Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 28

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

41 Kidnap Suspects Nabbed, Police Recover N4m Ransom

About 224 crime suspects have been arrested by the Rivers State Police Command in the last six months. A breakdown reveals that 41 were kidnap suspects, 138 suspected cultists and 45 were pipeline vandals. Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Abba, decried the infiltration of criminals from neighbouring Abia State, noting that over 90% of the crimes in Oyigbo, Etche and Eberi Omuma areas were committed by suspects from Abia. The CP pledged his commitment to crime reduction and urged the public to help the police with meaningful information. The President of Obigbo, an Igbo Socio-Cultural and Political Organisation, Charles Ahize, has called for the training of policemen on techniques to arrest kidnap suspects, saying that most policemen lacked the skills for arresting kidnappers.

Police Burst Crime Syndicate in Rivers

A gang of kidnappers that also kills policemen and collect their weapons were on Friday paraded by the Rivers state Commissioner of Police (CP), Suleiman Abba. The suspects have reportedly confessed to also killing an oil worker, Mr. Haruna Mutairu, after which they later ran into a restaurant and killed nine people. They have allegedly killed at least 11 policemen before their gang was smashed by the police. The gang also snatches cars from people and change the appearance of the stolen cars. The CP regretted that some reformed militants were part of the criminals terrorising residents in the state, but assured that his men were responding to their antics.

Ex-Militants Alleges Plans to Scuttle Training

Ex-militant leader and member of the Post-Amnesty Implementation Committee, Victor Ebikabowei Ben, aka Boyloaf, has alleged that some Northern leaders are behind a plot to cause confusion at their Obubra training camp in Cross River State. Coordinator of the Post-Amnesty Programme, Timi Alaibe, said that he was aware the plan to disrupt the programme, but stressed that he did not know those responsible. In the meantime, the ex-militants who broke into and looted Alaibe’s vehicle at Obubra, last week, have reportedly fled the camp, while a disciplinary committee has been constituted to handle security in the camp. The FG has warned the ex-militants and other stakeholders against truncating the programme.

Bayelsa Community Cries for Help over Oil Spills
…as Court Orders Shell to Pay Rivers Community N15.4bn

Ikarama, a community located along the Taylor Creek in Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa State, has been hit by series of oil spills. The community is crying for help as the oil spills, from Shell’s facility, have devastated its environment, following the oil spills in June this year. They also alleged that Shell was down-playing the oil spills and their implications. Head of Environmental Rights Agency (ERA) in Yenagoa, Alagoa Morris, called for the investigation of Shell and its contractors over the spills. Meanwhile, Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State, has ordered Shell to pay Ejama-Ebubu Community in Tai Eleme LGA of Rivers State the sum of N15.4billion for damages for oil spill in community in 1970. Justice Buba also ordered SPDC to de-pollute and rehabilitate the area to its pre-impact status.

Gunmen Kidnap Rivers PDP Chieftain, Wife

Gunmen on Monday abducted a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, High Chief Sam Ezebalike and his wife, Sera in Ahoada East LGA. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Dr Rita Inoma-Abbey, who confirmed this, said the kidnappers also set a Nissan car they came in on fire before disappearing with the hostages in a speed boat through Oshi Oppudo waterside. Community sources said the kidnappers were seven in number, shooting indiscriminately to scare off community youths and passers-by.

Soldiers Nab Dealers with 1,283 Firearms

Men of the 82nd Division of Nigerian Army, Enugu have arrested some illegal arms dealers in possession 1,283 firearms and ammunitions in Aba, Abia State. The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Division, Major General Mohammed Isah, stated that the suspects were suspected of supplying arms to armed robbers and kidnappers. He said that they were arrested with about 1, 283, ammunitions in their possessions which they were going to sell in Onitsha from Aba.

Ministry to Partner Police, Judiciary to Decongest Prisons

The Minister of State for Interior, Mr Humphrey Abbah, has said the ministry will partner with the judiciary, police and other stakeholders to facilitate quick dispensation of justice as part of measures to fast-track the de-congestion of prisons. Speaking during a visit to Enugu prison Monday, the minister decried the high number of inmates awaiting trial, saying that a situation where 995 of the 1,238 inmates were awaiting trial was unacceptable. Abbah also decried the increasing number of lunatics being kept in prisons, instead of being taken to psychiatric hospitals for treatment. He appealed to the state governments to take care of such lunatics, stressing that the prisons had no facilities for them.

