolving the parliament and releasing detainees. The military ruling council said it will run the country for six months, or until presidential and parliament elections can be held. It said it was forming a committee to amend the constitution and set the rules for a popular referendum to endorse the amendments.

NATO Seizes Pirate Ship

A NATO warship has captured a suspected pirate mother ship off Somalia, NATO‘s counter-piracy mission has said. It said Denmark‘s warship fired warning shots, penultimate Saturday, forcing the vessel to stop and its crew to surrender. Sixteen suspected pirates on board were then held and a weapons cache seized. Two Yemeni hostages were also freed, according to Commander Haumann of HDMS Esbern Snare warship said. The NATO mission said the incident happened when the warship came across a suspicious vessel with two skiffs on deck. It said it believed the fishing vessel had been hijacked.

Colombian Hostage Regains Freedom

Colombia's main rebel group, the Farc, has released another hostage, bringing the number of those freed this week to four. Carlos Alberto Ocampo, a policeman captured six weeks ago, was handed over to a humanitarian delegation.  The release of two more hostages also scheduled for Sunday did not go ahead. A government official said the rebels failed to turn up at the agreed co-ordinates for the handover, a move he described as "scandalous". Government mediator Eduardo Pizarro Leon Gomez said the government had done everything by the book and blamed the Farc for the failed handover.