Weekly Security Report Weekly Report week 37 week 37
PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS
82 Ex-Militants for Training in Israel, Philippines
At least 82 ex-militants are set to leave Nigeria for Israel and Philippines to learn vocations in agriculture, pipeline and undersea welding. The Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta, Honourable Kingsley Kuku, said this during the orientation ceremony for the ex-militants at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, last weekend, adding that the training was part of the FG’s amnesty programme. He said 50 of the trainees will head to MFI Foundation, Manila, Philippines to learn pipeline and undersea welding while another 32 will travel to Galilee Institute of Agriculture, Nahala, Israel to learn modern practice in agriculture.
Bayelsa Monarch Abducted in Yenagoa
Suspected kidnappers abducted a Bayelsa monarch, the Ebeni Ibe of Atissa Kingdom, King Godwin Igodo, from his palace at Ogbogoro community, Yenagoa LGA of the state. The 70-year-old first class monarch was abducted, penultimate Thursday by armed gunmen and whisked away in a speed boat. The abductors are yet to establish contact with the family and the motive behind the kidnap is yet to be known. The Police have opened investigations into the incident.
Ex-Militants Protest Non-Inclusion in Amnesty, Block East-West Road
Commuters were on Tuesday left stranded for eight hours on the East/West Road as hundreds of ex-militants protested their non-inclusion in the post-amnesty programme of the FG. The ex-militants under the aegis of Niger Delta Development ex-militants, third phase drawn from Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Ondo states had recently written to President Goodluck Jonathan alerting him on the moves by some influential people to derail the peace in the Niger Delta region by the deliberate abandonment of some of the ex-militants who had surrendered their arms. While issuing a one-week ultimatum to the Federal Government, they warned of dire consequences if they were not co-opted into the programme.
Man Arrested for Beheading Aunt
The Police in Anambra on Tuesday arrested a man for allegedly cutting off his aunt’s head and dumping her body in the cesspit of an uncompleted building. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Emeka Chukwuemeka, disclosed that the suspect had confessed to the crime and was being held along with the aunt’s mother, brother and sister. Chukwuemeka said that in spite of the confession by the prime suspect, the police would carry out further investigations to unravel the motive behind the crime. He said the crime was committed at Amawbia, near Awka, adding that the deceased, Mrs Margaret Nwanna, was said to have gone missing last week Friday.
K idnappers Meet Waterloo in Port Harcourt
Determined to prevent crime, the Rivers State police command has declared an onslaught on kidnappers in their determination to rid the city of crime. This comes as the police arrested some suspected kidnappers over the abduction of the resident electoral commissioner in Rivers State Independent Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Edie Batimus. Bitimus spent four days in captivity. Among the exhibits found on the gang were 20 magazines, 200 live ammunition and six million naira cash. Commending the policemen for a job well done, the Rivers State police commissioner, Mr. Suleiman Abba, assured residents that the police will not sleep on its oars to tackle crime in the state.
Police Recover Unidentified Corpse in Car
Unidentified corpse of a young man was, on Monday night, recovered by men of the Bayelsa State Police command inside the booth of Audi 80 car parked at Erepa junction, in Yenagoa metropolis. It was gathered that the corpse, which was forced inside the trunk of the saloon car, might have been dumped there for more than three days. The corpse was removed by policemen, who were called in following the discovery.
Gunmen Rob NDE Office
Ten armed men suspected to be robbers on Wednesday seized the office of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, and dispossessed employees of the establishment of their valuables. The bandits invaded the premises of the NDE around 11.30am and attacked two security men attached to the establishment, demanding N10m from them. They were said to have insisted that the workers must produce the money which they claimed were proceeds from oil theft. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emakpai Eguavoen, condemned the robbery and said the command would investigate the development.
