Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 10

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Generator Fumes Kill 3 in Bayelsa

A family of three died on Monday from inhaling fumes from a generator kept in their room in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state. A witness, Apostle Henry Omovera, disclosed that the deceased were found in their bedroom, where they had placed their generator. He said a young boy living with the family survived the incident as he was found in a state of coma by neighbours and taken to a hospital. Omovera expressed sadness at the incident and advised people not to put generators inside their homes.

Gunmen Release Kidnapped Wife of Varsity Don

Suspected kidnappers on Monday released the abducted wife of the Dean of Students Affairs, University of Uyo, Mrs. Ofonime Johnson. She was abducted on Thursday February 24, 2011 on her way from a church in Uyo. The kidnappers, numbering about four, were said to have blocked her vehicle, shot into air to scare away passers-by, before whisking her away. When contacted, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sani Magaji, confirmed the release of Johnson. Johnson’s abduction was the second kidnap incident in UNIUYO in 2011. The husband of the Vice Chancellor of institution was kidnapped during a church service in January.

11 Remanded in Prison over Attack on Alaibe

Eleven persons were on Monday arraigned before a Bayelsa State High Court over their alleged involvement in the attack on the residence of the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in the State, Timi Alaibe in January. The 11 were remanded at Ahoada Prisons, as the court adjourned till April 3, to rule on their bail application. The suspects and others were accused of carrying out the attack on Alaibe’s country home at Opokuma on January 7, where some persons lost their lives.

Monarch Abducted in Akwa Ibom

Suspected kidnappers on Tuesday seized the Clan Head of Ikpa Ibom Clan in Mkpat Enin LGAA of Akwa Ibom State, Etebom P.N.J Udoh. Udoh was seized from his palace in Ekim village by the five-member gang. An eyewitness disclosed that the monarch had just returned from the church when the incident occurred. The source explained that the gunmen released several gunshots into the air before forcing the clan head into the boot of the car. The hoodlums have demanded N70m as ransom. When contacted, the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, Mr. Sani Magaji, confirmed the development, saying efforts were being made to secure his release.

Amaechi wants Petitions against Corrupt Officials

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has urged the people of the state to report corrupt government officials. Amaechi, who gave the charge on Tuesday at the commencement of his second term campaign in Ikwerre LGA, explained that it was necessary for the people to inform his administration about its officials displaying stolen wealth. The governor promised that his administration would continue to be accountable to the people, even as he urged them to demand accountability from their leaders.

Imo NBA Boycott Court over Judge’s Kidnap

The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Imo State chapter, on Thursday, boycotted the courts to protest the kidnap of Justice T.N. Nzeukwu.  In a statement by NBA Owerri branch Chairman, Ama Kamalu, the association decried the kidnap of Judiciary workers. The boycott will last seven days.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Chevron to Expand GTL Project

Chevron said it would sign an engineering deal in the second quarter for the Phase 3B expansion of its Escravos Gas Plant. The plant, which is being developed jointly with the NNPC, will now be completed in 2013, instead of the 2012 earlier set date. Chevron had last year put the cost of the Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) project at $5.9 billion and the National Assembly insisted that the cost was unusually high, compared to the cost of same plant built in other countries. Chevron said the cost of the plant will rise to $8.4 billion-that is, about $2.5 billion higher than the last estimate given to the lawmakers. The GTL plant originally scheduled to come on stream in 2010 at a cost of about $3 billion is now at 70 percent completion.

Kidnappers Abduct, Abandon Couple after Police Chase

A husband and wife including another lady in Delta state were kidnapped on Monday on their way home, but rescued by the timely intervention of the police, who gave the kidnappers a hot chase, which forced the kidnappers to abandon their victims. State Police spokesman, Charles Muka, confirmed the story. He explained that on receipt of the distress call, the Divisional anti-crime patrol team quickly swung into action and gave the hoodlums a hot chase and as a result, the hoodlums abandoned their victims and escaped into the bush. The vehicle was recovered and efforts are on to arrest the hoodlums, he added. Muka further disclosed the arrest of a lady at Sapele for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend to death. “She will soon appear in court,” added Muka.

