Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 20

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Undergraduate Mobbed to Death over Alleged Phone Theft

A suspected phone snatcher said to be an undergraduate of the University of Calabar, was killed by a mob on Wednesday night, for allegedly snatching a phone and a lady’s handbag. The undergraduate said to be operating with someone at large was alleged to have grabbed the lady’s handbag who sat next to him in a taxi, while the other snatched her phone. The lady quickly raised alarm, and some people chased the boys. While one managed to escape, the other hid in a gutter, but was later caught and killed by the mob. A team of policemen took the decapitated body away the following morning.

Corpses of Ex-Militants Found after Attack

Corpses of two persons out of the eight killed in the deadly weekend attack at Lobia community along the creek of Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State have been recovered. The corpses were reportedly discovered in a shallow grave believed to have been dug by their killers. Gunmen suspected to be militants had, penultimate Saturday, launched a vicious attack in Lobia community killing eight persons. It was learnt that Judah, the younger brother to a former militant leader, Mr. Reuben Wilson, popularly known as Pastor, was among the victims of the onslaught. The family insisted that the discovery of the bodies in a shallow grave was clear evidence that they were set up and murdered by the armed men, contrary to the claims of the Joint Task Force (JTF) that the eight youths were killed during a gang war in the area.

Military Aircraft Crashes at Port Harcourt NAF Base

A Nigerian Air Force Parade helicopter crashed on the runway of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Thursday. The incident which happened at about 10am resulted in the explosion of the aircraft minutes after the crash. “The plane regularly engages in routine flight parade in the area, but this morning it crashed on the runway and started smoking. Suddenly a spell of explosions followed”, a civilian working for a servicing firm at the NAF Base narrated. He further said the condition of the pilot and co-pilot could not be determined at the spur of the moment as they were said to have fled the aircraft before it exploded. The incident has left the runway closed at the Port Harcourt NAF Base at the time of gathering the report.

Communities Issues Ultimatum to Shell

The 12 communities in the Estuary of Amata (EA) in Bayelsa State have jointly threatened to shut down oil facilities belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) because of the company’s neglect of the people. This came as Shell’s Country Chair and Managing Director of SPDC, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu, disclosed that operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta have in the last one week, foiled about 30 different attempts by crude oil thieves to attack Shell pipelines in Bodo area of Bayelsa State. The communities said if the company did not satisfy their conditions, they would occupy the facilities in the area. The traditional rulers and other leaders of the communities, through their spokesman, Mr. Amamogiran Francis, lamented that SPDC, through its subsidiary SNEPCO, was ignoring and failing to adopt the local content law in its 11 years of operations in the estuary, especially as it concerned the employment of qualified indigenes of the area.

JTF Declares Bayelsa Community Haven for Criminals

Joint Task Force (JTF), has declared Azuzuama and its suburbs in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State, den of criminals. The Media Coordinator, JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the development had forced the security outfit to establish a base in the community. He said kidnappers, pirates and militants operated conveniently in Azuzuama and its environs because of their difficult terrains. He added that criminals from Edo, Delta and other states, including foreigners, were using the area to unleash terror on the region. Describing the killing of the 12 police officers in the community by gunmen as strange, Nwachukwu said the incident triggered the ongoing military operation in the council. He also noted that the JTF operatives had arrested two persons in connection with the recent killings of eight persons in Lobia.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Court Orders IGP, AGF to Pay Ugolor N5m

The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, on Tuesday, ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar  and the Attorney-General of Federation, Mohammed, Bello Adoke, to pay the  sum of N5million damages awarded against them by an Edo State High Court into an interest yielding account pending its judgment on the suit brought  it by Rev. David Ugolor. Rev Ugolor is contesting his arrest and detention over the killing of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, late Principal Private Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. Justice Helen Moronkeji Ogunwumiju ordered the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney-General of Federation to pay the money to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the appellate court who would then remit same into an interest yielding account.

