Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 49

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

FG Includes 6166 Ex-Militants into Amnesty

The Federal Government has approved the inclusion of additional 6, 166 ex-militants into the on-going amnesty programme. Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Timi Alaibe, disclosing this, said that many of the initial 20,000 ex-militants who embraced the Amnesty programme have under gone non-violence transformational training in Cross River State. The statement said the ex-militants would join the others who are currently being trained in different skills to enable them participate in the various projects lined up for the development of the region. Alaibe said the President projects that the reintegrated ex-militants should be playing pivotal role in the development of the region in 2011.

Ex-Militant Leaders Want Protection

Two former militant leaders in the South-South region, Chief Solomon Ndigbara, and ‘General Pastor’ Reuben Wilson have called on the Federal Government to provide security for ex-militants. The duo made the call following the murder of one of an ex-militant, ‘Commander’ Areaman Olali, who was clubbed to death in Bayelsa. The leaders argued that since they had surrendered their weapons and embraced amnesty, it was necessary for the Federal Government to protect them the unrepentant militants. Ndigbara said on Saturday that though, they felt more secure in the creeks, they would not regret their choice to embrace amnesty, but warned that until the FG showed more commitment to the amnesty programme, militancy would not be eliminated.

65 Militants Arraigned in Court

Sixty five militants arrested by the Joint (Military) Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta last week and handed over to the police were on Monday arraigned before a magistrate court in Port Harcourt. Charged with about 15- count charges each, all the militants were remanded in prison custody, according to the Rivers state commissioner of police, Suleiman Abba, who also said that further investigations are going on in their case. Abba further added that a total of 42 armed robbers were arrested and some fatally wounded as 16 incidents of robbery were foiled by the police in September and October. He dispelled insinuations that the arrest of the militants was stage managed. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had alleged that the arrest of the militants was stage managed.

5 Students Raped in Owerri

Dare devil hoodlums numbering about 10, reportedly broke into the premises of Owerri Girls Secondary School, penultimate Sunday and raped five students. Lamenting the ugly incident, the school’s Principal, Pat Uche Obasi, said the hoodlums stormed the SS3 dormitory between 1am and 2am but escaped when men of Imo State Police Command intervened. The hoodlums escaped through the hole they created in the school fence. The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, for the area, Mr. Okezie Okoroafor, confirmed the incident and explained that when he got the distress call, he quickly mobilized his men and intervened, but the hoodlums escaped.

Gunmen Kill Policeman, Soldier, Others in Akwa Ibom

Suspected armed robbers on Wednesday engaged policemen in Akwa Ibom State in a gun battle where a policeman, a soldier and three of the hoodlums were feared dead. State Police Commissioner, Mr. Sani Magaji, said that a policeman and some civilians were hit by stray bullets. He said one inspector, one soldier and two civilians lost their lives during the shoot-out. Magaji said the command had intensified efforts at ensuring that the wounded hoodlums that escaped are arrested, adding that 800 rounds of live ammunition and two vehicles were recovered from the fleeing robbers.

Assembly Aspirant Kidnapped in Imo

An aspirant for the Imo State House of Assembly aspirant on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Alan B. Onyemaechi, was on Thursday morning kidnapped by gunmen. Onyemaechi, a former LGA chairman, was abducted at the gate of his factory at Naze Industrial cluster in Owerri North LGA. It was learnt that the five-man armed hoodlums, waited for him to arrive and quickly took him away in his own car to an unknown destination. Onyemaechi was a strong member of the Alliance for Good Governance, an opposition group in the Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before he defected to the ACN few weeks ago to actualise his political ambition.

NNPC, Bayelsa to Sign MoU on Brass LNG

Bayelsa State Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) are to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the ownership of Brass Liquefied Natural Gas Project (LNG) located in Brass Island of the state. This is coming as the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) have resolved to form a high level group to audit the implementation of the Nigerian Content Law on a quarterly basis. The MoU is part of the implementation of the plans by the FG to cede 10% of the 49% stakes of the NNPC on Joint Venture projects to host communities.

Inferno Kills Three in Yenagoa

Three people, including a pregnant woman, were killed and 50 families rendered homeless after fire razed a slum settlement close to the Bayelsa state Government House in Yenagoa, Penultimate Sunday. Survivors disclosed that the fire started when a woman tried to refuel her generator while it was still running. The state Governor, Timipre Sylva, who visited the scene on Monday, said the problem of stored adulterated fuel and the gross disregard for planning regulations were responsible for the inferno. The state fire service could not get to the scene of the fire because there was no access route to the area. Sylva promised that the government would render assistance to the victims, but added that the land would be acquired so that there would be no further slum development in the area.

