Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 12

• 
• 

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

20 Militants Surrender Arms

At least 20 suspected militants known as “Lacto Marine” in Ibeno LGA of Akwa Ibom have surrendered arms to Federal Government’s Inter-Agency Task Force on Militancy. The leader of the task force, Air Vice Marshal Jim Gbum, who announced this in Eket, said that arms surrendered by them included six browning machine guns, rocket launchers and AK-47 rifles. He said the militants responded to the Federal Government’s second phase of the amnesty programme for repentant militant groups. He alleged that the group had been responsible for crimes in the high sea between Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.

Court Sentences Ex-cop to Death Hanging for Killing Colleague

An Umuahia High Court, presided over by Justice Agwu Umah Kalu, has sentenced a former police officer, Ex-corporal Umaru Mohammed, to death by hanging over the killing of another police man. Mohammed, who was attached to the Abia State Government House, had on July 19, 2011, shot and killed Corporal Clement Amaechi, at late Amaechi’s official residence in Umuahia. Justice Kalu said that the prosecution had proved beyond doubt that the gunshots fired by Umaru Mohammed at close range killed the deceased and that the accused deserved no sympathy. He ordered that the convict be hanged on the neck until he dies. The police had earlier subjected Umaru Mohammed to an orderly room trial, found him guilty and dismissed him from the service.

Army Vows to Deal with Corrupt Soldiers over Oil Theft

The Nigerian Army has said it would not spare any soldier involved corrupt practices, especially oil theft, illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism. Officers and men of the Joint (Military) Task Force operating in the Niger Delta have recently been accused of complicity in oil theft and other crimes in the area. The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Major-General Ashimiyu Olaniyi, gave the warning on Monday in Port Harcourt during his maiden visit to the 2 Brigade, as part of his tour of units under his command. Olaniyi charged the men of the JTF to fight bunkering of oil pipelines and other criminal activities in the region.

IGP Inaugurates Police Intelligence College

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, on Monday, inaugurated the Police Intelligence School located at the Police Detective College, Enugu. Abubakar said the college was a departmental school of intelligence that is supposed to take off in Kwara State in couple of months, but because of the determination of the police to tackle the intelligence challenge of the force, it had to take off albeit on an interim measure in Enugu.  The IGP had earlier vowed to track down the killers of the slain Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Chinwike Asadu. Abubakar disclosed that several arrests have been made in connection with the killing of Asadu. He also visited the Orthopaedic Hospital, where the injured orderly of Asadu, was receiving treatment.

Abducted Sailors Freed by Pirates

Three foreign sailors kidnapped in February by pirates off the coast of Bayelsa have been released. The three officers were confirmed as being safe and in good spirits on March 11 after 31 days in captivity, the vessel's operator disclosed on Monday. The British-flagged ship Esther C was boarded and ransacked on February7, 80 miles off the south coast of Nigeria by heavily armed pirates before they made off with the three seamen, Isle of Wight-based Carisbrooke Shipping said in a statement.

Ex-Militants Give FG Ultimatum on Amnesty Programme
…Demand Inclusion in Post Amnesty Training

Following the alleged refusal of the Federal Government to include them in the recently extended amnesty programme in the Niger Delta, some former militants have given the government a seven-day ultimatum to absorb them or face a resurgence of militancy in the region. The militant’s ultimatum is coming on the heel of a face-off with the men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) two weeks ago that saw the ex-militants going on rampage and destroying properties on the streets of Yenagoa. The ex-militants were insisting that they should be allocated one slot for every gun they surrender, but the Federal Government insisted that since they surrendered many months after the expiration of the programme time, it would only accept 15 guns for every ex-militant that surrendered his arms. The group maintained that they cannot guarantee the security of oil installations should the Federal Government fail to register them.

