Weekly Security Report Weekly Report week 9 week 9
PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS
Gunmen Abduct 10 in Imo
Gunmen in Imo state, last weekend, abducted 10 persons and killed one other in Amaigbo, Nwangele LGA. It was gathered that the incident occurred when the town union executives of Amaigbo Progressive Union (APU) assembled to discuss the burial arrangement of their traditional ruler, Eze Nwosu, who passed on recently. While trying to escape, a middle aged man whose vehicle mistakenly blocked their exit was reportedly shot dead by the gunmen. Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Linus Nwaiwu, said that only four persons were abducted and the police is closing in on the hoodlums.
2 Killed in Rivers
Gunmen shot dead a lecturer with the Rivers State College of Arts and Science, Port Harcourt, Clement Kente Faah, and a Canada-based Nigerian, Pius Gbarazia. Eyewitnesses said the two men were sitting in front of Faah’s family house in Yeghe, Gokana LGA when the gunmen opened fire on them. The state police spokesperson, Rita Inoma-Abbey, who confirmed the incident, said that the gunmen, who were three in number, stormed the house about 10pm penultimate Saturday. She added that the police were yet to know the motive behind the killings.
Police, Kidnappers Clash in Akwa Ibom
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command have shot dead one kidnapper while several others sustained bullet wounds following shoot out between the hoodlums and the police at Ikono LGA. The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sani Magaji, disclosed this, while parading the suspects. Magaji stated that his men acted on tip-off from members of the public. He explained that the command also rescued a kidnapped victim at Obio Itak Village in Ikon and two vehicles belonging to the hoodlums were seized by the police.
Governor Tasks Security Agencies on Crowd Control
Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has charged security agents in the country to learn how to control crowd in political rallies to avert the reoccurrence of the tragic stampede, which claimed 11 lives at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally in Port Harcourt recently. Governor Amaechi promised that the state government would take care of the medical bills of the survivors, advising them to put their trust in God. He described the victims as strong supporters of the party. The President’s wife prayed God to grant Governor Amaechi, who lost the PDP woman leader in his village and his in-law in the stampede, the fortitude to bear the loss.
Man Butchers Ex-Wife, Reports Self to Police
A 55-year-old man, identified as Udo Ubom, from Ikot Obong village, in Akwa Ibom State, last weekend, butchered his ex-wife, and thereafter turned himself over to the police. Ubom killed his ex-wife in broad daylight for allegedly having an affair with another man, a former friend of his. Ubom, who had reported the unfaithfulness of the wife to family members and friends in the community, it was gathered, on the fateful day was attending the burial of a certain man in the community, when he saw his former friend hand in hand with the woman, and got furious. In a similar incident, a 30 year-old woman, Miss Martha Usoro, who was bathed with acid, by her former lover, Augustine Edward Udo. Martha and Udo had problems after both discovered that they were cheating on each other.
Ijaw Leader Survives Gun Attack
President of the Ijaw National Congress, (INC), Dr Atuboyedia Obianime, narrowly escaped death on Monday night after a gang of armed men attempted kidnapping him. Obianime was shot in the thigh in the struggle for his life, but he was rescued by police patrol team. The Rivers State Police spokesperson, Dr Rita Inoma-Abbey (SP), said investigations had already commenced on the matter.
Explosion in Alaibe’s Campaign Office
The campaign office of the Labour Party candidate in the 2011 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Mr. Timi Alaibe, was on Monday morning rocked by multiple explosions suspected to be dynamites thrown into the complex in Ogbia LGA of the state. Alaibe and the state chairman, Comrade Adou Bobo, expressed concern over the continued violence against opposition parties in the state and declared that no amount of intimidation could make the party withdraw from the governorship race. However, the Bayelsa State government, through the State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Nathan Egba, insisted that the bomb explosion was orchestrated by the LP candidate to attract sympathy and to embarrass the President Goodluck Jonathan and the state governor, Timipre Sylva.