PENGASSAN Shuts Mobil’s Operations over Sack of Workers

The dominant status of foreigners in the Nigerian oil industry came under attack on Tuesday as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) in Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) began an indefinite strike over the firm’s recent sack of 84 Nigerian workers. The strike action began at its Qua Iboe Terminal at Ibeno, Akwa Ibom, and has extended to it’s locations in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Eket. The workers argued that sacking indigenous employees as a cost-cutting measure was against national interests and leaves the Nigerian oil sector in the hands of expatriates. They accused the oil firm of discriminatory labour practices that allegedly favoured expatriates at the expense of indigenous workers.

One Killed as Tankers Burn in Akwa Ibom

One person was feared dead on Wednesday in a fire which burnt two tankers on the Abak-Ikot Ekpene in Akwa Ibom State. Firemen from the Akwa Ibom State Fire Service aided by Julius Berger workers battled the blaze for about three hours before they finally put it out. The Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Command, Mr. Sani Magaji, explained that the fire was caused by the collision and advised the people of Abak not to take laws into their hands.

Women Protest Torture, Neglect in Rivers community

Women of Rumuekpe Community in Emohua LGA of Rivers State have protested nude over the alleged sponsorship of the crisis in the community by two influential citizens. The placard carrying women took their protest to the Rivers State House of Assembly and the state police headquarters before moving to the Government House, Port Harcourt where they presented their protest letter to the government. They were protesting alleged torture and neglect of their people. The police spokesman, Akin Fakorede, urged the women to be calm while the police investigate their allegations.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

John Togo Gives Conditions for Ceasefire in Delta

Aggrieved ex-militants, under the aegis of the Niger-Delta Liberation Force, NDLF, led by “General” John Togo, who breached the 2009 amnesty agreement they signed with the FG by returning to violence in November, have agreed to a cessation of hostilities. Counsel to John Togo and national chairman of the Human Rights Defense Organization of Nigeria (HURDON), Casely Omon-Irabor, disclosed this last weekend in a meeting with the Joint Task Force (JTF) and the head of the Presidential Committee on Amnesty, Mr. Timi Alaibe. Alaibe confirmed this, adding that the FG was willing to explore every option for peace in the region. Omon-Irabor said John Togo was prepared to surrender if the government was ready to address the grievances of the ex-militants that returned to the creeks.

Oil Companies Want Enhanced Security at Escravos Facilities

Shell Petroleum Development Company and Chevron Nigeria Limited have appealed to the Navy to boost security in the terminals and their environs to forestall any attack by militants at Escravos in Delta state. The firms alleged that naval patrol in the area was diminishing, thus exposing their facilities to possible attack. They made the appeal on Tuesday during a fact-finding visit to the facilities by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogbor. The Manager Joint Venture, Mr. Augustine Emelobe, said if a single shot is fired at the tank farm, the ensuing fire may be unquenchable and will result in the loss of several lives. He disclosed that several of the firms’ trunk lines carrying crude from the fields were frequently vandalised by oil thieves.

Mosogar Community Faces Fresh Violence

Residents have fled Mosogar community in Ethiope West LGA of Delta State, following resumption of hostilities between two rival youth factions. Trouble allegedly erupted penultimate Sunday, shortly after the rival youth factions were reported to have entered a peace accord, brokered by the chairman of the council, Dr Wilson Omene and president-general of the community, Chief Joe Omene, when one of the factions discovered the corpse its member floating in the Mosogar River. They discarded the peace accord and allegedly burnt down the house of the chairman of the opposing group, making the other group to seek revenge. Men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) and the Police were deployed to the community to maintain the peace.

JTF Overruns John Togo’s Camps

The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) on Wednesday overran suspected camps being operated by General John Togo. The JTF had on Tuesday declared Togo wanted warning any people harbouring him to turn him in so as to avoid being caught in the cross fire. There was severe fighting with many of the ex-militant fleeing the camps as the JTF dislodged them with its superior arms. Though it was not ascertained if Togo was in the camp but many of his commanders were said to have sustained bullets wounds in the gun duel. The media coordinator of the JTF, Lt. Col Timothy Antigha, confirmed the development. But the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) threatened further reprisal attacks. The militants claimed more than 100 people were killed, but Antigha said that anybody who was killed was a criminal because innocent people do not live in camps," he said.

