Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 51

• 
• 

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Boat Sinks, 20 Drowned in Rivers State

At least 20 people were killed after an overloaded passenger boat capsized in Rivers State, an official said. The wooden boat, with over 40 people aboard, was traveling from Eagle Island to Mgbuodohia of Rivers State, when it went under water on Tuesday night. Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesman Yushua Shuaib said 20 bodies have been recovered so far and three people rescued alive, including a child and a pregnant woman who delivered on Wednesday. Spokesman for the state’s police command, Ben Ugbuegbulam confirmed the toll. Members of the local community joined the rescue workers, eyewitnesses said, adding the boat was overburdened and some passengers were even standing.

SSS Rescue Italian Hostage

Nigeria's State Security Services (SSS) in Bayelsa State has arrested four suspected kidnappers of an Italian working with Moreno Construction Company. State director for SSS, Andrew Iorkyar, paraded four of the five suspects. The director said the victim named Carmelo Stella was kidnapped by a five-man smashes gang that invaded the company's project site at Ogbia on December 9. According to the director, the command's operatives in liaison with the company successfully rescued the victim after 24 hours at Ogia waterways. He said four of the kidnappers were arrested while one was still at large.

Amnesty Window Closed, Jonathan Tells Protesting Ex-Militants

President Goodluck Jonathan, last weekend, told protesting ex-militants in the Niger Delta that the window for enlistment into the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) had closed since October 4, 2009, when the time line for disarmament elapsed. He warned no amount of pressure, intimidation and blackmail by the protesting youths and their sponsors can force the government to enlist them in a third phase of the programme. The President, speaking through his Special Adviser on Niger Delta Matters, Honourable Kingsley Kuku, frowned at the recent blockage of the Lokoja-Abuja road by 1,600 ex-militants enroute Abuja to protest for enlistment into what they described as the third phase of the programme. He described the style adopted by the 1,600 ex-militants as offensive, a blackmail and clear breach of national security that must be condemned.

RSG Intensifies Fight against Criminals

As Christians prepare for the Christmas celebration, Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has reassured residents of his administration’s readiness to clamp down on armed robbers and put an end to the recent surge in criminality in the state. Amaechi said the state government is to deploy soldiers to assist the police in stemming the rising tide of armed robbery in the state. Governor Amaechi said this last weekend at a thanksgiving service organised for him and a Justice of the Supreme Court, Mrs Mary Odili by the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt. According to the Governor, the soldiers would work with the police on the streets of Port Harcourt to flush out robbers and other criminals.

Kidnapped Doctor Dies 4 days after Release

Dr Moses Amako, the immediate past Chief Medical Director of Owerri Specialist Hospital, Umuguma in Owerri West LGA of Imo State who was kidnapped on December 1, but later released one week after, has reportedly died. Dr Amako died penultimate Saturday following bullet injuries he sustained in one of his legs during the abduction. Dr Amako was released to the family last week Wednesday having paid a ransom of N20 million. He was immediately rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention. It was gathered that more than 10 medical consultants battled to save his life but the injuries were affected by tetanus. Dr Amako was kidnapped on Thursday, December 1, while going back to his hometown, in company of his wife, who was later released by the hoodlums.

DPR Worried over Proliferation of Illegal Refineries

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has raised the alarm over the increase in the number of illegal refineries in Niger Delta. The Department’s Head, Downstream, Bayelsa State, Dr. Duncan Eradiri, observed that emergence of illegal refineries had affected the quality of petroleum products in the region. He regretted that some retail outlets were selling adulterated kerosene and other petroleum products they bought from illegal refineries. According to him, over five cases of kerosene explosions resulting in first and second degree burns.

SSS Nabs Fraudsters in P/H

The Rivers State command of the State Security Service (SSS), on Tuesday, paraded three suspects who have allegedly attempted to defraud some influential Nigerians, impersonating President Goodluck Jonathan and the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim. The state  Director of SSS, Mr Segun Agbaje, said they had attempted to defraud the Managing Director of Diamond Bank, Dr Alex Otti, the sum of N40 million. According to the SSS boss, the suspects also peddled the names of Chief Mike Oghiadome and the new Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Christian Oboh, while plotting to hatch their crime.