Delta Police Arrest 168 Kidnappers

The Delta police command, in the last three months, has arrested 168 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers in the state. Out of this number, 29 died as a result of fatal gun shots. It was gathered that 36 citizens, including a retired Major-General were rescued, while 59 arms and 311 ammunitions were recovered. According to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba, the command successfully demolished five operational bases of kidnappers across the state. Aduba said security agents, including prisons officials abducted by the hoodlums, were slain in cold blood at their den, but added that the command was closing in on the kingpin. Highlight of the parade was the arrest of CPL Anthony Okolugbo of 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze in Imo State, for gun running along three other. The Police chief said the command had also dismissed six policemen over extortion and sundry offences. He disclosed that the six policemen were arrested in Patani, tried and guilty of extortion before they were dismissed.

Delta Community Arrests, Hands over Kidnap Kingpin to Police

The leadership of Ekpan community in Uvwie council area of Delta State has apprehended an alleged kidnap and robbery kingpin, Gift Famous Etagvwene and handed him over to the police. The community was said to have arrested him last Wednesday after an alleged escape and gun fire exchange with security personnel in the community. Security sources said that they swooped on the gang in Benin City where a member was caught with Famous (Babune) while others escaped. Security details later trailed Babune to Ekpan where he again escaped into the bush after a gun duel. The community, therefore, took it upon itself to apprehend and hand him over to the police, promising to fish out all criminals in the community.

Edo Lawmaker Remanded over Alleged Arms Possession

A lawmaker in Edo State, Hon. Rasaq Momoh, has been remanded in Prisons custody in Auchi by a Magistrate court for allegedly being in possession of fire arms. Momoh was arrested April 20, 2013 for unlawful possession of firearms. The lawmaker who was earlier arraigned on May 2, 2013 in a court presided by Mrs. Caroline Nwoha was allegedly arrested during the Edo State local government elections in Agbede, Etsako West LGA. He was, however, on May 2, 2013 remanded in police custody instead of prison on health grounds as pleaded by his counsel. In her ruling, Tuesday, Mrs. Nwoha said her court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter just as she ordered that the case file be duplicated and sent to Director of Public Prosecutor, DPP, for advice.

Security Operatives Uncover Hideout of Oil Thieves

Security operatives in Delta State, on Tuesday, claimed to have uncovered the hideout of suspected oil thieves at Asuegbo refinery camp in Warri. Although no suspect was arrested, the police spokesman, Lucky Uyabeme said that the detectives recovered $6,000 kept in a sack in the facility including battle axes and charms as well as drums of oil and broken down vehicles. The state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan had appealed to ECOWAS parliamentarians to assist the country in making the trend of illegal oil bunkering unattractive while contending that proceeds from illegal bunkering was being used to buy arms to fuel the Niger-Delta crisis.

N1bn Worth of Cannabis Destroyed in Edo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Edo State Command, Wednesday, destroyed 102.71 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa (marijuana), estimated at over N1 billion. According to the Executive Director of the NDLEA, Ahmed Giade, the exercise which took place at Idogbo near Benin City, constitutes the largest single destruction of narcotics in the history of drug control in the country, attributing the success to the hard work by officers and men of the command and support from members of the public. Represented by the Director General, Femi Ajayi, Giade said the agency successfully traced and seized cannabis concealed in vehicles, secret warehouses and other disingenuous places and apprehended 231 suspected drug traffickers in Edo, in the year ended December 2012. Similarly, security operatives in Asaba, Delta State, swooped on secret free-sex joints operating around popular ‘mammy’ market and uncovered bags of hard drugs, including substances believed to be cocaine. Police spokesman in the state, Lucky Uyabeme, confirmed the raid.