Community Protests JTF Invasion

The people of Ayakoromor community in Burutu LGA of Delta State have protested Wednesday’s invasion of their community by men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), but the task force continued with its operation, on Thursday, vowing to smoke out John Togo wherever he is was. More persons allegedly lost their lives in the renewed offensive, including innocent civilians and a community leader, Jacob Mokor. It is alleged that the JTF razed all the houses in the waterfront. Elders of the community appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to restrain the task force from killing innocent civilians. The media coordinator of the JTF, Lt. Col Timothy Antigha said the task force had earlier warned those residing near militant camps to vacate the areas, adding that people in camouflage army uniforms who were shooting at military aircrafts and soldiers could not have been civilians as claimed. It was learnt that more than 50 people have been killed since the military operations commenced on Wednesday.

Gunmen Kill Doctor in Ughelli

Unidentified gunmen, suspected to be assassins in Ughelli, Delta state, shot dead the Medical Doctor, Akarinwan Emmanuel. It was gathered that the gunmen, 3 in number, on a motorbike trailed him from his clinic to his residence where they shot him in the head while he was still in his car. One of the deceased’s children, Miss Onome Akarinwan, she said her mother heard the gunshot and ran outside to see what was going on only to be confronted with a gun pointed to her chest. So she lay down and the assassins ran outside and sped off on their motorbike.

Youths Protest Bad Roads and Neglect

Youths in Beneku Community Ndokwa East LGA of Delta State have protested against flooding and deplorable conditions of the roads in the town. The youths last weekend took to the streets to condemn the neglect of the people by management of Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) operating in the area. Among other things, the youths had earlier in a letter to the Acting Governor Prince Sam Obi signed by the president of Beneku youths, Comrade Emmanuel Chukwulolu, explained that the roads which were approved and sponsored by the Oil Company were not executed to the required standard by the contractors.

Police Impound Government Vehicle with Indian hemp

The Edo State Police Command has announced the impoundment of a vehicle linked with the Presidency and loaded with 43 bags of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp. This came barely two weeks after the command intercepted a vehicle belonging to a member of the House of Representatives, which was used to convey cannabis by an aide of the lawmaker. The vehicle was intercepted by a team of highway patrol police officers in Benin, penultimate Friday. It was gathered that the occupants of the vehicle allegedly refused to stop when they were flagged down, forcing the policemen to go after them. In order to escape arrest, the driver and the two occupants of the vehicle abandoned the vehicle and fled into the bush. Police spokesman, Awhara Ejiroro, said the police were yet to trace the vehicle to anyone.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Lagos Road Accident Claims 8 Lives

At least eight people died on Wednesday at the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway when an 18-seater Mazda bus carrying passengers somersaulted and burst into flames. The accident is believed to have been caused by a mechanical fault in the bus. Some of the victims were burnt beyond recognition, while those who sustained injuries were rushed to the hospital. Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) were on hand to control traffic. Spokesman of the state police command, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed the accident, but said only five people died.

Man Arrested for Defiling 12-Year-Old

A runaway 12-year-old girl, Philomena, was reportedly turned into a sex slave by a man who claimed he rescued her. Philomena ran away from home on November 12, after her uncle’s wife threatened to report her to her teacher. It was during the period that the suspect, Timothy Udochi, 37, saw and accommodated her for over 20 days. He was arrested after police traced her to his house. He had just finished having sex with her when policemen arrived. The victim alleged that he had sex with her severally and had threatened to kill her if she failed to oblige. The suspect, who said he could not remember how many times he had sex with her, said that he was only trying to help her. He would be charged to the court for abduction, defilement and other related offences, according to the police.

Multiple Road Crash Kills 4 in Kwara

Four persons, Wednesday, lost their lives in a road accident involving three vehicles along Ilorin – Ajase-Ipo Road, Kwara State. Four others were injured and rushed to the hospital for treatment. According to an eyewitness, the accident involved a lorry, which lost control at a bend and ran into a Peugeot wagon and another private car. The wagon with nine passengers caught fire immediately, and 3 of the victims trapped were burnt beyond recognition because they could not be rescued immediately. The driver of the lorry was reported to have escaped into the bush immediately the accident occurred. The Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Commission, (FRSC), Sunday Dogunro, confirmed the report.

