Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 20

• 
• 

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Stray Bullet Kills SSS Official

An official of the State Security Service (SSS), Mr. Petrus Onwu, was killed by stray bullets allegedly fired by policemen at fleeing hoodlums in Enugu metropolis in Enugu State. While the SSS official died, a meat seller, Philomena Udealor, who was also hit by the Police bullets is said to have survived with injuries. A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebere Amaraizu, said the SSS personnel was hit by a bullet while driving on the road and was confirmed dead by doctors. The PPRO however said the state command had commenced full scale investigation into the incident, noting that the police patrol team which fired the bullets was in pursuit of cultists, who later robbed certain residents at gun point at the Artisan market area of the state.

Robbers Raid Hospital Labour Room

Armed robbers, in the wee hours of on Thursday raided the labour ward and two other departments in Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH’s) in Aba. The robbers, posing as pastors that came to pray for the women, dispossessed the women in labour, patients and workers of their personal belongings, including cash, mobile phones and jewelries. It was gathered that when the robbers entered the ward, they were said to have pretended as pastors, who had come to help the women in prayers and were indeed leading the unsuspecting staff and patients in prayers, when all of a sudden, they brought out their guns and ordered their victims to lie down and bring out all they had on them, which the robbers made away with. The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Joe Onwuka, confirmed the robbery incident.

JTF Arrest 21 Ghanaian, 5 Nigerians for Illegal Bunkering

The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta has arrested 21 Ghanaians and five Nigerians at Awoba, Degema LGA of Rivers State for illegal bunkering. The Task Force also recovered more than 250,000 tonnes of crude oil from two vessels; MT Oxo and MT Ane, seized from the bunkers. The Commander of the 2 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt and sector two of the Task Force, Brig. Gen. Tulku Buratai, disclosed this.  Buratai said residents of Awoba Community, a coastal settlement in Degema had alerted the Task Force of the vandalism of a Shell Pipeline in the area by oil thieves.  According to him, it was the information received from the residents of the area that led to the arrest of the suspects.

Lawmakers Urge Police to End Kidnapping in South East

Against the backdrop of the rising cases of kidnapping in the South East, the House of Representatives on Thursday, urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar to unveil security plans that would curb the menace in the region.  The lawmakers also recommended the training of police personnel by the force’s authorities, to enable them combat insecurity in the country. The resolutions of the House emanated from three separate motions brought to it by concerned members, seeking the intervention of the lower chamber in the worrisome state of insecurity in Nigeria.

Policeman Mobbed in Nsukka

Tension mounted at Ogbede in Igbo-Etiti LGA of Enugu State, last weekend, as irate mob attacked and killed a police officer and left another unconscious. It was gathered that the policemen were on mission to arrest a suspect in a fight between two people when the incident occurred. The policemen, on arrival at the fight scene, made effort to arrest one of the fighters, who injured his opponent, but he refused on the grounds that no police could arrest him. His resistance attracted a larger crowd to the scene who supported him to ensure he was not taken away by the policemen. The crowd allegedly closed in on the policemen, prompting one of the cops to fire into the air to scare away the crowd. Unfortunately, the stray bullet killed one of the people who gathered at the scene of the incident. This infuriated the crowd who pounced on the two policemen and gave them the beating of their lives, which left one of them dead and the other unconscious.

Rivers Gives N23m to Families of Slain Policemen

Rivers State government has given N23 million to relatives of police personnel, who died in active service in the state. The gesture was in fulfillment of Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s promise to reward any officer, who dies in active service, according to the state’s Commissioner of Police (CP), Mohammed Indabawa. The CP explained that 23 families were affected and each received N1 million. Before presenting the cheques, Indabawa prayed that such misfortune should not befall the command anymore, adding that the lives of the officers were more meaningful as they contributed to the growth of the nation. He expressed condolences to the bereaved families and urged them to make good use of the money.