Police Burst Kidnap Ring, Rescue Eight Children

About eight children recently stolen from some communities in Imo State have been recovered by the State Police Command. The lucky children were recovered in Enugu and Anambra states, by a team of crack detectives, following credible information made available to them. The success story started last Sunday, when a middle-aged woman was apprehended by the vigilante group of Nekede community and quickly handed over to the police for investigation. It was also gathered that as soon as the kidnap suspect was thoroughly grilled by the police, she released the name of her sponsor, resident in Enugu.

RSESA Worker Dies on Duty

A woman working with the Rivers State Environmental Sanitation Authority (RSESA) slumped and died on duty. According to an eyewitness, the woman was sweeping the street along Mile 1 Bus Stop, when she fell down headlong. Efforts to rescue her at a nearby clinic proved abortive as she was referred to state-owned Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMH), Port Harcourt. Some of her colleagues, who lamented over her death, bemoaned hospital authorities that were fond of rejecting patients in critical condition.

NAPTIP Empowers 15 Rescued Victims of Trafficking

Fifteen victims, who were rescued from hotels in Lagos and some other states in the Niger Delta and South-East regions by the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), have received trade equipment. The equipment included sewing machines, hair driers, clippers, refrigerators, deep-freezers, aluminum cutting equipment and N20000 cash each. The items were handed over to them at the end of a two-day workshop organised for them in Uyo. The workshop was designed to train the survivors on basic skills in bookkeeping, business management, marketing strategies, and customer relations.

Family Accuses Police of Cover-up in Checkpoint Killing

The family of Emmanuel Victor, a 20-year-old boy allegedly killed by the police at a checkpoint in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said the state police command had abandoned the matter. Grace, the mother of the deceased, alleged that after the initial panic that gripped the police following widespread criticisms of the incident by members of the public, especially the human rights community, the police had abandoned the matter. Victor was shot by the police along Sanni Abacha Expressway on October 16 after a church service. He was murdered in the presence of his mother who reportedly tried in vain to stop the policemen from shooting her son.

UN Team Stalls Visit to Bakassi

The planned visit of the 20-man United Nations (UN)/ National Boundary Commission Need Assessment team to riverine communities in Bakassi was on Sunday aborted due to suspected activities of militants in the area. The UN team was to visit the area for an on-the-spot assessment as a follow up to the World Court judgment and the Green Tree Agreement that finally sacked Nigeria from Bakassi. Some persons have attributed the last Sunday aborted trip to sabotage but reliable sources in the peninsular said activities of militants that have been operating like pirates were responsible for the situation as security was not guaranteed.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

T-Shirts Gives out Robbery Suspects

Two new T-Shirts belonging to an armed robbery victim have led to the arrest of two gunmen suspected to have carried out a robbery operation in Benin City. The Commissioner of Police, Edo State, Mr. David Omojola who paraded the suspects recently, asserted that investigations have liked the duo to the robbery cases recorded within the metropolis recently. He disclosed that one locally made pistol, two live cartridges, one improvised toy gun and cash were recovered from them. The suspects, who claimed to be deportees from Libya, had allegedly snatched a vehicle from one Rasheed along with the T-Shirts and other belongings. It was further gathered that the robbery victim who became stranded that night, trekked to a nearby hotel in Okhoro area where his friend worked, apparently to narrate his ordeal and solicit for assistance, when he sighted his T-shirt.

Corps Member, Others Arrested For Kidnapping

A National Youth Service Corps member, Kenneth Arabame, has been arrested for the alleged kidnap of a 67-year-old woman at Ubiaja in Edo State. Arabame was among five suspected kidnappers paraded by the State Security Service on Thursday in Benin. Others paraded were Oboh Ikhuoria, a Banking and Finance graduate of AAU, Jimoh Edobor, Isioma Jato and Amos Peters. According to the Edo State Director of the SSS, Bello Bakori, two other members of Arabame’s gang are serving different jail terms. The suspects, however, denied involvement in the crime, saying they were only invited to assist in collecting ransoms or rescuing kidnapped victims.

PENGASSAN Tasks Government on Security

Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has expressed concern over the alarming security situation in the country especially the recent bombings in the northern part of the country. The National Executive Council (NEC) of PENGASSAN at its meeting Warri, Delta State, called on President Goodluck Jonathan and the Governors of the 36 states to ensure that the security situation is brought under control. The Council, which also raised the alarm over the resurgence of kidnapping in the Niger Delta and the activities of daredevil armed robbers, urged government to provide adequate security for the citizenry. The Council further raised concern over the foundation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and called on the National Assembly to review the EFCC Act with a view to ensuring its independence.

