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Latest News: Training and recruitment is ongoing - Wednesday, 02 March 2011 22:54

Week 24

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Fishing Trawlers Now Used for Oil Theft -Navy

The Nigerian Navy has exposed how some Nigerians and their foreign collaborators convert fishing trawlers into oil tankers for illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta region. The converted ships, according to the Navy, go into the creeks and rivers in the Niger Delta disguised as fishing trawlers to lift stolen crude oil. But naval patrol team on routine patrol that intercepted such trawlers found stolen crude instead of fish in all the vessels captured. Parading the crew of one of such vessels in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the navy raised the alarm that the activity was on the rise in the region. The authorities of the Nigerian Navy, through the Command Operations Officer, Central Naval Command, Commodore Emmanuel Enemor, disclosed that the confession obtained from the captain of one of the seized vessels showed that fishing trawler were now being converted to motor tanker for the purpose of illegal bunkering.

Man Stabs Father to Death in Cross River

A 21-year-old man, Samuel Eyo Nsa, has stabbed his 78-year-old father, Chief Eyo Nsa, to death at Eseko village, Creek Town in Odukpani LGA of Cross River state. Samuel committed the crime when his father refused to defend him after he was caught stealing a neighbour’s goat. The incident happened after the owner of the goat, Otobong Matthew, reported the matter to Samuel’s father that someone had told him that Samuel stole his goat. He demanded payment for the goat. But after Otobong left, Samuel accused his parents of not defending him and threatened to deal with them. Afraid that the boy would carry out his threat, his mother escaped, while Samuel allegedly gave her a hot chase brandishing a machete but when he got to a point where he met some youths decided to return to the house to attack his aged father. He was promptly arrested and transferred to the State Police Headquarters in Calabar.

Police, MASSOB Clash in Anambra

At least 11 members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) were on Tuesday allegedly shot and injured by the police in a bid to disrupt their June 8 sit-at-home rally at Nnobi and Awka-Etiti communities in Anambra State. Five others were arrested. According to sources, the MASSOB members were in a rally at the said communities to create awareness on the need to observe June 8 sit-at-home in commemoration of six Igbo killed by the Police at Apo village in Abuja, Ezu River in Anambra State and others killed by Boko Haram. Reacting to the development, MASSOB’s Deputy Director of Information, Mazi Chris Mocha, accused the security operatives, especially the police, of killing MASSOB members fighting for the actualization of a sovereign state of Biafra.

Enugu Police Arrest Armed Robbery Suspect

The police in Enugu have said that it has arrested a notorious armed robbery suspect and car snatcher following information it received from members of the public. Mr Ebere Amaraizu, the Police spokesman, said the arrest of other members of the gang was made possible following the arrest of their king-pin. Amaraizu said the gang leader was arrested on June 2 following public concern over his alleged criminal activities with his gang in Emene and its environs. The police also said it had arrested a self-confessed cultist who had been identified by some of his victims for terrorising people in Emene. Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Abubakar Mohammed, has commended the efforts of his men and members of the public for their efforts at combating crime and criminality in the state. Mohammed urged them to put in more efforts to sanitise the state.

Banker Gets Death Sentence for Killing Wife

An Abia State High Court has sentenced a banker, Mr. Theophilus Ajakaiye, to death by hanging for killing his wife, Theodora. The convict allegedly murdered his wife on October 12, 2009 at Azumini Ndoki in the Ukwa Judicial Division of Abia. Until her death, Theodora was an employee of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. The legal battle between the deceased’s family and the accused began soon after the alleged killing until the judgment recently. The Presiding Judge, Justice T.U. Uzokwe, said in his judgment that the offence carried a mandatory sentence which is death. He said the court had no power to reduce the sentence and that being the case; he had no option but to sentence the accused to death.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Edo to Demolish Buildings Used by Kidnappers

Any building used by criminals to harbour kidnapped victims in Edo State will now be demolished. This was part of the resolution reached at the end the State Security Council presided over by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo, said that the council has resolved that any house used for kidnapping purposes would be demolished. Adebanjo, who said the State Security Council took the strong position to stem the tide of kidnapping in the state, further assured that the security agencies are doing our best and the people are appreciating what we are doing.