Girl, 19, Arrested for Organising Own Kidnap

The police in Delta State have arrested a 19-year-old girl, Nelly, for allegedly organising her own kidnap to collect N10million ransom from her parents in February. It was learnt that the false abductors called her father that his daughter was with them and demanded a N10 million for her release. Her father reportedly contacted the police and engaged the supposed kidnappers in negotiation using Nelly’s phone. Though the abductors agreed to release her for N150000 down payment, the mode of collecting the money became suspicious to them and after three days of negotiations, the supposed kidnappers refused to show up for the ransom. Nelly then went back home, from where she was taken to the police station, where she admitted her involvement in the kidnap saga.

Kerosene Explosion: Mother, Daughter in Hospital

A mother and daughter were rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital following an incidence of kerosene explosion. It was learnt that a lantern had exploded at about 9pm in the house on Monday while the woman was trying to refill it with kerosene. The Coordinator General of Save Accident Victims Association of Nigeria (SAVAN), Dr. Eddy Ehikhamenor said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had not done the right thing not to know that there was a problem. Dr. Ehikhamenor recalled that over 45 cases of kerosene explosions have taken place, with 15 deaths reported.

USAID, Chevron Sign N7.5bn Deal on Niger Delta Development

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Chevron Nigeria Limited have signed a $50 million (N7.5 billion) agreement to provide opportunities for Niger Delta residents to improve on agricultural development, capacity building and to promote conflict resolution capacities. A statement by the US Embassy in Abuja disclosed that the organisations recently signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja to consolidate the new partnership, which is named the Integrated Peace and Development Alliance (IPDA). Chevron is executing the partnership through its endowed Niger Delta Partnership Initiative (NDPI) Foundation Inc. According to the statement, both organisations would provide $25 million each to IPDA over the next four years.

Minister Flags-off Multi-Billion Naira Road Project in Delta

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has flagged off the N30 billion Benin/Abraka Road dualisation project with a promise to complete the project in record time. He also appealed to the youths of the area to allow the contractors un-interrupted execution of the project. Orubebe said the contractors had been fully mobilized to ensure the completion of the first phase of the project within 12 months, adding that the first phase of the road dualisation is expected to cost N9.75 billion.  He announced that the remaining three sections of the road would soon be awarded and to be completed within three years and therefore urged the people not to harass the contractors.

Oshiomhole Earmarks N150bn to Tackle Flooding

Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has inaugurated the first phase of a flood control project in Benin. Oshiomhole, who put the total project sum at N150bn, said the completion of the phase, put at N30bn, would solve one quarter of the flooding problem in Benin. The flood control project, according to the master plan, would involve rehabilitation of about nine roads in the city, including the Uwelu Road. Oshiomhole, who presented a cheque of N6bn to the contracting firm, Hitech Construction Company Limited said that the company would have no excuse not to mobilise to site immediately.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Robbers Kill Policeman, Security Guard in Ibadan

Suspected armed robbers, penultimate Saturday, killed a policeman and a security guard in Ibadan, Oyo State. They also inflicted machete wounds on two others who are said to be in critical conditions. It was learnt that the armed men succeed in making away with valuables belonging to the residents of the area. The deceased policeman, who was on a visit in the area, was said not to be on duty at the time of the attack. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Baba Bolanta, confirmed the incident.

School Boy Aids Arrest of His Kidnappers

A 12-year-old schoolboy, who was kidnapped two weeks ago, has aided the police to arrest his kidnappers. The boy, while in captivity, picked a passport photograph of one of the alleged kidnappers. The Police in Lagos have arrested two brothers over the kidnap of the boy in Ojokoro area of Lagos in February. The suspects had asked the boy’s father for N4m as ransom. His father was said to have pleaded with the suspects to accept N55000, which was paid into an account for the suspects, following which they released the boy. The photograph was taken to policemen at Owutu Police Station. The brothers confessed to have withdrawn the ransom money paid.