Governors Forum Tasks Nigerians on Terror Attacks

The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), on Thursday, condemned the current state of insecurity in the country, describing it as “a national embarrassment.” Rivers State Governor and Chairman of NGF, Chibuike Amaechi, pleaded for greater understanding among Nigerians over the situation. Amaechi stressed that the governors have resolved to hold a meeting to brainstorm on the situation, with a view to finding a lasting solution to the challenge. In a related development, the Federal Government has said that it was still predisposed to holding dialogue with the Boko Haram sect. Minister of Defence, Bello Haliru Mohammed, stated this on Thursday in Abuja while receiving an Italian military delegation led by its Ambassador to Nigeria, Roberto Colemine.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Police Arrest Killers of Security Agents in Delta

A three-man gang of kidnappers, who allegedly shot dead a soldier, four policemen and their family members in Warri, Delta State, have been nabbed by the police.  The suspected kidnappers that operated in Warri and Benin City invaded the Warri central market on December 12 last year and killed the security personnel alongside their family members and carted away their belongings. Parading the suspects in Asaba, on Thursday, state Commissioner of Police, Ikechukwu Aduba, said that the suspects have been killing and maiming people including members of the security agencies. He said on interrogation the suspects confessed committing the crime. The commissioner listed the items recovered from them to include one Audi 80 saloon car, three AK 47 rifles and AK 47 magazines and1416 rounds of live ammunition among several others.

President Orders IG to Find Oyerinde’s Killers

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, gave a marching order to the Acting Inspector General of Police, Alhaji MD Abubakar, to go after the killers of Mr. Olaitan Oyerinde, the Private Principal Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State. Jonathan also extended his condolences to Oshiomhole. He said he had also directed Abubakar to reopen investigations on all unresolved murders with a view to resolving them, saying it was not proper and did not engender confidence that murder cases were not resolved through investigation.

Two Jailed for Threaten to Life

A Delta State High Court has jailed two technicians for threatening to kill a 42-year-old civil servant and her children, if she failed to pay them N3.5 million. The convicts, Patrick Boyitie and Edafe Erakpor, were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy and threat to life. The trial Magistrate, NC Onyekwe, found the accused persons guilty and convicted them. On count one, they were sentenced to  three months imprisonment; count two, three months imprisonment and count three, three months imprisonment or an option of fine of N5,000 each in lieu of the prison terms.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Fashola Blames Aliens for Terrorists’ Attacks

Lagos State Government, on Monday, said terrorists’ attacks in the country were orchestrated by Malians and Chadians, blaming the porosity of the borders for their infiltration into the country. This is as the Nigerian Army has called on Nigerians to join hands in the fight against terrorism, saying that security agencies alone cannot win the war. Governor Babatunde Fashola noted that the security and checks at the nation’s borders was nothing, compared to what was obtainable in Cameroun and other neighbouring countries’ borders. He called for proper policing of the borders to check the influx of terrorists into the country.

Task Force Recovers Weapons under Bridge

Lagos State Government said it recovered different kinds of guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons under the Ijora-Marine Bridge, during the clearing of the entire axis by its joint taskforce. It also said several foreign nationals, believed to be illegal immigrants from neighbouring countries, were also displaced from the cleared site. The state government has, meanwhile, called on the Federal Government to direct relevant authorities to carry out immediate structural integrity test on the Ijora-Marine Bridge, which leads to one of the biggest seaports in Africa, to avert imminent collapse as well as likely loss of life and property.

Varsity Lecturer Abducted

A female lecturer with the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Dr (Mrs) Olusola Otulana, was kidnapped, penultimate Friday, while returning from Ikorodu in Lagos State. She was said to have been kidnapped between Imota and Ijebu-Ode and was taken away to an unknown destination. The abductors were said to have initially demanded for N100 million as ransom but reduced it by half, and have since remained adamant on it. The victim’s husband, Dr Biodun Otulana, said he could not afford the N50 million and has called for help for her release. Meanwhile, the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), OOUTH chapter, has described the kidnapping of Mrs Otulana as unfortunate.

Smugglers Attack Customs Officials in Ogun

Two officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Ogun State are currently receiving treatment after a gang of smugglers attacked officials of the NCS during two separate operations in their attempt to retrieve contraband goods seized from them. They attacked the customs officers with dangerous weapons, including guns, swords and charms. The state’s Customs Area Comptroller, Mr. Akande Bamidele, lamented the violent nature of the border communities in the state, just as he promised that the Service would not be deterred by the attack in curbing the nefarious activities of smugglers.