Mysterious Fire Guts Oil Spill Site in Bayelsa
For the people of Ikarama, in Yenagoa LGA of Bayelsa state, are still counting their losses after the August 18 fire that raged from some oil spill sites in the community. The fire has now become a subject of controversy between the community and the Shell Petroleum Development Company. While the people of the community point accusing fingers at Shell for being responsible for the fire, Shell has denied responsibility alleging that the people of the community in order to visit their anger on the oil company deliberately set fire on the oil sites to whip up sentiments against the oil company. In the community, seething anger against the oil giant has envelope the atmosphere with the people baying for blood.
Police Kill Suspected Kidnapper, Rescue Victim in Imo
A gang of five kidnappers, penultimate Sunday, abducted a woman, Mrs Harrietta Onyeaghala, in Imo state. But she was promptly rescued by a detachment of mobile policemen at a checkpoint after shooting a member of the gang. Narrating her ordeal, Mrs Onyeaghala said she was abducted as she was trying to buy a church bulletin after alighting from her husband’s vehicle. According to her, luck ran out on the kidnappers following spontaneous reaction and chase by unarmed youths of the community. As a result of the bravery of the youths, the kidnappers were intercepted by mobile police men at check point. The manhunt of the kidnappers, led to the arrest of one members of the gang, John Onwudiwe, 25, from Rivers State.
Imo Recovers Vehicles ‘Stolen’ by Former Public Officers
Imo State government has recovered more than 100 vehicles allegedly carted away by public office holders of the immediate past regime in the state. Chairman of the task force on recovery of public properties, Dr. Placid Ekwueme, disclosed this to journalists in Owerri at the weekend. Ekwueme accused the immediate past governor, Ikedi Ohakim, of approving the use of public funds for the purchase of several Toyota Camry cars, which were distributed as gifts to politicians. Ekwueme vowed that his committee would recover all such vehicles, promising also that the source of purchase of any vehicle seized would be ascertained. According to him, a debt of about N100 million hangs on the neck of the present administration, while the dealer who sold the cars has begun to make demands for payment.
2 Killed in Bayelsa Cult War, Police Beef Up Security
The Bayelsa State Police command has beefed up security in Yenagoa and other parts of the state following the continued killings by rival cult groups in the state. Two people were killed in different locations in Yenagoa on Wednesday bringing the number of people who have been killed in the ongoing cult clashes to 15 with no arrest made. The Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Musa, directed all divisions to step up patrols of their area and commence a stop and search on all vehicles, following security reports that reprisals attacks have been planned for the weekend. The Police are also said to be working on a lead as to the reason for the killings.
BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS
Kidnapped Edo musician Found Dead
A popular musician, Omoregbe Okpeyen (a.k.a Bayo Ade), was penultimate Sunday kidnapped in Edo state, and his body was later found in the booth of his car after the payment of a ransom of N500000. This development has sent panic signals to residents of the ancient city, as many politicians, top government functionaries and businessmen and women are reported to have gone into hiding as kidnappers appeared to have laid a siege to the state. State Commissioner of Police, Mr. David Omojola, in a reaction, described the development as a challenge which the force would tackle “with all sense of duty.” The late Bayo Ade was billed to perform at a celebration of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin, on the day he was abducted.
Community Protest against Chevron, Lebanese Firm over Jobs, Others
The people of Ugborodo community in Delta State have accused Chevron Nigeria Limited of violation of contract terms. In a protest letter to the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the community alleged that Chevron and a Lebanese wholly-owned construction firm were short-changing it of its rightful dues and paying funds to some persons who are under police investigations for alleged violence and murder. The petition also deplored what it termed the lopsided community relations strategy of Chevron. But a senior Chevron official, said there was serious internal wrangling at Ugborodo, leading to formation of factions.