NSCDC Recovers 70 Kegs of Fuel

The Oyo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has recovered 70 kegs of petrol from vandals. The command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Oluwole Olusegun, on Wednesday, said that the kegs fully loaded with petrol were recovered from a scene of a vandalised pipeline in Bodija Village. He said a Jicheng motorcycle was also recovered from the village located in Afijio LGA, adding that NSCDC officials swooped on the village upon the receipt of intelligence on the activities of the vandals. He said the suspects might have fled the scene, leaving behind their loots and their operational motorcycle when the security operatives closed in on them.

Customs Intercepts Fake Drugs

The Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja of the Nigerian Customs Service has intercepted a container loaded with fake drugs worth N58 million and other contraband items. The Command also intercepted 200 pieces of fairly used tyres concealed in a truck load of manufacturing chemicals. The acting Area Comptroller of the Command, Mr. Victor Dimka, said that the drugs had no NAFDAC number and not good for human consumption. He condemned the attitude of the smugglers, saying that it destroys the nation’s economy.

Police, Motorcyclists Clash in Lagos over Dead Colleague

Commercial Motorcyclists and Policemen clashed on Thursday along the Okota-Isolo Road, Lagos. Eyewitnesses said that the motorcyclists, protesting against the death of a colleague in an accident in the area, set fire to a bus disused by the policemen. In response, the police seized many motorcycles which they later carted away to an unknown destination. A police officer confirmed the incident, saying that trouble started when a commuter bus, fatally knocked down a commercial motorcyclist. The motorcyclists became enraged when information got to them that the bus driver had escaped, allegedly with the connivance of the police.

1 Dead in Fuel Depot Fire

One person was killed and four others severely injured in a fire at an illegal petroleum depot at the Coconut area of Lagos on Thursday. The fire was blamed on the carelessness of the operators of the depot near a major independent marketer. A witness said the fire started from a dispensing engine. The quick intervention of the fire department of some independent marketers in the area and firemen from the Federal Fire Service prevented the fire from spreading to a nearby tank farm.

GENERAL

Police Decry Killings as Five Family Members are Slain in Plateau

Plateau State Police Commissioner, Mr. Abdulrahaman Akano, has expressed worry that criminals are taking advantage of the crisis in the state to attack their perceived enemies. Akano, reacting to the murder of five members of a family in Kuru village, said that there are indications that the attack is a personal vendetta as the assailants restricted the attack to just one family. A similar incident recently occurred in Bassa LGA in which members of a family were beheaded in their sleep by suspected ritual killers. In the Kuru incident, about 8 assailants reportedly sneaked into the premises of Davou family and snuffed lives out of five while two others escaped with injuries. The attack comes as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, tasked officers and soldiers on the challenges of insecurity in Nigeria.

Upper House Passes Money Laundering Prohibition Bill

The Senate, Tuesday, passed the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Bill. The passage of the Bill, which repealed the Money Laundering Act 2004, followed the approval of the recommendations of the Senator Ibrahim Ida led ad-hoc committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption. The senators overwhelmingly voted for its passage with minimal amendments. The new law makes more comprehensive provisions to prohibit terrorism financing.  It also makes provision for appropriate penalties for offenders and expands the scope of supervisory and regulatory authorities. It also places a duty on financial institutions to report international transfers of funds exceeding $10,000 to the Central Bank.

Two Policemen Shot Dead at DPO’s Residence

Gunmen, suspected armed members of Boko Haram Islamic sect, on Monday night shot dead two police corporals at the Kaduna residence of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mustapha Sandamu. The gunmen also took away the riffles of the two murdered policemen.  The immediate past Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, Mr. Mohammed Tambari, had raised the alarm that the Boko Haram sect might have infiltrated Rigasa area of the state and had then warned that the state might soon begin to witness the kind of killings being carried out by the group in Borno and Bauchi states. The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Aminu Lawal, described the killing of the policemen as unfortunate, but denied that the gunmen were members of the Boko Haram.

