Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 50

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Anti-Terrorists Squad Pass Out from Training

The Rivers state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Suleiman Abba has warned policemen who engage in bringing ‘returns’ to their superiors that they risk losing their jobs. Abba said he had directed all Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in the state to implement a-no-returns order or suffer same fate with offenders. He said this as 500 officers graduated from their training in specialised anti-terrorism. Speaking at the passing out parade in Nonwa, Rivers state, the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Waziri Adamu, said the training was part of government’s policy to reform the Nigerian police to a functional level to competently tackle crimes, terrorism and kidnapping with modern approach.

Gunmen Kill Man, Abduct Wife, Driver

Gunmen at the weekend killed a man, abducted his wife, driver and three others on Owaza Road in the Omuma LGA of Rivers State. The victim, Mr. Azunwa Ngolo, was said to be a director of Economic Planning in the Ministry of Women Affairs in the state. The victims were said to be returning from a burial ceremony when the incident occurred. The gunmen fired several shots to scare away the people of the community as they fled with their victims. It was also gathered that three other persons were abducted at the same Owaza area while returning back to Port Harcourt.

Woman Kidnapped in Church

A woman has been kidnapped by armed gang while she was attending a church service in Isiokpo, the Rivers police command confirmed on Monday. The victim, Vida Woroma Ejiofor, 35, was trailed by a gang of five men, armed with guns including an AK 47 riffle. Three members of the gang: Chimela John, Chinedu Ogbonna and Tony Nna were arrested after the police swiftly responded to distress call. In a separate incident, a senior staff of the Homan Engineering Limited, Mr. Godson Iroegbu was kidnapped on the outskirts of the state capital.

22 Trafficking Victims Rescued in Akwa Ibom

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Akwa Ibom State Command, penultimate Saturday, foiled an attempt to condemn 22 youths from Ghana and Togo to forced labour and possible prostitution in Gabon. According to Mr. Emmanuel Gbuuga, the state’s Comptroller, none of the victims had valid travelling documents, and through interrogation, it was discovered that they were promised good jobs in Gabon by one Solomon, a Togolese. But none of them had any letter of appointment.

Juhel Chief Executive Kidnapped

The Chief Executive of Juhel Pharmaceutical Company, Dr Ifeanyi Okoye, was on Thursday abducted at Okigwe in Imo State. No contact had been established with the kidnappers. His abduction comes barely two months after his mother was kidnapped and a ransom was paid.

Militant Group Pleads for Amnesty

Militants in the Bonny Kingdom, under the auspices of Okoloma Ikpangi Militants, have appealed to the Federal Government to extend the amnesty offer to them. The leader of the Okoloma Ikpangi Militants, Mr Orinaemi Hart, said that the Bonny Kingdom militants were not carried along in the amnesty programme. He explained that as at the time the Federal Government amnesty programme was on, he was in prison and there was nobody to coordinate his group so that it could be a beneficiary of the programme.

JTF Alleges Plot of Attack in Bayelsa

The men of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in Bayelsa State have been placed on red alert over an intelligence report revealing plot by the Niger Delta Liberation Force led by militant leader, John Togo to attack some communities and military formations in the state. It was gathered that the intelligence report showed that John Togo may have decided to draw other ex-militant leaders in Bayelsa and Rivers states into the on-going battle between him and the JTF, to provoke reactions and possible support. The Sector 2 command of the JTF led by Colonel Victor Ezugwu confirmed the plot and appealed to communities in the state to be vigilant and expose any suspicious movement of the regrouped militants.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

JTF Cautioned over Peace Mission in Niger Delta

President of Ijaw Foundation Board of Directors (IFBD), Dr. Reuben Jaja, has called on the Joint Task Force (JTF) Commander, Brigadier General Charles Omorogie to exercise caution, and to rely on information from the troops attacking the camps of the militants. This, the Foundation said, would help to avoid innocent children being massacred in the task force’s fresh directive to clamp down on criminals in the creeks of the Niger Delta region. JTF had in a statement by its media coordinator, Lt. Col Anthony Antigha, recently declared militant leader, John Togo, wanted for setting up a new militant camp, sea piracy and other criminal activities. Jaja’s call was made after complaints that innocent civilians were massacred in the JTF’s onslaught to arrest John Togo in Delta state.