LP Stalwart Petitions Uduaghan, Security Chiefs over Threat to Life
A member of the Labour Party in Delta State and candidate for House of Assembly in the last April’s election, Mr. Iduh Amadhe, has raised the alarm over alleged threat to his life, family members and political associates. Amadhe is presently challenging the outcome of that election won by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate at the election petitions tribunal sitting in Asaba. However, Amadhe claimed that the threat to his life is not unconnected with a frame up by his political foes that he masterminded the kidnap of a septuagenarian, Pa. Akpebe Ogrih, father to Mr. Sam Ogrih, a member of the Delta State House of Assembly Service Commission.
Security Tightened Around Oil Facilities
Security has been beefed up around oil installations in the Niger Delta region following the spate of bombings in some parts of the country. It was gathered that the measure was to prevent members of Boko Haram from gaining access to the areas to execute their destructive acts. Security sources disclosed that armed soldiers and undercover security agents were deployed to secure strategic oil installations in the Niger Delta
LAGOS AND ENVIRONS
Police Arrest Politician for Defrauding 87-Yr-Old
The police in Lagos State have arrested an Ibadan-based politician, Isaac Akinkunmi, for allegedly defrauding an octogenarian to the tune of N12 million. The council chairmanship aspirant was accused of defrauding 87-year-old retired lawyer, Mr Adedapo Adediran, over a property in Ogbomoso area of Oyo State. The suspect was arrested by the police after failing to refund the N12 million that he allegedly collected from the man. The suspect had reportedly agreed to refund the money, but reneged and refused invitation by the police, before he was eventually arrested.
Court Remands 4 Indians in Prison
Four Indians, out of the 17 persons, who were recently arrested by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), an anti- smuggling arm of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to illegally export four container loads of scrap metals have been ordered to be remanded in Ikoyi prison, pending when they meet their bail conditions. Justice, Okon Abang ordered them to be remanded, noting that the first accused was the Managing Director of Everest Metal Nigeria Limited, the company which was said to own the consignments. The other suspects were directors of the company. Justice Abang premised the bail on the conditions that each of the accused persons must provide N3 million bond and one surety each in the sum of N3 million; emphasising that the surety must in addition swear an affidavit of means.
NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine from Brazil
Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade, has disclosed the arrest of a suspected major drug trafficker with 5.850kg of high-grade cocaine worth N41 million from Brazil. He said the agency was prepared to tackle the usual increase in drug trafficking associated with the end of year. Anti-narcotic officials detected the drugs during the screening of passengers on a Turkish Airline flight at the arrival hall of the airport. Meanwhile, NDLEA commanders at the various entry and exit points have been charged by Giade to adopt proactive measures to curb drug trafficking as the year comes to an end.
Osun Police Parade Undergraduate, 14 Others over Armed Robbery
The Osun State police command, on Tuesday, paraded six kidnappers and 15 armed robbery suspects at the Oke-Ifa Police Headquarters, Osogbo. One of the armed robbery suspects, a 400-level Wildlife and Fishery student had allegedly confessed to robbing three persons. Osogbo, a relatively peaceful capital, had witnessed an unusual crime upsurge in the last few weeks, with car snatching being a major source of worry to the citizens. Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mr Solomon Olusegun, who had repeatedly stressed the commitment of the command to the safety of life and property, said the “backbone of a syndicate terrorising Osogbo had been broken with the harvest of arrests.”
Police Chief Flays Perpetrators of Bomb Scare in Lagos
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Yakubu Alkali, has condemned the bomb scare attempt, which was aimed at causing unrest in the state. According to him, the Ikeja LGA Chairman, Wale Odunlami, had on sighting the device; alerted the police. He explained further that upon investigation, it was discovered the bomb scare was a hoax after the Anti-Bomb Squad had taken the device to their laboratory for analysis. He however expressed happiness that people are becoming security conscious about their environment. He encouraged the public to report any suspicious activity in their vicinity to security agencies promptly.
Truck Load of Contraband Goods Seized
Men of the Oyo/Osun Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have seized a truck load of assorted contraband goods stashed in an illegal warehouse in Oyo state. The Comptroller, Hassan Mundu, disclosed that the command had seized 113 contraband goods worth N258 million, including vehicles illegally imported into the country within the year. He said the command had equally succeeded in detaining 158 suspects, while investigations were still ongoing. He said the service was determined to check smuggling and improve the revenue profile of the federal government.