Bonga to Shut Down for 4 Weeks
Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), operated Bonga Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading, FPSO vessel, is scheduled to shut down for four weeks for the first of a five-yearly routine maintenance exercise. It was gathered that the shut-down is planned to occur in phases, from train to train, to minimize volume 225,000 that will be shut-in during the process. During the process which was scheduled to commence last Thursday, it is expected ‘process valves’ and other defective parts will be opened up and cleaned or changed as part of efforts to get the FPSO back to optimal functionality.
BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS
Ex-Militants give 2-Week Ultimatum over Allowance
Eight Former militants in the Niger Delta have issued the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum within which to commence the monthly payment of their salaries and those of their boys, failing which they would blow up oil facilities across the region and further ensure that elections were not held in the region. “General” Bozimo Williams, who led other ex-militant leaders, claimed that they were part of the disarmament phase II group, who disarmed in September 2010 while another group had earlier disarmed in July and August respectively, wondering why it was only their group that was left out in the payment scheme in spite of having fulfilled all requirement.
Jonathan Urges Delta Youths to Embrace Peace
President Goodluck Jonathan, on Friday, appealed to youths in the Niger-Delta region to embrace peace in order to attract rapid development to the area. Jonathan, during the presidential campaign rally in Asaba, Delta state also assured Deltans of his administration’s commitment to refocusing the energies of federal interventionist agencies towards sustainable development and youth empowerment. He urged the youths to take advantage of opportunities from the various interventionist agencies and engage in productive ventures.
Oshiomhole Calls for Protest against Election Rigging
The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Friday, charged Nigerians to engage in popular protest to counter election rigging and stop relying on the courts to check rigging. The Edo State Governor noted that though President Goodluck Jonathan had promised that votes would count in 2011 election and that the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, had also re-echoed similar sentiments, Nigerians should not rest on their oars. He said politicians who rig at elections should not be allowed to enjoy the fruits of that rigging, saying that would serve as a deterrent against rigging and manipulation of election results. The governor also urged the media to help in propagating the campaign against rigging, saying rigging should be stopped on the streets and not at the courts.
Delta Drafts 5000 Officers for Jonathan’s Visit
Delta State Police Commissioner, Mamman Ibrahim, says that adequate security arrangements were put in place to ensure that the ugly incident of stampede that killed people during the Port Harcourt rally did not repeat itself in Delta State, during the President’s visit to the state on Friday. The CP after visiting the venue of the campaign rally in Asaba, said over 5,000 police officers would be drafted to the venue of the PDP rally.
LAGOS AND ENVIRONS
Police Secure Release of Abducted Monarch
The Ondo State Police Command, last weekend, said it has secured the release of a monarch, Oba Samuel Oyegbemi, who was kidnapped a day earlier by some youths in Osun town in Irele LGA. The Police Public Relations Officer in charge of the command, Mr. Aremu Adeniran, said the release was secured by riot police officers deployed to the area. Adeniran added that the incident followed the discovery of the body of an ex-militant in Iju-Osun, on Thursday. Kidnappers, suspected to be Ijaw youths had on Friday, stormed the palace of Oba Oyegbemi, set his palace and other houses around the area ablaze, before kidnapping him. According to witnesses, five persons were killed in the incident.
10 Persons Killed in NURTW Clash
Ten persons were reportedly killed and several others injured in a fresh fight between rival factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in motor parks in Agbor, Delta State. Trouble started following an unsuccessful attempt to forcefully unseat the incumbent leaders of the union by one Amechi Iyanbor. It was reported that over 20 gun-wielding men allegedly took over the scene, shooting sporadically and inflicting machete cuts on their victims. The intervention of security agents led to the arrest of six fleeing members of the gang when their vehicle broke down. Emmanuel Danmaman, Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Agbor confirmed that those arrested were helping the police in their investigation.
10 Killed in Cult Clash
Suspected cult group members shot sporadically in Abeokuta, Ogun state, killing at least 10 people in an operation that lasted for close to three hours, penultimate Sunday. It was gathered that trouble started over the attempt by one Adio and his group to hijack the Amalgamated Union of Motorcycle Riders (ACOMORAN). In the ensuing battle for control and supremacy violence was unleashed, resulting in the loss of lives and destruction of properties worth millions of Naira.