Uduaghan Held Hostage by Irate Youths

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State was yesterday held hostage at the state House of Assembly for several hours by irate youths after he presented the budget proposals for the 2012 fiscal year. The angry youths numbering over 100 complained bitterly about being abandoned after the April 26 governorship election and demanded that the governor assured them of economic empowerment for him to be set free. Efforts by the Commissioner for Youths, Mr. Beifah Ijeoma, to placate the youths met a brick wall as the youth demanded their rewards after being used during the governorship election. The governor was later let go after he parted with N500000 as ransom to placate them.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Ogun Police Parade 17 Robbery Suspects, Others

Ogun State police command on Tuesday paraded 17 suspected armed robbers. The state police Commissioner, Nicholas Nkedeme, disclosed that his men have apprehended six members of the 35-man gang of armed robbers that unleashed terror in Sagamu, last month, where three people were killed. Also paraded were other suspected murderers, kidnappers, impersonators and cultists. The suspects, according to the police boss, were caught with one Toyota Bus with inscription of Lagos State Polytechnic, two empty magazines, a live G3-ammunition, one expended ammunition, one Toyota Sienna car and one kit that contained the alleged stolen money.

Tenant Arrested for Killing Landlord

A tenant, who allegedly killed his landlord in Ogijo area of Ogun State, has been arrested by the state Police Command. He was said to have killed Afolabi Olayinka, 73 after being allegedly hit with a club.  The Ogun State Police Commissioner, Mr. Nicholas Nkemdeme, said the murder suspect would soon be charged to court. But the suspect denies the accusation, saying that they were only engaged in a scuffle and nothing more. Also paraded was a man who allegedly strangled his father to death during a scuffle at Oja-Odan in Yewa South Local Government Area of the state.

Customs Impound N10m Worth of Fake Drugs in Oyo

The Nigeria Customs Service has arrested 27-year-old suspected drug smuggler, Ebuke Onyeachi, with fake drugs worth N10 million. The suspect was said to have allegedly concealed the drugs in smuggled textile materials. The Customs Comptroller for Oyo/Osun command, Mr Mundu Mohammed, who disclosed this in Ibadan on Monday, said that other items recovered from the smuggler were 91 cartons of Feed Fine tablets and 150 cartons of Ostinim tablets. Mohammed, while displaying the seized drugs, said that the smuggled products were not certified by the required agency.

INEC’s Office Bombed in Ekiti
…As SSS Arrests 6 over Theft of Commission’s Equipment

The peaceful atmosphere in Ikole Ekiti community of Ekiti State was on Monday broken as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office was bombed by suspected hoodlums. In a related development, six persons, including an employee of the INEC, have been arrested by the State Security Services (SSS) for allegedly stealing materials and equipment belonging to the electoral body in Lagos. The SSS boss in Lagos, Mr. Achu Ben Olaye, said the SSS spread its dragnet and went for the suspected thieves, following the reports of theft.

Brothers Nabbed for Robbery

Two brothers alleged to be notorious armed robbers were recently arrested by the Lagos State Special Anti–Robbery Squad (SARS). Luck ran against them when, with the other members of their gang, they robbed a victim at a hotel in Lagos. The officer in charge of SARS in the state, Mr. Abba Kyari, said the two suspects were notorious for robbing people of their cars. He stated that they claimed to rent guns to carry out their nefarious activities.

Police Fire at Demonstrators over Lekki Toll

Police shot rifles and fired tear gas at protesters who were demonstrating against toll roads on Saturday, and witnesses said at least one person was seriously wounded by gunfire. Police officers also used batons to assault a pressman who was covering the event. His camera equipment was taken before he was thrown into the back of a police truck. The photographer was released several hours later without charge, and was treated for blunt-force trauma injuries to his neck, shoulder and knee. The protest stemmed from anger over the state government allowing a private company that built a major road in Lagos to collect tolls there. Lagos State police spokesman, Samuel Jinadu, said that 18 protesters were arrested. Witnesses said at least one person was shot at the demonstration.

Airforce Men, Robbery Gang Engage in Shoot-Out

Nigerian Air Force personnel, on Wednesday, engaged a 12-man robbery gang operating on Ota/Idiriko Road, Ogun State, in a shoot-out and foiled the gang’s attempt to snatch vehicles. The bandits reportedly stormed the road in two unmarked vehicles which they used to block the road, and dispossessed their victims who were trapped in the resultant traffic of valuables and cash. The security personnel, who were on their way to work, reportedly pulled off their uniforms when they got wind of the operation, apparently to avoid being identified and attacked by the bandits, before raging their assault.