Lagos Raises Alarm over State of Marine Bridge

Lagos State Government Wednesday raised the alarm over the safety of the Marine Bridge, noting that the structural integrity of the bridge, which stretches from Ijora to Apapa, had been compromised. The state Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, raised the alarm while inspecting the area along with his Transportation counterpart, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said the bridge had suffered partial collapse. According to him, the coast is now clear for the Federal Ministry of Works to come in and access the structural integrity of the bridge. The activities of illegal occupants under the bridge compromised its structural integrity. He also pointed out that a lot of dangerous weapons “were recovered from shanties and illegal structures built under the bridge during the operation aimed at restoring law and order.

Septuagenarian Arraigned for Fraud

A 79-year-old man, Clement Uwemedimo, and his alleged accomplice, Prince Ajamu Adedayo, were, on Wednesday, arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru of a Lagos High Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of fraud. The duo was arraigned alongside their company, Command Clem Nigeria Limited, on a 32-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretense. They both pleaded not guilty to the charges. Consequently, their counsel, Jeese Daniels Onuigbo, applied for his clients’ bail, asking the court to take into consideration the constitutional rights of the defendants based on presumption of innocence until proven guilty.  He, however, urged the court to impose conditions that would ensure the defendants were present in court for trial throughout.

Task Force Impounds over 60 Vehicles

A combined team of law enforcement agencies, led by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar Manko, on Monday, removed over 60 trucks indiscriminately parked along Oshodi -Apapa Expressway, following the expiration of ultimatum issued by the state government to remove them. Two persons were also arrested by the Lagos State Task Force on Environment and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), during the evacuation exercise of abandoned vehicles and demolition of all illegal structures in Apapa area of the state

GENERAL

4 Boko Haram Suspects Killed in Kano

Four suspected members of the Boko Haram Sect were killed in Kano, last weekend, after an operation carried out by the members of the Joint Security Task Force (JTF) in the state. Spokesman of the JTF, Lt. Ikedechi Iweha, disclosed that the soldiers raided a hideout of the sect located somewhere in Hotoro Quarters. Lt. Iweha revealed that the operation was successful and casualty-free on the part of the JTF, adding that the raid followed intelligence reports gathered on the activities of members of the sect in the area. He also confirmed that some of the members of the sect were arrested as a result of the operation but declined to give the exact figure of arrested suspects.

7 Killed as Gunmen Attack Plateau Village

About seven people were feared killed in their sleep in an attack in the early hours of Thursday by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Rinyam Tahoss village of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was also gathered that 10 others, who reportedly sustained serious injuries, were currently in critical condition at the Vom Christian hospital. It was learnt that the herdsmen, who laid ambush at various strategic parts of the village fired gun shots into the air to scare the villagers, and subsequently began to attack them in their sleep. An eye witness said after two hours of uninterrupted operation, the assailants bolted away before the arrival of men of the Special Task Force (STF).

Governor Links Poverty to Insecurity

Niger State Governor and chairman Northern Governors’ Forum, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, said that poverty breeds insecurity in the north. According to him, governors should fight poverty with all the seriousness it deserves. He also debunked allegations that the North is using the Islamist sect, Boko Haram to fight the Federal Government over the loss of Presidency in 2011 general elections by the region. The sect had rendered the North’s economy almost comatose as a result of incessant attacks which had led to loss of hundreds of lives and property estimated at billions of Naira

FG Raises Alarm over Cultism in Schools

Federal Government has expressed deep concern over the spread of cult activities in primary and secondary schools in the country. Consequently, government has indicated its interest to review existing laws in the education sector in order to clip the wings of cultists in learning institutions. President Goodluck Jonathan raised the alarm at the 3rd national conference on Strategies for Eradicating Cultism in Nigerian Educational Institutions in Abuja, on Monday. The President lamented that school campuses had also been turned into breeding grounds for other forms of immoral behaviour, such as sexual harassment, terrorism and the likes.

Army Takes Steps to Checkmate Terrorism

The Nigerian Army said it has taken steps to checkmate the activities of terrorist group and other criminal element in the country. The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika, said the army has moved towards inter agency cooperation and intelligence gathering and sharing, adding that several units of the force have commenced counter insurgency and counter terrorism training nationwide. The Army Chief the Nigerian Army engineers have been deployed to work within the community where the force’s internal security operation is established. For instance, he said that the Nigerian Army engineers have cleared 64 kilometre Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline right of way from Warri to Escravos and also reconstructed Ayakoromo village also in Delta State.