Enugu Police to Mop up Illegal Arms

The new Commissioner of Police, posted to Enugu State, Mr. Danazumi Doma, has disclosed plans to mop up illegal arms and as well conduct an in-house investigation to guard against police involvement in crime. The police boss made it clear that he had come to fight kidnapping and armed robbery in the state. Doma hinted that a special team would be mobilized to carry out the mop up exercise which would be aim at recovering all arms and ammunitions that were not authorized. He said the command would partner with the army and send out plain clothes detectives to arrest and retrieve people with illegal arms.

Court Order Navy to Pay Man N150m over Rights Abuse

The Federal High Court sitting in Calabar, Cross River State, has taken a swipe at naval authorities for human rights violation by naval personnel. Justice Ademola Adetokunbo asked the Nigerian Navy (respondent) to pay N150 million damages to one Mr. Joe Etene (applicant) who was a victim of naval ratings’ brutality in Calabar. Etene said that he was attacked on January 29 by naval ratings opposite the Navy Barracks in Calabar. He had asked the court to declare that the act of beating him to coma by the respondent was unconstitutional, illegal, and unlawful and a breach of his fundamental rights. The applicant asked the court to award him damages of N300 million after he suffered dehumanization, loss of blood, pains, trauma and humiliation and that his right to the dignity of human person was flagrantly breached by the ratings over a question he asked.

Police Kill 3 Kidnappers, as Gunmen Kill Medical Student

Three kidnappers were killed on Wednesday in Akwa lbom State just as a medical student was killed by unknown gunmen in Uyo, the State capital. The kidnappers were killed by the police during a raid on their hideout to free Senator Effiong Bob’s brother, Akpan Timothy Akpan. State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Walter Rugbere, added that Four AK 47 rifles with 145 rounds of live ammunition, one black Mercedes Benz 190 car, one Q-Link motorcycle, some charms and two masks were recovered. Rugbere said the gang was believed to be behind series of kidnappings in the state and disclosed that four other kidnappers were arrested in other parts of the state.

Bayelsa Swears-in New D’Gov
…As Court Orders Parties to Maintain Status Quo

The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Thursday, ordered that status quo be maintained in the appeal brought before it by impeached Deputy-Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon Peremobowei Ebebi, challenging his impeachment. Counsel to both parties in the matter, however, gave different interpretations to the order. While Ebebi’s lawyer said it meant that his client was still the deputy-governor until the case was determined; counsel to the State House of Assembly said it meant nothing should further be done after the impeachment. Meanwhile, Governor Timipre Sylva has inaugurated the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Werinipre Seibarugu, as his deputy. The panel of three justices adjourned the hearing on the matter to October 13.

Production Commences at Gbaran-Ubie Project

Shell has begun production at the Gbaran-Ubie project, which is expected to provide up to 70,000 barrels of oil per day and boost electricity supply. Shell said in a statement the project will also be able to produce a billion standard cubic feet of gas daily in 2011. The Gbaran-Ubie project, which incorporates five oil and gas fields, spreads over a 650-square-kilometre area of southern Bayelsa and Rivers states, took five years to build.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Chevron Manager Abducted in Warri

Unknown gunmen on Friday, in Delta State, abducted the Senior Community Engagement Officer of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), Mr. Rilwanu Momodu, to an unknown destination. Momodu was allegedly kidnapped on his way to work and his car was found abandoned at Sapele, suggesting that the kidnappers have taken him into the creeks. Chevron management have confirmed the kidnap and security sources say his whereabouts remain unknown, although all efforts are being made to locate him. Momodu had previously been kidnapped by militants during the seven years Warri crisis.