Lagos Tanker Fire Kills 10

Ten people lost their lives on Thursday along Lagos-Badagry expressway after a petrol tanker somersaulted and caught fire. The accident was believed to have been caused by a pot hole on the highway after the tanker, reportedly ran into it and rammed into the vehicle in its front, catching fire immediately. Managing Director of Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) Dr. Femi Osanyintolu said over 10 people died while five vehicles were burnt. He said some of the victims were taken to LASUTH mortuary and Alimosho General Hospital, Alimosho.

Fun Seeker Stabs Man to Death at Carnival

One of the many Carnivals to celebrate this year’s Christmas, turned tragic, penultimate Sunday in Lagos Island as one of the fun seekers, Taofeek Oso, allegedly stabbed Michael Oyawole to death with a broken bottle after an argument. Spokesman of the state police command, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed on Wednesday that Oso stabbed Oyawole with a broken bottle, after he first broke the bottle on the deceased’s head. Oso, who was immediately mobbed at the venue after he stabbed Oyawole, was rescued by the police. He was initially taken to the hospital for treatment and it was after he was stabilized, he arrested, Mba said.

GENERAL

Varsity Lecturer Killed By Assassins

Suspected assassins recently shot and killed a lecturer with the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi, Mallam Suleiman Abubakar. Bauchi State Police spokesman, Mohammed Barau, said that investigations into the crime had since commenced, adding however that nobody has been linked to the killing yet as no trace was left behind by the assassins. Abubakar was killed at the entrance of his residence by some people riding in an unregistered Honda car at about 9pm.

Dambazau Tasks Army on Neutrality

The immediate past Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Abdurahman Bello Dambazau, has advised the Nigeria Army to continue to maintain its neutrality during the 2011 polls, saying it was only by so doing that democracy would be allowed to naturally evolve at its own pace in Nigeria. Speaking at the Pull-Out parade in his honour, weekend, the former COAS said: “By remaining neutral and allowing political processes to evolve naturally, the Army will continue to contribute meaningfully to the entrenchment of democracy in Nigeria, especially in the areas of internal security operations and disaster management.

Defence Advisers on Security Alert

The Minister of Defence, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, has put all Nigeria’s defence advisers on security alert warning that current security situation in the country demands that all hands must be on deck. Speaking at the 2010 Defence Advisers/Attaches’ annual conference on Monday, Kayode said that the focus was now on internal security threat and the Federal Government is ready to tackle it with all seriousness. He disclosed that the increasing cases of illegal importation of arms into the country was still giving the government serious concern, hence the government was investigating whether they were meant to be used in the country or elsewhere. The minister admonished the defence advisers on their channels of communications, as they must cooperate with the SSS, NIA and the police.

Fear Hampers Hunt for Boko Haram: Police

Fears of reprisals have prevented residents from providing police with information on Islamist sect members blamed for a series of attacks in the north, police said on Monday. Police in Borno state have in recent weeks encouraged residents to call with tips on the Islamists, but only two people have volunteered information, Borno state police commissioner, Mohammed Jinjiri Abubakar, said. The Boko Haram sect has been blamed for a series of killings targeting police officers, local chiefs, clerics and politicians, as well as attacks on police stations and a prison. Security sources say around 50 people have been killed over the past five months. Many of the killings have occurred in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.

CP Orders Raid of Criminals’ Hideouts

The newly posted Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, Alhaji Ballah Magaji Nasarawa has directed all Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in the state to raid criminal hideouts in their respective divisions to rid the state of criminals.  Magaji said his administration would work to reduce crime in the state, promising to ensure that the rule of law and the rights of all citizens in the state are protected. He stressed the need to change from reactive policing to proactive policing. He urged the public not to hesitate in reporting any suspicious person for prompt action.

NUPENG Suspends Strike as Army Hands over Driver’s Killers

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), on Tuesday night suspended its nationwide strike after a meeting with the Federal Government representatives, led by the Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu. The union was demanding among others, that government prosecute the military officer who allegedly killed one of its members along the Jos/Bauchi Road in November. National Secretary of PTD, Dayyabu Garga, confirmed the suspension of the strike and the resumption of products lifting. Wogu mentioned that after deliberations, it was noted that the Army had identified and handed over the involved soldiers to the police for prosecution. He added that negotiation for compensation was ongoing with the family of the deceased, while details of the seized trucks with products are required to enable remedial action and possible restitution by the Army.