Boko Haram’s Financier Killed

Police said Sunday they had shot dead a man financing radical Islamist sect, Boko Haram, and arrested another man suspected of supplying the group with arms. The suspected financier, Alhaji Salisu Damaturu, was killed in a shootout during a raid on one of the group's hideouts, according to Mohammed Jinjiri Abubakar, police commissioner for Borno State. Abubakar, said Damaturu and another man had been fingered as financing the group by an arms dealer, Mohammed Zakaria, who was arrested in Maiduguri a day earlier.

Nigeria Evacuates over 1000 Citizens from Libya

Another batch of 536 Nigerians arrived in Abuja from Libya last week Sunday, in addition to 499 earlier evacuated. The head of Public Relations of the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Yushau Shuaib, said that more than 1,200 others were waiting to be evacuated. Shuaib explained that the evacuees would be taken to a special camp where they would undergo further documentation. Libya has been in turmoil since pro-democracy activists in the eastern part of the country began protest match, calling for change in the country, which has been ruled by Gaddafi since 1969.

Fire Kills 42 in 3 North East

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called on states and local governments in the country to put in place effective management of emergency situation in order to curtail rising death rate. The agency while lamenting the death of 42 persons as a result of fire incidence in Gombe, Bauchi and Yobe States between January and February this year, said the situation calls for urgent action. The NEMA North East Zonal Coordinator, Aliyu Baffale Sambo called for paradigm shift from reactive to pro-active disaster management as the best risk reduction strategy for emergency management.

Air Force Pledges Air Support for INEC

The Nigerian Air Force said it has commenced talks with the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the proper airlifting of electoral materials for the April polls. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar, said arrangements had been concluded for airlifting of election material to riverine and mountainous areas, adding that the force was well equipped to ensure proper transportation by air of INEC materials to very difficult areas as the FG had been able to support the force by providing new aircraft in its inventory.

Nigerians in Yemen Get Al Qaeda Training –Ambassador Designate

Head of the Economic Desk of the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, and Ambassador designate, Ambassador Ahmed Magaji, has warned that the ongoing crisis in Yemen posed a great danger to the national security of Nigeria as Al Qaeda and other fundamentalist elements in that country could use the opportunity of the fall of the Yemeni government to send their trained elements to destablilise Nigeria. Magaji, who disclosed this to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, on Wednesday, said there was a large presence of Nigerians in Yemen, and some are being trained by Al Qaeda. According to him, Al Qaeda had specifically mentioned Nigeria as a country that is ripe for fundamentalists operation.

Court Sentences Man to Death by Hanging for Killing Lover

A Maiduguri High Court has sentenced a firewood seller, Idris Lima, 42, to death by hanging for strangling his lover, Hauwa Ibrahim, to death in a farm at Maiva village in Mafa LGA of Borno State. According to court documents, one Bulama Wazara reported the matter to the police. Samaila Ibrahim, son of the deceased, said his mother went to farm with Lima and did not return home. But the accused had denied killing the woman. Justice Pindar Haruna Nggada held that the prosecution counsel proved beyond reasonable doubt that Lima committed the offence and sentenced him to death by hanging.

Journalists Face Gunfire in Benue

Three journalists and a driver attached to the Benue State Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Lawani, escaped death on Wednesday after a political rally at Gbajimba, Benue State. While two escaped unhurt, another two including the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, and the driver of the vehicle, were shot at by their attackers, whom they initially thought were either policemen or vigilance group. The driver of the vehicle, Inalegwu Odeh revealed that on sighting the men, he slowed down to acknowledge them but was shocked when they started shooting at the vehicle. Speaking through its state Chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vowed to resist any further act of provocation from the opposition party.

10 Killed as Explosions Rock Niger PDP Rally

Two bomb explosions killed at least 10 people in Niger state on Thursday. This occurred at the venue of the flag-off of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Niger East senatorial campaign in Suleja. Hand-held explosives were thrown into the venue of the campaign by yet-to-be-identified persons in a moving bus, leading to twin explosions which killed 10 persons and injured 21 others. Reacting to the blasts, President Goodluck Jonathan directed all national security agencies to step up intelligence and surveillance operations across the country to thwart any further attempts by enemies of democracy to unleash politically-motivated violence on innocent Nigerians.