Kiagbodo Community Laments Effect of Oil Spillage

The people of Kiagbodo Community in Burutu LGA of Delta State have raised alarm over the effect of oil spillage which has taken over their river, causing joblessness and other health hazards. The spillage traced from a burst pipeline own by Shell at Otorogun was reported to have spilled into Kiagbodo River two months ago. The people of the community have claimed suffering untold hardship as the river which is their only source of water had been polluted by oil emanating from the spillage. Beside, fishing nets, their main equipment for fishing were destroyed by the oil spill. Women in the community were mostly affected.

Activist Escapes Death as Armed Youths Invade Peace Meeting

The Gbaramatu youth peace meeting called to settle the leadership tussle rocking youth groups in the kingdom ended in a fiasco, last weekend, with Clement Tonfawei, an opposition leader and several others escaping death, after the meeting venue was invaded by some youths. Tonfawei claimed that the attack was connected with a case in which the leadership of the kingdom was dragged to the court over the recent election into Gbaramatu Youth Council (GYC) conducted after a protracted power tussle. The Sheriff Mulade-led faction is opposed to stiff conditions that only university graduates can aspire to lead the GYC and is currently challenging the outcome of the election in the court.

96-Year-Old Kidnapped in Delta

A 96-year-old mother of a King-elect of Umukwata kingdom in Ukwuani LGA of Delta State has been kidnapped. Madam Celina Abaja, mother of Friday Abaja, King-elect of the kingdom was abducted on Monday night and are demanding for N20 million as ransom. There had been tension in the area over the kingship tussle, which the son of the kidnapped woman is laying claim to. State Police Public Relations Officer, Charles Muka confirmed the story, saying that to ensure her release.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Ilesa Chief Arraigned for Rape of Minors

A 60-year-old Ilesa high chief, Moses Adeniyi, has been arraigned before an Ilesa Magistrate’s Court for allegedly raping two 13-year-old girls and attempting to rape a 14-year-old. Adeniyi allegedly committed the offence sometime in May, 2010 at his hotel in Ilesa. The defence counsel disproved the rape allegation, claiming that there was a political mischief in the allegation against Adeniyi. The magistrate granted bail to the accused in the sum of N100, 000 and two sureties each, adding that the residences of the sureties must be within Ilesa magisterial district.

Police Parade Trans-Border Robbery Suspects

The police in Lagos on Monday announced the arrest of two members of a four-man trans-border robbery gang after a robbery in Ogun State. Police Spokesman, Frank Mba, said they were arrested on July 1, on Abule-Egba - Sango Otta Road while escaping from Ogun State. According to him, the suspects confessed that they belonged to a gang that had been terrorising Lagos and Ogun states as well as operating in neighbouring countries. The police spokesman said that luck ran out on the arrested suspects when they were inside a car they snatched in Ogun State and were driving against the traffic.

NDLEA Arrests Ex-Convicts for Drug Trafficking

Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade, has called for a critical assessment of the implications of drug trafficking and the monetary value of drugs in awarding punishment to drug culprits. The NDLEA boss made the call in Lagos, following the re-arrest of three drug ex-convicts attempting to smuggle narcotics out of the country at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos. Giade stated that a one-year sentence for an accused caught with drugs worth over N10 million was grossly incommensurate. The NDLEA Airport Commander, Alhaji Hamza Umar, had earlier disclosed that the command apprehended 21 suspected drug traffickers including three ex-convicts with drugs.

Poverty: Bus Driver Commits Suicide in Ibadan

A commercial driver, identified as Ismail Ajayi, has reportedly committed suicide in front of his father’s house in Ibadan, Oyo State. The 37-year-old father of two popularly called ‘Odeku,’ was said to have returned from his base in Ada, Osun State, on Monday, and his body was discovered on Tuesday morning. His grieving father disclosed that although the deceased complained about his financial predicament openly, he never envisaged he could kill himself for that. Policemen from Central Police Station, Iyaganku, later retrieved the corpse from the rope.

