Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 15

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

MEND Claims Responsibility for Death of 12 Policemen in Ambush

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has claimed responsibility for the Friday killing of 12 policemen in an ambush near the village of Azuzama, along the creeks of Bayelsa State. MEND demands an apology from the federal government over an allegedly forged letter which was used in convicting its leader, Henry Okah, by a South African court for two bomb attacks in Nigeria in 2010. MEND, had on Wednesday, served notice to resume attacks in the Niger Delta on Thursday in retaliation for the conviction of Okah. MEND’s spokesman, Gbomo Jomo, in a statement, said that the sustained attacks codenamed ‘Hurricane Exodus’ will be a direct repercussion for a forged threat letter allegedly contrived by the Nigerian and South African Governments purporting to have originated from MEND. MEND said the attacks would be sustained until an unreserved apology is offered to MEND and the Nigerian government shows their willingness to dialogue. The spokesman of the JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the threat had prompted the deployment of troops in the region.

Bakassi: Five Killed, 1800 Displaced as Gendarmes Attack Natives

No fewer than five Bakassi natives, who resisted forcible eviction from the ceded peninsula, were allegedly killed by Cameroonian military authorities. Chairman of Bakassi LGA of Cross River State, Dr. Ekpo Bassey, who confirmed this on Tuesday, also said those in the camp for displaced persons had swelled to 1800. He said recent onslaught occurred over the weekend when the Cameroonian gendarmes opened fire on the natives at Efut Obot Ikot, a settlement in the peninsula where they preferred to stay. He lamented that scores of Nigerians, who had initially settled in Efut Obot Ikot community and its environs, following the ceding of the peninsula, had become victims as the Cameroonian authorities had continued to forcibly evict them. The council chairman alleged that the Cameroonian authorities stormed the settlement, beating women and setting houses belonging to Nigerians ablaze, while those that resisted arrest were either maimed or killed.

32 Pregnant Teenagers Rescued from Aba Baby Factory

Operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have rescued about 32 pregnant teenagers from a maternity home at Umuzuo, Osisioma LGA of Abia State. Investigation has revealed that the victims were induced to sell a baby boy for N100, 000, and a girl for N80, 000. Investigation further showed that the owner of the maternity home, in turn sales the baby boy for N450, 000, and a girl for N400, 000. The state NSCDC spokesman, Victor Ogbonna, said that the proprietor of the centre, Nnenna Mba, and two men -Mba Agbai and Chinwoke Mba- that allegedly aided and abated the act, were arrested by the NSCDC. The proprietor of the home, however, denied claims that she induced the victims to sell their babies. Mba said the centre officially registered with the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, was meant to assist pregnant teenagers. Ogbonna said that the relatives of the victims had been contacted to reunite them with their people. This would be the third time that a baby factory would be discovered in Abia.

Farmers Raise the Alarm over Killings in Community

Farmers in Umukwa Igbo Etche in Etche LGA of Rivers State are being forced out of their farmlands following the activities of unknown people who behead their members in the community. It was gathered that four persons mostly farmers have so far been beheaded in the area. A resident in the community disclosed that the perpetrators of the dreadful act were strangers in the community. It was gathered that one of the hoodlums have been arrested and had confessed to have beheaded only one person and was preparing to complete his assignment by getting extra two heads before his arrest. Samuel Okere, one of the community leaders said, it was necessary for government and security agencies to urgently lay ambush in the community to detect the whereabouts of those terrorising the people and bring them to book. Okere warned that if government fails to intervene speedily, the people would be forced to handle the security challenge by themselves, which he feared might lead to serious crisis.

Over 700 Policemen Rendered Homeless in Onitsha

Over 700 policemen and their families, residing in the barracks at the Central Police Station (CPS), and Police Area Command, Onitsha, have been rendered homeless, following the demolition of their buildings and shops by the Anambra State Police Command. While the affected policemen accused the state Police Command of being insensitive, the State’s Commissioner of Police, Balla Nasarawa, described them as illegal occupants. One of the victims said he had been living in the barracks for the past 21 years, adding that he had consistently been paying rent to the police authorities and described the statement credited to the CP as untrue.