Four Killed in Makurdi Cult Clashes

Calm has returned to parts of Makurdi, the Benue State, after clashes by cultists left seven youths dead. The clashes started last Wednesday night between the dominant Black and Red axe cult groups in Wadata suburb of the town. Four youths were killed in the Jibata and Rice Mill sections of Wadata where the fighting was fiercest. The fighting, according to an eyewitness, started when one of the cult groups staged an attack on the home of a rival cultist, killing him in the process. A combined team of policemen and soldiers stormed parts of Wadata to restore peace. The State’s Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Mohammed, confirmed the clashes.

Nigerian, Nine Others Arrested for Links with Al-Qaeda

Ten persons have been arrested by the police in Spain and Thailand in an international operation against a group suspected of forging passports for a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba. The Spanish Interior Ministry, on Wednesday, said that a Nigerian and six Pakistanis were arrested in Barcelona. While two Pakistanis and one Thai believed to be accomplices of the Barcelona suspects, were apprehended in a separate operation in Thailand. They are all believed to be members of the Pakistan-based terror group, which was blamed for the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India that killed 166 people.

CBN Issues Threats over Bank Customer’s Identity

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Monday, declared that with effect from December 31, 2010, any bank depositor that fails to comply with the 'Know Your Customer' policy will have their accounts barred. Deputy Governor of the CBN, Dr. Kingsley Moghalu, made the declaration at a briefing with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations in Abuja to herald the public awareness campaign on the policy which, he said, was part of the ongoing reforms in the banking sector of the Nigerian economy.

Security Agencies to Partner INEC on 2011 Polls

National Security Adviser, General Owoye Andrew Azazi (rtd) on Thursday said security agencies would work with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure success of the forthcoming general elections. Speaking at the Constituency for Africa 3rd Stakeholders Series held in Washington DC, Azazi said the partnership is imperative because it would be dangerous if the country becomes unstable after election, irrespective of who wins. Similarly, the Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI), Col. Rabe Abubakar, said the Army was set to ensure cordial relationship with civilians. Abubakar said this in Lagos on Wednesday and explained that the NASPRI would ensure cordial relationship between soldiers and civilians through the production of professional Public Relations experts.

Hoodlums Kill Patent Medicine Dealer

The police in Minna, the Niger State, have begun a manhunt for one Hudu Abdulkareem and two others who allegedly stabbed a patent medicine dealer, Baba Out, to death on Tuesday. It was learnt that the suspects had gone to the medicine store of Baba Out to purchase three bottles of Tutoline Toden. The drug, according to findings, was being consumed by Abdulkareem and his mates to make them “high”. After purchasing the drug the trio were said to have refused to pay for it and started running away. Baba Out was said to have run after them, resulting in Abdulkareem turning round to stab him in the stomach resulting in his instant death. Police spokesman, ASP Oguche Richard, when contacted confirmed the story, saying no arrest had been made yet.

INTERNATIONAL

Brazilian Forces in Large Drugs Haul

Brazilian police and troops say they have found a large haul of drugs after storming a major drug traffickers' stronghold in Rio de Janeiro. More than 30 tonnes of marijuana was seized, as well as cocaine, in the Alemao favela, or slum, police say. Some 2,600 police and paratroopers carried out a pre-dawn assault on the favela, where hundreds of drug traffickers had been holed in. Drug traffickers had been given an ultimatum to surrender by sunset on Saturday or face an assault.

S/Korea Vows Firm Response to Future Hits from N/Korea

Joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States continued in the Yellow Sea on Monday, as tensions with North Korea continued to brew. On Monday, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said his country will "firmly" respond to future provocations from North Korea and declared that his nation "cannot remain patient" in the face of the continued hostility. The divided peninsula has been near the boiling point since Tuesday, when four people died in a North Korean artillery barrage that targeted the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong.

Bomb Attack Kills Nuclear Scientist

An Iranian nuclear scientist, Majid Shahriari, of Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, has been killed and another wounded in two separate but similar attacks in Iran. The scientists were targeted in Tehran by attackers who attached bombs to each of their cars, according to reports. Another scientist was killed in a bomb blast at the beginning of the year. It was reported that attackers riding on motorcycles attached bombs to the car windows of the scientists as they were driving to their workplaces on Monday morning. Police said that they have arrested several suspects allegedly connected to three spy agencies who were behind the "terrorist attacks". Three spy agencies of Mossad, CIA and M-I6 played a role in the attacks, the Iranian Intelligence Minister, Heidar Moslehi, alleged.