Police, OPC Accuse Each Other over Killing of Corporal, Others
The Oyo State Co-ordinator of the Odu’a Peoples Congress (OPC), Chief Adeagbo Adeola, has denied the claim by the state police command that an OPC member shot and killed a police corporal on Saturday in Oyo town. He said that trouble started when the policemen who came to arrest a land speculator, Abesupinle, inadvertently went for two OPC members they saw around. The two men resisted arrest and there was confusion thereafter. He alleged that after series of arguments, the police resorted to the use of force, leading to the death of one Muideen Ewe, who was allegedly shot in the head by the police. Adeagbo insisted that it was the mob which was infuriated by the police action that retaliated the killing of the man.
Police Seek Collaboration against Crime in Ekiti
The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, Mr. Peter Gana, has called for the collaboration of all stakeholders in the effort to fight crime and insecurity. He said government was saddled with many responsibilities with limited resources, adding that the collaboration would help to reduce crime. During a Rapid and Guided Response Programme for Stolen Vehicles Recovery in Ilorin on Thursday, Gana said the state government was almost completing installation of camera devices in many streets of Ilorin with a view to reducing crimes in the state. Gana maintained that Kwara State remained one of the states in Nigeria with the least crime rate.
GENERAL
Eight Family Members Killed in Fresh Jos Attack
Eight members of the same family were, last weekend, killed in a fresh attack at Tatu village in Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau state. The victims had their heads shattered with gunshots. Condemning the attack and describing it as unfortunate and barbaric, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Yiljap Abraham, lamented that in spite of the state government’s effort to curtail the gale of attacks in the state, the perpetrators had refused to stop. He called on the youths of the area to form vigilante groups to protect themselves and their parents. Similarly, a local Islamic scholar, Mallam Dala, was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen at Zannari in the outskirt of Maiduguri, Borno State. The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Simeon Midenda, confirmed the killing.
SSS Arrests 5, Recovers Dangerous Weapons
The State Security Service (SSS) has arrested five members of the Boko Haram sect in connection with the April 8 and July 10 bombing of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office and the All Christian Fellowship Church respectively in Suleja, Niger The Assistant Director, Public Relations of the SSS, Ms. Marilyn Ogar, disclosed that the Service also uncovered the building where the Boko Haram cell operating in the Suleja/Abuja axis manufactured and assembled bombs in Tafa LGA. Ogar said that investigation to unravel the Suleja bombings led to the arrest of a Nigerienne national on August 4, 2011, adding that his confession led to the arrest of others.Twin bomb blasts, Tuesday evening, rocked Maiduguri metropolis as residents of Baga Road and Kalari ward scampered for safety. No one was killed or injured.
AUN Students Killed in Yola
Authorities of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Adamawa State, have announced the death of two of its students, who were attacked and killed by yet-to-be-identified persons on the night of September 4 near the Jimeta Main Market in Yola. According to a statement by Abubakar Abba Tahir, the Assistant Vice-President Public Relations & Communications, the family members of the deceased students have been contacted. Tahir said that the details of the incident, which led to the death of the two students, are still scanty but that the state police command is investigating the matter.
Suicide Bombers Paid N10m as Motivation
The Federal Government is said to have approved the establishment of a new tact team within the Department of State Security Service (SSS), to check the menace of Islamist sect, Boko Haram. Meanwhile, findings have revealed the recruitment procedure of suicide bombers being used to prosecute suicide attacks. It was revealed that a fee of N10 million is being used as a bait to recruit each suicide bomber. It was learnt that apart from the indoctrination processes which the suicide bombers underwent, they were also assured of huge financial rewards for their families. Meanwhile, an overhaul of the security agencies is set to begin with the appointment of a new Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General Sani Yakubu Audu. Audu is set to take over from Major-General Babagana Monguno.