Rivers UBE Suspends 300 Teachers

About 300 teachers in the Rivers primary and junior secondary schools have been suspended for absenteeism, the Rivers Universal Basic Education (UBE) Board said on Thursday. Mrs Nnenda Anwuri, the board’s Executive Secretary, said the affected teachers would have their salaries stopped for three months to serve as a deterrent to other teachers, who might imbibe such habit. The executive secretary said that the board had quality schools supervisors and as such would not take cases of indiscipline kindly. Anwuri said the shortage of teachers in the state primary and junior secondary schools (JSS) would not snowball into 2013/2014 academic year, adding that the state government would recruit 13,000 teachers.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Fuel Tanker Explosion Kills 36 in Edo

A multi-vehicle crash killed 36 people in Edo state on Friday. The accident involved a truck, a fuel tanker and a bus, according to the spokesman of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Jonas Agwu. A tire from the truck hit the tanker, which caught fire, and a bus crashed into the burning tanker, killing 30 people on the bus, Agwu said, citing a preliminary report. Four people in the tanker also died. The fire spread to a mechanic's workshop, killing two children. The Benin-Ore highway links the Nigerian city of Lagos with eastern and southern states of the country.

Jilted Girl Accused of Killing 2 Brothers

A lady, simply identified as Chinonye, has been arrested over allegations of poisoning two brothers at Umunede, Delta State. She allegedly killed them by poisoning their drink on Easter Sunday. It was gathered that Chinonye was bitter after she was jilted by one of the brothers, identified as Monye, who had promised to marry her, but left with another lady abroad. Monye was said to have been repatriated along with his girlfriend. It was reported that Chinonye, met with Monye, who was said to have begged for her forgiveness with a promise to make amend. But as he visited her on Easter Sunday, she poisoned his drink, which he drank with his younger brother, and both soon developed stomach pains and dies after they got home. She, however, denies killing them.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Two Arrested over Killing in Ekiti

The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Mr Sotonye Wakama, Monday said the command had arrested two persons over their alleged involvement in the violence that rocked Erijiyan-Ekiti community in Ekiti West LGA of Ekiti State, penultimate Saturday night. The violence occurred during a clash between supporters of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in which one person, Ayo Jeje, was shot dead, while several others were injured. Wakama said the police were yet to get any corroborative evidence against the two persons arrested. He, however, said peace had since been restored to the town which came under attack by some people believed to be political thugs on Saturday night.

Suspected Pipeline Vandals Nabbed in Lagos

The Special Task Force on Anti-pipeline Vandalism, last weekend, arrested five suspected pipeline vandals at 7th Avenue, FESTAC Town, one of the notorious spots for pipeline vandalism in Lagos state. The suspects confessed that they sell the products to buyers, especially customers at the Apapa area of the state for as much as N6000 per barrel of 125 litres. The police were said to have sighted the suspects after they had successfully vandalised and stolen 270 jerry cans of 120 litres of petrol from one of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines at Oke Agemo, Ijedodo area in Iba Local Government Council Development Area (LCDA). The Officer-in-Charge of the task force, Friday Ibadin, said police operatives laid ambush for the suspects based on intelligence report.

Court Remands Killer Policeman in Prison

An Akure Magistrates’ court has remanded a dismissed police constable, Alonge Abdul in prison custody for the death of a pregnant woman, Mrs Segi Olajiga. Alonge, had, on Tuesday, shot at a commercial vehicle, whose driver allegedly failed to oblige his demand for money.  The fired bullet tore through the front seat of the car and hit the pregnant woman sitting on the front seat.  She died on the spot. The remand of the accused came as the Federation of Women Lawyers asked the police authority to be diligent in the prosecution of the accused person, who was brought to the court by a detachment of policemen.

Cleric, Six Others Arrested over Airport Robbery

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 7 persons, including the General Overseer of a church in Lagos, on suspicion of being members of a robbery gang that attacked the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja on March 13, killing two policemen and injuring several others. The robbers were also said to be the same bandits, who attacked a Bureau De Change last year at the same airport, carting away dollars valued at over N600 million. The State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, said the robbery suspects were caught after men of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS), recovered the corpse of one of the slain robbers, identified as Teslim Okunola, aka Esho, and discovered some items on him. Items recovered from the suspects were five AK47 rifles, four dynamites, two locally made pistols, 64 AK47 magazines, all loaded with 30 rounds each, totalling 1,920 live ammunitions. All the suspects have confessed to the airport robbery and several other deadly robberies in Lagos and environs.

