Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 7

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Soldiers Ambushed, Killed in Battle with Pirates

Four persons, including two soldiers, a retired naval officer and the pilot of an ocean going tugboat were, on Tuesday, killed during a gun battle between men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) and pirates in Bayelsa State. The pirates were said to have ambushed the barge they were escorting along the River Forcados at Angiama community in the state. The spokesman for the JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed the incident Tuesday. Three of the pirates were seriously injured they were dragged away by their colleagues, who made good escape. One of the boat personnel was declared missing. Following the attack, the JTF deployed five gunboats in a desperate move to apprehend the killers even as security alert was heightened in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Security Operatives Raid on Oil Bunkering Haven in Calabar

About 500 jerry cans of petroleum products were set ablaze in Esuk Otu creek in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, last weekend, during an operation by security personnel led by the state Acting Governor, Efiok Cobham. The jerry cans, loaded with petroleum products and pumping machines, were stacked in a big barge waiting to be evacuated before it was intercepted and destroyed at the creek. Cobham maintained that it was unfortunate that despite efforts made by government to deter Nigerians from such nervures activities, they are still embarking on them which are inimical to economic development of the country. He commended the security operatives for living up to their expectations, and promised to ensure that they are provided with the necessary support to further beef up security along the waterways.

Police Nab 4 over Abduction of 2-Year-Old

Four persons suspected to be hoodlums, on Wednesday, engaged the police in gun battle during their attempt to steal a two-year-old boy from the parents in Onitsha. The suspects were arrested by men of the State Anti-Robbery Squad, (SARS). Also arrested was a female who was allegedly employed by the gang to look after the boy. It was gathered that the four-man gang stormed the residence of one Philip Nweze, who had just returned to his Onitsha residence after a business trip abroad and made away with the two-year-old child. Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Emeka Chukwuemeka, confirmed the incident, saying the police command was alerted after the incident which happened on Wednesday night.

Abducted Lawmaker’s Mother Regain Freedom

A combined team of the Nigerian Police and the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), Wednesday, rescued the kidnapped mother of the leader of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mrs. Esther Akpe. The 69-year-old woman was last Tuesday abducted from her home in Sagbama. Family sources confirmed that Mrs. Esther Akpe was in good health and affirmed that the kidnappers treated her well. The spokesman of the Bayelsa Police Command, Fidelis Odunna, said that the kidnappers abandoned their victim at a village near Okubuami in Ughelli in Delta State after an exchange of gunfire from the combined team of anti-cult and anti-kidnapping force.

MASSOB Claims Corpses on Ezu River were Members

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) claimed that the corpses found floating on the Ezu River three weeks ago, belonged to its members arrested and detained by security agencies in Anambra State. MASSOB said the corpses were bodies of its members, who were never released from detention or charged to court by the police. The Director of Information, MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, said the movement had petitioned the Secretary General of the United Nations, the United Nations Human Rights Commission; and Amnesty International, protesting the mass killing of its members by Nigerian security agencies. But the Anambra State Police spokesman, Emeka Chukwuemeka, dismissed the claims of MASSOB, saying the police were still waiting for the report of the autopsy carried out on the corpses dumped in the river.

HYPREP Alleges Soldiers Caught Stealing Petroleum Products

The Management of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPERP) accompanied by a team of journalists, on Wednesday, said they walked in on soldiers siphoning petroleum products from the NNPC pipeline in Ososike community of Eleme LGA of Rivers State. The soldiers, eight in number, were reportedly shocked at the intrusion, and allegedly threatened to deal with any of the journalists who filmed them. The soldiers who engaged in bunkering had with them about eight big sized drums with a hose running from the pipeline. The soldiers said that they were there on the orders of the Brigade Commander. The JTF commander has pledges to investigate the incident.