Rape Victim Accuses Cripple of Masterminding Ordeal

A 23-year-old lady has told a Benin Chief Magistrate that a cripple ordered four men to rape her. The victim told the court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Peter Edo-Asemota that the cripple, Saturday Enabulele, and the four men committed the offence on April 13. The accused were charged with rape, forcefully having unlawful carnal knowledge without the consent of their victim, unlawful filming or recording of the assault. Other charges are stealing the victim’s wallet containing money and phone, unlawfully and indecently assault, malicious damage of her pants, skirt and blouse, and obscene publication. The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty. The victim told the court that Enabulele was her friend’s lover, and that the cripple accused her of severing the relationship between him and his girlfriend. She said escaped them by going through the bathroom where she jumped through a fence and ran away. Chief Magistrate Peter Edo-Asemota adjourned the case to May 23 for hearing.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Farmer Jailed 10 Years for Raping 11-Year-Old

An Osogbo magistrates’ court, presided over by Mr Olusola Aluko, on Monday, sentenced a 34-year-old Olanbeloye Nurudeen to a total of 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine, for raping an 11-year-old girl in his room. The convict, a farmer, who faced two-count charge of unlawful defilement and rape, was subsequently sentenced to five years imprisonment for each count charge, though the sentence would run concurrently. According to the charge sheet, Olanbeloye was said to have had carnal knowledge of the girl in his room on April 24, 2013 when his victim, who used to sell provisions, came to his house in order to collect N30 owned her by the convict’s wife.

Police Nab 3 Suspects, Rescues Kidnap Victim in Ondo

Police in Ondo State have arrested three persons in connection with the kidnapping of a 40-year-old wife of a politician, Mrs Yewande Olaiya, in Idanre town. The suspects were arrested by police detectives, Wednesday evening, at their hideout in Akure. Acting on tip-off, the police detectives rescued the victim who was held hostage inside a building. Mrs Olaiya was abducted at her residence on Surulere Street, Odode Idanre, Monday, by three gun-wielding kidnappers. The kidnappers, according to investigation, contacted the family, Tuesday, demanding N5million ransom. State Police spokesman, Wole Ogodo, said that luck ran out of the hoodlums when detectives traced them to a building in Akure and arrested them. He said they were picked up by officers and men of the special Anti-robbery Squad. He appealed to members of the public to always assist the police with information that will help to curb the nefarious activities of the criminals.

Couple Arrested for Child Trafficking

A couple, Mr Adenuga Soyibo and his wife, Elizabeth, has been arrested on suspicion of child trafficking after consular officers at the United States’ embassy suspected foul play in their application for visa. According to the Public Relations Officer of the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Ngozi Isintume-Agu, the police were called in to investigate when the result of the DNA proved that the twins do not belong to the couple as they lack the genetic properties found in the babies. During investigations, she noted that although detectives had to travel to Port Harcourt where the woman claimed to have given birth to the babies in a private maternity home, she was later to say she could not locate the place any longer. The couple claimed they could not trace the woman to whom they paid the sum of N1.8million for the local herbs and the delivery of the baby and they could not also produce anyone who knew about the conception and the subsequent delivery of the babies.

Court Remands 2 over Stabbing Bailiffs

An Ilorin Magistrates’ Court on Thursday remanded an electrician, Nnamdi Nwosisi and Kudirat Adebayo, for allegedly stabbing two bailiffs while performing their lawful duties. The accused were alleged to have stabbed the victims on May 3 while executing an authority of warrant to obtain possession of a piece of land situated at Pipe-Line Road, Ilorin. The charge sheet said the accused had been illegal occupants of the piece of land without payment which necessitated the court’s action against them. It also said that the accused were later arrested by their neighbours for allegedly causing unrest in the neighbourhood. The two accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

Man Arrested with N106m Fake Drugs

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has arrested a trader, Olisaemeka Osefoh, for importation of counterfeit medicines and condoms into Nigeria. It was learnt that the estimated street value of the goods was N106, 210, 000. Some of the drugs seized include, Mycoten cream, Neurogesic ointment and Skineal cream. In his statement, the suspect said he was in partnership with a cartel based in China, where the products were sourced, before being shipped to Nigeria. The Director General of the agency, Dr. Paul Orhii, said Osefoh was arrested after a tip off. He said the suspect had also given investigators information on how the goods were illegally cleared through Tincan Island Port, Lagos. Orhii said investigations revealed that drug counterfeiters no longer specialised only in foreign products but also in Nigerian-made drugs.