John Togo Blows Up Pipeline in Delta

The Niger-Delta Liberation Force (NDLF), the armed group led by wanted militant leader, John Togo, penultimate Sunday claimed that it blew up an oil pipeline belonging to Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The group’s action followed the invasion and alleged killings of Ayakoromor villagers by the Joint Task Force (JTF) in their search for John Togo. Spokesman of the NDLF, Mark Anthony, explained that the NDLF took the operation in three war gunboats with three GPMGs and 15 AK-47 rifles. He said the bombing of the oil pipeline was “a reaction to the FG‘s insensitivity to the plight of Niger- Delta people by committing genocide over NDLF’s call for a post-amnesty conference to address grey areas of Niger Delta arms struggle.

Pastor Escapes Kidnap in Church

Suspected kidnappers invaded a church in Benin City, Edo state during a vigil in an attempt to kidnap the pastor. In the confusion that ensued, hundreds of members were injured as members scampered for safety. The four suspected kidnappers, who wore masks to conceal their identity, had stormed the vigil venue at 2.00 am, shooting sporadically, demanding for the local pastor, Moses Oyedele. A senior police officer at the state’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) confirmed that two of the suspected abductors had been already been apprehended.

Community Accuses JTF of Burying Victims of Onslaught

The people of Ayakoromor in Burutu LGA of Delta state have alleged that the Joint Task Force (JTF) has started intimidating them in a bid to cover up the claimed massacre of civilians in their search for militant leader, John Togo. They alleged that the JTF buried some innocent people it killed and threw the bodies of others into the stream, so that the figures of those allegedly gunned down during the raid would not be known to the public. According to the community, over a thousand people were killed in the operation, which began two weeks ago. The Chairman of the community, Chief Albert Dotimiyo, and his executives also alleged that “the JTF threatened to arrest them for raising the alarm that the task force massacred their people. But reacting swiftly, the JTF denied killing innocent people, saying all those who were killed were militants who had engaged them in a gun duel.

Ex-militants Condemn John Togo

Members of batch 11 of ex-militants on transformation training on non-violence in the post amnesty camp have condemned John Togo, a pardoned Niger Delta militant, for going back to militancy. The repentant militants, at their passing out ceremony at the post Amnesty Training Camp in Obubra, Cross River State, disapproved John Togo’s decision to go back to militancy after embracing the amnesty programme. He also said none of the repentant militants was happy over Togo’s attitude.

5 Killed in Delta Communal Clash

Five persons, including a woman and her daughter, in Irri community in Isoko South LGA of Delta State, were reportedly murdered in a renewed violence by armed youths over leadership crisis. It was gathered that a faction involved in the leadership crisis went on a reprisal attack on Sunday night over the recent killing of their member. It was gathered that the youths shot throughout the night unchallenged by security agents. About two of the victims were killed at a drinking parlour, while the others were killed in a spontaneous reaction. Angered by the alleged killing of members of one of the factions, the youths, were said to have mobilized at dawn to neighbouring community, Oleh, where they allegedly killed the mother and sister of the suspected mercenaries.

Two Killed, Others Injured as Students Protest

Two students of the Edo State Institute of Management and Technology, Usen were reported killed when a vehicle ran into a barricade mounted on the Benin–Ore road by the students. The students were said to be protesting the postponement of their terminal examination by the lecturers over non-payment of their salary. The driver of the vehicle was said to have fled into the bush after the incident and the angry students were reported to have damaged the vehicle. The Edo State Police Public Relation Officer, Peter Ogboi, confirmed the students’ protest but said he was not aware of any accident leading to the death of any student.