Brothers Kill Father over Gratuity

The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a man, identified as Ekemini Bassey for allegedly killing his father, a retired lecturer, Prof. Nathaniel Bassey, to claim his N40m gratuity. Ekemini’s brother, Odiong Bassey, is also wanted by the police for being an accomplice in the alleged murder. It was learnt that the duo, both university drop-outs, had been making frivolous financial demands on him. The situation got tense in the house after the boys got clues that their father was due to be paid N40m. Ekemini has allegedly confessed that they stabbed their father three times in different parts of the body and stuffed his mouth with old newspapers so that he would not cry for help. The Officer-in-Charge, Homicide unit of the State CID, Mr. Joseph Inuyashi, confirmed the incident, saying investigation on the matter was ongoing. He said the police were still on the trail of Odiong, who is on the run.

16-Month-Old Boy Stolen From Church In Imo

Sixteen-month old Emmanuel Onyekachi Alamanjo has been reported abducted from Saint Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Okigwe, Imo state. It was also gathered that the baby got uncomfortable inside the crowded church and his mother handed him over to his elder sister to take outside for fresh air. A lady was said to have offered to assist the little girl carry the baby, and thereafter tricked her to move into the church to collect food for her brother. But on her return, the little girl did not see either the lady or her brother and broke down weeping. She relentlessly searched and hoped to find the fleeing lady. The boy’s father, Mr. Sylvester Alamanjo, confirmed the ugly incident.

Rep Tasks UNEP on Ogoniland Clean-up

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, tasked the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to monitor the implementation of its report on the massive oil spill in Ogoniland, Rivers State. The Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Hon.  Uche Ekwunife gave the charge when she met with the Special Envoy of UNEP, Mr Erik Solheim, who led a delegation to the National Assembly. Ekwunife noted that there was need to monitor the implementation of the UNEP Report on Ogoniland to ensure that the clean-up was done according to international best practices. Similarly, Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, has urged the Federal Government to sincerely execute the recommendations contained in the UNEP assessment report on the effects of oil spill on Ogoniland.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Robbers, Kidnappers Kill Police Orderlies in Delta

Suspected kidnappers and bandits shot dead three persons, two police officers and a woman, wounded a police and naval officers and seized a Navy Commander in Delta state. Two chieftains of the People Democratic Party, PDP, national vice chair, South-South, Dr. Steve Oru and member, House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, ambushed by kidnappers, however escaped being kidnapped. But their police orderlies were killed. The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, confirmed the attacks, saying the police have launched a manhunt for the criminals. He accused a notorious kidnap suspect, Kelvin, who had been declared wanted by the police as being responsible for the spate of kidnap and robbery attacks in the state.

Kidnappers bundle Navy Commander

Navy Commander I. Mohammed was attacked between Ughelli and Patani on his way from Warri to Port-Harcourt, along the East-West Road by a seven-man robbery gang. A source said Navy Commander Mohammed tried to make a nippy U-turn when he sighted the heavily armed bandits, but the hoodlums, who had positioned themselves strategically, trapped him and opened fire on his vehicle. His orderly was allegedly shot on the chest region and was said to be in critical state. His actual condition could not be determined at press time. A source said an unidentified woman was also shot dead by the dare devil robbers, as she attempted to escape into the bush.

Corp Member Killed in Bomadi

A National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member, identified as Akrigbe, was shot dead, penultimate on Saturday by suspected armed robbers, along Bomadi road in Delta state. The incident occurred at about 11.00 am around Ode Bridge. The corps member was travelling in an 18-seater Delta mass transit bus heading to Bomadi when tragedy struck. In another robbery incident at Oleh on Saturday, robbers raided a boutique at Old Emede Road, but the police mobilized and in a gun battle, one of the bandits was killed, while others fled.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Police Foil Bank Robbery

Armed bandits numbering over 10, last weekend, engaged policemen in a gun battle that lasted over 30 minutes during an attempt to rob a bank at the Odogunyan branch. The gunmen, who stormed the bank at about 3am, in two vehicles, gained entry into the bank’s premises and succeeded in breaking the door leading to the Automated Teller Machines. But operatives from the Shagamu road, who got wind of the robbers’ presence, stormed the bank, leading to an exchange of fire, but the hoodlums eventually fled. Two big iron cutters, two giant gas cylinders and a giant size spanner abandoned by the fleeing robbers, as well as several empty shells of cartridges, were reportedly recovered in and around the bank’s premises. Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide confirmed the incident but said no arrest was made.