Herbalist Arrested for Fraud

A 38-year-old herbalist, Deji Adewole, was on Monday charged with fraud at an Oshodi Magistrates’ Court. Adewole is facing a two-count charge of fraud and stealing. According to the prosecution, Corporal Kehinde Olatunde, the accused fraudulently obtained N245, 000 from Mrs Omobolanle Olajide under the pretext of “casting out’’ some evil spirits tormenting her”. Four days later, the accused came back to request for another N450, 000 to buy a one-eyed cow to use in preparing a medicine for her. The complainant sensed that she was being swindled and she called in the police. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Magistrate, Akeem Fashola, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case to May 20 for mention.

Tension in Ibadan over Killing of Four Traders

Following the killing of four Bodija Market traders by gunmen on Sunday, fear of possible reprisal attack mounted in Ibadan. As a sign of protest, the popular Bodija market was shut with scores of security agents patrolling the area to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order. According to information gathered, the traders whose names were given as Amodu, Fatai, Nihas and Alaba were travelling to buy wheat from the north when they were reportedly ordered to alight from a 16-passenger bus. They were said to have been identified as Yoruba by their attackers. Other people of northern extraction in the bus were reportedly spared while the Ibadan traders were asked to lie face down and shot to death. The traders were two kilometres from Dikua village when the incident happened. However, after killing them, the assailants reportedly stole millions of Naira found on their victims.

Ekiti Youths Protest Police Killing of Undergraduate

Scores of youths and students, on Tuesday, staged a protest at Ilupeju Ekiti over the killing of 400 level student of Ekiti State University, Mr. Seyi Fasere. Fasere was killed in controversial circumstances in February 28, in Oye Ekiti by the police after some armed bandits struck at a first generation bank in the town. During the protest, commercial and social activities were paralysed, as the youths sealed off all the public and private schools in the town, and commercial centres for the over eight hours that the protest lasted. The aggrieved youths, who had trooped out as early 7am, were said to have engaged the police in serious battle, while being tear-gassed, which culminated in a stampede that led to the hospitalisation of one Deji Omoniyi. The protesters demanded proper investigation and justice over the alleged extra-judicial killing of Fasere.

Police Kill 6 Suspected Robbers in Oyo

Six suspected armed robbers have been killed in Ibadan by policemen attached to the Oyo State Police Command. The State Police spokesperson, Olabisi Ilobanafor, said that the three robbers arrested during the gun duel with the robbers last Saturday died in a hospital in Ibadan of gunshot wounds. She added that another three suspected armed robbers arrested in the course of investigation also died due to gunshot wounds sustained in another gun duel with the policemen. It would be recalled that thee suspected armed robbers were killed as the police foiled a major robbery at a bureau de change, killing three and arresting three others. On sighting the police, the armed bandits were said to have made attempts to escape by engaging them in a gun duel which led to the death of two of the five-member gang.

Two Arrested for Cable Theft

Two men, Bright Amadi, 25, a welder and Abubakar Muazu, 30, a cart-pusher, on Monday appeared before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, charged with stealing electric cables worth N339, 200. Amadi and Abubakar are facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen property. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Daniel Ighodalo, told the court that the accused committed the crime on April 28 and April 30, respectively. He said that Amadi and others now at large stole the cables, belonging to one Mr Ganiyu Hassan at a construction site, and then called in Muazu to help them carry it from the site. They had carted away the first batch of cables and were in the process of moving the second batch when they were arrested by the security man at the site who then invited the police, he said. The Magistrate granted Amadi bail in the sum of N200, 000 and Muazu in the sum of N70, 000 with two sureties each. She adjourned the case to May 20.