Two Die in Lagos Youths Clash
Rampaging youths from Toyin and Ishaga areas of Lagos State, penultimate Sunday night and Monday morning clashed, leaving at least two persons dead and many residents injured. No fewer than five cars were also damaged in the fracas. It was gathered that the youth, who had for so long engaged in a supremacy argument, initially clashed on Sunday night when one of them from Ishaga was stabbed and cut with machete by another youth from Toyin. The intervention of policemen around 10.30pm and prevented the clash from escalating. The injured person was later taken to a hospital where he died thereafter. But Youths from Ishaga subsequently besieged Toyin Street on Monday morning to avenge the death of their colleague. However, Toyin Street youths got wind of the planned attack and were battle ready; leading to the fierce clash.
Tanker Drivers, Residents Clash in Lagos
Members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum & Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, clashed with residents of the Kirikiri area of Lagos state over alleged recklessness of the Tanker drivers operating in the area. But the leadership of PTD said the clash which it claimed left one of its members seriously injured and, was caused by the driver’s refusal to part with money demanded by some residents before passage. It took the intervention of policemen from the Kirikiri police station to prevent the situation from degenerating to serious violence.
3 Policemen Killed in Shoot-Out with Robbers
A fierce shoot-out between a 12-man robbery gang and a Police patrol team was witnessed at the Lagos-Ibadan express way, resulting in the death of three policemen. But the Lagos State Police Command said only one of its men lost his life in the shoot out. Eyewitnesses account said the robbers barricaded the highway from Ojodu Berger end, at about 3am, prompting Luxury buses and other night travelers to stop, apparently thinking they were policemen on routine check. But just as they were set to begin the operation, they were said to have sighted a Police patrol van from Isheri division approaching. Thinking the policemen had got wind of their presence, the robbers reportedly opened fire on the unsuspecting cops, who managed to brace up to the challenge by firing back.
Two Killed in NURTW Clash
Two persons were killed and several others injured in Ibadan, the Oyo State, on Thursday as the state government attempted to demolish the secretariat of the proscribed state council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Olomi/Academy area. The dead were members of a faction of the union loyal to the court-reinstated Chairman, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola (a.k.a Tokyo). They were killed in a gun battle between NURTW members and armed police escorts of officials of the state Ministry of Environment and Water Resources led by the Commissioner, Alhaji Mukaila Aborode. The clash forced the demolition team and their escorts to flee the area. The Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Mr. Baba Bolanta, confirmed the incident, emphasising the police did not shoot at the scene.
Oyo Road Accident Claims Five
Five persons suspected to be Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faithful were reported dead in a ghastly auto crash on Thursday in Ibadan. About 15 others were injured and rushed to the hospital. The party faithful were returning to the state capital from Oyo town where the state governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, commenced his re-election campaign. The accident, which involved a commercial bus, reportedly occurred at a spot in Moniya on the Ibadan-Oyo Expressway. The Moniya Unit Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr. Adebayo Francis, blamed the accident on over speeding and overloading.
Police Investigate Mangled Body Found in Sack
The police in Lagos State on Thursday combed Empire Street in Yaba area of the state in a bid to uncover the mystery surrounding a mangled corpse found in a sack. The body was on Monday discovered by curious residents of the area, who woke up to see a sack soaked with blood and dumped in front of an auto dealer’s shop. Spokesman of the state Police Command, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, confirmed the discovery, adding that an elderly man identified as Mukaila Oyewale informed the police about the sack.
Court Remanded Tout in Prison over Death of Driver
An Ebute Meta Magistrates Court, Lagos, on Thursday, remanded in prison custody a suspected tout, Akeem Abdul for allegedly killing a commercial bus driver. The deceased driver, Olaosebikan Oluko allegedly refused to part with N100 that Abdul demanded from him at Agboyi-Ketu motor-park in Lagos on January 2. The Magistrate, Mr T. Abolarinwa, ordered that the accused be remanded at the Ikoyi Prison pending the advice from the office of the state Director of Public Prosecutions.