29-Year-Old in Court Kidnap and Rape

A 29-year-old man, Jamiu Lawal, was on Tuesday, arraigned before an Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate Court in Lagos, for kidnapping and allegedly raping a 20-year-old lady. The accused was said to have conspired with others at large to kidnap the victim by taking her to an unknown destination where they raped her severally. The accused was arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, manner likely to cause breach of the peace and having unlawful canal knowledge of the victim, but he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

NAFDAC Nabs Fake Wine Manufacturers in Lagos

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has arrested two manufacturers of fake Red Label Whiskey and Carlo Rossi Wine in Lagos. To this end, the agency has requested the deployment of more security officers to NAFDAC as part of strategies to step up enforcement activities and ensure that all counterfeiters were prosecuted accordingly. Director General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, said the suspects, Mr. Kingsley Okoro and Mr. Fred Nwafor, were also found to be in possession of fake Johny Walker whiskey. He further disclosed that the suspects had confessed to the crime and the products found with them will be subjected to laboratory analysis.

Two Policemen Killed in Lagos Bank Robbery

Robbers, numbering about 12, on Thursday, stormed the Iju Ishaga branch of a new generation bank, killing two policemen during a shoot-out said to have lasted 15 minutes. The armed gang reportedly carted away an undisclosed amount of money from the bank. The bandits were said to have stormed the bank at about 3am in two vehicles. While some of them reportedly remained outside to ward off intruders, others scaled through the fence and tied the night guards. They were said to have, thereafter, fired some shots at the Automated Teller Machine (ATM). The gunshots alerted some policemen on patrol around the area, who reportedly raced to the scene. But on sighting the policemen, the gang members stationed outside reportedly opened fire, thereby leading to a gun duel at the end of which two of the policemen died.

Nigeria Navy Restates Commitment to Protect Nigeria’s Waterways

The Nigeria Navy has warned against illegal use of Lagos waterways and internal waters, noting that it was poised to protect the country’s maritime potentials and resources for national development. The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, gave the assurance at an annual water regatta, which the Lagos State Government put together as parts of the event lined to mark the state’s Easter Carnival. Ibas said the Nigerian Navy would protect the country’s maritime potentials and resources. He added that the Navy would ensure the Lagos waterways “are kept safe for navigation, transportation and other maritime activities as well as sporting activities and other events such as the annual Regatta.

Man Pays Hoodlums to Rape His Sisters

A 40-year-old-man has been arrested by men of Ogun Police Command for allegedly hiring two men to rape his two younger sisters. The suspect was said to have been arrested with the two allegedly paid rapists after they had raped and robbed the two ladies, aged 16 and 18 years. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, alleged that the suspect paid the rapists N80,000 before they committed the act. In his reaction, the suspect confessed to hiring two persons to deal with his two sisters over their inheritances from their deceased parents, which he wanted them to leave for him. He said that he just asked them to threaten his sisters so that they can leave the property for him, denying that he paid them to rape his sisters as they did.

Suspected Thieves Arrested Aboard Aircraft

Two passengers were arrested Wednesday for theft inside an Abuja-bound Airline flight. They were on the flight, which took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos when security officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) nabbed them while they were attempting to steal N1.5 million from the hand luggage compartment of the aircraft. The suspects were arrested after a member of the cabin crew alerted security operatives when an argument ensued between two passengers over missing money from the luggage of one of the passengers. Two of the passengers who were suspected by the victim were later subjected to body search and substantial amounts of money were found on them. The two men were later taken away and subjected to interrogation at FAAN’s Crime Investigation Bureau, from where they would be handed over to the police for further investigation.

GENERAL

Gunmen Kill 30 in Kaduna Siege

At least 30 people were, last weekend, killed in Mafang and Zilang villages in Kaura LGA of Kaduna State by rampaging gunmen. Over 4,000 people in the two villages were also said to have fled their homes following the attack and torching of their homes. A resident of Zilang, Matthew Bulus, said the gunmen were dressed in black and armed with sophisticated weapons. He said over 80 households in Mafang village had been displaced as their homes were set ablaze by the invaders suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. The spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command, Aminu Lawal, confirmed the attacks. The Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Yero, has directed security agencies in the state to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators of the act to justice.