GENERAL

Nasarawa Ambush: Police Death Toll Hit 30

The number of policemen killed by cultists in Assakio village, Nasarawa, rose to 30, on Thursday, while the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Momoh, who led the security agents to the shrine of the Ombatse Militia cult group has been declared missing. Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Akeremale, said that the bodies of the 30 policemen had been recovered. Most of the bodies were said to have been burnt beyond recognition. Momoh, a number of policemen and State Security Service operatives were still to be accounted for 24 hours after they were attacked by members of Ombatse militia group. Akeremale said that his men were still searching for the missing policemen. The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has ordered a manhunt for the killers of the security personnel and directed all the field commanders and special units to apprehend the criminals.

55 Killed as Boko Haram Sacks Bama in Borno State

The ancient city of Bama in Borno State has been turned into a ghost town following daring multiple attacks on police, military and prison installations in the town in the wee hours of Tuesday by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect. The attack, which led to the death of at least 55 people, forced residents of Bama to either flee the town or lock up their homes and businesses for fear of their lives. The Joint Task Force (JTF), said at least 22 policemen; 14 prison officials, including the commander and prison doctor; 13 suspected members of the sect; three children; two soldiers; and one woman, were killed during the multiple attacks on the town. According to sources, 300 suspected members of Boko Haram were said to have laid siege on Bama at 5 am Tuesday by first attacking an army barracks in the town with the intention of seizing the military facility.

Pilots Killed as NAF Jet Crashes in Niamey

A Nigerian Air Force Alpha jet deployed to operations in Mali, on Monday, crashed in Niger Republic, resulting in the death of the two pilots. The fighter jet was part of Nigeria’s air fleet engaged with an African force fighting hard-line Islamists in Mali. A DHQ source in Niamey said it had suffered a “mechanical” problem. The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, confirmed the death of the pilots in a statement. The jet was one of four Nigerian aircraft based in Niamey under the Africa-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA), DHQ said, adding that the crash was being investigated.

Ex-Bayelsa Governor, Sylva, Arrested by EFCC

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Wednesday, arrested former Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Timipre Sylva, after he had failed to honour the commission's invitation to appear before it on Tuesday. Rather than appear before the EFCC, he got his lawyers to inform the commission that he was unable to appear because he was sick, and hospitalised in Lagos. The lawyer had promised to appear with his client on Tuesday, but he failed to do so. Sylva was arrested at his Abuja residence, according to a statement by the commission's spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren. EFCC warned that it would no longer tolerate the antics of suspects who treat its invitation with levity.

Former IGP, Okiro, Named PSC Chair Designate

President Goodluck Jonathan has announced the appointment of former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, as the next chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC) and appealed to the Senate to confirm his nomination. Okiro will replace Mr. Parry Osayande, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, whose tenure expires soon. The president also named a former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani, as the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Chairman-designate and Justice K.M.O. Kekere-Ekun as justice of the Supreme Court. Kekere-Ekun’s nomination as a justice of the Supreme Court is based on the recommendation of the National Judicial Commission (NJC). The president appealed to the Senate to confirm all the appointments with a sense of urgency.

69 Infants, 847 Teenagers in Nigerian Prisons

The Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) has disclosed that about 69 babies are currently locked up with their mothers in the 234 prisons across the country, while 847 juvenile inmates were also said to be enclosed in the three Borstal Training Institutions located in Kaduna, Abeokuta and Ilorin. The Controller General of Prisons, Mr. Zakari Ibrahim, debunked the allegation that there were 6,000 children in the prisons and that N7 billon prison medical and health personnel allowances were diverted. Ibrahim noted that the infants in question were born inside with their mothers being pregnant before they were brought into custody. The juvenile inmates on the other hand have been interned in the Borsal Institutions with the consent of their parents and backed by legal commitment warrant from magistrates’ court, which is in consonance with the juvenile and Borstal Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he noted.

