Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 47

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

JTF Frees 19 Hostages

The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) has freed 19 hostages including foreigners being held by militants in the Niger Delta in a raid of some militant hide outs on Tuesday. The freed hostages included the 7 taken from an Afren oil rig and the 8 abducted an Exxon Mobil platform on Sunday and four others, two security sources disclosed. Gunmen kidnapped seven workers from an Exxon Mobil oil platform on Sunday a week after a similar attack on Afren in the same waters. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility for both attacks.

Gunmen Kill 5 in Bakassi in Deadly Boat Raid

Five people have been killed by gunmen off Cameroon's coast near Bakassi peninsula. French oil firm Perenco said a boat was transporting security men to one of its oil platforms when it was attacked. Some militants, who demand ransoms for their release, have said they want compensation for Nigerians displaced after Bakassi was given to Cameroon. The group - three soldiers, a pilot and a mechanic - were attacked in the early hours of Wednesday. A series of kidnappings of foreign nationals began after 2008 when the Bakassi region was formally handed over to Cameroon. The assault, on Wednesday, was claimed by Africa Marine Commando (AMC), a group responsible for kidnappings in the state.

Wired Car Linked to October 1 Bombing Found in PH

Security officials, Thursday, disclosed that they had recovered a vehicle in Port Harcourt that had been wired to explode. The car is also was linked to twin car bombings on October 1 that killed at least 12 people. Ex-militant leader, Henry Okah, is suspected of masterminding the Independence Day bombings in Abuja and has been held in South Africa, where he lives, since the day after the attack. Spokeswoman for the State Security Service (SSS), Marilyn Ogar said "not all of the vehicles wired for bombings were detonated". She said 10 bulletproof jackets and camouflage vests were found in the vehicle. Ogar said they also intercepted military boots, water bottles and camp tents she claimed were sent by another suspect, Charles Okah, the brother of Henry Okah, and destined for militants.

JTF Arrests 63 over Kidnappings

The Nigerian army on Saturday said it had arrested a militant leader, one Obese Kuna, and 62 of his followers suspected in a string of recent kidnappings of oil workers. The military said it smoked out the gang in an operation that lasted eight hours in Rivers state on Friday, according to spokesman for the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), Timothy Antigha. He said the gang was responsible for the kidnapping of 19 oil workers, including several foreigners, in recent weeks. Police spokesman for Rivers state, Akin Fakorede, said investigations would begin immediately after the handover and charges likely to be laid included kidnapping and robbery.

Gunmen Abduct Four at Funeral in Port Harcourt

Gunmen, at about 1am penultimate Saturday, burst into a funeral vigil at in Ahoada East LGA of Rivers State penultimate Friday and kidnapped four people. The gunmen shot sporadically to scare away people. Police have launched a manhunt for the kidnappers, he added. Police spokesperson, Akin Fakorede, said the police have arrested three persons in connection with the kidnapping.

JTF Steps Up Operation against Militants

The Joint Task Force (JTF) has stepped up its raid on militant camps in the Niger Delta following the resurgence of insurgency. The military has in recent weeks located and destroyed tens of such camps. This was made known a day after JTF launched aerial attacks on militants camp at Foropa in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa state. The JTF had, penultimate Friday, raided the camp of Keiti Sese aka Commander Nomukeme.  The security operatives arrested two suspected militants and recovered several arms and ammunition, including a list of over 36 members of the group including ex-militants. The JTF said it has arrested 449 suspected kidnappers in four states -Abia, Akwa Ibom, Imo and Rivers states- from the start of their operation on September 28, 2010, according to Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for the 82 division of the Nigerian Army.