Military Restricts Motorcycle Operations in Jos

The military Special Task Force (STF) in Plateau State has restricted the use of motorcycles beyond 7pm in Jos. A statement signed by the STF spokesperson, Capt. Charles Ekeocha, in Jos on Thursday said the measure would check resurgence of criminal activities in the metropolis. Ekeocha noted that the restriction order had long been in place but was being flouted, adding that the STF would ensure ‘strict observance’ of the directive.

SSS List Threats to April Polls

The State Security Service (SSS) has listed 3 major hindrances to the conduct of successful general elections in April. These are: the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Henry Okah, who is facing trial in South Africa over the October 1, last year bomb blasts in Abuja; extremist Islamic sects, like the Boko Haram; and illegal importation of arms. SSS Director General Ita Ekpenyong said the SSS had a clear and compelling duty to ensure that the elections are held in a peaceful and secure environment not only in the interest of the nation, but that of the Service.

Party Supporters Die in Auto Crash

Twelve members of Labour Party (LP) on their way to the governorship campaign rally in Jos, Plateau State, lost their lives on Thursday in a motor accident in Barkin-Ladi LGA. The accident occurred when a Ford bus coming from Bokkoss LGA to Jos had a collision with a Nissan bus said to be coming from Kaduna to Mangu LGA. It was learnt that the Ford, which was on top speed had a burst tyre and ran into the Nissan. Governor Jonah Jang and his deputy, Paulin Tallen who is the gubernatorial candidate of the LP have visited those who sustained injuries. Jang directed the management of the hospital to give them the deserved attention.

92 Nigerians Deportees Arrive in Lagos from London

About 92 Nigerians have been deported by the British Government. They arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday. An immigration source said two of them were accused of drug related offences; others were deported for immigration offences. But some of the deportees insisted that their traveling documents were intact.

Fire Guts Amnesty Office in Abuja

The Presidential Amnesty Office, Abuja was, on Wednesday morning, burnt causing substantial damage to official documents and property. The inferno which started at about 1.30 a.m. was suspected to have resulted from a surge in electricity. It took men of the Federal Fire Service and the Fire Service of the Federal Capital Territory about four and a half hours to put out the fire. The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and the Chief Executive Officer of the Amnesty Programme, Honourable Kingsley Kuku, assured that the incident will not adversely affect service delivery at the office and all sensitive operational documents have been confirmed to be intact. Kuku further assured that in a matter of days, the burnt offices would be restored.

Nigerian in US gets Nine Years for Fraud

A United States District Court in Charlotte, North Carolina has sentenced a Nigerian, Ugochukwu Enwerem, aka Joseph Smith, to nine years imprisonment on one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and 14 counts of wire fraud. The US Justice Department said District Judge Graham Mullen also ordered Enwerem to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and to forfeit $9,453,815 and to pay restitution in the same amount, with co-defendant, Kent Okojie. Okojie had pleaded guilty in September 2009 and was sentenced to 72 months in prison. Enwerem and Okojie had instructed American victims “to wire funds to them and their designees in The Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Jonathan Tasks Contributors on N1.5tr Police Fund

President Goodluck Jonathan has urged contributors to the N1.5tr fund for the reform of the police to commence their contributions this year. Jonathan who was represented by the Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Humphrey Abah, made this call while commissioning the modern aircraft/helicopter hanger built by the Nigeria Police Force, on Monday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The prompt contribution he said, would demonstrate the premium the government placed on security of lives and property. The president expressed hope that the capacity of the force would be improved to meet the internal security challenges of the country, even as he maintained that the government placed premium on the provision of facilities in the reform of the police.

Army is Ready for April Polls –COAS

Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Azubuike Ihejirika said on Wednesday in Enugu that the army was committed to ensuring that the April general elections were conducted transparently. He said his men are prepared to provide the needed security and support that would ensure the peaceful conduct of the elections in the country. Ihejirika also said soldiers deployed to check the menace of kidnapping in Aba Abia State may have to remain a bit longer to ensure that the menace as well as other crimes was reduced across the entire South-East and South-South zones. He vowed that the army would not rest until the zones were rid of the kidnap menace.