Police Defuse 18 Bombs in BUK

Kano State Police Command, Thursday, said that a total of 18 explosives were planted in Bayero University, Kano, within the last nine days, and that all were defused by bomb experts of the State Police Command. State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Idris, said while 14 of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) were found on the main campus of BUK on May 8th, three others were recovered at various locations within the University. The Police boss expressed concern over the development, adding that the Police had met with the university security chiefs and had consequently advised the BUK authorities and other tertiary institutions in the state to be vigilant. The Commissioner emphasized that security officers attached to higher institutions in the state have important roles to play in the present situation by ensuring that every persons, carriages, vehicles and motorcycles entering the university were subjected to rigorous screening and search.

FG to Improve Security in Universities

Following the recent Boko Haram attacks on Bayero University (BUK), and Gombe State University, where over 20 persons were killed, the Federal Government is set to provide adequate security to protect lives and property in university campuses across the nation. Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyat Rufai, who announced this on Thursday, said government was working with the various security agencies in the country to stop the attacks. The minister’s explanation was coming just as a group known as the South-Western Students called President Goodluck Jonathan to stop the bombings and killings of western students and lecturers by members of the Boko Haram sect. The students, who embarked on a peaceful protest, besieged Radio House, venue for the ministerial platform press briefing where the Education Minister and her Minister of State were giving an account of their stewardship in the last one year.

Governors Back Electricity Tariff Increase

The 36 state governors in the country Thursday backed the June 1,  date for the Multi-Year Tariff structure (MYTO) or increase in electricity tariffs across the country citing the need to stem migration of manufacturers to other countries on account of poor power supply in Nigeria engendered by poor pricing which drives away investors. The agreement on the tariff increase was announced after the National Economic Council meeting presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo. The NEC also approved N50 billion to subsidise the new electricity tariff. NEC also stated that stable power supply would reduce the personal cost of doing business by 40 per cent and return fleeing manufacturing concerns to Nigeria.

Vice President Urges Boko Haram on Ceasefire, Dialogue

The Federal Government has reiterated its call on all groups including the Boko Haram sect, to ceasefire and come forward for dialogue. The Vice President, Namadi Sambo, gave the charge, on Thursday, at the National Symposium, organised by Nasirul-Lahi-Faith Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), tagged “Islam and Peaceful Co-Existence in a Contemporary Multi Religious Society. Sambo reiterated the determination of the FG to provide adequate security for the lives and property of all Nigerians and visitors. He commended the organisers of the symposium, saying it was apt, adding that it would help to educate the public on the Islamic view of peaceful co-existence and the concept of Jihad.

JTF Kills Boko Haram Suspect, Arrests 2 in Maiduguri

The Joint Task Force (JTF) in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Wednesday, killed a suspected Boko Haram member and wounded two others. JTF’s spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, said that the suspects had attempted to attack a JTF location, adding that two other members were arrested. He said the suspects, who were operating on a tricycle, had launched an attack on a JTF formation in Budum, Maiduguri, but   the attack was effectively repelled with one of the attackers killed. Musa said JTF also recovered one locally made pistol from the suspects. The killing of the Boko Haram suspects came on a day a policeman escaped death after he was shot at and wounded by unknown gunmen at Gamboru Market in Maiduguri. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bala Hassan, who confirmed the report, said the affected policeman was responding to treatment.

FG Ready to Negotiate with Boko Haram –Minister

The Federal Government, in collaboration with some traditional rulers, is set for negotiations with the violent fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram to end the reign of violence, according to the Minister of Defence, Dr Bello Haliru Mohammed. Speaking on Thursday, when he received the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Roberto Colamine, in his office, Mohammed, noted that the FG was committed to the speedy resolution of the crises that had hindered progress in the country. The minister said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Nigerian government and the Italian government, which, he said, would enhance Nigerian peacekeeping efforts, was awaiting the ratification of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

NDLEA Arrests 36 Suspects in Bauchi

The Bauchi State command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has stated its commitment to ensuring that the state is drug-free. This is as it announced that 36 drug suspects were nabbed in the state between January and March, this year. The state commander of the agency, Mr Parah Julius Bawa, stated 11 of the suspects had been convicted, and 22 are still facing trial in court, while three others were counseled and released.