7 Die of Suspected Food Poisoning

The people of Odo Oba, a community close to Ogbomoso in Oyo State, woke up on Wednesday morning to the news of the death of seven persons suspected to have died of food poisoning after a meal of fish and Amala. The deceased, consisting of the grandmother, mother and five children, were discovered dead when their door was forced open after none of them showed up in the morning. According to the witness, the neighbours who discovered the seven corpses reported the incident to the police before their corpses were later transferred to the Ogbomoso State Hospital mortuary. The informant said there was no external injury on the seven corpses.

Robbery Attacks: Banks Close Shop in Akure

Commercial banks in Ondo State, on Monday, embarked on ‘seat at work strike’ in some parts of the state following the incessant robbery attacks on financial institutions. Customers had stormed premises of commercial banks within Akure and its environs apparently to withdraw or save money since majority of the banks did not open for business last Friday. The customers who waited for several hours were disappointed when it was obvious that bank officials who were inside the banking halls did not open their gates for customers and their security guards too did not allow customers to park their cars within bank premises.

Truck Crushes 4 to Death in Osogbo

There was pandemonium in Osogbo on Sunday when a truck crushed a motorcyclist and three passengers to death. The Head of Operations, Osun Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Michael Olapade, confirmed that the accident occurred in front of Osun State Trade Fair Complex, along Osogbo-Iwo Road. According to Olapade, the commercial motorcyclist was conveying three passengers from Ara in Egbedore LGA to Osogbo, when the incident happened. He said that the rider of the motorcycle and its three passengers died on the spot, adding that two of the deceased, Fasasi Akeem and Adeniji Wasiu were students of Baptist Grammar School, Osogbo.

663 Dismissed in Ekiti for Forgery of Certificates, Age Alteration

The Ekiti State Government has recommended outright dismissal of 663 civil servants in the employment of Local Government Service Commission in the state for certificate forgery and age alteration. The chairman of the commission, Chief Aderemi Ajayi, said the erring civil servants were indicted based on the report of the audit panel set up by the state government. At least 1951 workers in the Service of the commission were indicted for various offences, out of which 336 were retired and 7 were given soft-landing based on humanitarian level.

NDLEA Breaks Female Chain of Drug Distributors

Operatives of Lagos State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have bust a female chain that were allegedly responsible for inter-state merchant distribution and sales of Indian hemp, popularly known as Marijuana.  This was as NDLEA officials also impounded a Hilux vehicle belonging to the Ondo State Government which was allegedly used in conveying 316.65kg of dried weeds suspected to be cannabis. However two male drivers who claimed to be staff of Ondo State government were also smashed by the operatives. Spokesman of the agency, Mr Mitchel Ofoyeju, said the suspects were nabbed along Lagos Ibadan expressway while travelling to the city of Owo.

GENERAL

Police, No Match for Boko Haram –Ex IGP

Former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Sunday Ehindero, said at the weekend that the Nigerian Police, as presently constituted, lacks the operational capability to combat the rising crime wave and insecurity, especially the insurgence of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram. Ehindero said this just as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) passed a vote of no confidence on the security agencies. Ehindero said the agencies have collectively failed in the discharge of their statutory duties. The former IGP revealed that the force has a moribund intelligence unit that does not have what it takes to gather and monitor intelligent information.

3 People Feared Dead in Viewing Centres Explosions

Three people were killed and several others injured, penultimate Saturday, when three television-viewing centers on Bauchi Ring Road in Jos, Plateau State were blown up during a football match. The three viewing centers built with corrugated iron sheets, with capacity to accommodate between 500 and 1000 viewers were blown off with explosives about the same time shortly after the first goal of the match was scored. One person was said to have died on the spot, while two others died at the hospital.

PSC Elevates 1,207 Police Officers

The Police Service Commission (PSC), on Wednesday, announced the promotion of some policemen. At its 25th plenary meeting in Abuja considered and approved the Inspector General of Police (IGP) recommendations for the promotion of some senior Police officers to various ranks. Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Parry Osayande, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), while congratulating the newly promoted officers admonished them to rise-up to the challenges of their new ranks.