Youths Protest Power, Water Shortage in Zaria

A demonstration by youths to protest acute shortage of both water and electricity in some parts of Zaria on Monday turned violent with billboards and posters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates being pulled down and burnt along the Kofar Doka – PZ road. The protest began to take a violent dimension when the protesters started to set bonfires, chanting anti-PDP songs while hailing CPC’s presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari. The Zaria Area Commander of the Nigerian Police Kabiru Ibrahim said the police were not happy with how the protest over non-availability of water and electricity turned political. The police have confirmed the arrest of 12 people in connection with the protest.

Banker Alleges SSS Brutality over Right of Way

Justina Thinkan, a manager in the Risk Management Department of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was allegedly assaulted physically by four men suspected to be attached to the State Security Service (SSS) in Abuja on Tuesday. Thinkan explained that she was caught up in a traffic jam opposite the SSS staff quarters when a man appeared beside her car, and rained abuses on her for allegedly blocking their right of way, and when she demanded the reason for the verbal assaults, the four, alighted from their vehicle and descended on her, dragging on the tarred road, with one threatening to “shoot her and nothing would happen”. She vowed to take up the matter legally and pursue it to a logical conclusion. But SSS Assistant Director, Press, Marilyn Ogar, said the issue had not been reported to the service.

INTERNATIONAL

Afghan Claim 65 Civilian Casualties in NATO Raids

Sixty-five civilians, including 40 children, were allegedly killed in a NATO assault on insurgents in Afghanistan in February, according to findings of an Afghan government. Tribal leaders had alleged that dozens of civilians were killed in the operation in Kunar province, but NATO has not confirmed any civilian deaths. NATO has said that video of Kunar operations on February 17 showed troops targeting and killing dozens of insurgents, not civilians. At least three separate attacks on Sunday, killed nine Afghan civilians and a NATO service member, officials said. The NATO said on Tuesday it was investigating new reports by Afghan officials that its troops may have killed up to nine children during an attack. ISAF said that nine armed insurgents had been killed in the incident.

Bombing Shuts Iraqi Refinery

Militants attacked and shut down Iraq’s largest oil refinery last weekend, killing four workers and setting off bombs, officials said. The militants reportedly planted explosives at a unit of the refinery in the town of Baiji, a former al Qaeda stronghold, the Governor of Salahuddin Province, Ahmed al-Jubouri, alleged. Oil Minister Abdul-Kareem Luaibi said the “terrorist attack” hit only one production unit, which was under maintenance, and that the remaining units had not been damaged. The blast, which happened before dawn, sparked a fire that was later brought under control, a police source said. It took about five hours and up to 50 fire trucks to contain the blaze.

15 Killed in Pakistani Attacks

A vehicle packed with explosives rammed into a police checkpoint in Pakistan on Thursday, killing nine people. Thirty-one others were hurt in the attack outside Hangu district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said police official, Aslam Khan. In another attack, six tribal policemen were killed and three others injured Thursday when unknown gunmen opened fire on a patrol in Khyber. The police van was on a routine patrol when more than five gunmen opened fire, said Shafeerullah Khan, the administration chief of Khyber Agency.

Rebels Repel Attacks by Pro-Gaddaffi Forces
…As Us Warships Arrive Libyan Border

Residents of the rebel-held cities;  -Misrata, east of Tripoli, and Zintan - south of Tripoli, celebrated victory with fighters on Tuesday after they repelled an overnight attack by forces loyal to long time leader Muammar Gaddafi. The rebels have been fighting to consolidate their gains as the international community weighs new moves to isolate Gaddafi. Meanwhile, two United States amphibious assault ships on Wednesday arrived at Libya, a canal official said. The US had said on Monday it was moving ships and planes closer to Libya, where a revolt against Muammar Gaddafi’s 41 years rule is under way. Canadian authorities have also sent military help to aid in the international relief operation. At least 2000 people are believed to have been killed in the violence.