Nigeria Deports 115 Illegal Immigrants
No fewer than 115 illegal immigrants have been deported from Kano amid increased security after an attack on UN building in Abuja. Authorities, however, declined to comment on whether the deportations were linked to the August 26 bomb attack or other violence blamed on Boko Haram. According to Umar Nasir, spokesman for the Nigeria Immigration Service in Kano, the expelled immigrants were from Niger, Chad, Togo, Cameroon and Benin. “The repatriation exercise, which will be a continuous process, followed the expiration of the three-month window period granted all illegal aliens from the sub-region to legalise their stay by registering with the immigration service,” Nasir said.
NIMET Predicts Floods in Lagos, Bauchi
The Director-General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Dr. Anthony Anuforom, has warned that Lagos and Bauchi states may experience fresh floods this September. Anufurom also said that thunderstorm would reach its peak in the Federal Capital Territory in the month of September and within the Ikeja area of Lagos in October. The NIMET boss regretted that despite the alarm it raised in February that the impending rainfall could lead to flooding, disaster and deaths in coastal cities, relevant authorities did not do anything to avert the dangers. According to him, flooding in Lagos, Bauchi and Calabar may not necessarily be triggered by heavy rainfalls because the ground was already wet from previous rains.
China to Return Items Stolen from Nigerian
After two years, the Chinese authorities have burst a crime regarding the loss of cash and valuables belonging to a Nigerian business woman; and are set to return the stolen items. The Nigerian, Mrs. Bakori Zuwaira Sani, on a trip to China, was dispossessed of her belongings and $45000after she checked into a hotel in August 10, 2010. Shortly after, her handbag got missing. Security operatives in south China’s foremost commercial city of Guangzhou were alerted. A Nigerian delegation led by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia, who was visiting China on an investment drive at the same time, asked the Nigerian mission in Beijing to take up the matter officially. Zuwaira Sani has confirmed her invitation by the Chinese authorities to come and claim her belongings.
Soldiers get Shoot on Sight Order in Jos
The army has disclosed that soldiers of the Special Task Force (STF) in Jos have been given orders to shoot on sight any one carrying or using arms in Plateau state. The army said it has had enough of rampant shootings of its men by warring Christian and Muslim youths as soldiers move to intervene at times of crisis. STF spokesman, Charles Ekeocha, warned the youths against “testing the might of the soldiers’’, saying that whoever did that would be doing so at his or her peril. According to him, “everywhere in the state is infested with weapons, with sporadic shots heard both day and night. Ekeocha, however, urged the people of the state to go about their normal activities as the STF and other security agencies were prepared to protect them.
FG Rehabilitates Victims of Landmine
The Minister of Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed, on Thursday said the Federal Government had begun the rehabilitation of victims of landmines in the country. The minister, who said this on Thursday in Abuja, also pledged government’s commitment to the provision of infrastructure for the armed forces. Director, Air Force, Dr. Sylvanus Tapgun, said the objective of the conference was to educate, assist and empower mine victims. The minister said the project was part of Nigeria’s effort to meet its commitment in the Ottawa convention. The Ottawa Treaty prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines with the aim of eliminating mines around the world.
Sharia Law: Two Sentenced to Amputation for Theft of Bull
A Sharia court in Zamfara State has sentenced two men to amputation of their right wrists for stealing a bull. The Sharia court on Thursday ordered that Auwalu Abubaka, 23, and Lawalli Musa, 22, have their right hands chopped off for stealing a bull worth N130,000. However, the two men have 30 days to appeal their sentence and the state governor must approve any amputation. Such sentences have only rarely been carried out in Nigeria. The convicts were arraigned on August 8 following complaints by a resident accusing them of stealing his bull from his house. Sharia law is in place across 12 states in predominately Muslim north, but it is selectively enforced.