Gunmen Kill Police Inspector

Two suspected Boko Haram gunmen attacked the Railway Terminus mini market on Sunday in Maiduguri, Borno State killing a police inspector. The assailants fired several shots into the police officer’s head and chest, before men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) repelled the gunmen. The spokesman of JTF, Lt.-Col. Hassan Mohammed, confirmed the attacks and killing. He said no arrests have been made by either the JTF or Police. Hours later, an explosion occurred near the Coca Cola Maiduguri plant. While residents said the blast was from a bomb, the JTF spokesman denied that there was no such blast in Pompomari ward of Maiduguri metropolis.

Sect Member Killed in Explosion

A suspected member of the Boko Haram sect was killed on Wednesday in Maiduguri, Borno State, and another escaped when the sect member threw an explosive at a Joint Task Force (JTF) location at Gana ward. It was learnt that the two gunmen, in a Volkswagen Golf car, attempted to throw the explosive at the JTF location, but the device reportedly exploded, killing one of the gunmen, while the other escaped. JTF spokesman Lt.-Col. Hassan Mohammed confirmed the incident. Mohammed said no arrest has been made. Meanwhile, operatives of the State Security Service have arrested the wife of Mallam Abubakar Shekau, who is believed to be the leader of the Boko Haram sect. Shekau, who succeeded the late leader of the Islamist group, Mohammed Yusuf, has been identified as a potent force behind the sect’s violent attacks. Shekau’s wife was reportedly apprehended last Saturday along with her seven-month-old infant at their Kano residence.

Boko Haram Sets NYSC Camp Ablaze

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Fika LGA of Yobe State has been burnt by unknown persons suspected to be members of Boko Haram sect. The fire reportedly consumed everything. The orientation course for the 2011 Batch ‘C’ in the state was moved to Keffi in Nasarawa State, due to security challenges in Yobe state.

Woman Killed in Kaduna Attack

One woman was killed while two others sustained gunshot wounds following an attack on Kukum Dutse, a village in Kagoro, Kaura LGA of Kaduna State. The village was attacked in the midnight; one person was killed while two sustained gunshot wounds. A witness described the attacks as “very strange and wicked,” pointing out that the villagers had always been “very peaceful.” Mr Elihu Adamu, the Police Commander, Kafanchan area command, who confirmed the attack, said that the command was yet to make arrests but had begun investigation into the incident. One person was killed and two others escaped with gun wounds.

Arrested Sect Members Refuse to Divulge Information

It emerged, at the weekend, that security operatives have been having hard time extracting information from many of the arrested members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, as a result of the revelations that many of the sect’s operatives are placed on oath. Sources said, at the weekend, that with the number of members of the sect so far arrested, all the details surrounding the operations of the sect are were still a mystery. However, it was gathered that security agencies was able to uncover one of the closely guarded secrets of the sect. A source revealed that the Boko Haram, in conjunction with Al-Qaeda in Islamic Magreb opened training camps in Ethiopia, besides the usual training grounds of Al-Qaeda in Sudan and Somalia.

Boko Haram: Senator Pleads Not Guilty to Terrorism Charge

Senator Mohammed Ndume, on Monday, pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge bordering on terrorism levelled against him by the Federal Government. He was accused of failing to disclose security information to the appropriate authorities. The re-arraignment of Ndume by the Federal Government was coming after the State Security Service (SSS) withdrew the charge filed against him before an Abuja Magistrate Court. Director of Public Prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice, O.O Fatunde, who is the prosecuting counsel, prayed the court to fix a hearing date when she would bring her witnesses. However, Counsel to Ndume, Ricky Tarfa SAN, brought an application praying the court to admit the accused to bail but the court could not hear the application owing to the fact that the prosecution was yet to file its written address in support of its counter affidavit.

Party Urges FG to Create Jobs to Curb Insecurity

The Federal Government has been called upon to create more jobs and the enabling environment for small scale businesses to thrive so that insecurity would not be a threat in the country. Dr Yunusa Tanko, the National Secretary of National Conscience Party (NCP), said this in Abuja on Friday in reaction to the 2012 budget as announced by President Goodluck Jonathan. He said rather than spend N921.91billion on security; some of the money should be diverted to job creation. Tanko said that if jobs were created along with the enabling environment for small scale businesses to thrive, insecurity would not be a threat.