Rebels Seize Birao Town in CAR

Rebels in the Central African Republic (CAR) have taken over the town of Birao after heavy fighting with the army, a UN official has disclosed. The CPJP rebels have seized key strategic places including the armed forces' command base and the airport. Birao had been under UN guard since June but the peace mission ended two weeks ago. No casualty figures have been released but one humanitarian worker was killed during the attack. The head of the UN humanitarian agency in CAR, Jean-Sebastien Munie said a large number of rebels led the attack on Thursday. The CPJP rebels are the only militia which remains outside the country's peace process.

Ouattara Wins Presidential Run-off, Gbagbo Sworn-in as President

Opposition leader, Alassane Ouattara, has been declared the winner of Sunday's run-off election in Côte d'Ivoire, receiving 54.1% of the votes. President Laurent Gbagbo, who rejected the result, claiming that the election was rigged, was on Friday, sworn-in as President again, amidst protests. The electoral commission head, Youssouf Bakayoko, announced the result on Wednesday, speaking under armed guard at a hotel, but, the head of the Constitutional Council, Paul Yao N'Dre, who is close to Gbagbo, said he was taking over the declaration from the election commission. An office of Ouattara's RDR party was attacked in Abidjan on Wednesday, leaving four people dead -an hour before the deadline to release the results. The Constitutional Court has declared that it will look into the election results. Gbagbo, whose five-year mandate officially expired in 2005, has stayed in office while claiming elections were impossible because of the 2002-2003 war.

AMISOM Gets More Troops in Somalia

The African Union (AU) has deployed about 8,000 troops to support the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), protecting Somalia’s government from Islamist rebels in Mogadishu. The latest reinforcements take the peacekeeping force (AMISOM), to the upper limit of its United Nation’s-authorised mandate. Although African nations have said a 20,000-strong force is needed to rout the militants from the capital. AMISOM’s spokesman in Mogadishu, Barigye Ba-hoku, said that more troops are needed to eject the militants from the places where they launch their attacks. Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, who last weekend became the first serving head of state to visit Somalia since 1991, says his nation could provide all the troops needed. But he wants the international community to foot the bill.

18 Bodies Found in Mass Grave
…As Gang Member Admits Killing Officials

Authorities in the Mexican state of Chihuahua continued Monday to investigate the discovery of a mass grave holding 18 bodies. Carlos Gonzalez, spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general's office, confirmed details of the penultimate Friday’s discovery. The discovery was made after the military spoke with five men detained for the possession of 176kilos of marijuana. Meanwhile, the police have arrested an alleged gang leader, Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, known as "El Farmero," who police say was behind 80% of the killings in Ciudad Juarez, over the past 16 months. Gallegos confessed that he ordered the killings of three people linked to the U.S. consulate in Juarez, as well as the attack on a party that killed 14 and the killings of five federal police officers.

Clinton Describes Leak as 'Attack on International Community'

The United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, on Monday, condemned the secret-busting website WikiLeaks' release of documents that detail the US's diplomatic interactions with other countries. The illegal disclosure of secret information "puts lives in danger, threatens our national security and undermines our efforts to work with other countries to solve shared problems," Clinton said. She described the disclosure as “not just an attack on America's foreign policy, but an attack on the international community, the alliances and partnerships, the conventions and negotiations that safeguard global security and advance economic prosperity". A U.S. official said the State Department was halting access to its diplomatic cables as it evaluated security of its classified document system and diplomats worldwide scrambled to assess the severity of the disclosures.

Uganda to Charge 18 for World Cup Bombings

A court in Uganda has released 18 of 36 suspects charged over July bomb blasts that killed 76 people. Prosecutor Anguzu Lino says there is insufficient evidence to connect the 18 suspects to the attack, which interrupted public gatherings to watch the World Cup final. He says the other 18 suspects will be tried by the high court. Suspects include Al-Amin Kimathi, an activist with the Muslim Human Rights Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. The suspects face charges of terrorism, murder and attempted murder. Al-Qaeda-linked Somali militant group, al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the July 11 bombings in Uganda‘s capital. Al-Shabab said the bombings were retaliation for Uganda‘s participation in the African Union‘s peacekeeping mission in Mogadishu.