Ex-Director Remanded in Prison over Pension Funds Scam

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, remanded a former Director of the Pensions Department, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Sani Shuaibu, in prison for allegedly diverting N439 million from pension funds. Shuaibu was sent to prison shortly after he pleaded not guilty to an amended four-count criminal charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The anti-graft agency told the court that the ex-pension boss connived with four separate companies and diverted funds meant for retired pensioners in the country. The companies were said to have provided their bank accounts for the illicit transfer of monies from the pension funds. EFCC, however, persuaded the trial judge to refuse the plea, alleging that the pension boss threatened to kill four of its principal witnesses. Shuaibu, however, regained his freedom after securing bail from a Federal High Court in the sum of N50 million and one surety in like sum. July 19 is fixed for the commencement of hearing.

NAFDAC Alerts on Killer Gentamycin Injection

Following the death of two ladies from Benue State after being treated with the banned Gentamycin 280mg injection, the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered all health care providers still stocking the product to immediately surrender them to the nearest NAFDAC office or face prosecution for homicide. Gentamicin is an antibiotic used to treat many types of bacterial infections. NAFDAC on October 7, 2010 banned Gentamycin 280mg injection from circulation following safety data associating the use of Gentamycin injection with deafness. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, revealed that one Miss Florence Bagidi, an undergraduate student, died following the administration of Gentamycin 280mg injection by Mr. Reuben Obasi, a patent medicine store operator. The NAFDAC boss said Obasi admitted administering the drug on the late Bagidi.

Prison Attack Blamed on Congestion

The ministerial committee set up to investigate the attack on Konton Karfe prison in Kogi State has attributed rising incidences of jail breaks to congestion in almost all the prisons in the country. Speaking at the submission of the report, Chairman of the five-man committee, John Odah, traced the congestion of prisons in the country to undue delay in the trial of inmates. Odah also stated that there was need to fortify prisons to forestall future occurrences of attacks on prisons. He appealed to the Minister of Interior to convince members of the National Assembly to undertake visits to prisons located in their constituencies to enable them appreciate the report submitted by the committee. Speaking further, he lamented that instead of the prison becoming a correctional facility; it had turned into a breeding ground for deviant characters, adding that most of the inmates in Nigerian Prisons awaiting trial were transformed into deviants.

NEMA Alerts South/South on Imminent Windstorm

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has alerted states in the South/South region to brace-up for imminent windstorm. They are to get ready for severe windstorms as predicted by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) to avoid casualties. The agency issued the warning in a statement issued by South/South zonal Information Officer, Mr. Roberts Ekemini. NIMET’s 2012 rainfall prediction shows that the 2012 rains in the South/South region are likely to be characterised by heavy windstorms. The Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi, said the essence of the NIMET prediction is to prepare the states and their citizens for the natural disaster, the statement said.

INTERNATIONAL

Pakistani Militants Behead Two Soldiers

Eleven Pakistani soldiers were killed, including two who were beheaded after being captured, during fighting with Islamist militants in North Waziristan, officials said on Monday. Gunmen armed with rockets attacked a military convoy on Sunday, sparking gun battles near Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan. The military said nine soldiers were killed in the clashes over several hours and claimed that “heavy casualties” were inflicted on the militants. The heads of a further two soldiers were later found dumped without their bodies. Three worshippers were also killed and 15 wounded when a shell hit a mosque near Miranshah on Sunday, security officials disclosed.

US Urges Pakistan to do Against Militancy

US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has called on Pakistan to do more to crack down on militancy, as she ends a two-day trip to neighbouring India. Clinton said Pakistan's government needed to ensure that its territory was not used for launching attacks anywhere, including inside Pakistan. Addressing reporters with Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna, she added that India was critical in efforts to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. Talks between Clinton and Indian officials ranged from India's imports of Iranian oil to foreign investment.

S/Korean Seizes Human Flesh Capsules

Thousands of smuggled drug capsules filled with powdered flesh from dead babies, which some people believe can cure disease, have been seized by Customs officials in South Korea. The capsules were made in North-Eastern China from babies whose bodies were chopped into small pieces and dried on stoves before being turned into powder, the Korea Customs Service said. China has ordered an investigation into the production of drugs made from dead fetuses or newborns last year. The customs office has discovered 35 smuggling attempts since August of about 17,450 capsules disguised as stamina boosters, and some people believe them to be a panacea for disease, the customs service said in a statement.  The smugglers told customs officials they believed the capsules were ordinary stamina boosters and did not know the ingredients or manufacturing process.