Gunmen Abduct 8 Oil Workers in Akwa Ibom

Nigeria has recorded further reduction in its crude oil production as oil major, Mobil Producing, Monday, shut in some chunks of its oil production following an attack on its offshore facility in Akwa Ibom State by suspected militants. An Executive Director at ExxonMobil, Mrs. Gloria Essien-Danner, confirmed the attack. It was, however, learnt that project that was affected in the attack was the Oso project.  Oso had been targeted in previous disruptions. The attack on Mobil came barely a week after the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) abducted seven crew members on an oil rig operated by Afren Plc, and injured two persons. The resurgence of violence in the region has reportedly reduced Nigeria’s crude oil production, which currently stands at 2.2 million barrels per day. The 8 were among those rescued by the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) later in the week.

Armed Robbers Kill Taxi Driver

A taxi driver was on Monday shot dead and an unspecified amount of money reportedly carted away from his car, in Ogbunabali, area of Port Harcourt. The driver was said to be conveying two passengers, when he met his untimely death.  Police spokesperson, Akin Fakorede, confirmed the incident. Those at the scene of the Monday robbery said the armed men emerged from a car and shot the driver before removing the money from the boot of the vehicle. According to them, two men chased the taxi and bystanders thought they were policemen in mufti, until gunshot erupted and the driver lost control and rammed into the car before him.

Jonathan Warns Criminals in Niger Delta

President Goodluck Jonathan, Wednesday, warned criminals in the Niger Delta, that they would no longer find a safe haven in the region as law enforcement agencies have orders to fish them out. He said this while commending the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) for safe rescue of 19 oil workers held by kidnappers in the region without any bloodshed. There had been operations by security forces to curb the resurging militant activities in the Niger Delta. The JTF, in its raids, shut down 14 militant camps at different locations. Also, six militants suspected in the recent attack on Agip facility in Bayelsa were also arrested. The Commander of the JTF, Maj. Gen. Charles Omoregie, said items recovered include anti-aircraft gun, rocket-propelled grenades, five machine guns and 30,000 rounds of ammunition.

Shell Blames Communities For 98% Oil Spill
…Declares Force Majeure on Bonny Light Shipment

Oil giant Shell said 98 per cent of oil spilled in the Niger Delta is caused by theft and attack on oil facilities by the members of the oil host communities. Babs Omotowa, the Vice President Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), Infrastructure and Logistics of Shell said the only oil spills that Shell can claim responsibility for are those that occur in the cause of operations and all such are usually cleaned up and the sites remediated. Meanwhile Shell has declared force majeure on its Bonny Light crude oil shipments. This follows a reported damage on its Trans Niger pipeline. The spokesman says an investigation is ongoing into the cause of the damage.

Abia Police Loses 38 Men to Kidnappers

The Abia Police Commissioner, Jonathan Johnson, on Monday said 38 of his officers have been killed by kidnappers in the last few months. Johnson made this disclosure on Monday, while displaying the arms surrendered by some fleeing kidnappers. The commissioner said that the arms were recovered during the second amnesty programme, which the state government cancelled and that the programme was yielding results before its cancellation. The items include 20 AK 47 rifles, 12 locally made AK 47 rifles, seven assault rifles, one general purpose machine gun, four rocket launchers, 15 pistols, 12 dynamites, 23 double-barreled guns, 106 assorted magazines, gas cylinders, tool boxes and one G3 rifle. The commissioner thanked the government for empowering the police to combat the crime.

400 Arrested over Kidnappings in Akwa Ibom

Security agencies in Akwa Ibom state said on Monday they had arrested more than 400 people as part of a clampdown on kidnappings. The police command has arrested over 400 suspects in connection with kidnapping in the state, deputy police commissioner, Yuguda Abdullahi said. Most of the recent abductions have been of wealthy Nigerians and have taken place on land. But there have also been attacks on foreigners working off the Akwa Ibom coast.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

JTF Launches Attack on Militant Leader ‘General Togo’

The Joint Task Force (JTF) has sealed off major exit routes on the waterways of Delta State in search of militant leader, “General” John Togo. This is in continuation of its onslaught against militants in the region, and Togo, for daring its men and allegedly inflicting injuries on some of them and damaging its gunboats. Meanwhile, Ogodobiri community in Bomadi LGA has disowned the militant leader, while indigenes are close to the location of his camp are reported to be relocating from their homes for fear of attack by soldiers. Chairman of Ogodobiri community, Terry Youdowei, said the militant leader was not from Ogodobiri, hence the community should not be razed by the JTF as it did in 2004 in the manhunt for him.