Oshiomhole Loses Wife to Cancer

Clara Oshiomhole, wife of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state has died after a protracted battle with cancer. She was 54 years old. Mrs. Oshiomhole, nee Akharagbon, died on Tuesday, December 7, 2010, at the Abuja Clinic, Maitama. Until her death, she was a solid pillar behind her husband, through his days as a frontline labour activist and through the struggle to reclaim his governorship mandate. She was also the initiator of the Health Foundation for Maternal and Child Care, a pet project which is aimed at providing quality healthcare for pregnant women and the girl-child.

John Togo Threatens More Pipelines Bombing

Niger Delta Liberation Force, NDLF, headed by militant leader, “General” John Togo, warned, yesterday, that it would embark on a massive bombing of oil pipelines in the creeks of Niger Delta, if the Federal Government refused to convene a post-amnesty conference as they have demanded and also stop the current genocide by the Joint Task Force (JTF) at Ayakoromor community in Delta state. The group in a statement by its spokesman, Mark Anthony, said the penultimate Sunday’s bombing of an NNPC pipeline in Delta State was a warning signal to the government.

Robbers Kill Police Officer in Edo

A Wednesday morning armed robbery operation claimed the life of a Police Inspector while two other persons reportedly sustained injuries when the robbers invaded a bank in Auchi, Edo State. According to an eye witness account, the robbers, numbering about 20, on arrival at the bank were said to have embarked on sporadic shootings to scare away people. The robbers were reported to have made away with unspecified amount of money. In a related development, a gang of armed robbers attacked and robbed a luxury bus along the Auchi–Benin road.

COAS Warns Militants against Use of Human Shields

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, has warned militants against the use of innocent women and children as human shield in the on-going assault by the Joint Task Force (JTF) against militancy, assuring that the tempo of the ongoing offensive by the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) to flush out the militants from the Niger-Delta would not be dampened by such cowardice. This came as the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj. Gen. Sanki Bello, called on the Leader of the Niger Delta Liberation Force, John Togo to surrender. Ihejirika’s assurance came against the backdrop of a media report alleging that JTF massacred civilians in Ayakoromor section of Delta State in their bid to destroy the militants’ camps and bases in the area.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

NURTW Leaders, Policeman Arrested over Alleged Killings

Police detectives from Abuja have arrested and detained the Chairman of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), in Ekiti State, Rotimi Olabiwonu, and the former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state, Tajudeen Hassan, over an allegation of murder of one Chief Adeleye Awolumate. The state Police spokesman, Mohammed Jimoh, who confirmed their arrest, said the police have also commenced manhunt for other persons linked to the crime. The suspects were arrested based on the petition written by Awolumate’s family, who alleged that Olabiwonu and Hassan led a faction of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) to attack the deceased in November.

DPO Kills Man in Lagos

In Lagos, a senior police officer suspected to be a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Mushin has been arrested for his alleged complicity in the killing of a man, identified as Femi Best, within the precinct of Onipanu Police Station. It was gathered that the incident angered the residents into taking the law into their hands to protest the killing. The protest later turned to a clash between the youths and policemen, who were bent on protecting the officer. There were conflicting reports on what transpired between the duo before the DPO pulled the trigger and nobody could explain why the DPO shot and killed Best when it was apparent he wanted to run into the police station. The Commissioner of Police assured the deceased family that justice would be carried out. The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has also promised to wade into the matter.

65-Year-Old Woman Kidnapped in Akure

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted 65-year old housewife, Mrs Juliana Ogunleye, from her residence in Akure, Ondo State. It was gathered that the three armed men arrived the house pretending they were sent to deliver a message to the victim. The kidnappers have reported demanded N100 million as ransom for her release. This was later reduced to N50 million. But the family says that they cannot afford such a huge amount. The victim’s family members also said they suspected an insider’s involvement. But, the Acting Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Wole Ojogo said the kidnappers would soon be brought to book adding that the family should not negotiate with them.