Policeman Kills Colleague during Argument

Tragedy occurred last weekend, an assistant superintendent of police, Kazeem Shehu, shot dead his colleague, Inspector Adelakun Lawal, after an argument ensued at a beer parlour in Ondo state, where they had gone to relax. Shehu was said to have been peeved by the audacity of Lawal to engage him in an argument not minding his rank as a superior officer. Shehu then pulled out his service pistol and pulled the trigger on his friend at a close range. Lawal immediately slumped down, bleeding profusely before he died. However, some other people demonstrated courage in confronting Shehu and apprehended him, after he had attempted to flee the scene. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state command, Mr. Wole Ogodo, confirmed the incident.

Court Remands 11 Fishermen over Pipeline Vandalism

A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Thursday, remanded 11 fishermen on a four-count charge of conspiracy, theft, unlawful possession of petroleum products, and vandalism of pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The accused, who were arraigned by the police denied the charges and pleaded not guilty to the offences. The prosecutor, Mr Justin Enang, told the court that the accused were arrested by a team of policemen on surveillance on December 21, 2012 at the Atlas Cove in Lagos. According to him, about 220 drums containing petroleum products valued at N5.335 million were recovered from them. Counsel to the accused, MC Anthony, prayed the court to grant the accused persons bail on liberal terms as they knew nothing of the alleged offence, saying they were ordinary fishermen who were going about their business when they were arrested.

DPR Shuts Down Aiteo Depot over Fire Incident

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has shut down the operation of Aiteo Energy Limited over a recent fire, which razed the loading gantry of the petroleum products marketing company’s depot in Apapa, Lagos. The incident led to the death of three people. The recent fire incident has raised concerns on the ability of the apex regulator to enforce safety standards among the depot owners. Though only one person was confirmed dead unofficially with about seven others injured in the latest fire incident at Aiteo Energy, the fire damaged the company’s loading gantry, where petroleum products are loaded into tankers.

Police Arrest 5 for Ritual Killing

The Oyo state police command has arrested 5 persons over the death of a a 36-year-old woman, Kafilat Lateef, who is feared to have been murdered for ritual purpose. The Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Janet Agbede, who conducted newsmen round the scene of the crime, said a family member of the deceased, one Sekinat Lateef, went to Kajorepo police station to report the case of a missing person. According to Agbede, the complainant said her sister went to her lover in Oyo, on January 21 and did not return. The police boss said policemen set to work after the family had reported the case, resulting in the arrest of the principal suspect, Taiwo. Mrs Agbede said his confessional statement led to the arrest of others and recovery of the remains of the deceased, which had to be exhumed.

Gunmen Shoot Dead Prominent Chief

Some unidentified gunmen on Thursday shot dead a Lagos State prominent white cap chief, the Onimole of Lagos, Chief Kayode Adeshina. The 73-year-old chief was shot at his Onimole Palace on the Island. It was learnt that as soon as the gunmen gained entrance to the palace, they went straight to Adeshina’s room where he was sleeping and killed him when he told them that he had no money. It was learnt that Adeshina was subsequently locked up in his room while the gunmen ransacked the palace.  They reportedly carted away valuables including jewelries and phones belonging to the deceased. The gunmen then locked up the entire house before making their escape. Adeshina was later rushed to a nearby hospital after the family members were able to break the doors open. However, he was confirmed dead at the hospital.

Lagos Raises the Alarm over Rising Rape Cases

The Lagos State government has raised the alarm over increase in rape and defilement of minors in the past months. The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ade Ipaye, on Thursday, expressed the state’s worry, adding that the trend had reached an alarming stage. The attorney-general, disclosed that 427 of rape/defilement cases were reported last year alone, adding that there were some that were not reported. Ipaye added that though the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) got positive judgements in respect of six cases recently, the ministry had serious challenges in assembling evidence on rape cases because most of the cases were reported late.

NDLEA Arrests Man with N50m Cocaine

A Nigerian based in South Africa, Ozoh Chukwuemeka, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for trafficking N50m worth of cocaine. The 45-year-old barber was apprehended at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos with 6.100kg of the substance during the outward clearance of Arik Air passengers to South Africa. NDLEA Airport commander, Mr Hamza Umar, said the drug which was neatly hidden in a false compartment of Ozoh’s luggage was discovered during routine check on passengers. Ozoh, a father of one, insisted on his innocence. He claimed he was made to believe the bag contained chemicals.

Police Arrest Woman for Killing Husband

A mother of four has been arrested by the Police in Lagos for allegedly killing her husband during a brawl. It was gathered that the suspect, Mrs Folake Adekoya-Ojo, was arrested following reports by her late husband’s relative, who suspected she had a hand in their brother’s death. The widow was said to have told policemen that her 37-year-old husband committed suicide by hanging himself on the ceiling fan, penultimate Friday, while her in-laws insisted he was hacked to death. Consequently, policemen from the division were deplored by the Divisional Police Officer to inspect the late Emmanuel’s corpse where it was discovered to have a deep cut in the head. On further interrogation, the widow reportedly admitted to have hit her husband with a stone during a scuffle.

GENERAL

30 Killed in Nasarawa Clash

The clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Nasarawa State, reached a height last weekend as the Fulanis launched another attack on two different communities, killing 30 persons and injuring 15 others. The incident, which occurred at Iga and Rutu communities in Nasarawa Eggon and Doma LGAs, respectively, took the villagers unaware. The Fulanis, numbering over 50, allegedly besieged Iga community through the bush and started destroying properties in sight, killing eight people in the area. According to an eyewitness, the Fulanis were heavily armed with guns, knives, as well as axes and in the twinkling of an eye, eight people were said to have been hacked to death. The Nasarawa State government ordered deployment of policemen in the troubled areas but the attack had not subsided.

JTF Kills Suspected Robbers in Maiduguri

Two armed robbery suspects were shot dead on Wednesday after they allegedly robbed traders at Hausari ward in Maiduguri. Eye witnesses said that the gang had successfully robbed many traders in the area before they were intercepted by operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF). Malam Usman Hussain, a trader at the market, said that the gang had been robbing traders for some time. He added that the two robbers were shot dead as they tried to flee the area. Hussain said the traders were surprised by the swift response of the JTF. The spokesman of the JTF, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, confirmed the report.

Boko Haram Kills Six in Revenge Attack

Members of the Boko Haram sect, on Tuesday, killed six park rangers in a reprisal attack after troops backed by helicopter gunships destroyed their base in a game reserve. Security forces last week killed 17 militants and destroyed two Boko Haram training camps in the North-east, one in a forest and one in the Sambisa Reserve. The officer in charge of the Sambisa Reserve, Hassan Malgwi, said gunmen believed to be Boko Haram attacked the staff camp after midnight, killing six. Meanwhile, pandemonium broke out in Plateau State when an Army Corporal angrily shot and killed a Police Inspector in Mikang LGA.

Ritualists Kill Woman in Jos

A body of a woman was, last weekend, found in Jos, Plateau state with both eyes and genitals removed. It was learnt that the woman, who was in her early twenties was attacked at Jenta Magoro part of Jos North LGA at night and her body was thrown into the canal in the area, after parts of her body had been removed. A resident said the body was found close to the canal in the morning and identified to be one of the residents of the area, adding that attack on innocent people, especially in the night, had become a daily occurrence in the area. The state police command, last week, intercepted a human head and the headless corpse of a male adult cut into parts and concealed in a bag.

Attack on Emir: Mastermind, 2 Others Arrested

The Joint Task Force in Kano arrested a man identified simply as Babawo, said to be a mastermind in the attack on Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, in a raid it conducted on Wednesday morning at Dorayi, close to the old site of Bayero University Kano. Several gunmen had opened fire on the convoy of the Emir of Kano on Saturday January 19, 2013, killing six. Security agents had on Monday, January 21, 2013, arrested a man who they claimed was a principal suspect in the attack and who they said had been providing them with useful information about others involved in the attack, information which led to the arrest of three others. It was also learnt that arms and ammunition were recovered from the suspect during a raid carried. Two persons have also been declared wanted in connection with the attack.

Russia Bitter over Detained Nationals

Russia, last weekend, said it is on the verge of activating political and diplomatic means to compel the Federal Government of Nigeria to release 15 of its nationals working for a maritime security outfit, being held in Lagos since October last year, without being formally charged to court. Russia accused Nigeria of bad faith in the treatment of its nationals. Russia did not cite the other instances when goodwill assurances have been blown by Nigeria. Contacted, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ogbole Ode, said it could not comment on the matter as it is in court.

UK Partners Nigeria’s Military

To ensure better co-operation, the United Kingdom (UK) is to send its Brigade to West Africa, including Nigeria, just as it endorsed Nigeria’s peace mission in Mali. The UK Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. David Richards, stated this in Abuja during a courtesy call on his Nigerian counterpart, Admiral Ola Ibrahim. Richards said the meetings “are a framework for the long term as partners. Richards said the plan was to enable both countries synergise for greater cooperation. On the new sphere of support, partnership and synergy with Nigeria, Gen. Richards agreed that it was a departure from what use to be where new security challenges/ threats evolve.

2 Arraigned For Killing Father, Child

Two accused persons were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Gimba Mohammed Gabi for killing their father and his love child. Two persons, Ishaku Ahmodu and Mohammed Bala, were remanded in prison for separate cases of culpable homicide in Lapai and Minna Niger state. The charge said that Ishaku Ahmodu had killed his father in a farm on January 29th after an argument. Similarly Mohammed Bala was said to have killed his father’s three month old love child by one Shamsiya Musa in Minna on January 25th. The accused persons pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them. The prosecutor stated that because the offence was not bailable, they should be remanded in prison custody to enable the police conclude its investigation and tidy up the case against them.

21 Arrested over Plateau Mass Killings

The Special Task Force (STF), on Wednesday, disclosed that 21 suspects were arrested following attacks during a mass burial in Barkin Ladi and Riyom LGAs of Plateau State which led to the stampede that claimed the lives of Senator Gyang Dantong and the Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, Gyang Fulani. More than 100 people were killed in the attacks on July 7, 2012 by unidentified gunmen. Although the spokesman of the STF, Captain Salisu Ibrahim Mustapha, said the coordinated attacks on the villages led to a lot of rumours, particularly as regards the number of casualties and the extent of damage, which led the STF to swiftly conduct a series of operations in the area where several arrests were made and arms and ammunition recovered.

Gunmen Kill Health Workers in Kano

Unknown gunmen, on Friday, shot to death 3 female immunization officers at Filin Kashew, Ungwa-Uku within Kano metropolis. Eye witness said that the assailants came in a tricycle and vanished in the ensuing pandemonium. The women had been on Polio immunization rounds in the city when they were attacked. The Police Public Relation Officer, (PPRO), Kano Command, Magaji Musa Majia confirmed the attack; but noted that details were still sketchy.

Residents Lynch Armed Robbery Suspect

Community members lynched a suspected armed robber who was trying to escape after robbery attack in one supermarket in Jogana town, just 25 kilometers away from Kano metropolis. His accomplice took to his heel. Commissioner of Police, Kano Command, Ibrahim K. Idris, disclosed this at a press conference in his office Thursday in Kano. He said the command received a distress call that a supermarket was under attack by some unknown gunmen. On arrival of police, the community members pursued the armed robbers, lynched one while the other escaped. The lynched suspect, according to the commissioner, was identified as Zailani of Wudil town in Kano. The commissioner disclosed that weapons recovered included three AK 47 rifles, five magazines and 69 rounds of live ammunition.

Robbers Attack Governor’s Father, Others

The father of Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State, Alhaji Ramalan Yero and other top government officials from the state were attacked by armed robbers on Abuja- Kaduna road on Tuesday. Reports said Alhaji Yero was part of a delegation from the state that paid a solidarity visit to President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja on Monday while the incident happened on their way back to Kaduna. They were robbed of their money, phones and other belongings. However, a member of the delegation, Most Reverend Dodo was injured when he was attacked with a sharp knife by one of the armed robbers.

UN to Raise Peacekeeping Force in Mali

Nigeria’s commitment of troops to the African-led International Support Mission in Mali, (AFISMA) may soon become a permanent one as the United Nations (UN) is already talking about a regular peacekeeping force in the French-speaking West African country. Meanwhile, Defence Headquarters Thursday said that the Nigerian military has deployed over 500 officers and men to the AFISMA. Nigeria, one of the five leading UN’s troop contributing member-states, is the one likely expected to constitute a substantial number of such regular troops, UN sources said. Nigeria is supplying a battalion in Mali, like it is also playing significant roles around the world in other international peacekeeping missions, especially the one in Darfur, called UNAMID-the hybrid UN-African Mission in Sudan.

INTERNATIONAL

India Approves Tough Rape Laws

President Pranab Mukherjee of India has approved harsher punishment for rapists, including the death penalty. Mukherjee gave his assent last Sunday to the new rape laws recommended by the government. Meanwhile, five men have pleaded not guilty to the rape and murder of a 23-yearold medical student in a New Delhi bus in December 2012. The brutal gang rape caused outrage across the country. A government-approved panel which reviewed the country's laws on sex crimes and the cabinet had recommended tougher laws after the gang rape incident. The panel had called for faster trials and longer sentences for convicted rapists, but not the death penalty. The new laws also enhance punishment for offences like voyeurism, stalking and acid attacks. Women's rights activists have, however, criticised the ordinance saying it is inadequate to fight sexual crimes against women.

Iran Unveils 'Stealth' Fighter Jet

Iran has unveiled a new home-made combat aircraft, which officials say can evade radar. The single-seat Qaher F313 (Dominant F313) is the latest design produced by Iran's military. President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad said it had "almost all the positive features" of the world's most sophisticated jets. He said the "development of the Iranian nation's military power is for deterrence and defensive purposes".

French Planes Pound Islamist Camps

French warplanes pounded Islamist rebel camps in the far north of Mali. Thierry Burkhard, spokesman for the French army in Paris, said the overnight raids targeted logistics bases and training camps used by the al Qaeda-linked rebels to the north of the desert town of Kidal. He said the bombing raids took place around the settlement of Tessalit, close to the Algerian border, one of the main gateways into the Adrar des Ifoghas Mountains, where the rebels are believed to be hiding after fleeing major towns. Malian military said French and Chadian troops had clashed with members of the Ansar Dine militant group in the region around Kidal on Saturday. The United States and the European Union are backing the Mali intervention to defuse the threat of Islamist jihadists using the lawless Malian Sahara to launch international attacks.

Quake Hits Solomon Islands, Triggers Tsunami

A tsunami has hit the eastern Solomon Islands after a powerful earthquake that briefly triggered tsunami warnings for several Pacific nations. The magnitude 8.0 quake struck near the Santa Cruz Islands, part of the Solomon Islands nation, the US Geological Survey said. Reports suggested that a number of homes had been damaged in the area. Tsunami warnings were issued for the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, Kosrae, Fiji, Kiribati, and Wallis and Futuna islands, but later cancelled. The Solomon Islands form part of the Ring Of Fire, a zone of volcanic arcs and oceanic trenches encircling the Pacific basin.

Islamist Gets Life for 1971 War Crimes in Bangladesh

A war crimes tribunal sentenced a senior leader of Bangladesh's biggest Islamist party to life in prison on Tuesday. This is the second verdict in trials that have reopened the wounds of Bangladesh's 1971 independence war and it sparked violent unrest in which three people were killed. Violent protests erupted after Abdul Quader Mollah, 64, was found guilty of charges including murder, rape, torture and arson during Bangladesh's war to break away from Pakistan. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina set up the tribunal in 2010 to investigate abuses during the 1971 conflict, in which about 3 million people died and thousands of women were raped.

Tourists Raped Near Acapulco

Six tourists were reportedly raped near the Mexican resort of Acapulco, authorities say. Several armed masked men entered the rooms in which the six Spanish women and one Mexican were sleeping and attacked them, police said. The seventh woman was let off after she identified herself as a Mexican. The tourists had been staying in small shacks on Playa Bonfil. Police quickly sealed off the scene following the attack which happened in the early hours on Monday, south of Acapulco. Local media reported that several other people in the same group had been tied up and gagged while the attack took place. After the ordeal the women went to the nearest police station accompanied by local tourism officials. Mexican authorities say they are determined to capture the culprits.

Deadly Blast in Mexico Leaves 37 Dead

A deadly blast at the headquarters of the Mexican oil company Pemex, on Monday, was caused by a build-up of gas, the attorney general has said. Jesus Murillo Karam said no traces of explosives were found at the site. He said experts believed an electrical fault had caused a spark that detonated the leaking gas last Thursday. The death toll from the blast has risen to 37, while several others were injured. Several lower floors collapsed in the explosion. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has declared three days of mourning. Murillo Karam said the source of the gas was still being investigated, although it is believed methane gas may have leaked from ducts beneath the building or from the sewer system.

Fighting in Damascus as Rebels Launch Offensive

Heavy fighting erupted in Damascus on Wednesday as rebels launched an offensive against President Bashar al-Assad's forces, breaking a lull in the conflict, opposition activists said. Assad's forces also came under attack in the east of the country, where a suicide car bomb struck a military intelligence compound in the city of Palmyra, causing dozens of casualties, they said. Authorities in Damascus closed the main Abbasid Square and the Fares al-Khoury thoroughfare as fighters attacked roadblocks and fortifications with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars. Residents reported explosions across the east and north of the capital. In Jobar, a working-class Sunni Muslim area adjacent to Abbasid Square, mosque speakers chanted "God is Greatest" in support of opposition fighters who attacked roadblocks in the neighbourhood, activists said.

Islamist Threatens Germany

A German Islamist has threatened to attack the Germany this summer and kill Chancellor Angela Merkel. A spokesman for Germany's intelligence service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, confirmed its agents had seen such a video on the internet. A newspaper reported that a three-minute video had surfaced on the Internet with a German Islamist calling himself Abu Azzam, believed to be a radical Salafist who moved to Egypt last year. German authorities have stepped up surveillance of Salafist groups who espouse a radical version of Islam. Germany is home to roughly 4,000 Salafists, a tiny proportion of the total Muslim population of about four million.

Israel Admits Syrian Raid

Israeli government has implied it staged an air strike on Syria last week. This is as President Bashar al-Assad of Syria accused Israel of trying to further destabilise Syria. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister said he welcomed Syrian opposition leader, Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib’s readiness to hold talks with representatives of Assad’s regime. The Russian and Iranian foreign ministers, and U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden, portrayed Syrian National Coalition leader Moaz Alkhatib’s new willingness to talk with the Assad regime as a major step towards resolving the two-year-old war.

At least 30 Killed in Attack on Iraqi Police Centre

Security officials disclosed Sunday that a suicide car bombing and an assault by grenade-throwing gunmen on a police headquarters in a disputed ethnically mixed city in north Iraq killed 30 people. According to witnesses, the vehicle that was detonated in central Kirkuk had been painted to look like a police car, and the militants who sought to seize the compound were dressed as policemen. No organisation immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. But local security officials blamed al-Qaeda’s front group in Iraq, which often targets security forces and officials in a bid to destabilise the country. The suicide car bomb was set off during morning rush-hour and quickly followed by at least three gunmen wearing police uniforms, armed with hand grenades and suicide vests, bursting through the main gate of the Kirkuk police compound in the direction of the headquarters building.

Opposition Politician Murdered in Tunisia

Tunisian opposition politician, Chokri Belaid, was shot dead outside his home in the capital, Tunis on Wednesday, sparking deadly protests in the country. Relatives said Belaid was shot in the neck and head on his way to work. He was a prominent secular opponent of the moderate Islamist-led government and his murder has sparked protests around the country, with police firing tear gas to disperse angry crowds. President Moncef Marzouki has condemned the killing and is cutting short a visit to France to return home. He has also cancelled a scheduled appearance at a summit in Egypt to return home. Tunisia is currently gripped by political crisis as talks on a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle to include a wider range of parties in a coalition led by the Ennahda party have broken down. It was the first time a political leader has been assassinated since the Arab Spring uprising of January 2011, in a country where political assassinations are rare.

French, Malian Forces Clash with Islamists

French and Malian troops, on Wednesday, clashed with Islamist rebels near the large town of Gao, just as Paris claimed that hundreds of insurgents had been killed in a “real war” to reclaim northern Mali. The confirmation of clashes came after one of the militant groups, the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), said it had attacked military positions in Gao. Meanwhile, Tuareg rebels in northern Mali said Monday that they had captured two senior Islamist insurgents fleeing French air strikes toward the Algerian border, and France pressed ahead with its bombing campaign against al Qaeda’s Saharan desert camps. Pro-autonomy Tuareg MNLA rebels said they had seized Mohamed Moussa Ag Mohamed, an Islamist leader, believed to be responsible for the kidnapping of a French hostage by the al Qaeda splinter group MUJWA.

S’Africa Charges Congolese Rebels to Court

Nineteen rebels from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were formally charged Thursday in a South African court with plotting to stage a coup in their home country. Reports stated that the group was accused of seeking weapons and military training to topple President Joseph Kabila and was subject to a special police sting operation. “They intended on unseating President Kabila unconstitutionally,” government prosecutor, Shaun Abrahams, disclosed. Abrahams said they are members of an obscure rebel group called the Union of Nationalists for the Renewal (UNR) of the DR Congo. The case was adjourned to allow investigators to verify their identities and for the suspects to engage lawyers. Meanwhile, a group of DR Congo nationals living in South Africa gathered at the court to voice support for the suspected rebels, dismissing the case against them as politically motivated and orchestrated by Kabila.

53 Die in Zambia’s Bus Crash

It was a black day in Zambia as 53 people were killed in a high-speed collision between a bus and a truck in Zambia on Thursday. The government said the accident was one of the country’s worst-ever traffic accidents. The bus carrying 73 passengers hurtled into an oncoming truck, leaving bloodied bodies and wreckage on a main road north of Lusaka. Fifty-one people on the bus died, while the truck driver and his assistant were also killed. Some 22 survivors were being treated in a nearby missionary hospital, where they lay crying, dazed or unconscious. President Michael Sata conveyed his government’s “deepest condolences to the beloved families on the death of their beloved ones” and wished the injured a speedy recovery. Around 1,200 people are killed on the country’s roads every year, according to official data.