Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 36

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Gunmen Kill Retired CBN Official, Abduct Deputy Governor’s Aide

Gunmen, last weekend, killed a retired senior official of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The hoodlums also abducted his wife, but she was later dumped somewhere. The car was abandoned at the scene and nothing was said to have been removed from it. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Vitalis Onugu, confirmed the incident but could not give details. Meanwhile, the principal secretary to the deputy governor of Imo State, Emenike Ihekwoaba, was, penultimate Sunday abducted by gunmen on his way to his Nkwerre country home. Ihekwoaba was with his wife and driver before he was ambushed and whisked away by the gunmen. The Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor on Media Affairs, Chief Onyema Opara, confirmed the kidnap, adding that frantic efforts are being made to secure his release.

Kidnappers Demand N30m for Abducted Monarch

The police and the State Security Service have intensified search for the 70-year-old clan head of Okordia in Ikarama community in Bayelsa state, Richard Seiba, who was abducted penultimate Saturday by gunmen. Gunmen stormed the palace of the traditional ruler at about 2am and abducted Seiba. A member of the Community Development Committee (CDC), Washington Odoyibo, said the abductors pointed a gun at the monarch through the window and forced him to open the door to his room. The kidnappers have reportedly demanded a ransom of N30m to free the monarch.

JTF on Manhunt for Militant Leader

Following the recent rescue of 28 oil workers abducted at the Nigerian side of the Bakassi peninsula, the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) has declared the leader of the militant group that took the workers hostage, Lato Marine, wanted. Marine is wanted for leading insurgency in the Gulf of Guinea and involvement in smuggling, illegal oil bunkering and piracy. Commander of the JTF, Major General Johnson Ochoga, confirmed the successful rescue of all 28 hostages, saying that they have been handed back to the oil company, Sinopec. The Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Olufemi Ogunjimi, described the group as criminal gang that has nothing to do with the group agitating for the liberation of Bakassi people.

Men Behead 16-Year-Old

A 16 year-old girl, Nwanneka Odah, was on Wednesday, beheaded by a 3-man-gang at Nawfia in Njikoka LGA of Anambra State. Nwanneka was said to be hawking groundnuts along the Nawfia–Awka road when the three young men stopped her to buy groundnuts, but as she bent to sell to them, one of them used a machete to cut off her head. An alarm was raised by a commercial bike rider, who witnessed the event. Anambra State Police spokesman, Raphael Uzoigwe, confirmed the incident, saying the matter had been referred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, CID, for investigation. This came as the Awka branch manager of a commercial bank, Tochukwu Nnadi, was on Wednesday kidnapped on his way to work. The State Police Command, however, said the matter had not been reported to it at the time of filing the report.

Son Dies in Pursuit of Fathers’ Kidnappers

A young man in his early twenties, Junior Egbunike, was, died on Monday following injuries sustained while pursuing hoodlums that kidnapped his father, Amulunanma Egbunike in Onitsha. Mr Egbunike was returning home with his wife and son, Junior, when the kidnappers blocked his car and dragged him into their own car and drove off. Junior, who was driving his father’s car, pursued them with his mother also in the car, when the car got involved in a head on collision with another car. Both mother and son sustained serious injuries, leading to the death of Junior. The kidnapped Egbunike is yet to regain his freedom.

Woman Arrested over Sale of Nephew

The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested a middle-aged woman, Elizabeth Elom, for alleged theft and sale of her nephew, Favour Onwe. Police spokesman, Sylvester Igbo, said that the suspect was arrested alongside one Mr. Izuchukwu Okeke, who is alleged to have linked the suspected to the buyer, Mrs. Nkiruka Okonkwo. It was gathered that Okonkwo, who bought the child for N100, 000 however, took to her heels when argument ensued on the rightful ownership of the child. The police was able to unravel the circumstances behind the missing child, when it became obvious that the boy was last seen with the suspect who sold him. He called on members of the public to always give useful information to the police, assuring that their identity would be protected. Elizabeth confessed to the crime of selling the child.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Ex-Militants Threaten Attack on Oil Facilities