Four Customs Officials Killed by Smugglers

The Ogun State Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service lost four of its officers while eight others were injured in combat with illegal smugglers between January and October 2010. The four officers lost to the fight with smugglers were part of the six officers of the Area that died within the period. The outgoing Customs Area Controller of the command, Abubakar Sahabi, who disclosed this shortly after handing over to the new controller, Salihu Alade, said that about 191 vehicles were recovered from the illegal smugglers within the period.

Police Accuse Man of Killing Brothers

A 48-year-old man, Alhaji Musa Ayanleke, was on Tuesday arraigned by the police before an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court. The suspect was alleged to have killed his brothers, Tunde Ayanleke, and Ayanbanji Ayanleke, for ritual purposes in a bid to become the chairman of a local government council. Musa’s lawyer, Remi Ayodele, objected to the allegation against the suspect, saying that magic and ritualism were unknown to law. Ayodele said the suspect had been in police custody since December 1, stressing that no charge was preferred against him until the date of arraignment. He urged the court to strike out the case and also restrain the police from arresting Musa. He also urged the court to order the police to produce the case file. Musa was remanded in custody until the next hearing.

Businessman Arraigned over Cloned Cheque fraud

The Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police has arraigned a businessman, Olu Obafemi, before a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly using a cloned Skye Bank Plc cheque to defraud Lagos State Ministry of Establishment and Training to the tune of N26.7m. The SFU arraigned the accused person before Justice Okon Abang on a four –count charge of forgery and stealing. The SFU said the accused person conspired with others (now at large) to perpetrate the crime. One of the witnesses claimed that the fraud was discovered after a bid to steal another N23.8m from the ministry was uncovered. He added that five cheques were issued on October 2, 2009 for those that performed various assignments for the ministry.

Civil Servants Nabbed over Attempted Kidnap

The Police in Ondo State on Thursday paraded two civil servants with the State Property and Development Corporation for allegedly demanding N480, 000 as ransom from their boss and threatening to kidnap his children if he failed to pay. The new Commissioner of Police in charge of the command, Mrs Chintua Amajor-Onu, said that the suspects, Messrs Adedayo Olupona and Idonuagbe Raymond delivered the threat to their boss, Mr. Anthony Akinrotoye. The CP explained that the suspects in collaboration with one Olumide Olorunnisola pretended to be kidnappers and demanded N480, 000, from Akintoye to prevent them from kidnapping his children.

Empty Crates of Stolen INEC Equipment Recovered

About 20 empty casements of Direct Data Capturing (DDC) machines imported by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but reportedly stolen by gunmen on Monday night have been recovered.  A source said they were found at the end of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos runway in a bush near the airport. But the casements were all devoid of the DDC machines crated in them. Some gunmen carted away the equipment at the Cargo shed area of Nigeria Aviation Handling Company after it was offloaded from a Saudi Air aircraft. But the INEC yesterday reassured the nation that the voters’ registration exercise scheduled for January 15-29, 2011 remained on course.

GENERAL

5 Killed, 6 Injured as Sect Members Engage Police in Shoot Out

Borno State Police Command confirmed that five persons including two suspected Boko Haram gunmen were felled with six other persons sustaining injuries when the Police exchanged fire with the sect members, penultimate Saturday. Police spokesman, Lawal Abdullahi, disclosed that the gunmen attacked members of the anti-crime squad before the shootout. He assured residents that the security agencies are in control of the situation, promising that the fundamentalists will soon be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law. The state police commissioner, Mohammed Abubakar, said on Tuesday that police arrested eight men between the ages of 25 and 38. He said all of them had confessed to being members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect.