Ritual Killings in Zamfara
Pandemonium broke out in Kaura Namoda, of Kaura Namoda LGA of Zamfara state as a result of the death of five persons suspected to have been killed by ritualists. In less than 30 days, five persons were allegedly killed by ritualist, while their bodies were mutilated. A middle-aged man, who had lived in the town for the past 30 years, is suspected to be behind the killings. Angered by this unwholesome act, some youths mobilised themselves and stormed the resident of the suspect but he was not found in the house. They were later informed that the suspect had packed out of the house. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Sanusi Amiru, confirmed the incident.
Insecurity: Northern Governors in Crucial Meeting
The Northern Governors’ Forum has announced that it will hold an emergency meeting to proffer lasting solutions to the security challenges facing the country. The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, chairman, Northern Governors’ Forum, Malam Danladi Ndayebo, said the northern governors had agreed to move in to halt the killings in Jos, the Plateau State capital. Governor Aliyu said he was alarmed at the fresh fighting in the erstwhile peaceful state, declaring that the bloodbath must stop.
Police Arrest Vendors of Pre-registered SIM Cards
A team of officials from the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Police on Thursday combed the city of Abuja, arresting 5 phone vendors over the sale of pre-registered new SIM cards. The NCC’s Head of Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Reuben Mouka, said the activities of the phone vendors constituted a great risk and security threat to the buyer, the seller and the nation at large. He explained that the vendors “gathered a number of SIM cards and registered them with their own biometrics, thereby abusing the rules governing the law setting up SIM card registration.” According to one of the vendors who spoke to journalists, they bought the SIM cards without knowing that there were registered, as they were assured that they were only activated.
INTERNATIONAL
38 Die, 50 Missing as Strong Typhoon Hits Japan
A tropical cyclone, which began in western Japan last weekend, has left 38 people dead and at least 50 missing. The typhoon reportedly brought torrential rain, causing massive floods and mudslides in western Japan on Sunday. It particularly caused landfall on Shikoku Island on Saturday and continued to ravage western Japan on Sunday. The typhoon has been described as the worst in Japan’s history as the country has experienced only a few typhoons since 1990 in which the combined number of dead and missing people was not up to 50.
Pakistan Arrests Top al Qaeda Leader
The Pakistani intelligence service has arrested a senior al Qaeda leader, who sought to attack targets in the United States, Europe and Australia. The intelligence service arrested Younis al-Mauretani and two al Qaeda associates in the suburbs of Quetta, Pakistan, the military said on Monday. Osama bin Laden had asked al-Mauretani "to focus on hitting targets of economic importance in United States of America, Europe and Australia," with U.S. targets including gas and oil pipelines, dams and oil tankers, the statement said. Al-Mauretani was also involved in planning multiple attacks on European countries similar to those in Mumbai, India, in 2008, according to reports.
Russian Airliner in Fatal Crash
An airliner carrying members of a major league ice hockey team has crashed in Russia killing 43 people. Witnesses saw the plane burst into flames shortly after taking off from an airport at the city of Yaroslavl, about 250km (160 miles) north-east of Moscow. Investigators found wreckage of the plane in the Volga River. Members of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team were on board the plane, on their way to Belarus for the first match of the season. Officials said two people were unaccounted for after the crash, the cause of which has not been confirmed. Earlier in the week, two Russian pilots aboard a MiG-31 fighter jet were killed when it crashed. The plane crashed minutes after take off from a military airport in the Perm region, during a routine training flight.
Mass Escape in Congo Prison after Gun Attack
About 967 prisoners reportedly escaped from a jail in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after it was attacked by armed men, officials say. The attackers wanted to free a militia leader, according to Katanga province Information Minister Dkianga Kazadi. Escapes and mutinies are common in DR Congo's prisons. Kazadi said masked gunmen entered the prison in Kisangani's main city, Lubumbashi, unnoticed. The UN spokesman in DR Congo, Madnodje Mounoubai, disclosed that a former commander of the Mai Mai militia movement, Gedeon Kyungu Mutanga, had escaped. Mutanga was sentenced to death in 2009 for his role in the long-running conflict in eastern DR Congo. According to reports, the police had recaptured 152 of the 967 prisoners who had escaped.