Abducted Ex-Minister, Ali Monguno, Freed

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno, who was abducted by gunmen suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, was, on Monday, released by his abductors. Monguno, an octogenarian and first black chairman of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), was dropped by his kidnappers somewhere in Kirenoa about 160 kilometres from Maiduguri, where he was abducted penultimate Friday afternoon. His release came as the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State, announced that it had caught three suspected members of the sect who allegedly killed late Major-General Mohammed Shuwa in November last year. The JTF spokesman, Lt. Col Sagir Musa said that all the suspects confessed to the killing of Shuwa on November 12, 2012 for an unspecified fee. The JTF also rescued the parents of Hon. Mohammed Sanda, a member of the House of Representatives, who were abducted on Sunday night in Ngamdu, a border town between Yobe and Borno States. The JTF spokesman restated the need for the public to be weary and security-conscious at all times.

Five Killed in Benue Attack

An 11-year-old boy and four others were killed, while eight villages were sacked, last weekend, in a bloody conflict between Fulani herdsmen and Idoma farmers of Agatu LGA of Benue State. It was gathered that crisis broke out in Agatu after some yet-to-be identified persons allegedly killed 11-year-old Abdulkadir Mohammed and forcefully took away 10 cows from a Fulani herdsman. The development forced a reprisal by the herdsmen, who also invited mercenaries from neighbouring Nasarawa State. The lawmaker representing Agatu at the State House of Assembly, Mr. Audu Sule, debunked rumours that his people attacked the herdsmen, saying they are hired mercenaries numbering up to 1,500 and they crossed over from Nasarawa State through the river to cause mayhem.

IGP Orders Redeployment of 11 Commissioners

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, on Tuesday, ordered the redeployment of 11 commissioners of police to commands and formations. The IGP’s order followed the recent elevation of some senior officers to the rank of commissioners of police and the retirement of some commissioners of police in state commands and police formations. He charged the newly redeployed commissioners of police to show commitment to the fight against crime in their respective new beats. Abubakar also directed them to be mindful of the fundamental rights of the citizenry and ensure that complaints are promptly attended to avoid the miscarriage of justice. He ordered all the affected officers to ensure that handing and taking-over exercises are completed as quickly as possible.

Suspect in Plot to Assassinate Senator Paraded

The State Security Service (SSS) Monday paraded a 29-year-old man, Mr. Adelola Tamunotoye Olaore, over a phantom plot to assassinate the senator representing Ikot Ekpene senatorial district of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Aloysius Etok. The suspect confessed that he hatched the plot to extort money from Etok by exploiting the rift between him and the state Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio. According to the SSS Deputy Director Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, security agents began investigation into the case following a petition from Etok that a man who called himself General Africa (an ex-militant) was planning to kill him. She said on getting the petition, the agency directed the senator to play along with the suspect, which eventually led to his arrest on April 29.

FG Arraigns Suspected UN Building Bombers

The Federal Government, on Tuesday, arraigned four persons suspected to have masterminded the 2011 bomb attack on the United Nations headquarters in Abuja. The suspects were arraigned before an Abuja Federal High Court on four counts of terrorism. They were accused of conspiring with others at large, on or about the August 20, 2011, to commit an offence, which resulted in the death of 23 persons. The accused persons all pleaded not guilty to the charge. On August 20, 2011, a suicide bomb attack rocked the UN in building. Apart from those who lost their lives, about 73 others including members of staff of the UN, visitors and workers of private businesses in the building sustained injuries during the attack. The suspects, were arraigned on Tuesday, were arrested in September 2012.