Wife of STF Boss Found Dead in Well

Wife of the commander of Special Task Force in Plateau state, Brigadier-General Hassan Umaru, was last weekend found dead in a well near their home. The deceased, Rifkatu Umaru, who had earlier gone out with some friends, returned to Jos at about 8:30 pm when her death occurred. While many suspect that she was murdered, the police and her husband called it an accident, saying that she fell into the well. Her remains were discovered penultimate Sunday morning by those who wanted to fetch water from the well.

Okah, 3 Others Arraigned for Terrorism, Treason

The Federal Government, Tuesday, formally charged Charles Okah and three others with terrorism and treason. The suspects pleaded not guilty. Justice Gabriel Kolawole ordered the suspects to be remanded in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS) till December 15 when hearing of their bail application will be taken. The prosecution slammed two separate eight-count charges against the accused persons over allegations of being behind the October 1 bomb blasts.

EFCC Files Charges against Former US VP, 8 Others

The Federal Government has filed 16 charges before an Abuja High Court against former Vice President of the United States, Richard "Dick" Cheney, and eight others, for complicity in the “bribe for contract” arrangement in connection with the Bonny Liquefied Natural Gas Project. Others charged with Cheney are Halliburton Inc., Halliburton Nigeria Limited, Kellog, Brown and Root and Root Inc.,  Albert "Jack" Stanley, William Utt, David Lesar, TSKJ Nigeria Limited and TSKJ Consortium. The suspects were accused of giving $132 million to one Jeffrey Tessler, Wojcieh J Chodan and Tri-Star Investment Limited for the purpose of gratification of public officials concerned with the award of the contract.

Aondoakaa Barred as SAN

The Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee yesterday said it had suspended former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, from wearing the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) for two years. The Secretary to the committee and also Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Sunday Olorundahunsi, said the decision to suspend Aondoakaa was reached after due consideration of the report of the Sub-Committee earlier set up to review the petition of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, the judgment of a Federal High Court in June 2010, declaring among others that he is unfit to hold the office of Attorney General or any public office in Nigeria. Aondoakaa is the first lawyer to be so punished in the history of the legal profession in Nigeria.

Jonathan Directs JTF to Protect Civilians

President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the Joint Task Force (JTF) to ensure the protection of the civilians in their areas of operation. Jonathan, who spoke through his Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ima Niboro, expressed his sympathy to the traumatised communities affected by the JTF’s operations in Delta state. Niboro commended the operational style of JTF and asked that they ensure that those who have nothing to do with the hoodlums they were pursuing were properly treated. He further pledged government assistance to assist those affected in the operations and appealed to them to be calm.

Aircrafts Above 20 Years Banned from Nigerian Airspace

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), Wednesday, ruled that any aircraft above 20 years will not be allowed to fly Nigeria's air space. Such aircraft are also not to be imported into the country as part of measures for promoting safety within the country’s airspace. Minister of Aviation, Fidelia Njezeh, disclosed that the Federal Government was also embarking on the remodelling of the Lagos and Abuja airports.

Jonathan Tasks Military on Stability

President Goodluck Jonathan, Thursday, asked the military to do more for the nation, stating that the challenges of insecurity being experienced in the country would be “under full control” by the middle of next year. Jonathan spoke at the decoration of 22 of the newly promoted Army Major Generals with their new ranks at the Nigerian Army Headquarters. The president is the first Commander-in-Chief to witness the decoration of top officers of the Nigerian Army outside the Presidential Villa Abuja.

Residents Flee as Boko Haram, Security Men Clash

Residents of Zannari ward in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, fled their homes in the early hours of Thursday following a shootout between suspected members of the Boko Haram sect and men of the Special Task Force (STF). An eyewitness, Mallam Ibrahim Adam, said immediately they came out of their house, some young men with rifles ordered them to leave the area immediately and they followed others who were fleeing as well. The sect members were quickly overpowered by men of the STF, after which there was a heavy presence of security personnel with some suspects arrested.