Police Detain Three over Delhi Blast
ndian police detained three people on Thursday over an email allegedly claiming responsibility for a deadly bombing of the New Delhi High Court, police said. A powerful bomb hidden in a briefcase outside the High Court killed at least 11 people on Wednesday. Senior police officers said they had detained the owner of an Internet cafe in the Kishtwar region of Kashmir where they suspect the email was sent from early on Wednesday. Indian authorities are investigating a claim of responsibility allegedly made in the email by the Harkat-ul-Jihad Islamist militant group, an al Qaeda affiliate with bases in Pakistan and Bangladesh. It has claimed responsibility for attacks in India in the past.
Sudan Denies Aid Agencies Access to Conflict State
United Nations (UN) and other aid agencies have been denied access to Blue Nile state by Sudan authorities, where at least 50,000 people have been displaced by fighting that erupted last week. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) disclosed that fighting, including air strikes had continued in eight locations since Sunday, despite government insistence that most of the state has been calm since clashes began, last week Friday. Clashes broke out in Damazin penultimate Friday, between the army and ex-rebel forces loyal to the elected governor Malik Agar, after a build-up of troops and weapons in the politically divided border state.
Famine in Somalia: UN Warns of 750,000 Deaths
The United Nations (UN) has warned that about 750,000 people could die as Somalia’s drought worsens in the coming months, declaring a famine in a new area. Also, it declared that tens of thousands of people have died after what is said to be East Africa’s worst drought for 60 years began. Some 12 million people across the region need food aid, according to the global body. A new area, Bay, becomes the sixth area to be officially declared a famine zone – mostly in parts of southern Somalia controlled by the Islamist al-Shabaab, with the UN warning that the situation may worsen in the coming months. Half of those who have already died are children, it says. However, neighbouring Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda have also been affected by the severe lack of rain.
Ethiopia Detains 29 on Terrorism Charges
About 29 people in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital and other parts of the country are now being held on suspicion of terrorism. Government spokesman, Shimeles Kemal, said that police have “solid evidence” that the suspects were involved in terrorism activities. He said they are linked to the Oromo Liberation Front, an Eritrea-based rebel group that is listed as a terrorist organisation in Ethiopia. Among those detained are two opposition politicians who were arrested last week. But Amnesty International said they were arrested after the rights group interviewed them about Ethiopia’s political climate.
Thousands in Protest March against King of Swaziland
Several people, last week, marched against King Mswati III appointed government in Swaziland, a day after clashes with riot police in which several protesters were arrested and beaten. Sikelela Dlamini, coordinator of the Swaziland United Democratic Front, said more than 3,000 people were marching in provincial town of Siteki. However, on Wednesday police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse crowds demanding an end to a political system that allows the king to run the country of 1.4 million people as a personal fiefdom.
Medvedev Demands Action to Improve Russia’s Air Safety
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has demanded a rapid reduction in the number of domestic airlines and said the country may have to buy foreign aircraft to improve safety after a plane crash killed 43 people, including an ice hockey team. Acknowledging there were “big problems” with Russia’s safety record, Medvedev said the government should help revive the civil aviation fleet and improve training and pay for flight crews. Many private air companies have been formed in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 but many rely heavily on Soviet-era fleets. Medvedev acknowledged that previous efforts to improve safety had been unsuccessful.
Detained Doctors Released in Bahrain
All the doctors and medics who were detained during recent protests in Bahrain have been released on bail, the country’s Information Affairs Authority said on Thursday. Charges against the doctors include possession of unlicensed weapons, inciting the overthrow of the government, provoking sectarian hatred and forceful occupation of a public building, the Information Affairs Authority said. Prosecutors have alleged that, at the height of the protests earlier this year, the accused refused to help patients at Salmaniya Medical Complex. The trial against the doctors will resume September 29, authorities said. The move comes after reports that many of the detained doctors and activists had gone on hunger strikes. Rights groups were cautiously optimistic in lauding the release of the medics.