MEND Claims Attack on Military Convoy

The Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), on Friday threatened more kidnappings of oil workers after the military rescued the 19 hostages earlier in the week. MEND also claimed that its fighters had ambushed a convoy of Nigerian army gunboats and killed a number of soldiers, but the military spokesman said he was not aware of such an attack. MEND’s spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, claimed that they ambushed 14 gunboats of the military at Ayakoromo in Delta State. He alleged that the gunboats were heading towards one of their camps in the state, adding that 10 soldiers were killed in the attack and the confiscated large number of weapons which include Browning machine guns, RPG Launchers, general purpose machine guns, assault riffles and ammunitions were retrieved by our fighters following the ambush.

NSCDC Dismisses 5 Volunteers, Nabs 3 for Vandalism

The Delta State command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has dismissed five of its volunteers for alleged criminal activities. The state’s commandant, Mr Amos Andekin, who announced the dismissal, said that the volunteers, who had yet to be recruited into the NSCDC, had resorted to threatening the regular officers of the corps. In another development, the command has arrested three persons for vandalism. The commandant said two of the suspects were arrested with 8,000 litres of illegally acquired petroleum products, while one suspect was arrested with 46,076 metres of vandalised NITEL cables. He further said that one of the suspects, who claimed ownership of the product, could neither produce a way bill nor a titled document.

Security Operatives Prevent Pro-Ibori Rally

A rally in Sapele and Warri, Delta State, aimed at pressurizing the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to release embattled former Governor James Ibori, was aborted on Monday by armed soldiers and policemen. The Sapele venue of the scheduled rally was taken over by policemen as early as 8am, thereby preventing the rally. The Warri rally was also aborted as supporters met heavily armed soldiers, backed by three armoured tanks, who insisted that the event could not hold in the state. But the organizers of the rally successfully addressed the supporters at Ajamimogha, Warri.

Police to Deploy New Anti-Terrorist Squad in Niger Delta

The Police High Command is to deploy a newly trained anti-terrorist squad in crime-prone areas in the Niger Delta region and some other South-west states. The squad is to work with an existing anti-kidnap squad already operating in major parts of the Niger Delta. A security source disclosed that the plan to deploy the newly trained anti-terrorist squad was to forestall the use of explosives within the states as the 2011 election campaigns draw closer. The source hinted that the recent seizure of 13 containers loaded with sophisticated ammunition and explosives was giving the top police hierarchy serious concern. The Inspector General Police IGP, Abubakar Hafiz Ringim, had therefore decided to take a proactive measure.

Kidnapped Israeli Regains Freedom

An Israeli businessman was kidnapped in Edo state has been released unharmed after a ransom was paid. He was abducted, penultimate Wednesday after the gunmen shot bodyguard and a police officer. The officer and bodyguard received medical treatment and are reportedly in good condition.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Two Die as Mobs Dislodge Sacked LG Chairmen

Two persons were feared dead and an unspecified number injured as mobs confronted some sacked LGA chairmen who tried to resume forcefully in their offices on Thursday. They were, however, dislodged by angry mobs before the newly inaugurated caretaker committee chairmen resumed in their new offices. It was learnt that two persons were feared killed in the violence that broke out at Ijero LG Secretariat. Two vehicles were reportedly set ablaze and part of the secretariat was affected by the fire from the cars. At Ado-Ekiti LG secretariat, the sacked council boss, Mrs. Tosin Aluko, resumed at her office, but was later chased away by a mob that stripped her naked and damaged her car. Governor Kayode Fayemi has assured that the government will deal with the perpetrators of the violence and urged workers and residents to go about their lawful business.