GENERAL
Police Appeal for Calm in Jos
The Plateau State police command has appealed for calm on the heels of information that some miscreants were plotting to disrupt the peace of the state by attacking some selected locations. Police spokesman, Apev Jacob, said the alleged planned attack was a reprisal of the skirmishes at the Terminus market last week which led to the death of a police corporal, Isuwa John. The killing of the police corporal and three others caused pandemonium in the area. The command called on groups in the state not to personalise the incident, saying if there was any group who would have needed to take vengeance the police because of the killing of its men on duty. The military also reassured residents not to be disturbed by the alleged imminent attack, saying soldiers are on ground to maintain security.
FG Moves to Secure Public Buildings
Following recent bombing incidents that claimed several lives across the country, the Federal Government has moved to secure federal ministries and other public buildings. It has also commenced the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in strategic locations in addition to the provision of special trainings for security agencies. Force Public Relations Officer, Olusola Amore, said aside all other ongoing trainings for the Force’s anti-terrorism squad, Police Bomb Squad, the VIP Squad comprising former mobile police personnel and other demobilised staff are being recruited to provide security for private individuals. The officers are already undergoing training at the Mobile Police Training School in Osun state and the Infantry College in Kaduna State.
Police Arrest Notorious Pedophile
The Kaduna State Police Command has nabbed a 50-year-old pedophile. The suspect is alleged to be a serial pedophile as he regularly lures under aged girls into his apartment to have carnal knowledge of them. Currently on bail for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl in December, the suspect went back to his nefarious act, when he tricked a 12-year-old girl on the pretext of sending her on an errand to his wife. The victim reportedly resisted him, but he pinned her to the wall and raped her. However, the suspect alleged that the girl lured him into the act. The state Police Public spokesman, Aminu Lawal, said the suspect would face the law. In a similar incident, a teenage street hawker raped a seven-year-old girl. The suspect blamed the devil for his action.
FG Offers Dividend to Oil Bearing Communities
The Federal Government has said oil-producing communities will earn about N1.1 billion as annual dividend payments from oil revenues as part of incentives in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) expected to be made law by this Thursday. This is intended to end the perennial crisis and violence in the Niger Delta region. The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, stated that the Federal Government remained committed to ensuring lasting peace in the Niger Delta and that the dividends would be in the form of direct payments to the oil-bearing communities.
18 Killed in Plateau State
At least 18 people were killed on Tuesday at Belle village in Barkin-Ladi LGA of Plateau State by armed men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. It was learnt that the assailants, in large numbers, launched attack on the people at about 1.am. The chairman of the LGA, Honourable Pam Dakwat, said that the number of casualties would have been more than that but for the youth of the area who quickly mobilised to wade off the assailants. According to him, the youth, through their efforts, repelled the assailants and succeeded in killing one of them, which gave them a clue of who the attackers were. The Police confirmed the incident. Security operatives moved to the scene after being informed about the development.
Hoodlums Stab Traffic Warden to Death
The Kano State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhammadu Tambari Yabo, on Tuesday, said that some unidentified assailants, in Kano stabbed a traffic warden, Halilu Saleh, to death because he halted them, while performing his duty. The commissioner said 65 suspects had so far been arrested and detained in different police cells over the incident.
2 Policemen, 20 Others Detained in Kano over Dambatta Crisis
Two policemen have been detained at the headquarters of the Kano State Police Command in connection with the alleged killing of two persons in the crisis in Dambatta area of the state, penultimate Sunday, in which several property were destroyed and the killing of a 15-year old rioter. The police, according to findings, are still investigating the case and would take further action upon conclusion of the investigation. Twenty other persons were arraigned before a Kano Magistrate’s Court and remanded in connection with the riot.
Tanker Crashes: Three Persons Killed Daily —SGF
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, on Monday said that at least three tanker/trailer crashes were recorded on Nigerian roads daily, with a minimum of three deaths and 10 persons sustaining injuries, according to statistics from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). Speaking during the first FRSC Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme, Ahmed urged the corps to put in place necessary modalities to reduce the carnage. He pointed out that the government was interested in ensuring safer and better fleet management because 70 per cent of movement in the country was done on the roads while a substantial portion of commuters and freight movement were handled by the fleet operators.