JTF Kills 14 Suspected Terrorists in Kano

Operatives of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), penultimate Sunday, shot dead 14 suspected terrorists during a gun battle when they stormed a hideout of the terrorists at Yan’Awaki area of Unguwa Uku quarters in Kano. The JTF raided the hideout in the wee hours of Sunday following a tip off. It was also learnt that the joint security operatives also foiled a suicide bomb attempt when a Golf vehicle was intercepted loaded with improvised explosives devices (IEDS) at Yan’Awaki area of Unguwa Uku and recovered a cache of arms from the vehicle.

Gunmen Kill UNIMAID Lecturer in Maiduguri

A senior lecturer at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Malam Murtala Mohammed, was, penultimate Sunday, shot dead by unidentified gunmen. The don was shot dead at about 5pm while on inspection of his ongoing building project around 202 Housing Estate in Maiduguri, Borno State. Murtala was said to have died on the spot when the gunmen fired several bullets at him. Students of the institution said killing and kidnapping of their lecturers was becoming rampant and worrisome.

Malian Rebels Support Boko Haram -COAS

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Azubike Ihejirika, has related the wave of terrorism in Nigeria the affiliation of the Boko Haram sect to Mali rebels –Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al Shabab. Ihejirika disclosed that based on intelligence gathering, the security forces discovered a strong link between the Boko Haram sect and terrorists in the Maghreb, including rebels in Mali, who provide them with training, funding and weapons. The COAS, however, pointed out that any country or community whose citizens have high level of security awareness have greater chances of defeating terrorists before they carry out their dastardly acts.

Anambra, Kogi Communities Clash over Oil Wells

At least seven persons were feared dead and 52 houses burnt when the people of Enugu-Otu Aguleri in Anambra East LGA of Anambra State and Ashonwo/Odeke in Ibaji LG Council of Kogi State engaged in a bloody clash over disputed land on their oil–rich borders. Kogi people have been laying claims to the oil wells in Aguleri–Otu in Anambra State shortly after President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the Orient Petroleum Refinery in Anambra State last year. A community leader in Enugu-Otu Aguleri, Chief Anekwe Arinze, said that the people of Ashonwo/Odeke allegedly invaded their community at about 1:30am. Reacting to the killings, Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State said the situation must be brought under control immediately. However, the Transition Committee Chairman of Anambra East Council area, Mr. Chinedu Obidigwe, lamented the level of destruction in the community. It was gathered yesterdays that some soldiers had been deployed to the area to maintain law and order.

Protesting Ex-Militants Besiege National Assembly

Hundreds of ex-militants from the Niger Delta, on Thursday, stormed the National Assembly Abuja to protest their alleged exclusion from the Federal Government amnesty programme. The protesters, who came under the aegis of the Niger Delta Freedom Fighters (NDFF), barricaded the main gate of the parliament, demanding to meet the leadership of the National Assembly. The protesters, led by one Para Ekiyes, said they were at the parliament to seek the intervention of the lawmakers on their alleged exclusion from the third phase of the programme which they claimed had commenced in some states. The aggrieved ex-militants threatened to return to the creeks to resume hostilities against oil multinationals if the government failed to enlist them in the various programmes being run by the Amnesty Office.

Gunmen Kill Deputy Controller of Prisons

The Deputy Controller of Sokoto State Central Prisons, Usman Zaki Gwandu, was, Thursday, killed in Sokoto metropolis by unidentified gunmen. State Police spokesman, Sani Salisu, who confirmed the incident, said that the prison boss was shot by the assailants and eventually died on the spot. Salisu, however, stated that the police had commenced investigation into the incident with a view to unravelling those behind Gwandu’s death. Checks revealed that the late Gwandu was gruesomely murdered around 10 p.m. close to the second gate of the state Polytechnic while driving alone in his car on his way home.

Jonathan Sets Up Committee for Amnesty to Boko Haram

President Goodluck Jonathan, Thursday, established a committee within the membership of the National Security Council (NSC) to work out the feasibility and modalities to be adopted should the government decide to grant pardon to Boko Haram Islamists insurgents. The committee is expected to submit its report to the president when the council meets again within a fortnight.

Police Discover Bombs in Lock Shop

Police in Plateau State, on Monday, uncovered some Improvised Explosive Devices and bomb-making materials in a shop at Anguwan Rogo, a Hausa dominated suburb in Jos North LGA. The unearthing of the bomb followed a complaint to the police by the traders after the occupant locked the shop after the expiry of his tenancy. Among the items uncovered by the police were an some IEDs, cables, three bags of fertilisers, canisters of tear gas, a police life jacket, uniforms belonging to an Aid group, a drilling machine and remote control devices. The shop owner had reported that his tenant had refused to vacate the shop even after his tenancy had expired. Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Adigun Salawu, said investigations into the incident were ongoing.