Suspected Kidnapper of Commissioner’s Mother Arraigned

A 40-year-old ex-militant, Godfrey Okiy, was on Monday arraigned before an Akure Chief Magistrate’s Court on a six-count charge of burglary and kidnapping. The accused was alleged to have kidnapped the 81-year-old mother of the Ondo State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Adetola Wewe, Madam Opelenge, and one Rachael Michael on October 14. Okiy pleaded not guilty to all charges. He was nabbed when he wanted to collect N5 million as ransom on October 23 in Delta State. Counsel for the accused, Kehinde Orungbeja, urged the court to grant his client bail. Chief magistrate O.S. Olajubu deferred ruling on the bail and ordered the accused to be remanded in prison.

11 Die in Kwara Stampede

At least eleven supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) died in a stampede at the party’s ‘Mandate’ campaign office in Ilorin, Kwara State on Tuesday. The Mandate House is the office complex of Governor Bukola Saraki’s presidential campaign organisation in the state. The stampede occurred when the party supporters were making frantic efforts to get a share of rice and some other food items during a Sallah party organised by the state PDP. A very large crowd of party supporters had gathered for the party and many people fainted during the rush to get at the food. But the Kwara State government denied that 11 people died, saying only four deaths were confirmed.

Party Raises Alarm over Police Search of ATM Users

Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) has raised an alarm over a new form of harassment faced by users of Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in the hands of people claiming to be policemen in Lagos.  The party reported complaints by customers leaving banks ATM points only to be stopped in public and searched by plain-clothed people brandishing supposed police identification card, according to the DPA’s Director of Publicity, Felix Oboagwina. DPA urged the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, to urgently wade into the matter and call his men to order.

Police Arrest 14 over Chieftaincy Fracas

Fourteen persons have so far been arrested by the Kwara State Police Command in connection with Tuesday’s bloody chieftaincy crisis between the two royal families in Ganmo, Ifelodun LGA of the state. Riot policemen have been keeping vigil in the ancient town to prevent any further breakdown of law and order in the area. The Ganna and Okunloye royal families of Ganmo have been in a running chieftaincy crisis for over 10 years over the control of the Obaship position of the town. Crisis on Tuesday broke out in the town following the alleged move by some people to burn the palace of the incumbent ruler, Oba Abdullahi Atanda Kolawole. During the crisis, one policeman deployed in the town was killed and 15 persons were injured, while 10 cars were damaged by suspected hoodlums.

Man, 50, Banished for Impregnating 14-Year-Old Daughter

A 50 year-old man, Yesiru Onojobi, has been banished from his Bodija village in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State for allegedly impregnating his 14-year-old daughter, who penultimate Wednesday gave birth to a baby girl for him. The Junior Secondary School I (JSS I) student alleged that her father began to have canal knowledge of her in December, 2009. The father, the girl and the baby were paraded by the Deputy Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Samuel Jinadu on Monday. The daughter claimed that her pleas to him to stop fell on deaf ears. Onojobi owned up to the offence.

GENERAL

Nigeria Reports Iran to UN over Arms Shipment

Nigeria has formally reported Iran to the United Nations Sanctions Committee over high calibre arms and ammunition intercepted by security agencies in Lagos last month. The arms, loaded in 13 containers labeled as "packages of glass wool and pallets of stone", were said to have originated from Iran, a country currently under UN sanctions, including arms embargo. A source at the State Security Service (SSS) disclosed that the Iranian suspect held in connection with the arms, was giving useful information. The SSS had penultimate Friday, insisted it would not interrogate the suspect inside the Iranian Embassy in Abuja. It was learnt that Iran had reneged on its earlier pledge to allow security agencies to probe the suspect. The Iranian suspect had been holed up in his country’s embassy in Abuja.