Fake Police Recruitment Officer Nabbed

A 29-year-old man, Emmanuel Akinmoladun, who claims to be from the office of the Inspector General of Police, has been arrested by the Police in Ondo State over a fake recruitment exercise for unsuspecting persons, who were eager to join the police. Police spokesman, Aremu Adeniran, alleged that Akinmoladun carried out the exercise for two weeks in a hotel in Akure. The development came just as the state police command was carrying out its own recruitment exercise. In Lagos, a 62-year old man, parading himself as an Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Aderemi Wunmi, was on Tuesday arrested following complaints by his victims. Wunmi allegedly collected money from people and promised to assist them obtain forms for the school of Cadet Inspector, but could not deliver on his promise.

Police Nab Suspected Kidnappers in Ibadan

Policemen in Oyo State have arrested four suspected kidnappers who allegedly came into the state from Benin, Edo State. The state Police Commissioner, Adisa Bolanta, alleged that the suspects had confessed that they were in the state to kidnap some expatriates working in a company at Ibadan for ransom. The police boss said some eagle-eyed policemen, while on patrol around Oluyole Estate, sighted the suspects at an uncompleted building and an on-the-spot search of them led to the recovery of three cut-to-size locally made guns with six rounds of live cartridges. They, however, revealed that they belonged to an eight-man gang which specialised in robbery and kidnapping.

Women Found Dead in Room

The Oyo State Police Command has commenced investigation into the mysterious death of a woman and her younger sister in the Itamaya area of Ibadan South West LGA of the state on Tuesday. The third female, who was with the deceased in the room when their corpses were discovered, is also currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of an undisclosed hospital in the metropolis. The three were said to have left their generating set running until their corpses were discovered by neighbours who waited in vain for them to come out of their room on Tuesday morning, but later discovered their lifeless bodies. The Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Central Police Station, Iyaganku, Mr. Teslim Ogunmefun, led policemen to the scene to retrieve the corpses.

Heavy Downpour Kills 5 in Osun

About five people were killed on Wednesday in Osogbo, the Osun State as the metropolis was flooded following a heavy downpour. Houses, markets, vehicles electricity poles and cables were also destroyed. The state Deputy Governor, Erelu Olusola Obada, has commiserated with the victims of the flood. She attributed the disaster to the blockage of water ways with buildings and dumping of refuse in drainages by inhabitants. Obada mandated the state Ministry of Environment, Emergency Management Agency as well as Osogbo and Olorunda LG authorities to clear the waterways promptly. Men of the state fire service and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) assisted to rescue trapped residents.

NGO Sensitizes Market Community on Sexual Abuse of Children

As part of measures to mitigate sexual abuse of children in Lagos State, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) the Media Concern Initiative for women and Children (MEDIACON),  has organised a three-day sensitization and training workshop for market women and men on how to mitigate sexual abuse of children in  the market community. Executive Director, MEDIACON, Princess Olufemi-Kayode, said the training was to equip the market community with information that will enable them to play their role in mitigating the menace at the markets and at home.

Police Arrest Robber, Rapist

A 27-year-old man has been arrested by the Oyo State Police Command for allegedly robbing a family and raping three sisters. The suspect, simply identified as Segun, was said to have invaded his victims’ residence in Ibadan, with a member of his robbery gang currently at large on June 24, 2010, armed with cutlasses. The suspects were said to have robbed the family of valuables. But some neighbours, who were aware of the incident, quickly alerted the police and a patrol team was dispatched to the scene. By the time the policemen arrived on the scene, they met the suspect pants down on one of the ladies but his accomplice quickly fled, while he was arrested immediately. Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Adisa Bolanta, said that efforts were on to arrest the fleeing accomplice.

Cleric Arrested for Purchasing Stolen Car

The pastor in charge of Arise and Shine Church, Owo, in Ondo State, Rev. John Adeniyi, has been arrested by the police for allegedly buying a Hyundai Accent car believed to have been stolen from the owner. The alleged seller of the vehicle, Mr. Seyi Oluwadayomi, was also arrested on Wednesday. The Ondo state Commissioner of Police, Magaji Nassarawa, said that the pastor confessed to have bought the car for N335, 000 from Oluwadayomi. The pastor claimed that Oluwadayomi presented himself as a true believer in the church, who could be trusted. Oluwadayomi said that he was pushed into the business due to poverty and frustration.