97 get Nigerian Citizenship

At least 97 foreigners from the United States, Republic of Benin and Lebanon were presented Nigerian citizenship certificates at a ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday by the Minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Ihenacho (rtd.). Iheanacho explained that the beneficiaries had been rigorously scrutinised and found worthy of Nigerian citizenship, having satisfied the provisions of the enabling laws and been found to be of good character and conduct. The minister advised them to discharge their fundamental obligations and responsibilities faithfully and serve their new country diligently.

Man Jailed for Defrauding FIRS

The Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi has sentenced a chartered accountant, Abayomi Sofolahan to three months imprisonment for defrauding the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the tune of N5million by illegally deceiving the Guardian Press Limited into paying tax revenue into a fake account with Skye Bank. Justice Abimbola Ogie handed down the judgment after Sofolahan, a tax consultant to Guardian Press Limited pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him. Ogie ruled that the accused person should pay N200, 000 as fine to the Federal Government, and also declared that the N2.5million already remitted by the accused should be paid as tax in favour of Guardian Press Limited to the FIRS, while the accused was expected to pay the balance of N2.5million upon release from the prison.

Army to Refocus Training for Internal Security

Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, has said that the Nigerian Army must refocus its logistics training to cater for internal security operations in aid of civil authority. He said this was in line with his vision to transform the Nigerian Army into a better force, capable of meeting contemporary challenges. Ihejirika said this on Tuesday at the graduation of Logistics Management Course 8/2010 in Lagos. The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, urged the graduating officers to use their newly-acquired knowledge in logistics management to assist the armed forces in rapid deployment of personnel and materials to areas of need.

Group Accuses Army of Complicity in Middle Belt Killings

A group known as the Middle Belt Dialogue has accused the Nigerian Army of failing in its duties to protect the lives and property of the people of Jos and its environs. The group, which spoke against the backdrop of last Thursday’s attack and killings of eight people in Bassa LGA of Plateau State, alleged the involvement of soldiers in some of the killings. It also denounced the inability of the Federal Government to bring an end to the spate of killings of innocent women and children by “marauding Fulani herdsmen.” The group alleged that one of the soldiers sent to the area shot a relative of one of the victims in the full glare of his colleagues. He added that the said soldier was immediately disarmed and his name tag removed immediately in order shield his identity.

Military Promotes Elevates over 200 Officers

The three Services of the Nigerian military – Army, Navy and Air Force – over the weekend announced the promotion some senior officers. The Navy blazed the trail, approving the promotion of 100 senior officers including the first female to attain the rank of Rear Admiral in the history of the Nigerian Navy -Commodore Itunu Hotonu. The Air Force promoted 98 senior officers, while the Army promoted only two.

Police to Install More CCTV Cameras

To ensure adequate monitoring of the 2011 general elections, the nation’s police are currently working out modalities to install more Close-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in major strategic locations within the 36 states of the Federation. Already, CCTV has been mounted in major strategic places within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and some parts of Lagos State. The aim is to foster the operational capability of the entire security agencies that will be involved in the elections in April next year. The idea of installing CCTV is to assist the police in conducting investigations.

Mob Actions in Plateau over Alleged ‘Missing’ Genitals

At least two people have been lynched in Plateau State for being allegedly responsible for the disappearance of the genitals of other citizens in different parts of the state. A man was stoned to death in Mikang LGA, while two others were set ablaze in Shendam LGA over the allegations. One of them, identified as Sabastine Dio, later died at the hospital while the whereabouts of the second victim, identified as Kingsley, remains unknown. Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Abdulrahman Akano, expressed worry over the development, noting that similar alarms raised in other parts of the state had been found to be false. Akano warned that the Police would not allow “jungle justice” to prevail in the state.