Iran Executes Footballer’s Mistress

Iran has executed the mistress of a prominent footballer for the 2002 murder of his wife. Shahla Jahed, 40, was hanged in Tehran for stabbing to death the wife of 1980s football star, Nasser Mohammadkhani. International human rights groups had campaigned for Jahed’s release since she was jailed more than eight years ago. The execution is the 146th in Iran this year, according to statistics. The victim’s brother was at the execution and pulled the chair from under her, according to reports.

War Crimes Court Urges CAR to Arrest Al-Bashir

The International Criminal Court has urged the Central African Republic to arrest Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir, a war crimes suspect, if he makes his planned visit to the country to attend the country’s Independence celebrations. Al-Bashir is wanted on suspicion of war crimes and alleged genocide in Darfur. Several nations have previously declined to carry out the court’s international warrant, citing fears it could derail efforts to end the seven-year conflict in Darfur. The Central African Republic is, however, a signatory to the international treaty establishing the Hague, Netherlands-based court - a formal promise to abide by its rules. Al-Bashir denies wrongdoing and rejects the authority of the ICC.

Morocco Refuses UN Investigation into Clashes in Western Sahara

Morocco has rejected a probe into violent clashes between its security forces and residents of Western Sahara by the United Nations (UN), according to the Moroccan foreign minister, Taib Fassi Fihri. The European Parliament recently called for an independent UN probe into the clashes that followed a Moroccan raid on a protest squatter camp near the Western Sahara capital of Laayoun on November 8. The minister also rejected reports of torture and disappearances and ruled out a referendum on the future of the territory. Morocco says 11 security officers and two civilians were killed in the violence, while the Polisario Front, which wants independence for Western Sahara, said the toll was much higher. Morocco annexed Western Sahara after Spain pulled out of its former colony in 1975.

ICC Lauds Britain, N/Ireland over Relocations Aid in Kenya
…hate crimes rise across Britain, Northern Ireland

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has lauded the Britain and Northern Ireland for the contribution of £200,000.00 to the Special Fund of the Court on relocations. The contribution is earmarked for relocations of persons at risk in Kenya. This donation constitutes an important gesture towards the victims and witnesses of post-election violence in Kenya. Meanwhile, a new report shows rise in hate crimes across England and Northern Ireland. The report, released last week, showed that the number of offences perceived as hate crimes rose more than 12 per cent in 2009 to 52,028 compared with 46,300 a year earlier. Police began recording hate crimes in April 2008 after a universal definition of the term was adopted in Britain.

N/Korea Claims Nuclear Centrifuges in Undetected Facilities

North Korea says it has thousands of centrifuges operating at a previously undetected uranium enrichment facility it revealed earlier this month. The North Koreans say the plant is for civil nuclear power. It is not clear whether the centrifuges could be used to produce material for weapons. A US scientist has seen the facility, but could not confirm it was working. The claim comes as tensions remain high, after the North shelled a South Korean island a week ago. Pyongyang says the shelling, which killed four people, was in response to Seoul's military drill near Yeonpyeong island. It has described a four-day US-South Korean military exercise now under way in the Yellow Sea, near the disputed border between the two Koreas, as a provocation.

Nursing Home Orderly Kills 11

An orderly at a Spanish retirement home has admitted killing 11 residents, according to reports. Joan Vila, 45, said he poisoned them with bleach, an overdose of insulin or drugs at the home in the town of Olot. He had allegedly confessed to killing three residents "to end their suffering" when he was arrested in October. He then told a judge on Tuesday that he had killed another eight. Doctors first alerted police after they found burns to the mouth and throat of an 85-year-old woman who died in October. Mr Vila then confessed he had killed the woman and two others by forcing them to drink bleach.

US Teenager in Court Over Bomb Plot

A Somali-born US teenager arrested in the state of Oregon after allegedly plotting to carry out a car bomb attack at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony has pleaded not guilty to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Mohammed Osman Mohamud, 19, was caught in an FBI sting operation, penultimate Friday, for allegedly trying to blow up what was a fake bomb at the event. He remains in custody and is expected to be tried in February. Mohamud's lawyers say he may have been led by government agents into committing a crime. The fake bomb he is alleged to have tried to detonate was supplied by the agents in a sting operation. But “still the threat was very real”, according to US Attorney General, Eric Holder.