GENERAL

Man, 50, Rapes 9-Year-Old Neighbour

A 50-year-old man in Abuja, simply identified as Nnamdi, has been arrested by the police for allegedly defiling a 9-year-old girl after luring her into his room on the pretext of sending her on errands. Luck ran out on him when the girl refused to go on any errand for him to the dismay of her mother, who queried her daughter’s refusal to obey an old man. The girl then confided in her mother. Other women in the area also claimed that their daughters had been defiled by the same man, but they could not go to the police because they did not have money. Another woman at the police station also confirmed that he was a serial rapist, who left his previous residence because of the same offence. The Divisional Police Officer of the Garki Police Station, Tony Olofu, confirmed his arrest, adding that investigations are on.

Jonathan wants Army to Avoid Ethno-Religious Sentiments

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday, warned officers and men of the Nigerian Army to shun ethno-religious sentiments in the discharge of their duties. Speaking at this year’s Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL), Jonathan said that ethno-religious bigotry in the force could compromise its integrity and virtues as well as endanger the nation’s democracy. He then commended the army for its loyalty and subordination to civil authority and pledged that the FG would do more to improve the welfare of its officers and men. Jonathan also tasked the Armed Forces to be alive to their responsibility to protect the nation’s territorial integrity. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, reacting, pledged the unalloyed loyalty of the Nigerian Army to the President and the Nigerian people.

Senate Panel Seeks Death Penalty for Terrorists
•AU asks FG to halt execution of 800 on death row

The Senate Joint Committee on Terrorism proposed the death sentence for anyone found guilty of engaging in terrorist acts as against five years imprisonment recommended in the bill for an Act to provide measures to combat terrorism. Meanwhile, the African Union Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has asked the Nigerian Government to stay action on the execution of more than 800 prisoners on death row pending the determination of a communication brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). SERAP had petitioned the commission saying the “government’s only justification for executing the prisoners was to address prison congestion.”

Ex-Militants Protest in Abuja

Some former militants, who failed to meet the October 4, 2009 deadline for the FG amnesty programme, stormed Abuja on Wednesday, demanding to be included in the programme. Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Timi Alaibe, said they may be admitted if a waiver is granted by President Jonathan. But Ex-militants receiving training at Obubra, Cross River State decried the protest, describing it as ill-advised. The repentant militants, after receiving their certificates on the completion of a two weeks training, said they have come to understand that people should seek redress on grievances using well thought-out means and not violence.

Nigerian Refugees Rise to 1.6m

The rising wave of communal clashes, including the recent Jos crises in Plateau State, has significantly increased the population of Nigerians living as refugees in the country to 1.6 million, according to the National Commission for Refugees. The Nigerian refugees, forced to flee from conflict zones across the country, identified as Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), are scattered in various refugee camps operated by the National Refugee Commission in twelve states. It was learnt that a significant number of the IDPs arose from conflicts in Plateau, Ebonyi, Enugu, Akwa –Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Jigawa, Bauchi, Borno and Ogun States.

House wants Defence Chiefs to Review Retirement of 79 Officers

The House of Representatives Committee on Defence on Thursday resolved to prevail on the Ministry of Defence   to review, within three weeks, the cases of 79 senior military officers who were recently sent on terminal leave preparatory to their retirement. The resolution came after the committee met with the Minister of Defence and the Minister of State for Defence, alongside the three service chiefs. Chairman of the Committee, Honourable Wole Oke, said that after a thorough scrutiny of vital documents, all the stakeholders at the meeting resolved that the military needed to take a second look at the mass retirement. Most of the retirees alleged that their retirement were unjustified, claiming that they had neither reached the retirement age nor served the mandatory number of years.

WHO Deploys Experts to Zamfara over Lead Poisoning

World Health Organisation (WHO) has deployed epidemiologists, paediatricians and other specialists to Zamfara State following the deaths recorded as a result of lead poisoning. The experts are to carry out technical assistance to respond to the outbreak and prevent similar occurrence, as a result of the processing of lead-rich ore in gold mining. The global body said a random sample of 56 children under the age of five from the affected areas found that more than 90 per cent of them had lead poisoning, requiring urgent treatment.