Boko Haram Kills Soldier in Borno State

A soldier, Bashir Mohammed, was last weekend, shot dead by two unknown gunmen, believed to be members of the fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram, riding on a motorcycle in Maiduguri, Borno State. Also shot was his friend who had gone with him to a local restaurant to have lunch. Witnesses revealed that the gunmen immediately sped off after the killing. The Borno State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Lawal Abdullahi, confirmed the report. Abdullahi also said that no arrests had been made, but investigation had commenced. The Public Relations Officer of 21st Armoured Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Maiduguri, Lt. Abubakar Abdullahi, confirmed that the slain officer was a private at the Brigade in Biu, who was in town on medical check-up.

Police Raise Alarm over Arms Build-Up in Plateau

The police in Plateau State said it is disturbed by the continuous arms build-up in the state despite spirited efforts to get citizens to surrender arms in their possession to the command. Parading 19 suspects, some allegedly involved in the manufacturing of arms last weekend, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, said it was worrisome that rather than heed the call to surrender arms in their possession, people seem to be acquiring more.

Diplomats Angry over Iran’s Execution of Nigerian, Ghanaian

African diplomats have demanded an explanation from the Iranian Government after a Nigerian and a Ghanaian were executed in the country without their embassies being notified. Paul Chindo, from Nigeria, was hanged last month, while Akwasi Akuaba, from Ghana, was executed in August. Both men had been convicted of drug trafficking. Diplomats of both Nigeria and Ghana said they were baffled and angry that Tehran had disregarded standard international practice for the government of a death row inmate abroad to be notified before the sentence is carried out. Human rights sources in Iran say that Chindo and Akuaba did not realise that they had been sentenced to death.

10 Nigerians Die in Saudi Arabia

At least, 10 Nigerian pilgrims were reported to have died so far during the ongoing hajj in Saudi Arabia, the Head of Nigerian Medical Mission, Dr Ibrahim Khana, has said. Khana said two of the pilgrims lost their lives after they fell off the storey building they were staying. He advised pilgrims to avoid staying in over-crowded places as the hajj exercise reached its peak. Meanwhile, two Nigerian women performing the hajj had been delivered of their babies. The head of the medical team, however, said one of the babies died shortly after birth. He expressed dismay at the situation where pregnant women beat security operatives to attend the hajj despite the ban stopping them.

Boko Haram Kills 3 Worshippers in Mosque

Gunmen suspected of being members of an Islamist sect, Boko Haram, which has been terrorising parts of Northern Nigeria, on Friday shot dead three people in a mosque in Maiduguri on Friday, police and witnesses said. One of two gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire on a Wahabi mosque shortly before the Friday prayers, killing three people including a boy, and immediately fled following the ensuing confusion, according to mosque official, Abdulkadir Yunus. Boko Haram sect considers Saudi-inclined Wahabi Muslims to be heretics for their vehement opposition to Boko Haram's ideology of violence and its aversion to Western education.

NDLEA Intercepts Europe-Bound Heroin from Iran

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said that the over 130 kilos of heroin seized on Thursday at Lagos port, believed to be shipped from Iran, was destined for Europe, according to the NDLEA boss, Ahmadu Giade. Giade estimated the value of the drugs at 9.9 million dollars, vowing tougher clampdown on drug traffickers. Security operatives found the illicit drugs inside a 40-foot container aboard a vessel, MV Montenegro, on Thursday. Security agents, in October, intercepted an illegal arms shipment that included rockets and grenades at Lagos port which had been loaded in Iran. Nigeria has reported the shipment to the UN Security Council.