Man, 53, Remanded in Prison over Rape of 2-Year-Old

An Upper Area Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, Tuesday, remanded a 53-year-old man, Daniel Kura, in prison for allegedly raping a two-year-old girl. The police prosecutor, Mr Stephen Kwaza, said that the matter was reported by the victim’s father on April 1. Kwaza said the accused deceived the minor and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her on Monday. He further objected to the court granting bail to the accused because the matter was still being investigated and that the victim was undergoing treatment. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge, but was remanded in prison custody.

Army Impound 124 Bags of Cannabis

The Nigerian Army has seized about 124 bags of substances weighing 50 kilogrammes each suspected to be cannabis. This was disclosed Tuesday by the Commanding Officer, Guards Brigade Workshop, Lt. Col. Adeyinka Adereti who displayed the seized drugs in Abuja. Adereti said that on Sunday troops deployed along the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway, Abaji intercepted a J5 bus and found 31 bags of substance suspected to be cannabis. The driver of the bus was arrested and handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigations and prosecution.

Police Recover Arms in Bauchi

The Police Anti-Robbery Squad alongside prominent armed robbers’ hunter, Alhaji Ali Kwara, has recovered two AK 47 riffles and 320 live ammunitions in Bauchi State. Ali Kwara said the team pursued the armed robbers, who came from Owerri in Imo state, from Abuja to Bauchi and intercepted them between Azare to Potiskum in Yobe State. They abandoned their vehicles and fled inside the bush. We recovered two AK 47 riffles and over 320 rounds of ammunitions and their Hilux vehicle. We have handed over the vehicle and the recovered arms to the Bauchi State Police Commissioner. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Hassan Mohammed Auyo, confirmed the incident, saying that the Police Commissioner has commenced investigation into the matter.

Three Drown Celebrating Easter at Gubi Dam

Three people, including two students of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi got drowned in Gubi dam, Ganjuwa LGA of Bauchi State. According to sources, some students of the university who were on a short break came to the dam to hold a party to mark the Easter festival when the incident occurred. It was learnt that one of the students decided to swim in the dam and got drowned. The second student who attempted to save the life of his friend also drowned. The situation subsequently led to the death of the third person who also drowned while trying to save the two students. Residents, who disclosed that many people had lost their lives in the dam, wondered why people still swim there. They called on the state government to enact a law that would ban people from having functions close to the dam because of past tragic incidences.

Police Arraign Suspect for Impersonating NSA

A suspected fraudster, Aminu Yarima, has been arraigned before an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court for impersonation. Yarima, , who pleaded guilty to a one-count charge against him by the Police, had impersonated the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mr. Sambo Dasuki. He told the court that the devil commanded him to dupe four serving ministers. Consequently, he bought a GSM line, which he used to call the personal phone numbers of the Ministers, identified himself as the NSA, and demanded to have a private audience with each of them with a view to discussing certain issues of great national importance. But the operation went awry after one of the ministers was said to have notified the Police which promptly traced the call and apprehended him. Both the accused and his counsel, Mr. Edwin Atta, urged the court to temper justice with mercy, insisting that it was the devil that masterminded the offence.

18 Killed in Abuja Road Accident

Eighteen people were killed while nine others were seriously injured in road accident on Wednesday morning, along the Kwale-Gwagwalada road. The accident involved a Marcopolo luxury bus and a J5 bus, with 96 casualties. Reports from the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) showed that the J5 bus was travelling to Sokoto from Lokoja while the Marcopolo bus belonging to GUO Group of Companies, was heading towards Lagos from Kano when the J5 driver suddenly swerved off his lane into the other lane apparently due to fatigue, resulting in a collision with the luxury bus. Details of the fatal crash indicate that of the 96 people involved, 70 were male, 16 female and 10 children comprising seven male and three female.