US Revokes Visas of Nigerian Officials over Corruption, Yar’adua

United States President, Barack Obama, has authorized the State Department to revoke the visas of some former Nigerian government officials and their close relatives over their role in the controversy that surrounded the health of late President Yar’Adua and the looting of the nation’s treasury. The US has also beamed its searchlight on several top Nigerian officials who were named in the Halliburton bribery scandal. Sources said those affected include close security aides to Yar’adua, some serving governors and assistants “who failed to fully brief authorised government officials and institutions about the health of the late president and benefited financially from it”.

Kaduna Communal Clash Claims 5

Five persons were killed and over ten houses burnt in a clash in Kizachi village in Kaduna, boundary town between Kaduna and Plateau States, penultimate Saturday. A villager claimed that some Fulani herdsmen attacked the community, adding that the Policemen guiding the area had left a day earlier. The police in Kaduna confirmed the clash. In a similar incident, a herdsman was killed, while two are missing following an attack on Gana Wuri village in Riyom LGA of Plateau State, penultimate Sunday. Spokesman of the Special Task Force (STF), Lt.-Col. Kingsley Umoh, said about 200 attackers, armed with automatic weapons engaged the STF in a fire fight, at the end of which one was wounded and six others were arrested. But the Plateau state government and the police stated that no such incident occurred in the state.

59 Journalists Killed in Six Months –Report

Fifty-nine journalists have been killed because of their work in the first six months of this year, up from 53 for the same period last year, the Press Emblem Campaign said on Monday. The highest toll was in Mexico, where nine were killed in the six months to June. The other most dangerous countries for the media were Honduras, 8; Pakistan, 6; Nigeria and the Philippines, 4. PEC Secretary-General, Blaise Lempen, said in the statement that journalists are extremely exposed in countries which witness internal problems, and called on governments and the international community to act in firmness to stop those killings.

EFCC Detains Briton for Fraud

A Briton, David Littlechild, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly duping former British football star, John Fashanu, of about N93.6 million. It was gathered that in the course of the commission’s investigation into the alleged fraud, Littlechild was discovered to be a serial convict, having been convicted four times in the United Kingdom for various criminal offences. Littlechild was said to have approached Fashanu in 2006 for investment in a business deal, with the alleged victim said to have put the said sums into it. He was said to have raised the alarm after it turned out that he had been conned into a hoax business without his money being returned or profit given.

INTERNATIONAL

Top Rwanda Genocide Suspect Arrested in Uganda

A Rwandan priest accused of helping to orchestrate the 1994 genocide in his native country has been held in Uganda, police say. Jean-Bosco Uwinkindi was arrested after entering western Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uwinkindi was indicted in 2001 by a UN-backed tribunal for genocide and crimes against humanity. About 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu militias in the 100-day slaughter in 1994. The prosecution alleges that in investigations after the genocide, some 2,000 corpses were found near the church. Until his arrest, Mr Uwinkindi was one of the ICTR's 11 most wanted suspects.

230 Killed in DR Congo Fuel Truck Explosion

The bodies of people killed in a fuel truck explosion in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been buried in mass graves. At least 230 people were killed when the overturned oil tanker exploded and sparked a fire in Sange village. Some of those who died were trying to collect leaking fuel but others were trapped inside buildings. UN peacekeepers, aid workers and troops have been helping the injured. The accident happened late on Friday in Sange, south of the town of Bukavu in South Kivu, near the border with Burundi. In China, fire hit a company's shuttle bus, killing 24 people, according to reports. 19 others were injured in the penultimate Sunday night fire in the city of Wuxi.

Pirates Seize Oil Tanker in Red Sea

Pirates have hijacked a tanker with a crew of 18 Filipinos in the southern Red Sea, the European Union’s naval task force in the region has said. The tanker, Motivator, carrying lubricating oil, reported coming under fire near the strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden on Sunday, the EU’s naval task force, Eunavfor, said. But contact was lost and the vessel was confirmed hijacked on Monday. “After notification of this attack, attempts were made to make contact with the Motivator but to no avail. An international flotilla has been patrolling the Gulf of Aden to deter an increase in hijackings of shipping.