IG Redeploys CPs

Inspector-General of Police Hafiz Ringim has ordered the redeployment of commissioners of police and deputy commissioners of police across the 36 states. Coming four months before the 2011 elections, the transfers are meant to give the affected officers time to understand their new jurisdictions. The exercise, according to police sources, is also meant to rejuvenate the operational efficiency of the Force as the redeployment cuts across departments and units. The Lagos state commissioner of Police, Marvel Akpoyibo, was affected by this as he has been redeployed and replaced with

INTERNATIONAL

Two Killed as Plane Skids Off Runway

At least two people were killed and 48 others injured on Saturday when a Russian passenger plane skidded off a runway after an emergency landing in Moscow when all three of its engines failed, Russian Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman, Veronika Smolskaya, said. There were 155 people aboard. The flight landed at Moscow‘s Domodedovo airport about a half hour after it took off from Moscow‘s Vnukovo airport, headed for Makhachkala in southern Russia, Smolskaya said. The plane was a Tupolev-154 belonging to Dagestan Airlines, she said.

Wild Fire Kills Israel's top policewoman, 41 Others

Israel's top policewoman, Deputy Commander Ahuva Tomer, died on Monday, four days after her patrol car was trapped in a burning Israel forest, which claimed 42 lives. Tomer, head of the police department in Haifa, Israel's third-largest city, had been driving behind a bus of prison guards rushing to evacuate a prison, penultimate Thursday, when both vehicles were engulfed in the wildfire that consumed a 20-square-mile area in the Carmel forest. The fire was brought under control late Sunday.

ICC Probes Alleged North Korea War Crimes in South

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has received reports alleging that North Korean forces committed war crimes in the territory of the Republic of Korea. Associate legal outreach officer at the court, Fadi El Abdallah, confirmed that the prosecutor had opened a preliminary examination to evaluate if some incidents constitute war crimes under the jurisdiction of the Court. The incidents, according to him are the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in November 2010 and the sinking of a South Korean warship, in March 2010, which resulted in the death of 46 persons. Abdallah said that as South Korea is a State Party to the Rome Statute since November 13, 2002, the ICC has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide possibly committed on the territory of the Republic of Korea or by its nationals.

Prison Fire Kills 81 in Chile

A prison fire set off during a riot killed at least 81 inmates at a Chilean prison on Wednesday and seriously injured at least 14 others, officials said. National prison police director Luis Masferrer said the blaze was brought under control after three hours. Hundreds of anxious relatives of inmates gathered outside the prison gates. Police operations director Jaime Concha insisted that police had acted quickly despite coping with a prison population of 1,900 inmates. The prison was built for 700. Authorities have not said why so many inmates died or how long it took fire-fighters to enter the part of the prison where the blaze began.

Trains Collision Kills 19 in Bangladesh

A speeding train slammed into another moving slowly through a station in eastern Bangladesh on Wednesday, killing 19 people and injuring others. Railway officials fled the area after the crash as angry crowds descended on the station, according to a witness at the scene. Mohammad Golam Mostofa, an emergency official in Dhaka, confirmed the accident. But he said officials were still trying to determine the number of casualties.

Hoodlums Set Kindergarten Ablaze in Mexico

Two armed attackers burst into a kindergarten and set fire to the school building in the border city of Juarez. Police say the suspects left a message saying the school had not paid a protection fee, which they had demanded from teachers two weeks ago to prevent attacks against the children. Classes in the school have been suspended and parents have said they will pull their children out of school until safety improves. The ominous warnings sent a new wave of fear through Ciudad Juarez where groups of concerned parents have pulled their children out of class, some schools have been evacuated and authorities say they are stepping up security.

Suicide Bombings Kill 50 in Pakistan

A pair of suicide bombers disguised as policemen killed 50 people on Monday in an attack targeting a tribal meeting called to discuss the formation of an anti-Taliban militia in northwest Pakistan, officials said. The attack occurred on the grounds of the main government compound in Mohmand. The explosions also wounded more than 100 people, according to Mian Iftikhar Hussain, information minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Both of the bombers were disguised in tribal police uniforms.  One of them was caught at the gate of the compound, but he was able to detonate his explosives, he said. The dead and wounded included tribal elders, police, political officials and other civilians. The military has encouraged local tribesmen to form militias to oppose the militants.