Sect Adopts Silent Killings as Bombings Drop

A militant Islamic sect in Nigeria increased serial killings in its north-eastern stronghold, with 20 people shot dead in the past month as a security crackdown caused a drop in bomb attacks, police said. “Though explosions have been managed and reduced to the minimum, we are worried about silent killings in the last one month,” Simeon Midenda, Borno police commissioner, said in an interview in the state capital, Maiduguri, on Dec. 14. At least 425 people, including 70 policemen, have died in attacks by the sect this year, according to a Human Rights group. According to Midenda, a major difficulty faced by the police and other security agencies is that people are not providing enough information.

Gunmen Attack Kano Military School

Gunmen have attacked a military-run school in northern Nigeria, killing at least three air force personnel in an incident whose motives remained unclear, an official said on Friday. The attack late Thursday outside Kano, the largest city in northern Nigeria, involved about a dozen gunmen who exchanged fire with air force officers at the secondary boarding school. The attackers fled after about 30 minutes and it could not be determined whether any of them had been killed or wounded. "Our soldiers really tried to confront them, but unfortunately they inflicted injuries on four of our men which resulted in the deaths of three of them, while the other one is in hospital," said Air Commodore Sani Ahmed.

Sect Blamed For Drive-By Shooting

The Fundamentalist Islamist sect, Boko Haram, have been blamed for a drive-by shooting that left five civilians dead. The spokesman of the Joint Security Task Force (JTF), Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Mohammed, said that that the gunmen had attacked people gathered outside a shop in the city of Maiduguri on Thursday night. The assailants were carrying Kalashnikov rifles under their flowing robes. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.

3 Killed as Explosion Rocks at 'Bomb-Making' House

An explosion on Saturday at a house allegedly used to make home-made bombs in Maiduguri killed three suspected Islamist sect members, the military said. Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Mohammed, spokesman of a special force deployed in the city, said "the house was used by suspected members of Boko Haram sect as major factory for the production of improvised explosive devices." He said three "mutilated corpses" were found. The sect on Saturday threatened to launch attacks in Kano if security forces continued to arrest its members. Sect leader Abubakar Shekau claimed in the letter sent to the Kano state government and the media that Boko Haram members have been arrested over the past five months on the pretext that they were thieves and armed robbers.

Gunmen Kill 2 in Borno

Two people, a butcher and a teacher, were on Thursday, shot dead in Maiduguri, Borno State, when some gunmen suspected to be of Boko Haram sect members stormed a popular rendezvous in the metropolis and opened fire on the people. It was learnt that the gunmen had after the shooting, called on the people in the area not to run away.  The killing of the two came almost at the time when another bomb went off at Gwange area of the metropolis. JTF spokesman, Lt Col Hassan Mohammed, who confirmed the two incidents, said no casualty was recorded, though officials at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) admitted that two corpses were brought to the hospital morgue on Wednesday night.

Minister Condemns Harassment of Nigerians in S/Africa

Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, has condemned the illegal arrest and harassment of Nigerians in South Africa. He also called for the granting of visas to Nigerian diplomats and officials to boost free movement. He made this known when the South African High Commissioner paid him a courtesy call in his office in Abuja, on Monday.

INTERNATIONAL

91 Killed in India’s Hospital Fire

Authorities India have disclosed that six hospital managers arrested on negligence charges are in custody for questioning after a hospital blaze killed 91 people in eastern part of the country. The six managers that worked at a five-storey Kolkata hospital that erupted into flames, last weekend, were sent by a local court to 10 days in police custody. About 60 other people were injured, said Javed Ahmed Khan, the West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services minister.

NATO Trucks Attacked in Pakistan

Armed militants on motorcycles in southwest Pakistan ambushed and set ablaze a convoy of tankers bound for NATO forces in Afghanistan on Sunday night. The gunmen opened fire after forcing the convoy of eight oil tankers to stop in an area southwest of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, police official Abdul Qadir said. The militants killed one of the truck's drivers and set the tankers on fire before they escaped. Fuel and supply trucks contracted to supply NATO have been left stranded in Pakistan by Islamabad's decision to block its two NATO supply routes to Afghanistan. Pakistan closed the routes to protest a NATO airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last month.

Four Nations Collaborate on Joint Mekong Patrols

International shipping services have returned to the Mekong River, one of the Asia's busiest trade routes, as four nations launch a joint patrol to secure the waterway. The joint effort is in response to the October 5 attack on two Chinese ships that killed 13 soldiers and caused China to suspend ships in that portion of the river. Nine Thai soldiers have been detained over the killing of the soldiers and have been charged with murder and tampering with evidence. They have denied the charges. Under the agreement, the four nations will escort ships and share intelligence to safeguard ships and sailors on the river. The nations will work closely together while respecting each other's sovereignty, the Chinese ministry said.