Policemen Detained over Escape of Kidnap Kingpin

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, has described as a “mirage” the escape of Anambra State-born kidnap kingpin, identified simply as Ifeanyi, from police cell, two weeks ago. An Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP and four other police officers alleged to have aided his escape from the custody of the Police Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Asaba have since been in detention. Aduba said police were still investigating the bizarre incident. Meantime, some politicians in the state have mounted pressure on the Anti- Kidnapping Squad to release the chairman of a vigilance group in Ndokwa area arrested over a week ago, for allegedly acting as an undercover agent for suspected kidnappers. The vigilante chairman was fingered by suspected kidnappers in police custody as the person who was providing them information on the location and movement of security agents in the area as well as tips on lucrative victims.

Spanish Police Arrest Six Nigerian Women over Prostitution Ring

The Spanish police have revealed they have broken up a ring that smuggled women from Nigeria into Spain and forced them into street prostitution by burning them with irons and using voodoo rituals. According to reports, six people, including one woman, believed to be the ringleader, were arrested after one of the women alerted the Spanish authorities. The ring allegedly recruited women in Benin City, Edo State and transported them over land to Morocco. From there, they were smuggled to small wooden boats and taken into Spain. They were forced to work as street prostitutes in Barcelona and Malaga. Osezua Osolase, 42, tricked the women into travelling to the UK with the promise of a better life. But the young victims were raped, sexually abused and subjected to voodoo-style rituals by a child trafficking cartel.

Edo Sets Up Committee on Slain UNIBEN Student

Vehicular movement was disrupted, on Monday, in parts of Benin City following a protest by students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) over alleged shooting to death of late Momodu Ibrahim, a 22-year-old student. The students dressed in black attire marched through some major streets, calling for the arrest and prosecution of the Divisional Police Officer, in charge of Ogida Police Station, Mrs. Carol Afegbai, over her alleged complicity in the murder of Momodu. Late Momodu who was the only male child of his parents was allegedly shot a stone throw from his family house. The State Government has set up a panel of enquiry to investigate the alleged killing. The police alleged that Momodu had a double-barrel gun when security operatives accosted him. The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Henry Idiagbon, confirmed the decision of Governor Adams Oshiomhole to institute the judicial panel at a meeting with the deceased family members.

Power Cable Electrocutes 18-Year-Old

Residents of Ujabhole-Uwessan, in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State, were on Sunday, thrown into mourning, as an 18-year old girl from the area was electrocuted by the cable of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria. The deceased, identified as Iyogosa Godsday was reportedly struck by PHCN high tension wire while trying put on line, clothes she had washed, after the heavy downpour that same day.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Police Arrest Three Beninese, Ghanaian for Pipeline Vandalism

The Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism, led by Mr. Friday Ibadin, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, has arrested three nationals of Benin Republic and a Ghanaian for pipeline vandalism in the communities around the Atlas Cove, Lagos. The suspects were identified as Fufo Soglo (Ghanaian) and the three Beninese – Christopher Suso, Yovo Itoh and Matilda Idowu – who also doubled as their treasurer. The suspects, who were arrested on May 24, were said to have attempted to bribe the task force with the sum of N550,000 so as to have unhindered access to bunker PMS. Ibadin said the suspects were arrested with valves that have 12 different holes connected to it, adding that with this kind of technology connection, vandals can siphon over 50,000 litres in less than 30 minutes. The female suspect, Idowu, had however confessed, but added that she was only appointed as the treasurer to collect the contribution by interested members of the community for an upcoming vandalism.

Police Arraign 3 for Dealing on Human Parts

The Lagos State Police Command, on Thursday, arraigned three alleged human parts sellers – Ajibade Rafiu 30; Fatai Akiwowo 30; and Agboola Kolawole – before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court. PUNCH Metro had reported on May 22, 2013 that four men were paraded at the command headquarters for exhuming and selling human parts. They were arraigned on three counts of unlawful possession of human parts, exhuming human corpses and being in possession of human heads and palms. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge. The magistrate, Mrs. Ipaye Nwachukwu, granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 and two responsible sureties, who must also present a three-year tax clearance. The matter was adjourned till July 17, 2013. The suspects had said while being paraded that they sold human heads for N8,000, hands for N4,000 and private part for N6,000.