174 Dead, 1.5 Million Displaced by Colombia Rains

The toll from weeks of heavy rains across Colombia has risen to 174 people dead and over 1.5 million homeless, the Colombian Red Cross disclosed penultimate Saturday. Another 225 people were injured and 19 were missing. Some regions saw more than 12 hours of non-stop rain. More than a dozen mudslides blocked roads to the Pacific port town of Buenaventura. A major canal ruptured in the northern department of Atlantico, flooding six villages and leaving at least 20,000 people homeless, officials said. Faced with the dire situation, President Juan Manuel Santos hastened his return home from the Ibero-American summit in Argentina.

Helicopter Crash Kills Four in Mexico

A helicopter transporting inmates to a Mexican prison crashed in the eastern state of Veracruz on Wednesday, killing four people, officials said. The chopper was headed to a prison in Villa Aldama and was carrying 11 people and , including two prisoners and seven law enforcement officials, said Ricardo Najera of Mexico's Attorney General's Office. Veracruz is about 300 km (195 miles) from Mexico City.

UN, ECOWAS, Others Pressure Gbagbo to Quit

The top United Nations (UN) official in Cote d’Ivoire has agreed to meet Laurent Gbagbo, who has refused to relinquish power after a disputed presidential election. Pressure is mounted on Gbagbo by ECOWAS and other continental heavyweights for him to quit. After the UN Security Council backed his opponent Alassane Ouattara late Wednesday, Kenya’s Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, demanded Gbagbo accept defeat and urged the world to hold him responsible for the “chaos” since the presidential poll run-off on November 28. The United Nations reviewed results from 20,000 polling stations before concluding that Gbagbo had lost by “an irrefutable margin” to opposition leader Alassane Ouattara. But Gbagbo got himself sworn-in as President again.

20 Die in Somalia’s Clan Clash

No fewer than 20 people have been killed in clashes between rival clans in central Somalia. There have been sporadic clashes between the Majerteen and the Sa’ad clans over access to land and water for several weeks. The most recent fighting began early on Monday. Twenty-five people were wounded in the fighting, said a nurse in the main hospital in Galkayo. Somalia has had no effective central government since a socialist dictator was overthrown almost 20 years ago.

Interim Leader of Guinea Heads African Force Efforts

The African Union has appointed Guinea’s interim president, Sekouba Konate, to drive forward plans for an African military force, which had been due to be operational by this year. The African Standby Force’s structure already exists and some troops have been trained but its various components have yet to be brought under a unified command and made operational. The AU’s top executive, Jean Ping, made the appointment on Monday. Konate is president of the transition and minister of national defence in Guinea, where he has successfully spearheaded a return to stability two years after a violent coup.

Somali Pirates Hijack Ship with 25 People on Board

Suspected Somali pirates have hijacked a Bangladeshi ship carrying nickel ore and 25 people ob board in the Arabian Sea. Rear Adm. Bazlur Rahman, chief of the Bangladesh Shipping Department said the Bangladesh-flagged M.V. Jahan Moni appeared to have been hijacked on Sunday off the Indian coast as it was heading from Singapore to Europe. He added that authorities were in touch with several agencies and governments to rescue the ship. Somali pirates currently hold 22 ships and 521 crew members, according to the European Union Naval Force. Hostages and ships have been held for months and released only for multimillion-dollar ransoms.

WikiLeaks Founder Charged with Rape

A British judge sent Julian Assange, WikiLeaks founder to jail on Tuesday. Assange has vowed to battle efforts to hand him over to Sweden in a sex-crimes investigation. Assange turned himself in to Scotland Yard and was sent to the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court. He showed no reaction as Judge Howard Riddle denied him bail until his next extradition hearing. He faces rape and sexual molestation allegations in one Swedish case and sexual molestation and unlawful coercion in another. He denies the allegations, which he and his lawyers claim stem from a "dispute over consensual but unprotected sex" in August.