Rebels Deploy Around Libyan Oil Port
…3 Dutch Navy Crew Members Held as ICC Opens Probe

Mutinous Libyan army units, with machine-guns and rocket launchers, deployed around the strategic oil installation at Brega Thursday, after repelling an attempt by loyalists of Leader, Muammar Gaddafi, to retake the port in rebel-held east Libya. The Libyan air force bombed the oil refinery as the battle raged on Wednesday. There were no reports of casualties. Three Dutch Navy personnel were captured by Gaddaffi’s loyalists during an evacuation operation on Sunday. "Intensive diplomatic negotiations" are going on between Dutch and Libyan authorities, said Otte Beeksma, a spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Defense. Meanwhile, top prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) said Thursday he would investigate Gaddafi and his inner circle, for possible crimes against humanity in the violent crackdown on anti-government protesters.

Pirates Seize Danish Children
…Armed Guards Rescue Dutch Couple

Three Danish children and their parents are being held by pirates who hijacked their boat in the Indian Ocean. Denmark's foreign ministry said the pirates seized the boat on 24 February and were said to be heading to Somalia. The Danish Foreign Minister, Lene Espersen, said that the Danish government would do "everything in our power" to help the hostages. In another incident, the armed guards retook a yacht from Somali pirates after a Dutch couple locked themselves in a safe room after 6 pirates boarded their boat. Thomas Jakobsson of Naval Guards said on Thursday that his men had a brief exchange of fire with the pirates but with no casualties on either side.

Fired Workers Burn Factory Executive Alive

Workers, angry at being fired, Thursday, burned alive a senior executive of a steel factory in eastern India, police said on Friday. The attack on R.S. Roy, a deputy general manager at the Graphite India Limited's steel unit in Orissa state, took place after he signed termination letters for about a dozen workers, said police superintendent Ajay Kumar Sarangi. Police have arrested two people and have formed a special squad to apprehend the rest, he added. Roy died on the way to hospital.

11 get Death Penalty for India Train Burning

An Indian court sentenced 11 Muslims to death on Tuesday after finding them guilty of setting fire to a train in which 60 Hindus were killed in 2002. The 11 were among the 31 Muslims who were convicted recently of being part of a criminal conspiracy that led to the fire on the Sabarmati Express train coach packed with Hindu pilgrims. The Judge sentenced the remaining 20 defendants to life in prison, prosecutor J.M. Panchal said. Sixty-three others were acquitted. The train deaths set off days of communal riots when Hindu mobs rampaged through Muslim neighborhoods, towns and villages in Gujarat from February to April 2002. Most of the dead were Muslims.

Oil Price to $120 as Libyan Crisis Rages

Crude oil prices rose above $112 per barrel on Monday despite assurances by Saudi Arabia that it had increased crude oil production to compensate for the disruption of Libyan production, which had cut half of Libya’s 1.6 million barrels per day output. Chief Executive Officer of Aramco, Saudi National Oil Company, Khalid al-Falih, said that his country had provided the extra supply needs caused by the violent unrest in Libya. Saudi Arabia's reassurances came as regional protests spread to oil-producer Oman, although oil flow had not been affected. Riyadh does not publish production figures.

Pakistani Minister Killed

A Pakistani minister, who had said he was getting death threats because of his stance against the country's controversial blasphemy law, was shot and killed on Wednesday. Shahbaz Bhatti, the Federal Minister of Minorities Affairs, was gunned down in Islamabad, Pakistani police and hospital officials said. Bhatti had been critical of Pakistan's blasphemy law and was a Christian member of Pakistan's cabinet. It was not immediately clear why Bhatti was killed, but in the past officials have been targeted for opposing Pakistan's blasphemy law. The blasphemy law makes it a crime punishable by death to insult Islam, the Quran or the Prophet Mohammed.

Spain Arrests Basque Separatists, Confiscates Explosives

Police arrested four suspected members of the Basque separatist group ETA on Tuesday, seizing 200kg of explosives, Spanish Interior Minister, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, said. The police also found bomb-making components during the raid, Rubalcaba said. The suspects are reportedly linked to ETA's killing two years ago of a police intelligence officer in the Basque region. The arrests come during a unilateral ETA cease-fire which the ETA declared January 10, promising it would be "permanent, general and verifiable”. But the government said it would not ease the police pressure against ETA, which in 2006 broke an earlier "permanent" cease-fire with a car bomb that killed two men and caused extensive damage.