Labour, Civil Groups to Picket Embassies over Western Sahara

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its civil society allies are planning to picket embassies of Morocco, Spain and France in Nigeria in a bid to speed up the process of granting independence to Western Sahara. The 47 civil society groups, which also included the Trade Union Congress (TUC), at the end of their interaction with officials of Western Sahara in Lagos, said the action became necessary to draw the attention of the world to the continued occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco. The coalition stated that the continued occupation of imperial Morocco was a challenge to the African people, and that Nigerians had the historical responsibility to play a decisive role in the decolonisation of the last colony in Africa. The group condemned the molestation of unarmed people of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) by Morocco and demanded that Morocco frees all Saharawi political prisoners and vacates Western Sahara.

Police May Constitute VIP Squad for Private Citizens

Nigeria Police Force may constitute a VIP squad that will provide security services for private citizens who need police protection. A source within the force dropped the hint in Abuja on Monday. The squad, which will be based in each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, will be saddled with the sole responsibility of protecting private individuals or bodies. Members of the squad may be kitted in the green uniform of the mobile police officers but with a different cap for easy identification. The acting Force Public Relations Officer, Yemi Ajayi, confirmed the plan, but said “it is still in the pipeline.”

8 Policemen Interrogated over Escape of 5 Criminals from Custody

Eight policemen are being interrogated over the escape of five suspects from the Kano Police Command Criminal Investigation Department (CID) last week after they broke the window of the cell. Among the escapees who are still on the run are dangerous armed robbers, Kano Police Commissioner, Mohammed Gana, disclosed.  According to Gana, the police had been hunting for the dangerous criminals for more than a year before they were arrested and detained at the CID for investigations. The suspects, who he said were on the wanted list of the force for a long, must have staged the successful cell break with the connivance of policemen on duty. The commissioner said 8 police officers were on duty on the night of the incident.

IGP Redeploys 21 AIGs

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Hafiz Ringim Monday redeployed 21 Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs). Ringim, in a statement by the acting Force spokesman, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Yemi Ajayi, said Assistant AIG Mohammed Zarewa, who was in charge of Zone 3, Yola, is now Force Secretary. The IGP urged the officers to face the challenge of fighting crime in their various areas with the view to reducing it to the barest minimum. The postings are with immediate effect.

Armed Bandits Attack Church in Jalingo

Armed Bandits, Tuesday, invaded the Catholic Cathedral in Jalingo, Taraba State, carting away items and valuables worth several millions of naira. The bandits, who arrived the Cathedral situated along Mile 6 in the ancient town at about 3.00am held residents of the cathedral, who are mainly priests and clergymen hostage before dispossessing them of their valuables at gunpoint. The Parish Priest, Reverend Charles Nyame, said the bandits gained entrance into one of the flats through the ceilings from where they eventually gained access into the other flats in the cathedral. He listed the items carted away by the bandits to include laptops, mobile phones an undisclosed sum of money and various other valuables while they left their victims with varying degree of injuries.

IPG Orders Trial of Fighting Cops

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, directed an orderly room trial and dismissal of two mobile police officers who were caught fighting last Thursday along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Their picture was splashed on the front page of a national daily and it generated scathing comments on the Internet. The concerned officers have been detained and would be brought to the Force Headquarters, Abuja before they would be formally discharged from the service.

INTERNATIONAL

Hotel Blast Kills Tourists, Staff in Mexico

At least five Canadian tourists and two hotel staff were killed in an explosion at a luxury hotel on Mexico's Caribbean coast, officials say. The blast, believed to have been caused by a build-up of natural gas, blew out windows at the Grand Riviera Princess hotel in Playa del Carmen. At least 15 people were injured. Quintana Roo state prosecutor, Francisco Alor, said the floor of the hotel was blasted through the ceiling by the force of the explosion, blowing out windows and scattering debris over a wide area.