Customs Seizes N218m Pirated Books, Goods

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said it seized pirated books and other prohibited goods worth about N218 million in the Port Harcourt axis of its operations within the last three months. The seizure was made by the Headquarters Anti-smuggling Task Force set up by the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Dikko Abdullahi, to assist the commands in checking the activities of smugglers. The Head of the Task Force, Deputy Comptroller Hassan Shallangwa, said the items were intercepted by his men at various points within the Port Harcourt axis. He said the task force also arrested five suspects who are currently assisting the service in its investigations, adding that they would be duly prosecuted.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Prison Officials, Inmate Killed as Gunmen Attack Court-bound Van

A gang of criminals suspected to be allies of some inmates who were being taken to court by prison officials in Warri, on Wednesday, intercepted the van carrying the inmates and launched a deadly attack on the wardens and the driver, killing four prisons officials and one of the inmates targeted for rescue by the gang. Three other prison officials were critically wounded. The armed gang was said to have operated with two vehicles parked at the ever-busy roundabout unknown to the prison officials, who were rattled and taken unawares by the assailants. Police authorities while confirming the report, said that the gunmen laid an ambush for the court-bound van. Warri Area Commander, Mr. Hussaini Rabiu, said the attackers hijacked the prison van and drove away with the surviving inmates, while three inmates, who fled with the attackers, had been re-arrested.

Five Die in Benin Road Accidents

About five persons, including two children, lost their lives in two separate road accidents in Benin City, last weekend. One of the accidents involving a petrol tanker that burst into flames consumed the lives of three persons at Eyean village along Benin-Auchi-Abuja Highway. Eyewitnesses said the driver was heading towards Ikpoba Hill when it lost control and veered off the road to hit an electric pole. Consequently, one the high tension cables was said to have fallen on the tanker which inflame it. A stationary heavy-duty lorry parked nearby was burnt, while residents in the area said they fled for their safety. The other accident which took place along Siluko Road, Benin City, claimed the lives of two children. The accident, according to an eye witness, occurred while the victims were lying down in front of their house a car on high speed apparently lost control, ran pass the drainage and crushed them to death.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Police Kill 7 Robbers in Lagos

Policemen from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and Area ‘G’ command, Ogba, in Lagos, last weekend, engaged a 13-man robbery gang in a gun duel, killing seven of them. It was gathered that the robbery suspects came from Ogun State and were heading to Ajao estate area of Lagos, where they intended to raid the Osolo branch of a bank. Their mission was thwarted as the police got wind of their action, and laid ambush for them along the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway. On sighting the policemen, opened fire, but eventually fled to the superior fire power of the policemen who out-numbered them. Three of the suspects were arrested, Five AK 47 riffles, five double barrel cut-to-size and a total of 535 live cartridges, were recovered, according to spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide. Braide confirmed that efforts were on to arrest other fleeing members.

Policeman, Boy Electrocuted in Ogun State

A police officer, Sunday Joseph, was on Sunday electrocuted at a police barracks in Ogun while attempting to rescue a 17-year-old boy, Moses, earlier trapped by a Power Holding Company’s high-tension cable. The boy also died from electrocution in the incident which occurred at one of the road – expansion construction sites in the Isale Igbein area of the state. Eyewitnesses said the teenager was scavenging for some materials from the rubble being used by a construction company to fill a ditch when he stepped on a PHCN live cable. Joseph, who was taking care of Moses since the death of his father was contacted and when he arrived at the construction site, he made for the body of the teenager, but was electrocuted in the process. An official of the Bureau of Electrical Engineering Services, who pleaded anonymity, alleged that the high-tension line was not switched off because a top PHCN official was having a party in Abeokuta.

Cult War: Lagos CP Cautions LASU Students

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar Manko, has warned students of tertiary institutions in the state to abstain from cultism, warning that the command would not tolerate any unrest caused by cultists.  He advised students of the Lagos State University (LASU), where three persons have so far been reportedly killed in a cult war, to go about their legal activities, assuring them of police protection. The CP restated the command’s resolve to face cultism. Investigation into the killings at LASU, according to him, was still ongoing.

Police Urged to Conduct Psychiatric Tests on Officers

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have charged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to henceforth conduct a comprehensive psychiatric test on police officers and prospective policemen to ascertain their mental stability before enlisting them into the force. NANS gave the recommendation in a petition forwarded to the President Goodluck Jonathan and the IGP over the alleged killing of a student of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, Seyi Fasere, by the police. Seyi was killed penultimate Thursday, while on his way back to school by the police after a robbery operation in which he was a victim. NANS Chairman of the EKSU Transition Committee, Adeoye Aribasoye, called on both the presidency and the IGP to prevail on the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Sotonye Makama, to apprehend and subsequently dismiss the trigger happy policeman that was accused of pulling the trigger that killed Seyi.