FG Warns over Meningitis Outbreak
The Federal Government has called on states and local governments to put up proactive measures to stop any outbreak of Cerebral Meningitis as the weather condition gets hotter, the Chief Epidemiologist in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Henry Akpan, said. Nigeria is at the centre of the African meningitis belt that spans 21 countries. Last year about 1,100 people died in the country with about 25,000 suspected cases globally. Akpan said that efforts had been put in place to strengthen outbreak response, as well as to procure adequate vaccines.
Reps Pass Freedom of Information Bill
The House of Representatives, Thursday, passed the controversial Freedom of Information (FoI) Bill. Sixty-seven lawmakers sitting at the Committee of the Whole went through a clause-by-clause consideration of the report of the Joint Committee on Information, National Orientation and Justice on the bill and passed it. The FoI Bill will now be transmitted to the Senate for concurrence and subsequently, both chambers will harmonise the differences in the two versions, if any.
Jonathan Orders Evacuation of Nigerians from Libya
As Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, continued to massacre protesters Wednesday, President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the immediate evacuation of Nigerians from Libya. Italian interior ministry said up to 1000 people have been killed so far by Gaddafi though no internal source confirmed this. The Libyan leader has reportedly lost control of more cities as anti-government protests continue to sweep the country despite his threat of a brutal crackdown. In Abuja, the Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani-Sidi, spoke of Jonathan’s evacuation order, adding that the team selected for the exercise would carry out the order.
FG Bars Service Chiefs, Others from Use of Tinted Glasses
The Federal Government, on Thursday, announced the ban of the use of tinted glasses by Nigerians, including the Service Chiefs, the Inspector General of Police, ministers, members of the National Assembly, Judges and other top government officials. Minister of Police Affairs, Mr Humphrey Abah, who made the announcement, however noted that President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark and his deputy, Speaker of the House of Representatives and his deputy as well as state governors and their deputies were exempted from the use of tinted glasses. Explaining reasons for the ban, the minister said the measure was part of security strategies being put in place to guarantee security in the build up to the April general elections.
Accident Claims 17 Niger State
Seventeen people died, while 66 others got injured in an auto crash along the Suleja-Minna road, on Wednesday. An eyewitness disclosed that the accident involved a truck, coming to Minna from Katsina State, with over 200 passengers on board. It was learnt that the accident occurred at a slope on the Suleja-Minna road, when the brake system of the vehicle suddenly became faulty.
Tanker Drivers Vows to Resist Impounding of Vehicles
The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Union said it would resist any attempt by the Federal Government to impound its members’ vehicles. The Federal Government had threatened to ban illegal parks created by petroleum tanker drivers across the country and impound vehicles of culprits. In a joint statement signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of PTD, Mr Timothy Ogbu and Mr Dayyabu Garga respectively, the union said while it did not support illegal parking, it would not allow undue impounding of its members’ vehicles on account of parking because the government had not provided alternative parking spaces for its members.
Nigeria to Migrate to Satellite-Based Navigation for Air Safety
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency has concluded arrangements to migrate from terrestrial to satellite-based navigation system in March. With the development, a NAMA source said that airplanes would stop using ground-based navigation equipment installed at the various airports for landing and take-offs, and begin to make use of the new satellite-based equipment. Its completion will make flight operations flexible, just as it will also improve safety in the airspace. Airlines will also be able to save money as they will burn less fuel during flight. The General Manager, Public Affairs, NAMA, Mr, Supo Atobatele, who confirmed the development, said that the Federal Government was responsible for funding of the project.
28 Nigerians Deported from South Africa
Twenty eight Nigerians, who were deported from South Africa, on Tuesday, for alleged immigration offences have arrived at the country. According to an Immigration source, there was only one female among the deportees.
Oil Prices Rise
Oil prices have continued to climb, amid fears of the impact of the unrest in Libya. Brent crude rose by more than 2% to $113 a barrel in Asian trade, while US light crude was up about 1% at $99.19. The last time prices were this high was back in October 2008, and analysts said more gains may be on the way. The high oil price weighed on Asian stock markets, and trading was mixed. Oil prices have been rising for months, but the uprising in Libya has caused a sharp increase in crude costs. Libya is the world's 12th-largest exporter of oil.