JTF Kills Three Terror Suspects

The Joint Task Force (JTF) in Maiduguri, Borno State, has killed three suspected Boko Haram terrorists after the hoodlums robbed a Bureau De-Change centre and snatched a vehicle of the managing director of the centre on Tuesday. The gunmen in Borno, according to an eyewitness, were shot dead by soldiers immediately after they robbed the Bureau De-Change centre in Hausari ward of the metropolis. Meanwhile, the JTF has extended the curfew in some parts of Maiduguri due to increase in killings in the town. The curfew in Jiddari-Polo was extended from 9pm to 6am, to 6pm to 6am, an addition of three hours from what obtained from other parts of the town. A statement by the spokesman of the JTF, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said, although officially, curfew starts by 9pm, a local commander in charge of an area, on reasonable grounds, may decide to enforce it even before 9 p.m.

Kano: Six Killed as JTF Raids Terrorist's Hideout

A team of Joint Military Task Force (JTF) operatives, on Wednesday, raided hideouts suspected to be terrorist dens in separate raids at Yankaba and Unguwar Dabai area of Kano State, during which six suspected terrorists were killed. The operatives stormed the area at about 4am and searched houses suspected to be harbouring the terrorists; two days after three policemen were shot dead by unidentified gunmen at Yankaba Market in Kano.

Explosion Rocks Eatery in Abuja

Fun-seekers, residents and passers-by, on Monday evening, scampered for safety following an explosion which rocked a fast food outlet in the Karu Site area of Abuja. Some staff of the eatery said they suspected that explosion was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). According to them, the purveyors of the deadly device may have hidden it behind the building, adding that the explosion originated from the back of the building. The FCT Commissioner of Police, Femi Ogunbayode, explained that the explosion was caused by an ignorant security guard who mistakenly set a 'commercial explosive' on fire in the course of making a bonfire at the site. He pointed out that the use and handling of commercial explosives by the public are permissible by law. He added that the owner of the site was being interrogated as to how the explosives could have gotten into the building site.

INTERNATIONAL

March: Deadliest Month in Syria Uprising

More than 6,000 people died in Syria in March, the deadliest month since protests against the government began two years ago, activists say. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an activist group, said it recorded 6,005 deaths in March. It said victims included at least 291 women, 298 children, 1,486 rebel fighters and army defectors, and 1,464 government troops. The other casualties were unidentified civilians and fighters, it added. The UN says more than 70,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising began. On Monday gunmen attacked a bus and beat up its driver, before kidnapping eight Syrian Alawites as they crossed into northern Lebanon, residents in the frontier town of Wadi Khaled said. The gunmen were apparently seeking to secure the release of a Sunni man, Mohammed Hussein al-Ahmad, believed captured by Syrian forces, in exchange for their hostages.

US Sends Jets, North Korea Vows Nuclear Build-up

The US says it sent stealth fighters to South Korea on Sunday, as North Korea vowed to build up its nuclear arsenal. The F-22 fighters, B-2 and B-52 bomber planes were deployed as part of on-going joint military exercises with South Korea, the US said. North Korea, penultimate Saturday, declared that it was entering a "state of war" with the South. In March, the US deployed both B-2 and B-52 planes, which have nuclear capabilities, over South Korea. At a rare high-level meeting on Sunday, North Korea's Central Committee described nuclear weapons as "the nation's life" and vowed to further develop its nuclear programme. North Korea, which threatened to restart all facilities at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, including a reactor mothballed in 2007, has been angered by the resultant UN sanctions and joint US-South Korea annual military drills.

Argentina Floods Claims 54 Lives

The government in Argentina, Thursday, declared three days of national mourning after flash floods killed 54 people. One of the heaviest storms recorded moved through the province hitting both the capital, Buenos Aires, and the city of La Plata. At least 48 people were killed in La Plata and six others in Buenos Aires, according to reports. More bodies were being found as flood waters receded. Around 40cm (16in) of rain fell on La Plata in a short period late on Tuesday night and the early hours of Wednesday. Buenos Aires had earlier been hit by more than 15cm of rainfall. Thousands of people have been evacuated to safety. Buenos Aires Mayor, Mauricio Macri, said about 350,000 people had been affected by the torrents of rain. The city authorities said it was the heaviest April rainfall in a century.