Komorowski Wins Poland Election

Moderate conservative, Bronislaw Komorowski, has won Poland’s presidential election. Komorowski won 52.6% of the vote in Sunday’s poll, defeating rival Jaroslaw Kaczynski, twin brother to late President Lech Kaczynski, who died in a plane crash in April. Komorowski will be Poland‘s fourth democratically elected president since the fall of communism in 1989. His election to a five-year term will be welcomed in other EU capitals and in Moscow because Komorowski backs Tusk’s efforts to improve foreign ties that came under strain during Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s short stint as prime minister in 2006-7.

Interpol Seeks Public Help to Find Fugitives

The International police agency, Interpol, on Monday launched an appeal to the global public to report sightings of 26 leading fugitives. Interpol has been leading an international operation since May aimed at tracking down 450 particularly dangerous fugitives, and has arrested 39 people as a result, including former Colombian model, Angie Sanclemente Valencia, wanted by Argentina for drug trafficking. However, Interpol has failed to find a trace of 26 of the suspects, wanted for murder, human trafficking or child sex abuse. This is the first time Interpol has sought the public's help to find so many suspects.

Anti-Government Protesters Storm Mogadishu

Anti-government demonstrators, including women dressed in hijabs, brandishing AK-47 automatic rifles, marched through the streets of Mogadishu on Monday, accusing the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) a peacekeeping military force backing the government, of killing people. The protest followed a pro-government rally, penultimate Friday and recent clashes between hard-line Islamists and government forces that have killed dozens of people. Somali President, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, has pleaded for help at the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) regional summit in the Ethiopia, saying that his war-torn country was “in the hands of Al-Qaeda and extremist groups.

Israel to Indict Soldier over War Crime in Gaza

An Israeli soldier who fought in the country‘s war on Gaza in January last year is to be prosecuted for the manslaughter of two Palestinian women, the military disclosed. The move, which is the first prosecution of an Israeli soldier over the deaths of civilians during the 22-day war, was one of several disciplinary steps announced by the army following an internal investigation, according to reports. Another officer was disciplined for ordering an airstrike close to a mosque. However, the military also said it was dismissing dozens of other incidents, many of which were raised in the UN Goldstone report on alleged war crimes during the conflict. The offensive reportedly killed around 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis.

Militants Attack Police Homes in Iraq

Militants targeted the homes of Iraq's security forces west of Baghdad on Wednesday, blowing them up and killing three family members despite heightened security around the capital for a Shiite religious occasion. None of the targeted men were at home at the time of the attacks. In a separate attack in the predominantly Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad, Police Maj. Abdul-Rahman Sobhi was killed when a bomb attached to his car detonated as he drove on Wednesday. On Tuesday, nine Shiite Muslims taking part in the pilgrimage in Baghdad were killed and dozens were wounded in mortar attacks and roadside bomb explosions.

5 Afghan Troops Killed in Friendly Fire

NATO mistakenly killed five of its Afghan army allies in an airstrike on Wednesday, officials said. An Afghan defense official condemned the latest "friendly fire" deaths, which came at a time when international troops are trying to improve coordination with Afghan security forces. The Afghan soldiers were launching an ambush against insurgents reportedly on the move in Ghazni province when NATO aircraft began firing on them without warning, Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said. NATO spokesman Josef Blotz confirmed the botched airstrike and said that a joint investigation has been launched. Three American soldiers were also killed on Wednesday in a roadside bomb in the south.

Colombian Forces Kill 13 FARC Rebels

Colombia's armed forces have killed 13 guerrillas, including two leaders, in an air raid, officials say. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels were trying to retake a strategic mountain area near the Caribbean coast when they were hit. Officials say that the rebels had been sent by Ivan Marquez, a member of the FARC's seven-man ruling secretariat, and head of the rebels' International Front, which handles the guerrillas' foreign affairs.