INTERNATIONAL
Death Toll in New Zealand Quake Hits 140
New Zealand warned frantic relatives to brace for the worst Friday as hundreds of toiling rescuers failed to find more survivors after a devastating earthquake left at least 147 dead. Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, said that the rescue focus is drawing towards a conclusion as no one has been found alive since the last of 70 survivors pulled from underneath rubble on Thursday. Tuesday's 7.0 magnitude earthquake is New Zealand's worst disaster in 80 years. Most of Christchurch, New Zealand's second biggest city was left without power and water after the disaster. Chinese and British rescuers swelled the multi-national effort to help rescue persons trapped. However, rain and aftershocks made conditions tough and dangerous, with one fire official hit on his helmet by falling masonry.
Libyan Army Defects
Members of a Libyan army unit have told Benghazi residents they have defected and "liberated" the city from pro-Gaddafi forces. A man from Benghazi said that members of the Libya's armed forces have defected and that anti-regime protesters are now in control of the city. Habib al-Obaidi, who heads the intensive care unit at the main Al-Jalae hospital, confirmed that the "Thunderbolt" squad arrived at the hospital with soldiers who had been injured in clashes with Gaddafi's men. The anti-government protest has spread to other cities, while some government functionaries have resigned, showing support for the protests. At least 200 people have been killed in four days of anti-government protests, the most serious against Colonel Gaddafi since he came to power 41 years ago.
Bomb Kills Iraqi Police in Samarra
A car bomb detonated by a suicide attacker in the central Iraqi city of Samarra has killed 10 policemen and wounded 16 others, police say. The victims were part of a special squad sent to Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, to protect Shia pilgrims during a religious ceremony. Attacks on Shia pilgrims have claimed hundreds of lives in recent months. Inanother incident, a teenage boy was killed and 39 people were wounded when hundreds of demonstrators clashed with Kurdish security forces in Sulaimaniya in northern Iraq, officials said. Most of the demonstrators opposed Massoud Barazani, Kurdistan regional president, and the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party. Witnesses said that dozens of angry demonstrators threw stones at security forces that were trying to disperse them, using water cannons.
53 Killed in Mexican Violence
Fifty-three people were killed in a 72-hour span in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, state attorney general's office spokesman, Arturo Sandoval, disclosed last weekend. Among the dead were four police officers from three different agencies. The bloodshed started on Thursday with 14 people killed, including a municipal police officer. Friday was the most violent day, leaving 20 people dead. A municipal police officer was killed by an assassin. Hours later, a state police investigator was executed on his drive home. On Saturday, a highway police officer was killed by a driver, who shot him 10 times at close range. Elsewhere Sunday, Mexico's Public Security Secretariat reported that 13 taxi drivers were killed in Acapulco. Suspected drug traffickers are believed to be behind the violence.
Libyan Pilots Refuse to Bomb City
Even as Muammar Gaddafi called on the military to crack down on anti-government protesters, reports emerged Wednesday that the Libyan leader was facing growing international and domestic opposition, including from his own military. An opposition figure said that a pilot who had been ordered to bomb oil fields southwest of Benghazi refused to do so and instead, jumped from the plane using a parachute, allowing the plane to crash into an uninhabited area. Meanwhile the anti-government protesters have captured Benghazi and some other towns, setting up independent governments there. They also formed a security force to defend the city in the event that forces loyal to Gaddafi were to attack.
Gaddafi Vows to Die as Martyr
Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, said on Tuesday, that he would prefer to die as a martyr in Libya rather than flee. Gaddafi, who has ruled the Arab state for 42 years, spoke amid reports that he had deployed warplanes, tanks and mercenaries to strike defenceless protesters in a bid to quell the revolt. Libya's interior minister said Wednesday he has quit the government and is supporting the protesters, who he predicted will achieve victory. Ex-Interior Minister Abdul Fattah Younis al Abidi said that he resigned Monday after hearing that some 300 unarmed civilians had been killed in Benghazi. He accused Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi of planning to attack civilians on a wide scale.