Syrian Forces Accused of Killing Defectors
Syrian government forces killed three army defectors in a raid early Thursday in the country’s northwest, an activist group said. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security and military forces conducted the action in Jabal al-Zawiyah village in Idlib province. Heavy gunfire was heard as forces stormed the village. At least two people were arrested in the raid. Analysts have raised the specter of army defections as the tensions and killings persist. A violent government crackdown against anti-government protesters that has left more than 2,200 dead over the last six months in Syria has drawn international condemnation and pressure on President Bashir al-Assad to end to the attacks on demonstrators.
Interpol Issues Arrest Warrant for Gaddafi, Others
World police body, Interpol, on Friday, issued arrest warrant for fugitive former Libyan leader Moammer Gaddafi for his alleged crimes against humanity, following a request by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Interpol said it had issued a “red notice” for the arrest of Muammar Kaddafi; his son, Seif al-Islam; and his intelligence chief, Abdullah al-Senussi. Interpol asked its 188 member countries “to take all measures consistent with their national laws to help the ICC locate and apprehend Gaddafi”. The “request for Interpol Red Notices will significantly restrict the ability of all three men to cross international borders and is a powerful tool to help in their location and arrest,” Interpol chief Ronald Noble said.
Libya: AQIM May be in Possession of Missing Weaponry
A potent stash of Russian-made surface-to-air missiles is missing from a huge Tripoli weapons warehouse amid reports of weapons looting across war-torn Libya. They are Grinch SA-24 shoulder-launched missiles, also known as Igla-S missiles, the equivalent of U.S.-made Stinger missiles. Dozens of empty crates marked with packing lists and inventory numbers that identified the items as Igla-S surface-to-air missiles were found. Fighters aligned with the National Transitional Council and others swiped armaments from the storage facility, witnesses disclosed. The warehouse contains mortars and artillery rounds, but there are empty crates for those items as well. The EU’s counter-terrorism coordinator said that the Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) have “gained access to the weapons, which are extremely dangerous.
German Police Arrest Two over Bomb Plot
Police in Berlin have arrested two men suspected of planning a bomb attack. One of the men is described as a 24-year-old German citizen of Lebanese descent, while the other is from Gaza, aged 28. They had procured chemical substances which could be used to make explosives, a police spokesman said. Police are searching the premises of an Islamic cultural centre in the Wedding district, as well as the two men's residences. The two suspects occasionally stayed overnight in the cultural centre and were frequent visitors to the mosque associated with it, police said.
Mexico Detains 80 in Crackdown on Drug Gang
Mexican troops detained 80 suspected members of the Zetas drug gang, including six police, in eastern Veracruz, the military said on Thursday. Jose Luis Vergara, spokesman for the navy, presented seized weapons and high-tech communications equipment which they said allowed the heads of the Zetas to communicate with their hit men, police who were protecting them and drug traffickers. The equipment included ultra high frequency (UHF) radios, computers and digital equipment for transmitting encrypted radio messages and "planning the operations of cells of killers". The six detained police had provided protection to the network, he said.
US Scientist Admits Israel Spy Charge
A former US government scientist charged with attempting to sell technology secrets to Israel has confessed to one count of espionage. Stewart Nozette will serve a sentence of 13 years in prison after making a plea deal with prosecutors. He has been in jail since his arrest in 2009 after a sting operation by an undercover FBI agent. Nozette was accused of seeking millions of dollars to sell classified information. He could have faced a death sentence if convicted on all four counts of attempted espionage with which he had been charged. Nozette worked in the government for several decades, including at NASA, the National Space Council and the Department of Energy.