2 Rescued from Being Set Ablaze by Mob

Policemen from Karu Abattoir outpost in Abuja on Tuesday rescued two men, accused of stealing motorcycles, from being set ablaze by an angry mob at the Old Karu Road. A source at the police outpost said that the policemen got a distress call that motorcycle thieves had been caught. On arrival at the place, the police had to fire several shots into the air to disperse the mob, after which the men were taken to the office. The mob had vented their anger on the two young men, with their blood splattered all over them. The one of the men said they had gone to eat at Old Karu Road and a commercial motorcyclist saw them and started calling them thieves, and immediately the mob swooped on them and attempted to set them ablaze. The police said that extensive investigation would be carried out to ascertain if the two men were involved in motorcycle theft.

Fresh Killing in Plateau State

The recent peace efforts by security agencies and other stakeholders in Plateau State to end the incessant killings in the state, especially in the Plateau North Senatorial district, suffered a major setback last weekend with the murder of a man, who was killed outside his compound. The police, Special Task Force (STF) and other security agencies in the state had at the instance of the senator representing Plateau North district, Gyang Pwajok, engaged in frantic peace efforts in the past three weeks to end the orgy of killings in the area. But a few hours after the peace meeting, a Berom man was killed outside his compound, when gunmen invaded Gyel village in Jos South LGA. A source said that immediately they killed the man, his assailants ran away, firing sporadically in the air to scare the villagers. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Felicia Anslem, confirmed the killing, saying the police have commenced investigation.

Gunmen Kill 14 in Adamawa, Borno States

Gunmen, penultimate Sunday, attacked members of the Ekklisiyar Yan'uwa a Najeriya (EYN) Church in Mahia LGA of Adamawa State, killing 10 persons and injuring 12 others. The state police spokesman, Ibrahim Mohammed, said gunmen attacked Jilang village in Mahia LGA and killed six persons in the market square, overran the EYN church where four persons were killed inside the church, while nine persons sustained injuries. The attack on the church came on the heels of an earlier attack by suspected members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect on Saturday in Ngamdu, a border town between Borno and Yobe States, resulting in the death of two Islamic clerics and two other residents of the town. The slaughtered clerics, according to sources, were allegedly singled out for killing due to their critical stance against the activities of the sect.

INTERNATIONAL

Bangladesh Collapse Toll Tops 800, as Woman is Rescued after 17 Days

The army in Bangladesh says 804 people have been confirmed dead after the collapse of an eight-storey factory building near the capital Dhaka. Authorities are continuing to search the rubble for more bodies two weeks after the Rana Plaza building collapsed on 24 April. Bangladesh's largest industrial disaster sparked outrage among workers in the country, reports the BBC. Several people, including the building's owner, have been arrested. Many of the bodies recovered on Wednesday were so decomposed, they were being sent to a lab for DNA identification, the AP news agency reports. Officials say about 2,500 people were injured in the collapse and that 2,437 people have been rescued. Bangladesh has shut down 18 garment plants for safety reasons since the Rana Plaza disaster, the Bangladeshi textile minister has confirmed. A woman was rescued in good health 17 days after the collapse of the building. Rescue workers were praised over her rescued as she was rushed to the hospital.

Al-Qaeda Urges Attack on French Interests

Abu Obaida al-Annabi, a leader of Al-Qaeda in North Africa, has urged Muslims worldwide to attack French interests in retaliation for France’s military intervention in Mali, a threat President Francois Hollande said is being taken seriously. Annabi, presented as the head of the council of dignitaries of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), called for “full mobilisation” to combat the “new crusade of France.” France sent troops in January to Mali to quash Al-Qaeda-linked groups that had taken control of half of the country. Its troops fighting alongside the Malian army and other African soldiers have largely succeeded in driving Islamist insurgents from the north, but pockets of resistance remain, particularly in the Gao region. Hollande offered a swift reaction to Annabi’s call, as he has ordered measures to protect French installations abroad. The AQIM threat came after a car bombing at France’s embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli last month, which wounded three people. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Syrian Rebels Enter Northern Air Base