US Admiral Endorses Increase in Armed Afghans Paid to Protect Villages

The head of America's special operations troops has endorsed a likely controversial plan to boost the numbers of armed Afghans paid by NATO to protect their villages under a plan once described as "a community watch with AK-47s." Admiral William H. McRaven, the architect of the daring U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden, said the current plan to triple the numbers within the next two years might be expanded even further. The number of Afghan Local Police, or ALP, is set to rise from 9,800 to 30,000 by the end of 2013, McRaven said, but he endorsed expanding the program past its current end date of 2015.

ICC’s Chief Prosecutor-Elect Warns Perpetrators of Impunities

Perpetrators of impunity and atrocious crimes in Africa and beyond will continue to be targeted by the office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The incoming prosecutor of the court, Mrs. Fatou Bensouda of Gambia, made this known after being elected on Monday afternoon at the United Nations head offices in New York. Bensouda, 50, will succeed the high-profile Luis Moreno-Ocampo of Argentina, whose term of office expires next June. She is currently his deputy. She was elected without a vote at a meeting in the United Nations of the 120-nation Assembly of States Parties to the ICC, which is based at The Hague in the Netherlands. She will serve a nine-year term starting June 16.

Man Goes on Killing Spree in Belgium

A man who went on a grenade and gun attack in the Belgian city of Liege left no explanation about why he did it, authorities said Wednesday. There were at least 124 people in hospitals Wednesday, and at least five dead plus the gunman, according to prosecutor Danielle Reynders. Nordine Amrani, the 33-year-old suspect, killed himself at the end of the shooting rampage Tuesday. After the rampage, police found a dead woman in Amrani's home. The 62-year-old woman is a cleaner whom the suspect killed before the attack, police said. The body was found in a marijuana-growing shed at Amrani's house.

Al-Qaeda’s Militants, Others Escape from Yemeni Jail

About 12 Al-Qaeda’s militants and two other inmates have allegedly tunnelled their way to freedom from a prison in the south Yemen city of Aden. The prisoners allegedly fled through a six-metre tunnel they dug at the western end of Aden’s central prison. However, none of the escapees was serving a jail sentence. But some were being tried over a 2009 robbery of a bank in Aden, while others were facing charges of being involved in various assassinations of intelligence officers, security sources said.

Syria Rejects UN Estimate of 5000 Casualties in Crackdown

Syria's ambassador to the United Nations rejected the UN estimate that 5,000 people have died in an uprising against the government. Ambassador Bashar Jaafari was responding to a briefing by U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who told the Security Council Monday the situation in Syria was "intolerable." The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and a resident of Homs -a frequent site of violence- reported that a gas pipeline exploded near the city, following by gunfire and circulating military airplanes. The Syrian government, meanwhile, has consistently blamed the violence on "armed terrorist" gang members and denied any efforts to target peaceful civilians. Pillay urged the Security Council to refer Syria to the ICC over its crackdown on anti-government protests.

Toxic Alcohol Kills 102 in India

At least 102 people are reported to have died after consuming toxic alcohol in India's West Bengal state. Residents of 12 villages in the South 24 Parganas district fell ill after drinking the alcohol. Four people have been arrested. Some 100 other people are being treated in hospital, with fears the death toll could rise. Many died in their home, fearing police would take action against them. The state of Gujarat had recently brought in a new law making the illegal manufacture and sale of toxic alcohol there punishable by death. The villagers drank the locally brewed alcohol on Tuesday evening and despite falling ill many stayed at home fearing police harassment if they went to hospital.

Storm Lashes France, Runs Ship Aground

Storm winds and torrential rain lashed France on Friday, cutting off electricity supplies to hundreds of thousands of homes and sending a cargo ship aground off the north-western Brittany coast, where it sprang a fuel leak. People were evacuated from flood-prone zones on the western Atlantic coast and 400,000 households were deprived of power, French Interior, Minister Claude Gueant, said. Wind gusts of up to 130 kph pounded France's western coast, causing a cargo ship headed for Malta, the 109-metre TK Bremen, to run aground off Brittany. The crew were rescued by helicopter. Maritime authorities were planning to deploy equipment to contain a 1-km slick and empty the stricken ship's tanks of around more than 200 tonnes of fuel.