Some ex-militants have threatened to attack oil installations in the Niger Delta region over the Federal Government’s denial and refusal to accommodate them in the amnesty programme. The ex-militants said that they were tired of Federal Government’s promises, which are not being kept. The national chairman of the group, “General” Umukoro Ramsey, said the former war lords had exhausted their patience with the government to enlist them into the amnesty programme and pay their entitlements. The national secretary, “General” Mentor Bob, called on the multi-national companies to immediately withdraw their personnel from the region to avoid being trapped in the cause of their operations.

Army Arrest Fake Lieutenant

The Authorities of the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin, on Tuesday, paraded a fake Army Lieutenant, Mr Goodluck Furupagha, who has obtained over one million naira from members of the public under the guise of recruiting them into the Nigerian Army. Parading the suspect in Benin City, Army Public Relations Officer, Roselyn Managbe, said the suspect was arrested in Asaba after an officer who presented himself as a prospective applicant approached the fake Lieutenant, then demanded for the sum of two hundred thousand naira for him to be recruited into the Army. The Army officer, then pleaded with the fake officer to collect N100,000. While this was going on, troops who were alerted came and arrested the fake Army Lieutenant. Furupagha admitted that he had duped several persons.

Ex-Delta Speaker, Slumps, Dies

Former Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Daniel Igbrude, allegedly slumped and died in a hospital on Tuesday. Igbrude, who became the Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly in June 2003, was reported to have taken his child to St Luke’s Hospital in Asaba and while the treatment of the child was going on, he demanded to use the toilet and reportedly slumped and died there. Igbrude was a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

16 Students over Illegal Possession Army Uniform, Accoutrement

Sixteen undergraduate students have been arrested for allegedly being in possession of army uniform and other military accoutrements. The suspects were arrested by the soldiers at different locations in Asaba and Ogwashi-Uku and handed over to the police for prosecution. The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Charles Muka, explained that they were students of the Delta State University, Anwai campus and Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku. Muka said that they were arrested while operating as members of the Nigerian Army Cadet Force and Safety Corps of the Nigeria Cadet Team. He added that the suspects, who owned up to be illegal members of the organisation, have been charged to court.

Road Accident Claims 13 in Edo

Thirteen persons were, Wednesday, killed in a road accident on the Benin-Auchi Road near Ewu slope. The accident, according to eyewitness account, involved an 18-seater bus and a trailer loaded with iron rods. Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Auchi Unit, Affiong Nseobot, attributed the accident to a brake failure from the trailer. It was gathered that the Abuja-bound articulated vehicle lost control after experiencing brake failure and rammed into the bus, killing the 13 persons. Six persons survived and were rushed to Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) for medical attention.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Men Arrested with Arms at Police HQ

Three middle-aged men have been arrested and detained by the Ogun State Police Command for being in possession of 68 live cartridges and a bag of marijuana. The men were nabbed during a routine stop and search at the entrance of the command. The trio claimed that they did not know how the incriminating items got into their vehicle. The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, said investigations were ongoing, adding that the explanation offered by the suspects was not satisfactory. They said they were not the owners of the vehicle and efforts are being made to find the real owner of the vehicle and possibly the guns.

Four Remanded in Prison for Murder

Four men alleged to have murdered Cynthia Osokogu, 25, were on Monday remanded at the Ikoyi prisons by a Yaba Magistrates’ Court. The defendants are facing an eight-count charge of armed robbery, murder, using illegal substance and rape. Cynthia, the daughter of retired Maj.-Gen Frank Osokogu, was reported to have met two of the defendants on Facebook and had been chatting with them for a while before she was murdered on her visit to Lagos from Jos.

Widow Commits Suicide, Boy Drowns in Ibadan

A body of middle-aged widow was found dangling from a tree in Ibadan as people searched for the body of a drowned 10-year-old boy on Monday. Residents of the Gada area of Odo-Ona Community in Ibadan, Oyo state lamented the double tragedy. According to eye witnesses, the two sad incidents occurred at about when the young boy went to the Odo-Ona River to fish without the consent of the parents, and droned. A search team mobilized to search for the boy’s body, however, stumbled on the corpse of the widow, who they suspected must have committed suicide by hanging herself. The son of the deceased, Mr Opeyemi, identified the body as that of his mother.

Man Gets Jail Term for Importing Fake Drugs

A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a middle-aged man, Uzoma Madueke, to three years imprisonment with hard labour for importing fake Fulcin tablets. Justice Okon Abang, on Tuesday, held that the convict chose to indulge in a venture that could result in the death of Nigerians. The action of the convict is bad because there are other legitimate means to make money. Madueke had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charge instituted against him by “If not for the vigilance of National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). He later confessed to the commission of the crime.

DPR Warns Marketers against Sharp Practices

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Wednesday read the riot act to petroleum marketers in Osun and Oyo States, warning that effective from October, all filling stations in the two states operating without licence would be banned from lifting products from the depot. The Operations Controller of DPR in the zone, Mrs. Folashade Odunuga, lamented the increased cases of petroleum products adulteration by marketers in Oyo and Osun States warning that henceforth, any filling station caught risk closure by the department. Odunuga also faulted the take-over of filling stations and rebranding such without approval of the DPR as illegal and must be stopped forthwith. Disclosing that the DPR had recorded increase in the activities of fake or illegal personnel recently, the Operations Controller said efforts were on to address the development.

6 Injured, Vehicles Damaged as Rival Gangs Clash in Lagos

At least six persons were injured and 30 vehicles damaged as a clash between rival gangs broke out at Ebute-Metta area of Lagos on Thursday. It was gathered that trouble started around midnight with sporadic gunshots fired by unidentified rival gangs fighting for supremacy in the area. People were robbed and properties were looted as the clash raged. The quick intervention of police officers quelled the violence. Residents called on the State Commissioner of Police to redeploy police officers from the nearby Iponri division, whom they accused of being compromised and nonchalant. The state police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, said normalcy had returned to the area and that police patrol teams were on ground to prevent further breakdown of law and order. Six persons were reportedly arrested.

Police Nab Ogun Pastor over Human Skull

The police in Ogun, Tuesday, paraded Pastor Michael Oyewole (29) and Mathew Akiode (30) at the command’s headquarters for allegedly exhuming human skull in Abeokuta. The State Commissioner of Police (CP), Ikemefuna Okoye, said that Akiode, who was caught committing the offence in the midnight, confessed that he was sent to get the skull by the pastor. The CP said Oyewole was subsequently arrested. Okoye said the two suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations. Akiode, who confessed to committing the crime said he was pushed into it by economic hardship.

Five Die After Eating Yam Flour

Five members of a family in Bolorunduro village in Ondo State died after eating a meal of amala (yam flour). A source said some hours after the meal, the first victim, started complaining of stomach pain and shortly after, slumped. She died later at a nearby hospital. But a few hours after Joy was buried, other members of the family started having stomach pains and were rushed to the hospital. It was at the hospital that the father told his neighbours that the family ate amala, and that they had not eaten any other food after that. He and the family members died one after the other shortly after that. Meanwhile, Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Aremu Adeniran, said the police had commenced investigation into the incident.

10 Die in Collision of Bus, Articulated Vehicle

Ten passengers of a commercial bus died on Tuesday at Obada-Oko in Ogun when their bus collided with an articulated vehicle. Fatai Bakare, the Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), said the accident occurred along the Abeokuta-Lagos expressway at about 12 midnight, adding that 11 people were involved. Bakare emphasized the need for motorists to keep to their lane while on the highway to forestall future occurrence of such collisions.

GENERAL

AIG Warns Police against Harassment of Civilians

Officers and men in Zone 12 command of the Nigerian Police Force, comprising Bauchi, Borno and Yobe states, have been warned against any form of harassment of journalists and other civilians. The warning came as the new Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) in charge of the zone, Mr Ibrahim Abdu, said discipline is one of his agenda while in the zone. The AIG stated that police brutality of innocent citizens had given the force bad reputation among Nigerians, saying that there was the need for the police and the community to work together.

Police Parade 8 Suspected Illegal Oil Bunkerers in Kogi

Kogi State police command, on Tuesday, paraded eight suspected oil bunkerers, just as the command declared four others wanted. The state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Katsina, said some of the bunkerers were arrested while vandalising an NNPC pipeline. The command, according to him, also recovered 11 trucks loaded with 3,000 litres of crude oil.. Also paraded along with the bunkerers were one male and one female car snatchers, who were apprehended by the state after the owner of the car monitored them from Warri, Delta State, through car tracker.

Nigeria, Benin Customs Pledge Partnership Tackle Arms Proliferation

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Abdullahi Dikko, and his Beninoise counterpart, Colonel Soussia Theophile, resolved to end the smuggling of hard drugs and proliferation of light weapons within the region. The two Customs heads pledged to work together to exchange intelligence and methodology to fight the menace which is threatening to destroy the region. This position was taken on Tuesday when Theophile, the Director General of Customs, Republic of Benin, paid a working visit to the Customs Headquarters in Abuja to discuss issues concerning border security.

FG Cautions Airlines against Making Air Returns

Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has warned airlines against making returns mid-air. Oduah said there was no justification for air returns based on poor weather conditions at the destination of airplanes, saying such incidents are occasioned by the failure of airline operators and pilots to get weather reports before take-off. She therefore warned airline operators against non-compliance with weather rules.  The minister warned that such recklessness on the part of airline operators and pilots would no longer be tolerated and infractions would be met with serious sanctions.

Flood Claims 28, Wreaks Havoc in 4 States

Tragedy stuck in Adamawa, Jigawa, Yobe and Nasarawa states when flood caused by the release of water from the Lagdo Dam by the Cameroonian government last week and floods caused by heavy rainfall. In Adamawa state, 18 persons were reported dead in a flood caused by the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon Republic, according to Shadrack Barub, the secretary of the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said. While in Jigawa and Yobe states, 11 and nine people respectively, died in flood disasters occasioned by heavy downpour. Over 200 houses were destroyed in Jigawa, while in Nasarawa state, a 17-year-old student drowned during a heavy downpour. Several farmlands were also destroyed.

Bomb Courier Dies in Maiduguri

A courier of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), who is suspected to be a member of Boko Haram, was on Tuesday, killed when the device detonated in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Spokesman of the JTF in Maiduguri, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said that the device was concealed in a wheel barrow by the suspected Boko Haram terrorists when it exploded. The owner of the wheel barrow was killed instantly while attempting to escape. No casualty was recorded. Musa also disclosed that another IED was discovered at another part of the troubled town same day.

NIS Promotes 2,021 Officers

About 2,021 officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have been promoted with new ranks by the management of the service. The Promotion exercise cuts across the three main cadres in the service organisational structure with many officials elevated to their next rank. A statement signed by the service spokesman, Mr Joachim Olumba showed that the management also approved the upgrading of fifty-nine (59) degree holders and 785 holders of Higher National Diploma (HND) certificates, bringing the total number of its upgraded personnel to 844.

Court Upholds Wada’s Victory

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, upheld the victory of Captain Idris Wada as the governor of Kogi State. The court dismissed the application brought by a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Jibrin Isah Echocho, seeking to invalidate the election that brought in Wada, on the grounds that he was the winner of the first primary conducted by the PDP and that his name was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while same was never withdrawn before another primary was conducted. Justice Abdul Kafarati held that the plaintiff instituted his suit more than two months after election was conducted and concluded and the governor had been inaugurated, adding that such actions made the case a post-election matter and that the plaintiff did not have the locus to institute an action to challenge the said election, because he never participated in it.

Policeman Arrested over Anal Sex with Minors

A policeman, serving with Bauchi State police command, has been arrested for having anal sex with children ages nine to 12 years. The policeman was said to have had sexual intercourse with about nine children in their anus before nemesis caught up with him, after he had allegedly injured his victims and the people of the community reported the matter to the police. The victims, it was gathered, were taken to the hospital, where it was confirmed that the children were brought in for treatment. The Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Mallam Mohammed Ladan, said that he directed that the matter be transferred to the SCID for thorough investigation.

NAFDAC Arrests Chinese, 4 Others for Unethical Practice

A Chinese national and Managing Director of Chung Full Nigeria Ltd, Mr Ksui Kim and four Nigerian staff of the company have been arrested by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for gross abuse and non-observance of manufacturing practice in production and sale of their products, Osaki range of table water. Officials of NAFDAC, who stormed the company’s premises, accompanied by the security operatives, were refused entry to carry out their lawful duties by the staff of the company on the orders of Mr Kim. The Director of Enforcement of NAFDAC, Mr Garba Macdonald, explained that apart from the arrest, the company had been sealed and its operations put on hold. He expressed disappointment that the quality of the products could not be guaranteed.

IGP Warns Policemen against Commercial Use of Patrol Vehicles

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, has warned officers attached to highway patrol vehicles to desist from using such vehicles for conveying goods for commercial purposes. Abubakar, who gave the warning on Wednesday, during the commissioning of 40 Toyota Hilux Patrol Vans and four specially fitted crime scene investigation vehicles, said the vehicles were primarily for the patrol of the nation’s highways. The IGP disclosed that the vehicles were expected to fill the vacuum created by the recent dismantling of roadblocks, and said they were to enhance speedy response to distress calls.

Four Die in Niger Tanker Explosion

Four persons died on Sunday in a petrol tanker fire explosion close to the NNPC Depot in Maje, Suleja LGA of Niger State. The explosion also injured six others. The incident occurred when the tanker, while trying to find a parking space, skidded, spilled its contents and caught fire. The Suleja unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Edwin Nwokike, warned tanker drivers to park at the designated parking space provided for them to avoid a repeat of such incident.

Five Boko Haram Suspects Killed in Maiduguri

Five suspected Boko Haram bombers on Saturday died while two soldiers and a teenager were injured following a bomb explosion in Maiduguri. The five bombers were killed by the security forces when the fuel-propelled explosion went off. Spokesperson of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said that the bombers attacked a JTF patrol team along Dikwa-Gamboru Road of the metropolis on Friday night. He confirmed the deaths of the suspects.

29 Die in Yobe Auto Crash

About 29 people died in a road accident on the Potiskum-Kano road in Yobe State on Friday night. State commander for the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Shehu Umar, confirming the accident, disclosed that two buses travelling on the opposite direction had a head-on collision about 10 km from Potiskum, which killing all the passengers on board. The buses went up in flames, killing the 29 passengers with nine burnt beyond recognition, Umar added. He attributed the accident to reckless driving and over-speeding.

Minister of Power, Barth Nnaji, Resigns

Power Minister, Barth Nnaji has resigned his appointment with immediate effect. This is coming in the wake of revelations that he pushed for a company he maintained vested interest in to acquire the Afam power station in Port Harcourt. A statement from the Presidency confirmed his resignation and that President Goodluck Jonathan had accepted the resignation with immediate effect. President Jonathan thanks Prof. Nnaji for his services to the nation under the present administration and wishes him well in his future endeavours.

5 Killed in Bauchi Accident

Five people were confirmed dead in a fatal accident at Turum village in Bauchi on Monday night, while seven others were injured in the accident that involved a Mitsubishi bus and an articulated truck. The accident reportedly occurred as the driver of the 14-seater Mitsubishi bus, who was on top speed, collided with the articulated truck, which was parked by the road side. The Bauchi State Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Olatunji Sunday, attributed the accident to over speeding and warned road users, especially drivers, against over speeding.

Task Force Impounds Illegal Drugs in Kano

The task force on the Control of Drug Abuse, Trafficking and Other Related Offences has impounded a truck loaded with drugs in Kano. The Public Relations Officer of the state Ministry of Health, Malam Isma’il Garba, said that the truck belongs to `Kwara Chemicals’. The Head of the Task Force, Malam Gali Sule, declared the sale of substandard drugs as illegal. Sule urged members of the public to assist the committee with vital information to help win the war against illicit use and sale of illegal drugs in Kano. He advised dealers in substandard drugs to comply with the law or the full wrath of the law, adding that owners of the impounded truck would be prosecuted.

NSCDC Nabs Job Recruitment Fraudsters

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have warned job seekers against the ploy by internet fraudsters, who specialise in creating fake websites for the purpose of advertising job vacancies on behalf of organisations and duping unsuspecting job seekers. The corps said it had, in the last three months, arrested 10 persons at different locations in connection with illegal job application websites and extortion of money from members of the public under the pretense. Public Relations Officer of the Corps, Mr Emmanuel Okeh, specifically warned that the Corps recruitment exercise in the past had never been through any website, purchase of scratch or application forms, rather, by placement of advertisement in national dailies.

Auto Mechanic Killed in Yobe

As killings and violence persist in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, banks and public offices have been closed. On Monday, gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram stormed the workshop of a mechanic known as Boda and killed him. The victim was allegedly ordered by the group to quit the workshop and relocate from the town. The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Patrick Egbuniwe, said no arrest had been made in connection with the incident.

INTERNATIONAL

Refinery Fire Kills 48 in Venezuela

President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, last weekend declared three days of national mourning after a massive explosion tore through the country’s largest refinery, killing nearly 50 persons. More than 80 others were injured. Energy Minister, Rafael Ramirez, said the explosion was triggered by a gas leak at the refinery, which is owned by state oil firm, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the cause of which remained to be determined. The blast damaged 209 homes and 11 shops. Venezuelan Vice-President Elias Jaua says the fire has spread as a third tank was ablaze. Chavez has ordered an urgent investigation into the blast. The Amuay refinery, one of the biggest in the world, was able to process about 645,000 barrels of crude oil a day before the explosion.

Thousands Displaced in Sudan as Fight Rages
…Rebels Kill 24 South Sudanese Soldiers

United Nations (UN) officials, Monday, disclosed that thousands of people have been displaced by fighting in the Sudan’s South Kordofan, area, while more than 8,700 people have fled the fighting. A senior military official has disclosed that 24 South Sudanese soldiers were killed in clashes with a militia group that the southern government accuses of subverting a disarmament campaign. According to South Sudan army spokesman, Col. Philip Aguer, an additional 12 soldiers were wounded and 17 are missing from the August 22 ambush of 200 South Sudanese troops who had been sent to quell alleged rebel activity in Jonglei State. Aguer said the rebels are led by an elusive militant named Yau Yau and that they are backed by Sudan, which consistently denies similar allegations.

Illegal Immigrants Drown off Libya-Egypt Coast

Egyptian security officials have launched search and rescue operations with the help of Libyan coastal authorities after dozens of people were feared drowned when their boat capsized on Monday. Three bodies were recovered and five people rescued from the Mediterranean near the maritime border between the two countries, security officials said. Officials in Cairo said the search for survivors was continuing in the Burdi area. Libya reported that the boat was carrying around 40 illegal migrants and capsized 3km off Libya’s east coast near the border with Egypt. It was not immediately clear who the passengers of the boat were but they are widely believed to be asylum-seekers trying to get to Europe.

Pirates Attack Oil Vessel off Coast of Togo

Suspected Sea Pirates, on Tuesday, attacked an oil tanker off the coast of Togo, taking control of its bridge and kidnapping 24 sailors before escaping amid an exchange of gunfire with a naval patrol boat, an anti-piracy organisation said. An official with the International Maritime Bureau, Noel Choong, said the pirates took control of the Greek-owned oil tanker, which had been anchored about 17 nautical miles (19 miles) away from Lome, quickly. Choong said the navy boat trailed the tanker and sailors exchanged gunfire with the pirates before the tanker escaped. The Pirates released the vessel after stealing 3,000 tonnes of fuel from it. The pirates took some of the cargo, jewellery and money that belonged to the crew, an official said. They escaped on Thursday in one of the ship's lifeboats. All crew members were in good health and unharmed.

Security Forces, Protesters Clash in Kenya, Togo

Kenyan police, Tuesday, fired tear gas to disperse Muslim protesters, who have looted shops and burned barricades for a second day in the city of Mombasa after the drive-by shooting of radical Muslim preacher, Aboud Rogo Mohammed, on Monday. A grenade thrown at a Kenyan police vehicle reportedly killed a police officer and a civilian. The Kenyan cleric had been accused of backing Islamist fighters in Somalia. In Togo, security forces fired tear gas to disperse the latest in a string of protests demanding electoral reforms ahead of parliamentary polls in October.  Let’s Save Togo said more than 100 people were injured and 125 arrested during two rallies. Togo’s security minister said Sunday authorities have released 119 people who were detained. Togo’s government has banned protests in commercial centres, citing the difficulty in maintaining public order in such areas.

Afghan in Army Uniform Kills Three NATO Soldiers

The NATO-led international force in Afghanistan says an Afghan in army uniform has killed three of its soldiers, the latest in a series of so-called "green-on-blue" attacks. The attack took place in the southern Afghan province of Uruzgan, NATO sources said. Australia's military has confirmed that its soldiers died in an incident, but did not say how many. NATO is training Afghan troops ahead of its pull-out by the end of next year. The Taliban has been actively recruiting members of the Afghan security forces, publicly announcing that insider attacks were a central part of their strategy against NATO forces.

France Opens Inquiry into Arafat’s Death

A French court has opened a murder inquiry into the 2004 death of Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, a legal source disclosed on Tuesday. The inquiry follows claims by his wife that he may have been poisoned. Arafat died in a Paris military hospital in November 2004, a month after being airlifted, when his health collapsed, from his battered headquarters in Ramallah, where he had been effectively confined by Israel for more than two and a half years, reports said. In July, Arafat's wife, Suha, asked a court in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre to launch a murder investigation following revelations that a Swiss institute had discovered high levels of the radioactive element polonium-210 on Arafat's clothing.

Syrian Army Drops Leaflets over Damascus
…as Deadly Car Bomb Hits Funeral in Damascus Suburb

Syrian military helicopters dropped thousands of leaflets over Damascus and its suburbs Tuesday, urging rebels to hand over their weapons or face "inevitable death" as part of a widening and deadly offensive to recapture areas near the capital that have fallen into rebel hands. The leaflets appear to be part of the regime's psychological warfare against the rebels, but are highly unlikely to have any effect on fighters who are bent on toppling President Bashar Assad's regime. Meanwhile, 12 people were killed by a car bomb at a funeral in the Jaramana suburb of Damascus. Injuries were also reported. The funeral was for two supporters of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The two had been killed in a bomb attack on Monday, initial reports said.

4 Killed In Indonesian Plane Crash

The wreckage of a small plane that went missing in Indonesia last week has been found, with all four people on board dead. The Piper PA-31 Navajo crashed on Friday in the jungle of East Kalimantan province while on a flight to survey a coal mining site when it went missing from the radar, according to Gagah Prakoso, spokesman for the National Search and Rescue Agency. Australian businessman Peter Elliott and three Indonesians were killed in the crash, he said. Elliott owned an Australian company specialising in geophysical surveys for mining companies.

Nicaragua Nabs Mexican Cop, Others with $7m

Nicaraguan police have detained 18 people, including a Mexican policeman, posing as journalists while trying to enter Honduras with millions of dollars in cash. The group was detained on Monday as it tried to cross into Nicaragua with the cash in six vehicles, Nicaragua's national police commissioner, Aminta Granera, disclosed. She said the group had posed as reporters, adding police found video cameras, audio equipment, microphones and satellite phones in the vehicles as well. Several of the detainees, including the police officer, have been confirmed as Mexican citizens, she said. Nicaraguan authorities are now working with Interpol to see whether they belong to any criminal organizations, she added.

Taliban Behead 17 'Party-Goers'
…Attack Troops

Seventeen civilians have been beheaded by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan for attending a party, officials say. The bodies of two women and 15 men were found by the side of a road in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province. The men had gathered to listen to music and watch the women dance when they were attacked. The Taliban disapprove of men and women mixing socially. Similarly 10 Afghan army soldiers were killed in a massive attack by the Taliban on their checkpoint in southern Helmand on Monday morning. As many as 200 insurgents were involved in the assault, 11 of whom were killed. In the eastern Afghanistan, two US soldiers were shot dead by an Afghan National Army soldier, who was subsequently killed by NATO troops.

Top Pakistan Militant leaders Killed in Air, Drone Strikes

NATO air strikes in Kunar province of eastern Afghanistan, penultimate Friday, killed a commander of the Pakistani Taliban, Mullah Dadullah, and several militants. Dadullah is said to have had carried out attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and was responsible for moving fighters and weapons. Dadullah took over as leader of the Taliban in the Bajaur tribal area earlier this year after the previous commander, Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, appeared to be in peace talks with the government. Similarly, a key commander in the Pakistan-based militant Haqqani network was reported killed in a drone strike. Badruddin Haqqani died penultimate Tuesday in North Waziristan, a relative said. The Haqqani network has carried out high-profile attacks against foreign troops in Afghanistan.

Tropical Storm Isaac Hits Haiti, Cuba, Others

Tropical Storm Isaac swept into eastern Cuba after it hit Haiti, where four people were killed. The Cuban government declared a state of alert and evacuated thousands of people from high-risk areas. There were no reports of major damage in Haiti but heavy rain continued after the storm had passed. In the US, a storm warning has been issued for the coast of Florida. Officials organised shelters and urged holiday-makers to leave the Florida Keys as Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency to make sure emergency services would be ready when the storm made landfall on Sunday.

Assad's Forces Accused of Massacre

Syrian opposition activists accused President Bashar al-Assad's forces on Sunday of committing a massacre of scores of people in a town close to Damascus. More than 200 bodies were found in houses and basements around Daraya, a working-class Sunni Muslim town to the southwest of Damascus, according to activists who said most had been killed "execution-style" by troops on house-to-house raids. The Local Coordination Committees, an activists' organisation, said Assad's forces killed 440 people across Syria, penultimate Saturday, including dozens of women and children.

US Troops, Marines Punished for Misconduct in Afghanistan

Six Army soldiers and three Marines escaped criminal charges, but received administrative punishments for their involvement in two incidents of misconduct in Afghanistan, military officials said on Monday. The soldiers were disciplined for the mistaken burning of Qurans earlier this year at a U.S. base in Afghanistan, and the Marines were punished for their participation in a video that showed them urinating on the corpses of Taliban insurgents. Discipline against a Navy sailor in the Quran burnings was dismissed, and the Marine Corps said that it will announce discipline against additional Marines in the urination case. US military leaders widely condemned the incidents. The Quran burning triggered riots in the street and retribution killings. Administrative punishments could include demotions, extra duty, forfeiture of pay, or a letter in their file.