South Africa, Chad Pulls Out Troops from CAR

South Africa has decided to pull its troops out of the Central African Republic because the deal under which they were deployed has become void with the fall the CAR government, South African President, Jacob Zuma, said Thursday. Zuma had faced questions over the presence of his troops following the gunning down by rebels of 13 South African paratroopers during the bloody battle for the capital, Bangui. According to him, South African troops were in CAR to help train the soldiers, but since the coup and the self-appointment of rebels, it was clear that the government is no longer there. Zuma made the disclosure at the end of a meeting of the Economic Community of Central African States in the Chadian capital Ndjamena. The decision to withdraw was first announced by summit host, Chadian leader Idriss Deby, late Wednesday, who added Zuma was ready to provide troops in the future if necessary.

Syrian Jet Flies, Fires Missiles into Lebanon

A Syrian jet flew 20km into Lebanon and fired a missile into a field on the outskirts of the border town of Arsal on Wednesday but caused no casualties were recorded. Lebanon has maintained a policy of "dissociation" from Syria's two-year-old conflict. But many Lebanese officials feel their country is increasingly at risk of being dragged into the civil war. Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have fired mortars into and occasionally entered Lebanese territory in pursuit of rebels, and had, in March, threatened to carry out air strikes in Lebanon. When a Syrian plane bombed Lebanese territory in mid-March, Lebanese President Michel Suleiman called it an "unacceptable violation" of Lebanese sovereignty. It was not immediately clear what the Syrian jet on Wednesday was targeting. Before dawn on Wednesday, Lebanese gunmen who back the uprising against Assad in Syria fired on a convoy of trucks heading to Syria in the port city of Tripoli, wounding the driver, a security source said.

Floods Hit Mauritian Capital, Claim 8 Lives

At least 10 people have died after sudden rains caused flooding in the Mauritian capital, Port Louis, last weekend. At least eight of the victims were caught in underground areas as the flood waters rose rapidly. Another died of a heart attack. The island's meteorologists said 152mm (6in) of rain fell in less than an hour. Prime Minister, Navin Rangoolam, said Mauritius was suffering badly from the effects of climate change. The floods caused chaos in the city, with a huge traffic jam paralysing its centre.

36 Killed in Tanzania Building Collapse

The death toll from the collapse of a multi-storey building in Tanzania rose to 36 on Monday, a senior police chief said, after more bodies were pulled from the rubble of the building which was under construction near the centre of Dar es Salaam. Police said it was unlikely more bodies would be recovered from the site in the Kariakoo district where rescue workers had cleared most of the debris and reached the basement of the building that collapsed, penultimate Friday. Eighteen people survived the fall of the building, Dar es Salaam regional police commander, Suleiman Kova, disclosed. The building, which reached more than 12 storeys high, was under construction near a mosque in Kariakoo. Meanwhile 11 people have been charged with manslaughter following the collapse of the building and the deaths. The 11 include the owner of the Dar es Salaam building, as well as those involved in its construction.

School Fire Kills 13 Children in Myanmar

A fire at an Islamic school in Yangon, Myanmar killed 13 children on Tuesday in what officials said could have been an accident. The children, all boys, suffocated after the fire broke out in a dormitory of the school next to a mosque in the central, multi-ethnic Botataung district. A Central Fire Service duty officer contacted blamed the fire on the overheating of a transformer but officials said later they were still investigating the cause. According to official records, electrical faults and overheating are major causes of fires in Yangon. But many Muslims were "very suspicious" about the causes of the fire, said Mya Aye, a Muslim member of the 88 Generation Students' pro-democracy group. This is because the fire comes in the aftermath of a wave of violence against Muslims in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Hoodlums Gang Rape American Student in Brazil

Police are searching for a third suspect in the gang rape of an American student after she and her French boyfriend were taken hostage aboard a Rio minibus. Two male suspects, age 20 and 22, were detained over the weekend, and another is still at large, a police spokesman said. The American, 21, and the Frenchman, 23, both studying in Rio, according to reports, boarded a minibus around midnight Saturday in touristy Copacabana headed to Lapa, a trendy area home to popular bars and dance clubs. Two men, who also boarded the minibus ordered the rest of the passengers to get off and handcuffed their victims. They then proceeded to beat the young man with a metal bar and rape the young woman as they rode around the city. The victims were also robbed of cash. The driver of the minibus may also have taken part in the rape.

Four Killed in Mexico Bar Shootings

Four people were killed when gunmen launched attacks on two bars in Mexico's second biggest city. A total of 45 rounds were fired using 9mm handguns in the shootings in Guadalajara penultimate Sunday night. The four dead include an American, while 17 others were wounded. Local prosecutor's office chief, Jorge Villasenor, said the attacks took place 15 minutes apart and appeared to be aimed at the owners of the bars, who are related. Villasenor added that investigators suspect organised crime was involved due to the type of weapon that was used.