Cult War Claims 3 Lives in Ilorin

Cultists, on Tuesday, went on rampage in Ilorin, Kwara State, killing at least three persons, while the police arrested two persons in connection with the development. The incidents, according to reports, occurred around Adewole, Gambari, Aduralere and Mubo areas of the city. The incident was said to have started penultimate Friday at a drinking joint with the hacking to death of a middle-age barber. This led to reprisal attack with another killing between Gambari and Adewole areas. Also a five-man gang reportedly chased a rival gang member to Ipata area. Police spokesman, Femi Fabode, who confirmed cultist attacks, said two persons have been arrested while investigations were on to fish out other suspects.

Health Workers Arrested for Baby Swap

Two health workers attached to a private clinic in Osogbo, Osun State have been arrested by the police following the role they played in a baby swap incident. The suspects were arrested for allegedly exchanging a new born baby belonging to one Nurudeen Semia. It was gathered that Semia gave birth to a set of twins prematurely in a private hospital. While one of the babies, confirmed by the doctors to be boys died, the other baby was referred to the Intensive Care Unit clinic where the two suspects, who were employees, did the swap. The father of the swapped babies, while narrating his ordeal, said that his baby boy was allegedly exchanged for a girl. While the nurses at the Intensive Care Unit are now helping the police in getting to the root of the matter, one of the doctors in the hospital, Dr. Agelebe, remains on the run.

Robbers Attack Lagos Airport

One man was killed and four policemen injured yesterday when armed robbers attacked a Bureau de Change located at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. The robbers sneaked into the airport through Ajao Road, saw policemen and started shooting. While the policemen were able to kill one of them while about four policemen were injured. Before the robbers whose number was not ascertained escaped, they snatched money in different currencies worth about N8 million from one of the bureau de change operators. Following the robbery incident, activities of bureau de change operators at the airport have been suspended.

Lagos Urges Residents to Quit Wetlands

The Lagos State Government has released the details of the 2013 seasonal rainfall prediction, and put the number of days the state will experience in 2013 alone at 275.Consequently, the state government urged all the residents of the state to relocate from the wetland and flood plain due to massive flooding the imminent rainfall would bring about. The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, said there would be massive thunderstorms in 2013. Bello linked the state report to the prediction of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), which he said, had predicted heavy downpour in Lagos State. He said the state government has adopted measures to mitigate the impact of the expected flood. He added that Lagosians should report cases of drainage blockages, dumping of waste in canals and other unauthorised places to government’s residents’ engineers in their domains.

Ogun Police Parades 7 Suspects

Seven suspects in possession of fire arms were paraded by the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, at the Command’s headquarters. Five armed robbery suspects and five suspected vandals were also paraded alongside two suspected kidnappers. The Command recovered various dangerous weapons ranging from locally made pistol and no fewer than 28 live cartridges. Also, a sum N83,950 with two handsets, one military rifle, four empty magazines and two police AK-47 rifle were recovered from an abandoned vehicle by persons suspected to be armed robbers. The command rescued a 14-year-old Bennoise,  Tchipoto Blachimus, from suspected kidnappers. The victim was said to have been offered for sale by his abductors, before they were apprehended.

Man gets Freedom after Two Years in Police Detention

Justice I.O Kasali of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered the immediate release of a man, Ogbeide Oyekhire, who has been in the police detention since 2011.The court gave the order while ruling on a fundamental human rights suit against Lagos State Commissioner of Police. The judge also declared that the continuous detention of Oyekhire for over a year is degrading, unlawful, illegal and a gross violation of his fundamental rights. She also gave a mandatory order compelling the respondents, their officers, agents, servants or privies to produce the applicant before the court and granted him bail conditionally or unconditionally. Justice Kasali further restrained the respondents whether by themselves, their officers, agents, servants or privies from further inviting, arresting, detaining or in any other manner infringing on the fundamental rights of the applicant.

GENERAL

JTF Impounds Anti-aircraft Guns in Borno

The Joint Task Force (JTF) impounded three anti-aircraft guns as part of a major haul of arms and ammunition seized from people suspected to be Boko Haram members. According to JTF, apart from the anti-aircraft guns, other weapons, ammunition, uniforms and other items recovered in the operation against militants included 10 rocket propelled grenade tubes, three general purpose machine guns, 17 AK47 rifles, three G3 rifles, a pistol (Lama), 20 RPG bombs, 12 RPG chargers, 1x 36 hand-held grenade, and a teargas rifle, among other items. The raid and attack that that lasted for over five hours also led to the death of 52 gunmen including 10 said to be commanders of the Boko Haram sect. Seventy alleged terrorists were also said to have been arrested. JTF said it lost two personnel while three others were wounded in the attack.

Britain, Italy, Greece Confirm Killing of Hostages in Nigeria

As security agencies intensified the manhunt for members of a terrorist group Ansaru, that claimed to have killed the seven hostages in its custody, Britain, Greece and Italy, penultimate Sunday, confirmed the death of their citizens who were among the abducted construction workers. The terror group abducted the seven foreign construction workers from the Setraco Construction Company camp at Jama'are, Bauchi State, on February 16, and has said that it has killed them. Ansaru said the hostages were killed because of a rescue attempt by British and Nigerian forces. But British officials said they were not aware of any such attempt. The United Kingdom’s military has said its warplanes recently spotted in Nigeria’s capital city were there to move soldiers to aid the French intervention in Mali.

Construction Workers Task Govt on Safety, Security

Construction workers in Nigeria have raised the alarm over their safety, following high profile and kidnapping and killing of their colleagues, especially in the North and Niger Delta region. The fear over their security was heightened as the fate of the seven foreign construction workers who were kidnapped last month in Bauchi State and allegedly killed by Boko Haram splinter group, Ansaru, remains in the balance. The group under the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI), in Abuja expressed worry over the spate of killing and kidnapping of construction workers in the country, and called on the government to take drastic measures to tackle the menace before the sub-sector is grounded to a halt.

Gunmen Kill 4 in Kano Attack

Unidentified gunmen have killed four persons in separate attacks within the city of Kano. The gunmen, who were said to be in a tricycle, trailed a man and his friend close to a primary school in Hotoro and shot them at a close range killing them on the spot. In another attack also at Dawakin Dawaki gunmen also in a tricycle shot dead a passerby. Security agencies were said to have arrived the scene about 10 minutes after the gunmen had fled to evacuate the victims.

FG Sacks Demuren as Director General of NCAA

The Federal Government, on Monday, announced the removal of the embattled Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, with immediate effect. In a statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, the government said his sack was caused by his failure to give a “satisfactory response” to stakeholders in the aviation sector. Following the Dana Air crash in June last year, the National Assembly had launched into a probe of the aviation sector. The investigation by both chambers of parliament had unearthed the rot in the sector and blamed him for turning a blind eye to the underhand dealings in the sector and compromising safety. This led to the insistence by the House of Representatives for his sack.

NDLEA Nabs Grandmother with Cocaine in Hair

A 53-year-old grandmother, Sikirat Giwa, has been arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja while trying to smuggle out cocaine under her hair weave. Giwa was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with 1kg of white powdery, which later tested positive to cocaine. NDLEA Abuja Airport commander, Hamisu Lawan, said that the suspect was arrested during routine check. Also arrested is a 59-year-old suspected accomplice, Joseph Umunna, who brought Sikirat to the airport. The cocaine was allegedly sewn to Giwa’s hair before an artificial hair weave was then sewn on as a covering. It was also learnt that Umunna was assigned to take Giwa to the airport and ensure that she successfully boarded her flight.

Gunmen Attack Primary School in Kano

Unidentified gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday attacked and injured three teachers including the headmaster of a primary school in Kano State. The gunmen attacked Dan Maliki Primary School in Hausawa quarters in Kumbotso LGA of Kano. The Kano State Police Command confirmed the attack, stating that the gunmen immediately fled the scene after the attack. The command added that operatives of the Joint Task Force had since cordoned off the area, while security men have sprang into action to track down the fleeing gunmen.

Army Procures 35 Desert-terrain Vehicles for Mali

The Nigerian Army has procured 35 desert-terrain vehicles to be deployed to the troops in support of the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA). This was disclosed on Tuesday by the Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Brigadier-General Ibrahim Attahiru. Attahiru also stated that the vehicles would be deployed soon after the necessary modification by the Nigerian Army Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. The army spokesman also said that the military outfit is making efforts to ensure that the troops deployed to Mali and other peacekeeping operations do not overstay as was the common practice in the past. To achieve this, he disclosed that they are going to limit the time to 180 days and at most 365 days.

Nigerians Decry Presidential Pardon for VIP Ex-Convicts

The National Council of State presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday, have approved a presidential pardon for a former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who was convicted of corruption.  Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of the Congress Progressive Change, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said the pardon was an invitation for people to engage in corruption. Reactions of Nigerians, who believed that the President would be making a mistake by granting a state pardon for Alamieyeseigha, flooded the social media. Others, who were said to have been granted pardon at the meeting included Gen Oladipo Diya, who was the Chief of General Staff during the reign of military dictator, Gen Sani Abacha; former Managing Director of the Bank of the North, Mr. Shettima Bulama, who was also convicted of fraud; and former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, the late Gen Musa Yar’Adua, amongst others.

Senate Rejects Immunity for Lawmakers

The Senate has rejected calls for immunity for members of the National Assembly, saying it will not pass through the chambers of the Senate. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said there was no need for immunity for legislators. According to him, the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act already guaranteed immunity for lawmakers with regards to their conduct within the precinct of the National Assembly. The House of Representatives, last week, read for the second time a bill seeking for reinforced legislative immunity, as enshrined in the Legislative Powers and Privileges Act. It seeks to amend Section 4(8) of the 1999 Constitution to provide for immunity for lawmakers, both at federal and state levels, so that they are not held liable for decisions or utterances made.

Reps Move against Plea Bargain, Frivolous Adjournments

A Bill for an Act to repeal the Criminal Code Procedure Act of 2004 Thursday scaled second reading on the floor of the House of Representatives, as members supported stricter conditions for plea bargaining and frivolous adjournments of cases. The lawmakers also backed the prohibition of arrest of family members or associates of criminals in lieu of suspects. The sponsor of the bill, Ali Ahmad, who is also the Chairman, Committee on Justice, said the review of the administration of criminal justice system was long overdue. Ahmad stressed that if passed into law, the bill will become a model for states to adopt through their respective legislatures.

Women, Soldiers Clash in Plateau

Women in Riyom LGA of Plateau State, Tuesday, clashed with men of the Special Task Force (STF) maintaining security in the state injuring six of them in the process. Several of the villagers also sustained injuries in the clash with the soldiers. While the STF is alleging that the women were hostile towards its men, the women have also protested what they called maltreatment and arbitrariness by the soldiers in the course of their duty calling for their withdrawal from their communities. Women at Riyom resisted the soldiers who were on a house-to-house search for arms and ammunition allegedly pelting them with stones and other missiles. Media Officer of the STF, Captain Salisu Mustapha, confirmed the clash between the villagers and soldiers but denied any maltreatment of the women as alleged.

Policemen Repel Attack Police Station, Kill 4

Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members launched, Monday, launched attack on Gamboru Ngala Police Station, a border town in Ngala LGA of Borno State, but the policemen on duty repelled the attack, killing four of the suspects while five of the policemen sustained serious injuries. The gunmen, who came in three vehicles, reportedly launched an audacious attack on the station, firing guns and launching explosives, but the vigilant policemen fought back, killing four on the spot. Police spokesman, DSP Gideon Jubrin, who confirmed the incident, also noted that some of the attackers sustained injuries.

Three Arraigned for Murder in Maiduguri

Three men, Haruna Goni Usman, Jabo Mallam Kansulum and Salleh Mallam Ali were, on Wednesday arraigned before a Maiduguri High Court for murder. Prosecution Counsel told the court that the three accused persons killed one Bulama Jolti in his farm in Bama LGA of the state in October 2012. The accused, who hail from Zinda village, were alleged to have conspired among themselves to beat the deceased, using a knife to stab him and also pieces his body with a spear thereby leading to his death on the spot. The accused persons were also said to have committed the offence in October, 2012. The trio, who were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspired murder and culpable homicide, pleaded guilty to the charges but were allowed a non-guilty plea because the offence carries a capital punishment. Counsel to the accused, Peter Bwala, agreed that the non-guilty plea should be entered with the prosecuting counsel.

Security Agents Kill 4 Armed Robbery Suspects

Officers and men of 1 Brigade, Nigerian Army (NA), Sokoto, Wednesday, engaged a group of armed robbers in a gun duel during which they killed four and recovered weapons and money. The brigade commander, Brigadier-General Mohammed Tasi’u Ibrahim, said the operation followed a tip-off on the presence of the criminals in the area as a result of which the combined team of officers and men of the brigade, 55 forward base, Nigeria Air-Force (NAF), the Sokoto State police command and Department of State Security (DSS) cordoned off the area. He said the first vehicle conveying army personnel to the suspected hideout of the criminals came under Rocket Propelled Gun (RPG) attack from the culprits but the soldiers escaped unhurt. The Brigade commander further stated that the security men also recovered one RPG, one sub-machine gun, three national rifles, three M.T. magazines, two revolver guns, two AK 47 rifles, four cartridges of ammunition, one RPG charger, 122-5.2 mm ammunition 425- 7.2 special ammunition and 13 pistol round 9 mm ammunition.

NLC Schedules April 10 for Nationwide Protest over Pension Arrears

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has fixed April 10 for a nationwide protest to demonstrate their displeasure with the levity with which the federal government is treating the plight of pensioners who are owed a backlog of arrears. During the protest, labour would mobilise people to march to the State House and state government houses in the 36 states of the federation to lay their complaints to President Goodluck Jonathan and the governors respectively. To ensure the success of the planned protest, the NLC Central Working Committee (CWC) directed all affiliate unions, state councils, friends and allies of the organised labour to immediately commence the mobilisation of workers for the action. The congress said it had exploited all the lawful channels of communication to the government hence its determination to ensure justice for its members who are owed billions of pension arrears.

INTERNATIONAL

US, South Korea Begin Military Drills

The US and South Korea have begun annual military drills amid high tensions with North Korea in the wake of new UN sanctions. North Korea has strongly condemned the exercises, threatening to scrap the armistice that ended the Korean War. But the South says North Korea also appears to have carried out a threat made last week to sever a cross-border hotline. The drills come days after the UN approved new sanctions on North Korea following its nuclear test in February. The test followed an apparently successful launch in December of a three-stage rocket, seen as a banned test of missile technology. North Korea's neighbours and the US fear it is working to build a nuclear warhead small enough to put on a missile, but believe it does not yet have the capabilities to do so.

Mexican Tourism Minister Shot Dead

The new minister of tourism in one of Mexico's biggest states was shot dead last weekend in an upscale neighbourhood of Guadalajara, officials said. Jose de Jesus Gallegos, tourism minister for Jalisco, was stopped in his vehicle by armed men and gunned down with a pistol, state Interior Minister, Arturo Zamora, disclosed. Gallegos had been in office only a week in the state. Zamora said the initial investigation suggested the killing was related to Gallegos' business activities and had nothing to do with his government post. Gallegos was the founder of Jegal Project and Construction Management, which developed expensive resorts and luxury towers.

Saudi Court Jails Rights Activists

A Saudi criminal court, last weekend, dissolved a human rights group and handed down severe jail terms to two of its members. The judge ordered "the dissolution of the Saudi Association of Civil and Political Rights (ACPRA), for failing to obtain authorisation, and the seizure of its assets. The judge further upheld a six-year prison term for one the group's members, Abdullah al-Hamed, by a court of first instance, and also handed him a new five-year sentence and an 11-year travel ban after he leaves jail. Another rights activist with the ACPRA, Mohammed Gahtani, was jailed for 10 years and banned from travelling for 10 years. The defendants were convicted of violating a law on cybercrime by using Twitter to denounce various aspects of political and social life in the ultra-conservative kingdom. They have 30 days to appeal. The two men remained calm and said that they planned to continue their "peaceful struggle”.

Detained UN Peacekeepers Freed, Cross into Jordan

Twenty-one United Nations peacekeepers captured by Syrian rebels and held for three days in a southern Syrian village crossed safely into neighbouring Jordan last Saturday, rebels and a UN official said. The Filipino peacekeepers were taken by the Martyrs of Yarmouk rebel brigade to the border, about 10 km (6 miles) south of the village of Jamla where they had been held since being captured penultimate Wednesday. Mokhtar Lamani, who heads the Damascus office of UN-Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, confirmed that the men had crossed into Jordan. The group -part of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) that has been monitoring a ceasefire line between Syria and Israel in the Golan Heights since 1974- was seized by the Martyrs of Yarmouk rebel brigade. The insurgents described them as "guests" and said they would be freed once President Bashar al-Assad's forces withdrew from around Jamla and stopped shelling.

Russia Warns UK against Arming Syrian Rebels

Any attempt by the UK to arm Syrian rebels would be a breach of international law, Russia has warned. It comes after David Cameron suggested the UK would consider vetoing an extension to the European Union's arms embargo on Syria. Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, made it clear Moscow would oppose any move to supply arms to Syria. The British government has already promised to give "non-lethal" assistance to forces opposed to President Assad. Up to 70,000 people have been killed in Syria and a million refugees have fled the country since the crisis began two years ago.

Xi Jinping Named China President

Leaders in Beijing have confirmed 59-year-old Xi Jinping as president, completing China's 10-yearly transition of power. Xi, appointed to the Communist Party's top post in November, replaces Hu Jintao, who is stepping down. Some 3,000 deputies to the National People's Congress, the annual parliament session, took part in the vote at the Great Hall of the People. While votes are held for the posts, they are largely ceremonial and the results very rarely a surprise. Xi, who bowed to the delegates after his name was announced but made no formal remarks, was elected by 2,952 votes to one, with three abstentions. He was named secretary-general of the Communist Party on November 8 and also given the leadership of the top military body, the Central Military Commission.

Blasts Kill at Least 18 in Baghdad

A series of blasts in the centre of the Iraqi capital Baghdad killed at least 18 people on Thursday, police and medics said. The explosions, which also wounded at least 50, took place near the ministries of justice and foreign affairs. Similarly, mortar shells struck a residential area in central Syria on Wednesday, killing three people and wounding more than 50, including a number of women and children.

Several Killed as Suicide Bomber Attacks Afghan Sports Fans

A suicide bomber has killed at least seven people in an attack on spectators at a buzkashi sports event in north-east Afghanistan. The brother and father of the speaker of the Afghan parliament are said to be among the dead in Imam Sahib District, Kunduz province. Hundreds of people were watching and the death toll may rise further. The governor of Kunduz province, Mohammad Anwar Jigdalak, said Abdul Qayum Ebrahimi had been killed in the attack along with his father. He had been the local chief of police and brother to Abdul Raouf Ebrahimi, the speaker in the Afghan House of Representatives. It is not clear if they had been the targets of the attack.

Briton Jailed 14 Years for Trafficking Nigerian Girls

Isleworth Crown Court in the United Kingdom (UK) has handed down a 14-year jail term to a man from North London, for trafficking two Nigerian teenage girls for sexual exploitation following investigation by the UK Border Agency, Border Force and Sussex Police. Odosa Usiobaifo, 35, was found guilty on Monday, after a four-week trial. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration. The girls, aged 14 and 15 at the time, were stopped by Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport on September 17 and 23, 2011 for using fake passports showing they were adults. They had arrived on flights from Lagos and were attempting to transit to Paris, France. They were placed in care of local authority but on April 6, 2012, they were reported missing to Sussex Police by their respective foster homes.

Children Recruited by Armed Groups in Syria

Increasing numbers of children in Syria are being recruited by armed groups on both sides of the conflict. Children are being used as porters, guards, informers and fighters and, in some cases, as human shields, a UK charity, Save the Children, disclosed. Some two million children are in need of assistance in Syria. A report said it had found a growing pattern of children under the age of 18 being used by armed groups on both sides in the conflict. For many children and their families, it is seen as a source of pride, the report says, but some children are being forcibly recruited into military activities. Meanwhile, Loyalist Syrian forces killed at least 30 army deserters in an ambush on the Damascus Airport road on Tuesday as opposition fighters were guiding them on foot to a rebel-held district, opposition sources said.

Afghan Authorities Foil Huge Truck Bomb

Afghanistan’s intelligence agency said Friday that it had foiled a massive truck bomb plot in which 7,800 kilogrammes of explosives could have wiped out an area of Kabul. The National Directorate of Security (NDS) said the attack had been planned by the Pakistan-based Haqqani network and the Taliban leadership, though it offered no concrete evidence of the plot. Shafiqullah Tahiri, spokesman for the spy agency, said the explosives had been found on Tuesday, hidden in cement bags in a truck on the eastern outskirts of the capital. During the NDS night raid early on Tuesday, five suspected plotters were killed in an exchange of fire, while two others were arrested, he added.

Egyptian Detainee Tortured to Death in Libya

An Egyptian Christian jailed in Libya has been tortured to death in custody, an Egyptian human rights lawyer disclosed on Monday. The man, Ezzat Hakim Attallah, “died after being tortured with other detainees” in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, said Naguib Guebrayel, a Coptic Christian lawyer. His accusation follows a report earlier this month that 48 Egyptian Christians had been arrested in Benghazi on suspicion of proselytizing. On March 1, a Libyan security official said the Copts were arrested on illegal immigration charges, although they were suspected of trying to convert Muslims in Libya’s second city.