British Couple Regains Freedom after a Year in Captivity

A British couple kidnapped by pirates was released after more than a year in captivity, their family disclosed penultimate. Paul and Rachel Chandler were seized from their yacht on October 23, 2009, just after they set sail from the Seychelles Islands for Tanzania. The Chandlers landed in Kenya late Sunday afternoon, said Abdurraham Omar Osman, Somali government spokesman. A ransom of about $750,000 was paid for their release, local elders in Somalia said. British Prime Minister, David Cameron, said they will ensure that the couple is reunited with their family as quickly as possible.  Cameron thanked all those who have worked so hard to bring the Chandlers safely out. It was unclear who paid the ransom, but a local elder said that the Somali diaspora in England played a key role in raising the funds.

Brazilian Police Break Drug Network

Police in Brazil say they have arrested 22 people as part of an 18-month effort to break an international drug syndicate. The arrests are the latest in Operation Desert, targeting a group smuggling Bolivian cocaine to Africa and Europe. A total of 50 arrest warrants were issued during the operation and those held include Colombians, Bolivians and Europeans, as well as Brazilians. Police also seized two planes, weapons and several tonnes of cocaine. Officials said in addition to the 22 arrested on Wednesday, a further 20 suspects were already in prison, and eight remained on the run. Guilherme de Castro Almeida of the federal police's drug enforcement department said Interpol had been asked to detain seven European suspects, but he would not reveal their nationalities or whereabouts.

Man Declared Dead Arrested for Kidnapping

Federal agents in Gulfport, Mississippi, penultimate Sunday arrested a 53-year old man, declared dead in 1994, on kidnapping charges. Thomas Steven Sanders is suspected in the abduction of Lexis Roberts, 12, of Las Vegas, Nevada. She was later found dead. Sanders has changed his appearance several times over the years. In September, Sanders was seen purchasing bullets at a local Wal-Mart in Las Vegas. The ammunition he bought was consistent with the caliber weapon used during Roberts' homicide, the FBI said. She was last seen with her mother, Suellen Roberts, and Sanders.

8 Arrested over Fires High-Rise That Killed 53

Eight suspects have been detained in a China high-rise fire that killed 53 people. At least 70 other people were injured. Another 50 people were missing, mostly senior citizens in their 60s and 70s. A preliminary investigation indicated that unqualified welders caused the fire, as they violated safety rules, according to the report. Some of the welders were among those detained. The 28-story building was under renovation when it went up in flames. Witnesses said a Scaffold caught fire, and flames then spread to the building.

Venezuela Deports ‘Rebels’ To Colombia

Venezuela has deported three suspected left-wing rebels to Colombia, a sign of improving relations. Former Colombian President, Alvaro Uribe, had alleged that Venezuela was harbouring the rebels. The deportations came a day after Colombia promised to extradite a drug suspect, Walid Makled, to Venezuela rather than the United States. Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez had expressed concern that a trial in the US for the Venezuelan national might be used to wrongly implicate his government in drugs trafficking. Mr Makled, who is accused of smuggling tons of cocaine into the US, has alleged he was supported by Venezuelan officials.

Three-Year-Old Rescued From Well

A three-year-old girl in Argentina has been safely rescued after falling down a 30m (100ft) well. Rescue workers spent more than six hours trying to pull Vanessa Mamani from the shaft in a field in Florencio Varela. She was taken to hospital where doctors said she was shocked but otherwise unharmed. Argentina's President Cristina Kirchner has described the rescue as "a miracle". Chief firefighter, Marcelo Tucci, said it was unclear until the last moment whether Vanessa would be able to follow the instructions and put on the harness, but she managed to attach herself.

Guantanamo Detainee Guilty in 1998 Bombing of US Embassy

The first Guantanamo detainee tried in a US civilian court has been found guilty on just one out of 285 terror charges over the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Africa. Tanzanian Ahmed Ghailani, 36, was found guilty of conspiracy to damage or destroy US property with explosives. But he was cleared of many other counts including murder and murder conspiracy. Ghailani faces a minimum of 20 years in prison. The verdict comes as the US weighs other civilian terror trials.