Seven Killed in Bomb Attack at Iraq Police HQ

A suicide attacker has blew-up a tanker lorry at the police HQ in the Iraqi city of Tikrit, killing at least seven people, officials say. Majority of the casualties are thought to have been police officers. Violence has decreased in Iraq since the peak of the insurgency in 2006 and 2007, but bombings are still common. Sunni Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda have vowed to step up attacks on Shia and official targets this year, in an attempt to weaken the Shia-led government. The violence comes ahead of provincial elections scheduled to take place on 20 April.

Malian Forces Hunt for Rebels after Timbuktu Clash

Malian troops, on Monday, went on a house-to-house search in Timbuktu for rebels following hours of fighting with Islamist rebels who had infiltrated the northern desert town. Residents said calm had returned after heavy clashes and airstrikes by French fighter jets backing the Malian troops forced them to shelter indoors. Malian military sources said soldiers were sweeping parts of the town to ensure there were no remaining rebel fighters. At least one Malian soldier was killed in the clashes, along with more than 20 insurgents, according to a government statement on Sunday night. Residents said at least five civilians were killed in the crossfire. An army spokesman said that groups of rebels had entered the town after setting off a suicide car bomb at a checkpoint, diverting the military’s attention.

UN Passes Global Arms Trade Treaty

The UN General Assembly has passed the first global arms trade treaty by 154 votes to three, with 23 abstentions. Iran, North Korea and Syria had sought to block the treaty governing a trade worth some $70bn (£46bn) annually. The treaty aims to prevent abuses against civilians and keep weapons out of the hands of terrorists and gangs. Russia, the world's second-biggest major exporter, was among those states which abstained from the vote at the Assembly in New York. The treaty prohibits states from exporting conventional weapons in violation of arms embargoes, or weapons that would be used for acts of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or terrorism. It also requires states to prevent conventional weapons reaching the black market.

Seven Killed in Deadly Raid on Pakistan Power Plant

At least seven people were, on Tuesday, killed in an attack by dozens of militants on an electricity plant on the outskirts of the Pakistani city of Peshawar. A policeman and a plant employee were killed on the spot and nine people were taken hostage, police said. Five bodies were later recovered from a nearby field but the whereabouts of the four remaining hostages are unknown. No group has said it carried out the raid, but the Taliban frequently launch attacks in the region. The assault by militants armed with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades took place in the southern Badh Bher suburb of Peshawar, an area frequently targeted by militants.

Indian Sisters Injured In Acid Attack

An acid attack left four sisters in north India with burns in a particularly brutal example of what is a growing problem in South Asia, police said Wednesday. The youngest sister, 19, was admitted to hospital with severe injuries after two men on a motorbike splashed them with acid on Tuesday evening in the Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh. The sisters, aged between 19 and 24, were returning home from a government school where three of them work as teachers. The fourth is a student. Hameed said no arrests had been made and the motive behind the crime was unclear. Attacks on women have topped the national agenda since December 2012 when a medical student was assaulted and raped by six men on a moving bus in Delhi. She died two weeks later of her injuries.

US Posts $5m Bounty for Ugandan Warlord, Kony

The United States on Wednesday unveiled a $5 million bounty on Lord’s Resistance Army chief, Joseph Kony, one of the world’s most wanted men, and posted rewards for three other rebel leaders. Kony has long been on the run in the jungles of central Africa, but his LRA, a Ugandan rebel group, has waged a fierce insurgency and campaign of mutilations and child abductions for two decades across four countries. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Kony and other top LRA leaders on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Kony’s name was added to the State Department’s war crimes rewards program along with fellow LRA members Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen, and Silvestre Mudacumura from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), in the hopes that the men would be brought to justice.

27 Killed in Building Collapse near Mumbai

At least 27 people were killed and dozens more are injured after a building under construction collapsed near the Indian city of Mumbai, police say. Many others are feared trapped beneath the seven-storey building in Thane. Four floors of the unauthorised building were occupied by families, a police spokesman disclosed. Building collapses are common in India. Poor construction material and practices are often blamed. Rescue efforts continued into the night. Police Inspector Digamber Jangale said at least 54 people had been injured. The occupants were believed to be families of labourers working on the building.