Searchers Recover Bodies at Russian Jet Wreckage Site

Rescuers at the wreckage of a Russian Sukhoi Superjet plane that crashed into mountains in Indonesia on Wednesday say they have found no sign of survivors.  The Sukhoi Superjet 100 vanished from radar screens 50 minutes after taking off from Jakarta for a brief demonstration flight. On Thursday a helicopter found debris on the side of a cliff near a dormant volcano. The spokesman for the rescue effort said a number of bodies had been found. About 45 people are said to have been on board the aircraft. It crashed into Mount Salak around 1.5km from the spot where the plane last made contact, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said.  Eight Russian pilots and technicians, Indonesian airline representatives and journalists were among those said to be on board the plane. Aerial searches for the plane on Wednesday were hampered by darkness and strong winds.

Drone Strike Kills 8 Militants in Yemen

A U.S. drone strike killed eight militants in southern Yemen on Thursday morning, continuing a coordinated assault on al Qaeda and its affiliates in the area, according to reports. The attack targeted a convoy carrying senior leaders of the Ansar al-Sharia militant network, an offshoot of al Qaeda, in the Abyan province. The drone strike was followed by a string of air strikes by Yemen's air force. Clashes between government troops and militants also were reported by the security officials. The clashes resulted in the death of three troops in Zinjibar and the injury of six others. The developments come less than a week after a senior operative of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was killed by a CIA drone strike and less than three weeks after a terror plot to bring down a U.S.-bound jetliner was foiled.

Dozens Dead, Injured in Syria Blasts

Two strong explosions rocked the Syrian capital on Thursday, killing over 50 people. More than 170 others were injured, according to reports. Syrian government described the blasts as "terrorist explosions”, a reference the regime has used to explain the ongoing violence. Opposition group, National Coordination Body, which includes members who are in exile, blamed the regime. The Syrian National Council, the main opposition political group, alleged that the blast was a government planned attack which was used as provocation. The blasts occurred in Qazzaz neighborhood and destroyed the nation's intelligence agency, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Preliminary information indicates it was a car explosion and casualties included civilians and security forces.

NATO Worried over Arm Sales to Russia

Members of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) are worried that unprecedented billion-dollar arms sales to Russia by France, Germany and Italy could destabilise security, a United States (U.S.) congressional report disclosed. The report, by the Congressional Research Service, details the sales to Russia by France of four of its Mistral-class amphibious assault vessels, which CRS described as “the first ever (sales) of a significant offensive military capability by a NATO member to Russia.” The sales, beginning with a France-Russia contract signed in June 2011, have “exposed tension within the alliance over NATO’s relations with Russia” and led to particular concern among Baltic and other NATO members about possible deployment of the Mistrals in the Baltic Sea.

Russia Accuses “Outside Forces” for Deadly Syria Attacks

Russia condemned the massive suicide bombings in Syria and accused outside nations of instigating violence to heighten the 14-month uprising that has left thousands dead. The massive blasts on Thursday left about 59 people dead in Damascus. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who made the claim while in Beijing for talks with his Chinese counterpart, did not specify the countries. "Such acts aim to push the country to a new bloody and extremely dangerous wave of violence," he said. Both Russia and China had emphasized their rejection of outside military intervention in Syria and the need for the government and the opposition to engage in dialogue.  Meanwhile, Kofi Annan, UN and Arab league envoy to Syria, said that the country was running out of options.

Fugitive Commits Suicide as Kidnapped Sisters Found Alive

The two young girls, kidnapped from Tennessee after their sister and mother were killed, were found alive in a wooded area in Mississippi, authorities said. The girls were found as Adam Mayes, the man accused of the slayings and kidnappings, died on Thursday after shooting himself, the FBI said. Daniel McMullen, FBI special agent in charge in Jackson, Mississippi, said that Mayes, 35, was suspected of abducting Alexandria Bain, 12, and Kyliyah Bain, 8, from their Whiteville, Tennessee, home, in late April, and killing Jo Ann Bain and her eldest daughter, Adrienne, 14. According to the FBI, the two surviving sisters "are suffering from the experience of being out in the woods and from being kidnapped. They are suffering from dehydration and exhaustion, but appear OK". Authorities came to the wooded area Thursday evening after someone called to report what they believed may have been Mayes' vehicle. Mayes and his wife, Teresa Mayes, had been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping.