Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 3

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Navy Hands over Bunkering Suspects to EFCC

Eight suspected oil bunkerers in Cross River State were Thursday handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for prosecution. The Nigerian Navy had on December 21, 2012, paraded eight suspected oil bunkerers and impounded items that included 220 drums of diesel, wooden boat and two pumping machines between Igbani station and Parrot Island, as the products were to be sold in Calabar. The Commanding Officer, NNS Victory, Commodore Kingdom Itoko, who handed over the bunkerers to EFCC, said the Navy would not relent in its efforts at ridding the eastern maritime environment of crime.

Kidnapped Italians Regain Freedom

Freedom came Wednesday for three Italian sailors, who were abducted from a ship off the coast of Bayelsa in December last year. Italy Foreign Minister, Giulio Terzi, confirmed that the Italians were released healthy and would be flown back to the country later. Armed men abducted the sailors after attacking MV Asso Ventuno some 40 nautical miles off Bayelsa State on December 23.  Sources said the fourth person, a Ukrainian, was also freed along with the Italians. Terzi thanked the Nigeria authorities, who he said collaborated closely with the Italian foreign office to free the sailors.

Hotelier Murdered in Imo State

A gang of suspected assassins, Tuesday, murdered a businessman, Kevin Ezekwem, in his country home in Oguta LGA of Imo State. It was gathered that the deceased commissioned his hotel in the community and invited people but the event turned sour at about 9pm when some young men stormed the place and drew out their guns and started firing into the air and people ran for safety, according to an eyewitness. The hoodlums reportedly shot him in his legs before taking him away. His lifeless body was later found in a school. The Police Public Relations Officer, Vitalis Onugu, confirmed the incident. Meanwhile, the Abia State police command has arrested three persons in connection with the killing of an Aba-based businessman, Chief Iroeke Ukaku. The police said Ukaku’s killers also killed two vigilante members guarding his house. Ukaku was killed, penultimate Friday in Ohafia LGA.

Residents Lament as Mobil Stall on Oil Spill Clean-Up

About three weeks after oil spill was reported within the Qua Iboe oil fields being operated by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited in Ibeno LGA of Akwa Ibom State, the clean-up of the contaminated Atlantic shoreline is yet to be carried out, according to residents. Residents of the coastal settlement said the marine environment had been left at the mercy of tidal waves spreading the crude deposits farther along the coastline. The company has recorded several oil spill incidents in recent times including those of August 13, August 24, November 9, December 16 and December 19, 2012. The oil field from where the spill emanated is operated by the Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN).

FG to Assist Imo Curb Rising Crime Waves

The Federal Government has promised to help the Imo state government fight the menace of kidnapping and other violent crimes. National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), who made the promise at the weekend in Owerri lamented the rising cases of kidnap in the state. Dasuki said the FG and Imo state government would work in synergy to tackle the crime. He commended the unrelenting effort so far made by the state governor, Rochas Okorocha and security agencies in the state to check the menace. Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested two top officials of the Imo State Government over allegations bordering on fraud running into billions of naira. The identities of the two suspects were given as the state Commissioner of Finance, Okafor Chike John and the Accountant-General of the state, Mr. Eche Ezenna George.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

JTF, Ex-Militants Destroy 35 Illegal Refineries in Niger Delta

The Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta and some ex-militants have destroyed about 35 illegal refineries in in Ondo, Edo and Delta states. About 18 local boats and nine barges, used to carry out illegal oil bunkering were also destroyed. Soldiers from the 19th Battalion in Okitipupa, Naval officers from the Forward Operation Base, at Igbokoda and ex-militants in the employ of Gallery Security Services Limited, owned by Chief Bebopipi Ajube, participated in the destruction exercise. Residents of the areas lamented that the hoodlums had, with their illegal activities, polluted their water, forcing them to now travel so many kilometres to get drinking water. They also complained that kerosene produced from the illegal refineries had led to the destruction of many lives and property.

Delta Police Demolish Kidnappers Hideout

Police in Delta State, last weekend, demolished a bungalow used as hideout by suspected kidnappers in Eboh-Orogun, Ughelli North LGA of the state. The demolition, which came on the heels of Friday’s killings of three suspected kidnappers and arrest of three others, was on the orders of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, according to the Police spokesman, Famous Ajieh. The raid saw the rescue of the Treasurer of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Delta State University, Abraka, chapter, Mr. Martins Denedo, who was abducted on January 1. Ajieh said the police was determined to smoke out all kidnappers in the state and bring them to book.

6 Killed in Delta Accident

Six persons died in a motor accident in Urhonigbe town along Agbor-Abraka Road in Delta State. The Umutu-Ebedei Unit Rs5.27 Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Bibian Ojialor, explained that two Toyota Hiace buses crashed into each other at top speed. He said about 19 persons were involved in the crash, stating that six of the victims lost their lives on the spot, leaving 13 other occupants from the two other buses sustained varying degrees of injuries. She attributed the cause of the crash to dangerous over-taking and over-speeding by the drivers. In another accident, a car plunged into the Agbarho River, on East-West Road killing three out of the five persons on board. A source said the straightforward plunge of vehicles into the river in recent times was due to the failure of the contractor handling that section of the road to provide a barrier after the initial iron barrier broke down.

Delta Donates Special Patrol Vans to Police

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Monday, donated 30 Toyota Hilux vehicles to the state police command as part of the state governments’ initiative to curb crime in the state. The initiative, Delta State Government Special Security Patrol, is part of measures to ensure that crimes like kidnapping and armed robbery were reduced to the barest minimum. The 30 Toyota Hilux vehicles were specifically designated for patrol and surveillance of specific routes and highways across the state. Receiving the vehicles the State Commissioner of Police, Ikechukwu Aduba, warned criminals to turn a new leaf and be law abiding.

Two Women Jailed for Illegal Bunkering in Delta

Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State, has sentenced two women, Helen Itemba and Aladini Money, to three years imprisonment for illegal dealings in petroleum products. The convicts, who were prosecuted by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), were found guilty on the two count charges preferred against them. The court sentenced them to a three-year jail term on each count with an option of N300, 000 as fine. The convicts illegally conveyed 136 plastic drums of petroleum products in a truck at Egbidi, Isoko LGA of Delta State, in 2009 without a licence and thereby committed an offence contrary to the law.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

30 Killed in Arepo Pipeline fire

At least 30 people were feared to have died on Saturday in Arepo village, near when a vandalised fuel pipeline exploded and caught fire as the pipeline vandals were scooping the products. The police officer in charge of the Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism, Friday Ibadin, confirmed the deaths. He said the explosion occurred when an argument by the vandals, over who should scoop first, caused one of them to fire a gun shot that triggered the blast and the inferno, which continued for a long time before fire fighters brought it under control. The police arrested six suspects, including an injured vandal along with a medical doctor who was said to be taking him away for treatment. Some of the suspects were linked to a previous incident in the area, in which pipeline vandals shot dead some officials of the state-run Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) while trying to repair a vandalised pipeline.

Two Killed in Lagos Cult Clash

Two persons were, last weekend, killed as two rival factions; the Eiye Confraternity and the KK, clashed at the Ketu area of Lagos State. It was gathered that the clash, which saw the hoodlums robbing residents and attacking vehicles was a result of a long-standing feud between the factions over supremacy of the area. It was also gathered that Sunday’s clash was a spill-over of the fracas that started on Friday during the New Year carnival in which two members of the KK gang were allegedly killed by the opposing faction. Residents said the lack of police presence in the area is a major contributing factor to the incessant clashes.

2 Arrested for Murder of Woman, as Ritualist Mutilate Body of Child

Police in Ondo State have arrested two persons for allegedly beating a 50-year-old woman to death in the hilly town of Idanre area of the state, last weekend. The police spokesman, Adeniran Aremu, said that the suspects had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department for discreet investigation. Similarly, a three-year-old girl, Aliya Usman, was killed by suspected ritualists, on Tuesday. The incident threw residents of Ile Onigboro, in Ilorin West LGA of Kwara State, into deep mourning. The severed head of the victim was spotted at a refuse dump covered with a polythene bag while her badly mutilated body was deposited at a soak-away pit. Most of her body parts and organs were missing.

Housemaid Arrested after Boyfriend Robs Boss

The police in Lagos State have arrested a 27-year-old housemaid, Mariam Acheme, and four others for allegedly robbing the housemaid’s boss. According to police authorities, the housemaid invited her boyfriend, Dansu Akokran, and another person at large to rob her boss and also stage her own kidnap. The Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said the purported kidnappers had asked for N5m as ransom. Detectives then negotiated it to N1m and a bank account number was sent. Through the bank account number, policemen traced the owner to Ogun State and accosted him, leading to the arrest of others and the unraveling of their scheme. Acheme denied conniving with the kidnappers and the robbers. She said although she had invited her boyfriend to visit her, she had no clue of his intentions.

Trailer Driver Jailed for Driving against Traffic

The Lagos State Special Court has sentenced a trailer driver, Sagir Abubakar, 33 to three months imprisonment for driving against the flow of traffic. Abubakar was arrested on September 18, 2012 by the state Taskforce on Environmental and Special (Enforcement) Unit while driving against the traffic on the Third Mainland Bridge. The Taskforce Chairman, Superintendent Bayo Sulaiman, had said punishment for the offence was one-year imprisonment for a first-time offender and three years for subsequent offences, including seizure of the vehicle. Abubakar was first arraigned on September 20 but his case was adjourned on his request. He was sentenced after he pleaded guilty and asked for leniency.

Explosion Rocks MRS Oil Barge

No fewer than six persons were injured Wednesday when a petrol barge that belongs to MRS Oil and Gas cut fire and exploded at the company’s main depot in Tin Can Island Area of Lagos. Before it was gutted by fire, the barge, with registration number ST 215 was the biggest of all the barges the company used to store petroleum products when a big vessel discharged products into the terminal. An official disclosed that there was a spark, which resulted in fire and explosion during hose disengagement from the barge. According to him, the barge had received products from a vessel, which finished discharge on Tuesday night. No death was officially reported by the company but eyewitnesses said 5 bodies were removed from the premises, while several others were injured.

60 Suspected Pipeline Vandals Arrested in Lagos

About 60 suspected pipeline vandals have been arrested by operatives of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ikorodu area of Lagos State, while tampering with fuel pipelines that ran through Majidun. The suspects were arrested few weeks after operatives of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit raided Ikorodu suburbs in a manhunt for pipeline vandals. NSCDC spokesman, Shem Obafaiye, said fully armed operatives of the NSCDC carried out the raid, where they were able to arrest 60 suspected pipeline vandals, despite the fact that the villagers attacked them with cutlasses, guns and bottles among others. The spokesman explained that at least, seven operatives were seriously injured by the villagers.

Soldier Arrested for Kidnapping

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a soldier, Bada Yusuf, in connection with the penultimate Wednesday kidnap of an Indian, Manoj Singh-Kumasi. Kumasi was kidnapped in Abeokuta and his abductors demanded a ransom of N2million before he could be set free. The suspect was rounded up on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway where he allegedly wanted to pick up the N2million ransom. The suspect claimed he was attached to Nigerian Army 2 Division Auchi, Edo State. The suspect was reportedly arrested in full Army camouflage uniform. The Command also killed two armed robbery suspects, who allegedly engaged its men in a shoot-out last weekend after a robbery operation in Osogbo and escaped to Ibadan. One of the six-man gang was also arrested with bullet wounds. Items recovered from them include N91,000 cash, 3 wrist watches, 14 rounds of .9mm live ammunition, five cartridges, jewelry, two cars.

NAFDAC Re-arraigns “My Pikin” Producers

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Monday re-arraigned two persons, Adeyemo Abiodun and Ebele Eromosele, before a Federal High Court Lagos, for the alleged production and distribution of a killer teething mixture, “My Pikin”. They were charged along with their firm, Barewa Pharmaceutical Company Limited on an amended six-count charge bordering on the alleged offence. The matter is before Justice Okechukwu Okeke. They however pleaded not guilty to all the counts. Their re-arraignment was sequel to the amendment of the charge before the court, in which the name of the company’s alter ego, now deceased, Mr Kola Gbadegeshin was struck out from the suit and replaced with Eromosele, appointed by the defence to stand in place of the company. Justice Okeke therefore struck out the former charge reflecting the name of the deceased and the remaining accused were arraigned on the amended charge.

NSCDC Arrests 4 Suspected Vandals

The anti-vandal squad of Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested a five-member criminal gang of pipeline vandals. Head of Anti-Vandalism Unit of the Corps, Quasim Sheriff, said the pipeline vandals were arrested late last year at Igboho, Oyo State, by men of the State Security Service, SSS. He said members of the criminal gang are being presently prosecuted at the Ilorin High Court. Similarly, the Oyo State Command of the NSCDC, penultimate Friday, arrested four suspected pipeline vandals. The State Commandant, Clement Adesuyi, said the suspects had already tapped into an NNPC petroleum pipeline and were only waiting to convey the products when they were apprehended with their tools. The suspects, however, have denied involvement in the alleged crime.

Motor Accidents Kill 15 in Oyo State

About 15 persons were, penultimate Sunday, feared dead in a motor accident along Ogbomoso-Oyo-Ibadan road in Oyo State. The accident occurred when a tanker loaded with fuel from the Oyo/Ibadan end had a head-on-collision with an 18-seater commercial bus at a sharp bend along Odo-Oba village, which was about five kilometres to Ogbomoso. It was also gathered that the scene of the crash was also the same spot where another fully loaded tanker with fuel had broken down in the past one week. The impact of the collision made the tanker to fall, thereby spilling its content and exploding in the process.

Hoodlums Attack Ondo NURTW Office

Chairman of the Ondo State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Chief Oladutele Obayoriade, last weekend, alleged that hoodlums vandalised the union’s secretariat in Akure and stole N118m. Obayoriade said that those arrested in connection with the theft, which took place on December 30, were not members of the NURTW in the state, and that the suspects, who were charged to court last Thursday, had confessed that they were mobilised from neighbouring states by an executive member of the union in the state to carry out the act.

Man Shot Dead by Police in Ibadan

A 35-year-old man, Mr Olusola Adegbegha, was on Tuesday, killed when he was hit by a bullet fired by a policeman in Oyo State. A brother of the deceased, Sunkanmi Owoeye, said the family was informed by the police that Adegbegha was stopped at Recreation Club area for a search, but proved difficult, which made a corporal to take him to the station. Owoeye said the police claimed that on getting to the station, Adegbegha reversed and zoomed off after the corporal got down from his car to open the gate of the police station, which reportedly made the corporal shoot at the car. The bullet was said to have penetrated the rear trafficator of his car and gone through the back seat into the driver’s seat, before hitting the deceased on the back and thigh. Owoeye blamed the doctor at the hospital, where he rushed to for insisting on seeing the police before he could commence treatment.

GENERAL

10 Killed in Zamfara Village, 3 in Kano

Bandits raided three villages in Zamfara state, weekend, leaving 10 people dead and seven others hospitalised. A group of gunmen launched coordinated attacks on Makera, Azuko and Usu villages and killed seven people, state communications director, Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji said. According to him, the gunmen opened fire on worshippers in mosques shortly before the morning prayers around 5:30 am. A villager, Aliyu Sahabi, said a vigilante group pursued the assailants and its leader and his son were killed in an exchange of fire. In Kano state, gunmen riding on motorcycles, on Monday night, killed three persons in Tudun Maliki area. The gunmen stormed the area shooting sporadically and scaring the people away in a nearby mosque before killing their victims. Police spokesman in Kano, Musa Magaji Majia, confirmed the attack, adding that no arrest had been made, but that investigation had since commenced.

Nigeria Reduces Troops to Mali over Internal Security

Security challenges, which have prompted the Federal Government to deploy troops to many parts of the federation, have forced Nigeria to scale down the number of men of the armed forces it will contribute to a sub-regional military contingent for peacekeeping in Mali. Nigeria would now contribute 450 soldiers to the contingent put together by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), down from the original 600 soldiers it had intended to contribute to the 3,300-strong troops. West African leaders on November 11, 2012 had agreed to send some 3,300 troops to Mali in order to assist government-controlled troops regain control of the northern part of the country from a band of terrorists suspected to have links with al-Qaeda.

Navy Hands over Arrested Russian Crew to Police

The Nigerian Navy, on Monday, handed over a 15-man Russian crew of the MV Myre Seadiver vessel, which was arrested in October last year, to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution. The vessel was arrested at the Lagos roadstead of the nation’s waterways for illegal entry into the nation’s waterways as well as for non-declaration of cargo and possession of a cache of arms and ammunition. The vessel was intercepted on Nigerian waters with about 14 assorted AK47 rifles with 3,643 rounds of ammunition and 20 Benelli MRI 20 barrel with 4955 ammunition. The Commanding Officer, NNS Beecroft, Commodore Martin Njoku, said the navy was releasing only the crew members to the police and not the vessel and ammunition. The Russian government Wednesday called for the immediate release of the 15 sailors, saying that they were facing a court case initiated “under false pretexts”.

Army, Navy Elevates, Redeploys Officers

Authorities of the Nigerian Army approved the promotion of 2,900 soldiers in the last one year. This was disclosed the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, during the decoration of 37 senior officers to the rank of Brigadier Generals. Ihejirika further revealed that more soldiers would be promoted within the next one month immediately their documentation and verification processes were concluded with over 10,000 on the awaiting list. The COAS, however, made it clear that the vacuum created would be filled through the promotion of junior officers. Similarly, the Nigerian Navy reshuffled the leadership of its various units and released the appointment of senior officers of flag ranks. According to the Director of Information, Naval Headquarters, Commodore Kabiru Aliyu, the changes affected about 224 Senior Officers.

160,000 Foreigners Repatriated from Nigeria

Federal Government has deported over 160,000 foreigners in connection with one criminal and terrorist offence or the other. The Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro said the success was achieved through the strengthening of operational mechanism of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and cooperation with other security agencies. He said more efforts were being made to improve on the performance of the immigration service with a view to effectively screen and identify criminally-minded aliens that are willing tools in the hands of terrorists. He noted that foreigners had exploited certain aspects of ECOWAS protocol that guarantees freedom of movement of people to penetrate the Nigerian borders.

FG, Cameroun to Co-Operate on Flooding

To check the reoccurrence of flooding, which ravaged many parts of the country in 2012, the Federal Government has stressed the need to strengthen co-operation with Cameroun in the management of the trans-boundary Benue River Basin. Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, stressed the need recently at a meeting between Camerounian and Nigerian experts on water resources in the Trans-Boundary Benue River Basin and electricity-related issue in Yaounde, Cameroun. According to the statement by representatives of both countries at the end of the two-day meeting, there is urgent need to co-operate in the management of the shared basin to minimise the impact of flood incidence, which affected both countries during the 2012 wet season. Both countries agree that co-operation in the area of water resources should take into account the Niger Basin Authority Water Charter.

Boko Haram: Police Tighten Security in Benue

The Benue State Police command has disclosed that it would tighten security around the state over the discovery of a hideout of a wanted Boko Haram leader by security operatives in Gboko, last weekend. The suspect, simply known as Jalingo, was said to have escaped during the raid while his rented apartment in Gboko South was demolished. Police spokesman, Daniel Ezeala, disclosed that the state Police Commissioner has charged DPOs in the state to ensure adequate security in their domain. Ezeala urged Benue people especially Gboko residents to go about their businesses assuring them that the command was alive to its responsibility of securing their lives and property.

FRSC Issues Alert on Lokoja –Abuja Road

The Lokoja Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has issued a red alert to drivers plying the Lokoja to Abuja road to exercise extra caution while on the road as passengers return from the festivities. The FRSC issued the warning against the background of constant road mishaps along the route in recent times. According to the Sector Commander, Alhaji Mohammed Garba, six persons were on Tuesday killed, while four others sustained high degrees of injury in auto crash along Lokoja Abuja expressway. Garba said the accident occurred at Karara village around 11 am when two vehicles rammed into each other. He attributed the cause of the accident to reckless driving.

FG Returns Shipload of Toxic Waste

Security and environmental officials, Wednesday, quarantined a ship laden with e-waste which they said is toxic and posed major threat to humans. The ship, M.V Marevia brought in two containers considered very dangerous. E-waste consists of old and outdated electronic gadgets and materials such as refrigerators, containing chlorofluro carbons (CFC) or greenhouse gases. The vessel which is currently anchored at the Tin-can Island Container Terminal (TICT) was   quarantined by officials of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) with other port agencies keeping vigil on it. The FG has ordered that the toxic waste laden containers on board MV Marivia Monrovia be shipped back to the port of origin in the UK. The Director General of NESREA, Ngeri Benebo, said that sending the consignment back was in conformity with the provisions of Harmful Wastes Act.

Presidency to Monitor Police Conduct

The Nigeria Police will as from now come under the close supervision of President Goodluck Jonathan in order ensure strict monitoring and compliance of the set rules of conduct guiding the institution in the discharge of their duties. President Jonathan stated this Thursday in Abuja at the launch of the Code of Conduct and Professional Standards for Officers and Men of the Nigeria Police Force. Represented by Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo, the president said that he expects a quarterly assessment of compliance to enable him monitor overall improvement or otherwise in the police force.

Man, 23, Arraigned over Rape of 6-Year-Old Girl

A 23-year-old man, Salisu Mohammed, was on Thursday, arraigned before an Upper Area Court at Kasuwar-Nama, Jos, Plateau state for raping a 6-year-old girl. The Police Prosecutor, Gokwat Ibrahim, said the father of the victim had reported the matter to Nasarawa Gwong police station on December 24, 2012, same day the offence was committed. He added that the accused, who resides in the same compound with the girl, had invited her to his room where he raped her, and that the cry of the minor attracted neighbours, who forced the door open and caught the accused committing the act. The accused person pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency. Similarly, the police in Abuja, Wednesday, arraigned a 35-year-old driver, Ibrahim Akin, before a Gwagwalada Upper Area Court, for allegedly defiling a five-year-old girl by putting his finger into her vagina. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

5 Killed in Gunmen, Soldiers Clash in Maiduguri
…As Plateau Women Protest Arrest of Youths

At least five persons were shot dead, while several others were hit by stray bullets in Maiduguri, Borno state when gunmen, suspected to be members of Boko Haram clashed with men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Tuesday. Trouble started 3pm when some traders saw some men carrying guns in two tricycles and informed JTF. Three traders were among those killed. The spokesman of the JTF, Lieutenant-Colonel Sagir Musa, confirmed the incident. In Plateau state, there was pandemonium at the village of Governor Jonah Jang on Wednesday when some gunmen stormed a ranch, killing two people. The STF paraded nine suspects from the village, who were allegedly arrested with arms after the village was raided by assailants. Meanwhile, Women in Du village of Jos South LGA of Plateau State, on Thursday, protested the ‘unjust’ arrest of their youths. They called on the STF to release their youths, who were arrested by men of the force over alleged possession of illegal arms.

Arms Importation: Iranian Claims Ignorance of Content

An Iranian, Azim Aghajani charged with unlawful importation of firearms and explosives to Nigeria, has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that he did not know that arms were the content of what he was asked to ship through Nigeria. Aghajani was charged alongside a Nigerian Ali Jega, and both accused are standing trial before Justice Okechukwu Okeke, on a five count charge of unlawful importation of arms and explosives to Nigeria. At the resumed hearing of the case, on Wednesday, Aghajani explained that he was merely engaged to do a trans-shipment of the container from the Nigerian port to Gambia.

NEMA Trains 154,000 Disaster Managers Nationwide

Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Mohammed Sani-Sidi, said in Kaduna on Tuesday that the agency would train over 154,000 volunteers corps to be integrated into community resilience groups across the country. The NEMA boss, who decried the high level of disaster in Nigeria, noted that it became imperative for the agency to set up a community resilience network and peace brigade to assist in the management of disaster in the country. Sani-Sidi said no fewer than 200 volunteers would be selected from each of the 774 local government areas of the country. He added that by the first quarter of 2014, the training would have been concluded in all the zones.

Police Arraign 2 for Alleged Diversion of N16m

The Police in Abuja, on Tuesday, arraigned two Bureau de Change “errand” boys before a Karu Chief Magistrates' Court for alleged diversion of N16 million. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Abiola Oyewusi, disclosed that the complainant, one Tony Iwobi, sent his employees Hanna Adedeji, 35 and Anikamadu Obiageli, 37 to collect 100,000 USD (about N16 million) with an official car from the old CBN. But after they cashed the money, they conspired between themselves and diverted the said money to an unknown destination and claimed that they were attacked by armed robbers on the way. Oyewusi said that during police investigation, it was discovered that there was no armed robbery attack on the said day as claimed by the accused.

INTERNATIONAL

Series of Explosions Kill 103 in Pakistan

A series of bombings in different parts of Pakistan killed 103 people on Thursday, including 69 who died in a sectarian attack on a bustling billiard hall in the southwest city of Quetta, officials said. A missile strike also killed five suspected militants in the seventh such attack in two weeks, Pakistani intelligence officials said. The billiard hall in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, was hit by twin blasts about 10 minutes apart on Thursday night, killing 69 people and wounding more 160 others, said senior police officer, Hamid Shakeel. Many of the people, who rushed to the scene after the first blast, were hit by the second bomb. About 22 people were killed and 80 others wounded when a gas cylinder exploded at a religious gathering in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat valley. A drone strike had killed at least 10 people suspected to be Taliban fighters, including a Taliban commander, Wali Muhammed, also known as Toofin, in Pakistan's northern tribal areas, penultimate Sunday.

India, Pakistan Clash in Kashmir

Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire across the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region. An Indian army spokesman said Pakistan had "initiated unprovoked firing" at Indian military posts. Kashmir is claimed by both nations in its entirety and has been a flashpoint between them for more than 60 years. Exchanges are not uncommon but rarely result in fatalities. India has accused Pakistani troops of killing two of its soldiers near the tense disputed border between the nuclear-armed neighbours in Kashmir and one of the bodies was badly mutilated. India’s Defence Ministry considered the killing as a provocative action. Similarly, Pakistani military accused Indian troops of killing a Pakistani soldier in an “unprovoked” attack on Thursday in the disputed region of Kashmir. India suspended a peace process with Pakistan following attacks by Pakistan-based militants in Mumbai in 2008. Negotiations resumed in February last year.

Four Die in Colorado Shooting

Four people have been found dead following a shooting incident that triggered a stand-off with police in Aurora, in the US state of Colorado. Police say they went to a home after shots were heard there overnight. Officers later entered the home. After a gunfight they found the suspect dead, along with three people apparently killed earlier, police say. Police said the suspect barricaded himself at the home for five hours before police moved in.

Abbas Orders Use of ‘State of Palestine’

After Palestinians’ successful bid late last year for non-member observer state status at the United Nations (UN) despite Israeli and United States (U.S.) opposition, President Mahmud Abbas gave orders Sunday for work to begin on new passports, ID cards, drivers’ licences and stamps reading “State of Palestine“. Abbas said, with the new decree, the changed language on official documents would help strengthen the Palestinian state and its sovereignty over its land. He had earlier ordered the foreign ministry and embassies around the world to begin using “State of Palestine” in official correspondence. The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the latest Palestinian move. The Palestinians said the UN upgrade will strengthen their position in negotiations with Israel and is a complement to any future talks.

Wildfires Rage across Australia

Fire fighters battled scores of wildfires raging across southeast Australia on Tuesday as authorities evacuated national parks and warned that blistering temperatures and high winds had led to "catastrophic" conditions in some areas. No deaths had been reported, although officials in Tasmania were still trying to find around 100 residents who have been missing since a fire tore through the small town of Dunalley, destroying around 90 homes. New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, said that the area is at the catastrophic level. Wildfires have razed 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres) of forests and farmland across southern Tasmania since Friday. Relief, however, came as cool winds blew dropping the temperature more than 10C. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) downgraded fire danger ratings around the state following a favourable change in conditions.

Man in Afghan Army Uniform Kills NATO Soldier

A man wearing an Afghan army uniform shot dead one soldier from the NATO-led force in Helmand, where mostly British and U.S. troops are based, officials said on Tuesday. In the latest attack, in Helmand's Gereshk district, a British soldier was killed and six more British soldiers wounded, police officials in Helmand said. NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed that one of its personnel was killed by a man in an Afghan National Army uniform, but did not disclose the soldier's nationality.

13 Killed as Kurdish Militants Attack Turkish Outpost

Twelve Kurdish militants and one Turkish soldier were killed in clashes along the Turkey-Iraq border after the militants opened fire from inside Iraq on a remote outpost in southeast Turkey. The attack coincides with efforts to end a near three-decade insurgency through talks with the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group. A group of PKK militants, located in northern Iraq about 8km from Cukurca, a remote and mountainous border district in Turkey's Hakkari province, opened fire on the Karatas military outpost on Monday night, the security sources said. Turkish security forces fired mortars at the militants, who were using the area's thick fog and snowfall as cover. One Turkish soldier was killed in the initial attack and 12 rebels were killed by the return fire. The PKK is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union.

Tunisia Frees Man Arrested over Attack on US Consulate in Libya

Tunisia has freed a Tunisian man suspected of involvement in an Islamist militant attack in Libya last year in which the US ambassador, Christopher Stevens, was killed. Ali Harzi was one of two Tunisians named in October as having been detained in Turkey over the violence in which Stevens and three other American officials were killed. The release came in response to his lawyer’s request to free him for lack of evidence and after he underwent the hearing with American investigators as a witness in the case.’  A Tunisian justice ministry spokesman confirmed the release of Harzi but declined to elaborate.