Thailand Extradites Suspected Arms Dealer

An accused international arms dealer known as "The Merchant of Death" was extradited to the United States on terrorism charges Tuesday, Thai police said. Viktor Bout left Thailand on a U.S.-chartered jet, said police Col. Supisarn Bhakdinarunart, chief of the Crime Suppression Bureau. The chief said agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration escorted Bout, who is a Russian citizen and former Soviet military officer. The Russian government issued a stiff reaction, blaming the "unprecedented political pressure" by the United States on the Thai courts for what it called an "illegal extradition." Bout has been indicted in the United States on a series of charges, including counts of illegally purchasing U.S. cargo planes to ferry weapons to Africa and the Middle East.

65 Dead Killed in Indian Building Collapse

The death toll in the collapse of a five-story residential building in New Delhi, India climbed to 65 dead on Tuesday, officials said. About 80 other people were injured in Monday's collapse, said New Delhi's fire-service chief, R.C. Sharma. The building apparently collapsed because its foundations had weakened after exposure to water from this year's heavy monsoons, according to City Municipal Spokesman, Deep Mathur, and Chief Minister of New Delhi, Sheila Dikshit. The structure was situated closely to the Yamuna River, which flows through New Delhi.

Protester Shot Dead by UN Peacekeepers in Haiti

At least one man has been shot dead in clashes with UN peacekeepers in Haiti.  UN troops fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators who were throwing stones and blocking roads in Cap Haitien. The protests come amid a continuing cholera epidemic that has killed more than 900 people, but the UN has also linked them to upcoming elections. UN peacekeepers in Cap Haitien and Hinche were the target of protesters wielding stones and in some cases guns. Some Haitians have accused peacekeepers from Nepal of introducing cholera to Haiti for the first time in a century.  The UN says it has found no evidence to justify the accusation, but the cholera strain matches a South Asian one. The Nepalese army said tests had proved that the allegation regarding its personnel was false.

Jail Break in Congo: 169 Inmates Escape

Nearly 170 prison inmates in the Democratic Republic of Congo have escaped from a jail in the north-west of the country. The mass break-out on Tuesday occurred as a hearing was taking place in their prison in Gemena to try to reduce the backlog of defendants awaiting trial. Reports say the Congolese justice system is barely functioning, with many courthouses in ruins and devoid of basic equipment and the prisons overcrowded with inmates not being cared for. Prosecutor, Felicien Kibeka, said the prisoners became unruly in the overcrowded room where only two policemen were present to maintain order. Only a handful of the 169 escapees have been recaptured. DR Congo's justice minister has described prisons as "death houses" and called on the international community to help improve conditions.

Madagascar’s Govt Call for Dialogue after Coup Claim

Madagascar's government has called for dialogue with the group of military officers who said on Wednesday they had taken over the island nation. Some of the officers in the alleged coup were behind the coup that brought President Andry Rajoelina to power in 2009. Their power bid came on the day of a referendum on a new constitution that could legitimize Rajoelina's rule. He has been diplomatically isolated since coming to power in March 2009 and has ignored attempts by regional mediators to broker a consensus with the opposition. The officers said they had dissolved government institutions and formed a military committee. Coups and attempted coups are fairly frequent in Madagascar and sometimes they don't amount to very much.

Thailand Arrests Woman after Discovery of Fetuses at Temple

Thai authorities have arrested a woman following the discovery of hundreds of fetuses at a Buddhist temple in Bangkok, police said Friday. She was arrested performing illegal abortions and opening an unlicensed clinic, police Col. Sombat Milinthajinda said. Two morticians were also arrested for hiding the fetuses. Police continued to bring out fetuses from the Phai-nguern Chotinaram temple in central Bangkok on Friday, after having found hundreds earlier in the week. Temples in Thailand typically have morticians who prepare bodies for cremation. Abortion is illegal in Thailand, unless a woman is endangered by pregnancy or has been raped.