Americans Slain by Pirates
Four Americans, on a round-the-world boating adventure, were killed on Tuesday by suspected sea pirates. The 58-foot vessel, named the Quest, was being shadowed by the military after pirates took the ship off the coast of Oman on Friday. Ship owners Jean and Scott Adam and Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle were found shot after U.S. forces boarded the vessel after a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at a U.S. Navy ship about 600 yards away and the sound of gunfire could be heard on board the Quest, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Mark Fox, said. var currExpandable.The incident took place as negotiations involving the FBI were under way for the hostages' release. Four pirates were killed and thirteen others were captured and detained along with the other two already on board the U.S. Navy ship.
Fire at Orphanage Claims 10
Ten children were reportedly killed in Estonia after a fire broke out at an orphanage. The Haapsalu centre for youngsters with mental disabilities, located in the western part of the Baltic country, had some 37 children and nine adults when the fire started. Several children and two adults were also hospitalised. All 43 children in the home are severely disabled and 24 of them are in wheelchairs. It is thought that the victims were children who could not be moved, as their section of the building was completely destroyed. The cause of the blaze is still unknown.
US Urges Release of Pakistan Gunman
The United States called for Pakistan to free an American arrested for killing two men and to ensure his safety in custody after revelations he worked for the CIA. US officials declined public comment on accounts that Raymond Davis worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and insisted he enjoyed diplomatic immunity because Pakistan had accepted his status when he entered. State Department spokesman, Philip Crowley, said Pakistan has told the United States that Davis is staying "in the safest possible location in Lahore," the eastern city where he shot dead two Pakistani men on January 27.
Stampede in Mali Kills Dozens
At least 30 people have been killed and 70 others injured in a stampede at a stadium in the Malian capital of Bamako, officials say. The stampede happened at the Modibo Keita Stadium, at the end of a sermon given by Imam Osman Madani Haidara. The crowd reportedly wanted to be blessed by the Imam after the speech, made on the festival of Maulud, the Prophet Muhammad's birthday. Most of the dead were crushed against metal fencing as they waited, Mali's Minister of Interior Security and Civil Protection said. Relatives gathered at the Gabriel Toure Hospital, trying to find out information about the dead and wounded.
31 Convicted in India Train Blaze
A special court in the western Indian state of Gujarat has found 31 people guilty of setting fire to a passenger train in the town of Godhra in 2002. The court acquitted 63 other people of conspiracy and murder. The Sabarmati Express was attacked by a Muslim mob killing 59 people, mainly Hindu pilgrims. The attack led to some of the worst riots seen in India and left more than 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, dead. Gujarat's authorities were criticised for not doing enough to stop the riots. Security is tight across Gujarat and extra police have been deployed in case of communal unrest. The attackers were said to have forced the train, carrying Hindu pilgrims to stop and then set fire to one of the carriages.
Cartel Boss Shot Dead in Mexico
One of Mexico's most wanted men, Luis Humberto, 44, has been killed in a gun battle with police, officials say. Peralta Hernandez was a top figure in the Juarez cartel, which controls many of the drug smuggling routes from Mexico. He was killed in the northern city of Chihuahua on Tuesday. Peralta Hernandez had been carrying a false ID, which had delayed his identification, said the Chihuahua state prosecutors' office. They also said that he had worked for the state prosecutors' office for nine years, during which time he is believed to have carried out most of the murders of which he was accused.
Tainted IV Fluid Kills Pregnant Women
Health authorities in India's Rajasthan state are investigating allegations that 13 pregnant women died after they were given infected intravenous (IV) fluids at a government hospital. All the deaths were reported in Jodhpur city over the past 14 days. Laboratory tests had confirmed that IV fluids supplied by a local company were "tainted", officials said.
4 Killed in Pakistan Attacks
Four people were killed in northwest Pakistan on Friday when more than two dozen armed attackers blew up oil tankers carrying fuel for NATO troops in Afghanistan, police said. Militants wielding automatic weapons first killed two guards at the main gate of a terminal on the outskirts of Peshawar city, where 18 tankers were parked, a senior police official, Imtiaz Shah, said. The attackers then planted explosive devices under a dozen tankers, he said, and killed two drivers who were sleeping in the terminal. About 15 tankers were damaged after catching fire in the blasts, which occurred around 2 a.m. Friday, Shah said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but militants in the region have frequently targeted Pakistani security forces and supply trucks headed for Afghanistan.