Tribal Clash Erupts over Gold Mine in Sudan's Darfur

Heavy fighting has broken out between two tribes over a gold mine in Sudan's Darfur region, killing several people and forcing authorities to close the mine, tribal leaders and state media said on Wednesday. Law and order has collapsed in most parts of Darfur, an arid region in Sudan's west, since mainly non-Arab tribes took up arms in 2003 against the government in Khartoum, which they accuse of oppressive policies. Half a million artisan miners have joined a gold rush across Sudan, according to the government. Fighting between the Rizeigat and Bani Hussein, two Arab tribes, broke out on Saturday over who should be allowed to use a mine near Kabkabiya in North Darfur. Authorities closed the mine on Wednesday.

Sri Lankan Maid Beheaded in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has beheaded a Sri Lankan domestic worker for killing a baby in her care in 2005 in a case that has been widely condemned by rights groups. The maid, Rizana Nafeek, had denied killing the four-month-old boy. Her supporters say she was only 17 at the time of the killing, and that her execution is a breach of international child rights. The Sri Lankan government condemned the execution, which it said took place despite numerous clemency pleas. The Saudi interior ministry said on Wednesday that Ms Nafeek was executed for smothering the infant after an argument with the child's mother in the town of al-Dwadmi. The International Labour Organization (ILO) said that laws were needed "urgently" to give greater protection to domestic workers.

Kenya Probes Politicians as Nine Die in Fresh Tribal Clash

Kenyan officials Wednesday announced the killing of nine people in the latest unrest in south-eastern part of the country. The violence in the Tana River region first erupted in August, pitting the Pokomo farming community against their Orma pastoralist neighbours and leading to a series of vicious reprisal killings and attacks. Regional police chief, Aggrey Adoli, said local politicians were being investigated for their role in the attack, after around a hundred raiders launched a pre-dawn attack yesterday on the Orma village of Nduru, carrying out killings and setting fire to homes. Three of the nine killed were believed to be from the attackers, said Caleb Kilunde, a local Kenyan Red Cross official said.

EU Moves against Cyber Crime

The European Union (EU) has unveiled a new cybercrime centre in a bid to tackle increasingly sophisticated online criminals. EU Home Affairs Commissioner, Cecilia Malmstroem, said criminal gangs are using new technology to steal identities, empty bank accounts or profit from child sex abuse, and only a centralised system can combat them. Therefore, Malmstroem said a new European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) opening in The Hague alongside Europol will give a strong boost to the EU’s capacity to fight cybercrime and defend an Internet that is free, open and secure. The commission claims that one million people fall victims daily to cybercrime, resulting in losses of €290 billion ($380 billion) a year. The European Network and Information Security Agency had warned that the criminals were one step ahead and called for more to be done.

Protest as Kurdish Group’s Co-Founder is Shot Dead in Paris

The Turkish government and jailed Kurdish rebel leader, Abdullah Ocalan, have reportedly agreed on a roadmap to end a three-decade-old insurgency that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The deal was reached during a new round of talks between Ankara and Ocalan and aims to have the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) lay down arms in March. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government had warned the government would uphold its tough line on the PKK, which it designated a terrorist organization. But a day after the agreement was reached, a co-founder of the PKK and two other militants were found shot dead in Paris, France, prompting angry protests from Kurds. French Interior Minister, Manuel Valls, described the killings as assassinations. Experts on the Kurdish movement said the killings could be the result of internal feuding in the PKK.

FARC Rebels to End Ceasefire January 20

A unilateral ceasefire declared at the beginning of peace talks with the Colombian government in November will end on January 20 unless the government agrees to also lay down its arms, the country's Marxist FARC rebels said on Wednesday. The rebels announced the ceasefire on November 19, the first day of peace talks in Havana aimed at ending five decades of conflict in Colombia, but said it would last only two months if the government did not observe the truce. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has refused to take part, choosing instead to keep up military pressure to try to force the FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, to reach an accord. FARC lead negotiator, Ivan Marquez, stressed that "there will not be an extension of a unilateral ceasefire".