Activist groups say rebels have occupied parts of a military air base in northern Syria after days of fighting. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels moved deep inside Mannagh air base, near the border with Turkey, while under fire from government warplanes. The Aleppo Media Centre says rebels captured a tank unit Sunday inside the base. It added that the commander of the base was killed. Rebels have been trying to capture Mannagh air base for months but were only able to take small parts of it. The Observatory also reported heavy fighting inside the contested town of Qusair near the Lebanese border. Troops captured several villages and towns surrounding Qusair in the past month.

14 Killed as Bombs Explode at Pakistan Election Rally

A bomb tore through a Pakistan political rally on Monday, killing 14 people and wounding 56 in one of the deadliest attacks of the campaign for Pakistan's historic elections on Saturday. The killings bring to 83 the number of people killed in such attacks since April 11, according to reports. The device targeted the right-wing Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), a religious party in the outgoing government coalition. It exploded in Kurram, part of Pakistan's Taliban-infested tribal belt on the Afghan border. One of the candidates, Munir Orakzai, escaped unhurt while the other, Ain u Din Shakir, was slightly injured. Pakistan's interim Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso strongly condemned the attack and said another national assembly candidate had been injured. Repeated calls for candidates to be granted more security have failed to stop a wave of attacks, most of them claimed by the Pakistani Taliban.

Russia, China Raise Alarm as Israel Hits Syria

Russia and China expressed alarm on Monday over the regional repercussions of two Israeli air raids on Syria, while Israel played down strikes which its officials said targeted Iranian missiles bound for Lebanese Hezbollah militants. Israel sought to persuade Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday that the air strikes did not aim to weaken him and dismissed the prospects of an escalation. The attacks hit targets manned by Assad's elite troops in the Barada River valley and Qasioun Mountain, residents, activists and opposition military sources said. Russia said it was concerned the chances of foreign military intervention in Syria were growing, suggesting its worry stemmed in part from media reports about the alleged use of chemical weapons in the conflict that has killed 70,000 people.

Three Brothers Arrested in US Triple Kidnapping

Three men have been arrested in the case of three young women who were kidnapped several years ago and found alive, police in the Midwestern US city of Cleveland said. "The Cleveland Division of Police confirms that there are now three suspects under arrest. All three are Hispanic males and brothers, ages 50, 52 and 54. The three women's nightmare ended when Amanda Berry, kidnapped 10 years ago at the age of 16, managed to escape the house with the help of a bystander and call police. All three were found within a few miles of where they had gone missing, and all appeared to be in good health.

37 Killed in Protests as Bangladesh Cracks Down on Islamists

Police in Bangladesh, on Monday, broke up a protest by tens of thousands of religious hardliners and shut down Islamist television stations as 37 people died in some of the fiercest street violence for decades. Reports also indicated that hundreds more were injured in running battles as riot police broke up the rally near a commercial district in a pre-dawn raid in the capital, Dhaka. Dozens of demonstrators were also arrested, while the leader of the protests was put on a plane to the country’s second city, Chittagong and the deputy chief was detained in the capital. Shops and vehicles were set alight while the roads were littered with rocks that protesters threw at police. Police said they used sound grenades, water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse about 70,000 Islamists who were camped at Motijheel as part of a push for a blasphemy law.

Gas Tanker Explosion Kills 19 in Mexico City

A gas tanker truck exploded on a highway north of Mexico City early on Tuesday, killing at least 19 people and injuring 36 others as a fireball tore through cars and homes. Pablo Bedolla, mayor of the Mexico City suburb of Ecatepec, said 19 people died in the blast that engulfed early morning traffic. Arturo Vilchis, head of emergency services in the State of Mexico, which abuts the capital, said 36 people were injured and that 13 of them had been hospitalized. Twenty homes and 16 vehicles were damaged by the explosion, he added.