Another Mass Grave Discovered in Mexico

Soldiers in Mexico have found at least 17 bodies in a grave in the southern state of Guerrero, officials say. The bodies were unearthed in the town of San Miguel Totolapan, which has been gripped by drug-related violence. The officials say they are searching for more bodies. Last year, three mass graves were found in Mexico - each full of bodies dumped by drug cartel members. Mass graves have become a frequent discovery in parts of Mexico, as rival drugs gangs fight for control of smuggling routes into the US.

Gunmen Attack Bank Helicopter, Kill Six in Colombia

Six people have been killed in Colombia in an attack on a helicopter delivering money to a local bank. Gunmen opened fire shortly after the helicopter landed in Caloto, in the province of Cauca. Four police officers and two civilians were killed while they were unloading the cash. The head of Colombia's police General Oscar Naranjo, blamed the country's largest left-wing rebel group, the Farc, for the attack. The attack comes just days after another policeman was killed and seven people injured in the same area. Reports say the assailants failed to get away with the money.

US Soldiers Shot Dead in Germany

Two US Air Force personnel have been killed in a shooting at Frankfurt airport. Two other people are said to have been injured in the incident and police have reportedly arrested a 21-year-old suspect from Kosovo. Shots were fired on a bus carrying US military, police have confirmed. It happened in front of terminal 2 of the airport, a spokesman at the airport said. The airport is not far from Ramstein air base, the headquarters of the US Air Force in Europe, and the US has several other bases in the region. Hesse Interior Minister, Boris Rhein, says that the investigation indicates that the suspect, a 21-year-old ethnic Albanian, acted alone and did not belong to a terrorist network or terrorist cell.

Kenya, Ethiopia Consider Assault on Somali Rebels

After latest threat to hit Kenya; Kenyan and Ethiopian troops may attack Somali rebel group, al Shabaab, according to sources. The al Shabaab group, which claims ties to al Qaeda, said it would strike at neighbouring Kenya for training Somali government forces and allowing Ethiopian troops to operate from its towns. The al Shabaab militia has been stung after Somali forces backed by government-friendly militia struck at the insurgents’ strongholds in Mogadishu and in border town of Balad Hawa. Somali troop numbers have been bolstered by the deployment of hundreds of new recruits trained in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Massive Landslide Hits Bolivia

Sudden seismic activity caused a "mega-mudslide" in the Bolivian capital of La Paz Sunday, the country's state news agency reported. The mudslide left at least 800 families homeless, but there was no mention any fatalities or injuries. A fault stretching 80 to 100 hectares triggered the disaster, according reports. Bolivia's president declared the area an emergency zone.

Airline Worker Guilty of Terror Plot

An employee of British Airways was, Monday, found guilty of four terror-related charges, including plotting to blow up an airplane, a court in London said. Rajib Karim, 31, worked as a software engineer for British Airways and used his position to pass on information to al Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen, including to U.S.-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, the court was told. Karim admitted offering himself for terrorist operations, making a jihadi recruitment video and fundraising for terrorism, but denied knowing that information he gave al-Awlaki would be used for terrorism. Al-Awlaki is thought to be hiding out in Yemen, and was recently described by U.S as posing a big threat.

Six Women Shot Dead at Pro-Ouattara Rally

Security forces loyal to incumbent Ivoirian President, Laurent Gbagbo, shot dead at least six women marching in support of Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan, witnesses say. Ouattara is recognised by the United Nations as the winner of November 2010 presidential runoff, but Gbagbo has refused to concede defeat. The shooting took place in Abobo, a pro-Ouattara stronghold which has seen violent clashes for more than a week. On Wednesday, international radio stations, including the BBC, were taken off air without explanation. Electricity and water were then cut off in the north that is opposed to Gbagbo. Gbagbo’s government has blamed technical difficulties for the fault, saying they cannot import spare parts because of the European Union embargo on the country.