Cuba to Release 52 Political Prisoners

Cuba has agreed to free 52 political detainees following talks with officials from Spain and the Catholic Church. Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, said that Spain was willing to take in all 52 prisoners, who were arrested in a major government crackdown in 2003. The Cuban government has been under pressure to free dissidents since a prisoner on hunger strike, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, died in February. His death prompted another dissident, Guillermo Farinas, to launch a hunger strike that has lasted over four months. Cuba denies that it has political prisoners, calling them mercenaries paid by the US to undermine its government.

Bombings Kill Scores in Iraq Shiite Pilgrims Gathering

At least 70 people have been killed by bombs targeting Shiite pilgrims and the military in Baghdad, Iraqi officials say. A suicide bomber also drove an explosives-laden car into an Iraqi army check point in western Baghdad, killing six people and injuring 20 on Friday morning, officials said. There are concerns such attacks could increase amid a political deadlock four months after an inconclusive election and just weeks before U.S. troops begin heading home. Friday's attack comes after almost 70 people were killed bombings targeting hundreds of Shiite pilgrims commemorating the death of a revered Shiite holy man, buried in Baghdad Kazimiyah neighborhood.

Murder Suspect Goal Keeper Surrenders

Bruno de Souza, Flamengo's goal keeper, turned himself in to police on Wednesday for questioning related to the kidnapping and murder of a woman believed to have been the goalie's former lover, Rio de Janeiro police said. Souza's friend, Luiz Henrique Romao, also surrendered. Both are considered suspects in the disappearance and murder of Eliza Samudio in June. Her body has not been found, authorities said. The athlete has repeatedly denied the charges. Samudio had said that Souza had threatened and beat her, according to the state prosecutor's office. Wednesday's surrenders bring the number of arrests to seven, including Dayane Souza, the goalie's wife.

China Executes Ex-Official for Corruption

The highest-ranking official accused of collusion with gangs that terrorized the central city of Chongqing in China, was on Wednesday executed. Wen Qiang, 55, former director of the Chongqing Justice Bureau, had been convicted of corruption charges involving organized crime, according to reports. He was sentenced to death in April for accepting bribes, shielding criminal gangs, rape and failing to account for his cash and assets. Last year's crackdown on organized crime in Chongqing led to the prosecution of 90 local officials; 42 were found guilty of sheltering criminal gangs.

Police Arrest Suspected Grim Sleeper Serial Killer

Authorities in California disclosed on Wednesday that they have arrested a suspect in the Grim Sleeper serial killer case and will charge him with 10 counts of murder. Lonnie David Franklin Jr., 57, faces an additional count of attempted murder, Capt. Kevin McClure with the Los Angeles Police Department said. The California Attorney General's office attributed the arrest to DNA collected from a relative of the suspect, in a controversial and rarely used practice known as familial DNA search. The Grim Sleeper is believed responsible for at least 11 deaths since 1985 in south Los Angeles. The killer targeted black women, some working as prostitutes, using the same small caliber weapon.

Mattis is overall US Commander of Iraq, Afghan Wars

General James Mattis was named as the new head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) which has overall control of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mattis replaces General David Petraeus, who took over direct command of the Afghan conflict after his predecessor was fired for giving a damaging magazine interview. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates described Mattis as one of the US military's "outstanding combat leaders and strategic thinkers".

Bike Bomber Kills 48 in Pakistan

A suicide bomber on a motorcycle struck outside a government office on Friday in a tribal region where Pakistan's army has fought the Taliban, killing at least 48 people and wounding scores of others, officials said. The bomber detonated his explosives near the Yakaghund village office of a top administrator of the Mohmand tribal region, Rasool Khan. Khan, who was in his office at the time, escaped unharmed. A prison building also was damaged, and some 28 prisoners escaped, the administrator said.

Jury Convicts Ex-Officer in California Train Killing

Violent protests erupted in Oakland and dozens arrested after a Los Angeles jury convicted a white former transit officer of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man. Prosecutors had wanted Johannes Mehserle convicted of murdering Oscar Grant. So Thursday's lesser verdict raised concerns of a repeat of the rioting that followed the shooting on New Year's Day in 2009 on an Oakland train platform. About 500 people marched in protest against the verdict. Sporadic violence later broke out and police said they made 83 arrests.