Dismissed Soldier Arraigned for Impersonation

A 27-year-old man who had been dismissed from the Nigerian Army was, last week, arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Ikeja, for unlawful impersonation. The suspect, Buhari Mohammed, is facing a three-count charge of impersonation and escape from custody. Police prosecutor, Chinalu Uwadione, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on May 27, 2013, at Agege area of Lagos, when he unlawfully wore Nigerian Army camouflage uniform, having been dismissed from the Army. According to him, the defendant impersonated himself knowing fully well that he has been dismissed from the Army. The prosecutor also alleged that on May 30, 2013, the defendant escaped from police custody. However, when the charge against the defendant was read to him, he pleaded not guilty. The Magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N200,000, with two sureties in like sum. She further adjourned the matter to July 4, 2013, for trial.

Lagos Police Arrest Gang Leader for Murder, Vandalism

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested Olumide Ogbor, a youth accused of perpetrating a series of crimes, such as murder and vandalism in Somolu, Bariga and Akoka areas of the state. According to the police, the suspect is the head of a gang known as EFCC Boys which is affiliated with the Eiye Confraternity. The hoodlums had in April, invaded four streets in Akoka and Pedro in Somolu LGA, vandalising vehicles, injure several persons. After the incident, the police declared Ogbor and some of his cohorts wanted. Ogbor was attempting to rob a motorist in Onipanu when policemen arrested him, last weekend. It was learnt that following Ogbor’s arrest, policemen attached to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, arrived Area H and requested that the suspect be handed over to them as they were also investigating him for other crimes. The Police Public Relations Officer, FEDSRARS, Lekan Ogundare, who confirmed Ogbor’s arrest, added that he was being investigated for a series of crimes ranging from robbery to murder.

Navy, Police Arrest Suspects in Illegal Tailoring of Naval Uniforms

Men of the Nigerian Navy and a team of Policemen attached to Victoria Island division have uncovered a tailoring workshop in Victoria Island area of Lagos, where Navy uniforms, ranks and insignia are sown. Fifty-four suspects were arrested in the process. The joint raid which was carried out at the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Victoria Island, was as a result of the reported lingering crisis between some students of the college and Naval personnel. Following the civil unrest, the Commander Beecroft, Commodore Chris Ezekobe, explained that a committee was set up to look into the remote cause of the crisis, in the course of which the joint raid was carried out. However, Divisional Police Officer, Victoria Island, Adegoke Fayoade, explained that of the 54 persons arrested, 31 of them were released. The released persons, he said, were identified by the management of the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology as students.

Man gets Jail Term for N2.5m Fraud

An Ikeja High Court, Lagos, on Monday sentenced a middle-aged man, Olaolu Salau, to 168 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for defrauding a Lagos-based businessman, Solomon Ayoola, of N2.5million. Trial judge, Adeniyi Onigbanjo, handed the verdict following a plea-bargain arrangement between the convict and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The judge, while sentencing Salau after he pleaded guilty to an amended 24-count charge preferred against him by the anti-graft agency, ordered that the convict serve seven years’ each to the 24-count at Kirikiri Prison, Lagos. In his judgment, Justice Onigbanjo, ordered that the sentence runs concurrently starting from December 11, 2007, being the date he was arrested by the EFCC. The convict was also to pay a restitution of N2.5 million to the victim, who has already paid the sum of N400,000 to the EFCC. He was to pay the money within a year from his release from prison. The convict, the court ordered, was also to be used as a prosecution witness against the remaining defendants.

Police Launch Manhunt for Man over Murdered Lover

Homicide detectives at the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos have spread their dragnet in search of one Victor Chukwuemeka Jewel Udenze, 27 from Anambra State in connection with the murder of a 35 -year-old woman, Bianca Ndidi Okoye at the deceased residence at Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State. The suspect was alleged to have murdered his lover after a hot argument inside her apartment on the 10th of May. Elder brother to the deceased, Emeka Okoye, alleged that in a desperate move to cover his act, the suspect went away with the deceased phones, laptop, documents, and disconnected every link between him and the deceased on Facebook. The deceased teenage daughter and neighbours reported that they heard Bianca’s shouts at night but did not enter her apartment as they thought it was just a domestic squabble.

Teenager Remanded in Prison for Killing Father

The police in Lagos have arraigned a teenager, Olanrewaju Aremu, at a Yaba Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stabbing his father to death. Olanrewaju allegedly killed his father, Victor Aremu, in Langbasa, Ajah area of the state on May 1, 2013, at their residence by stabbing him with a kitchen knife. The Magistrate, Mr. Olatunji, ordered that the accused be remanded in Ikoyi Prison pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecution. The matter was adjourned till July 1, 2013. Although the suspect had claimed to be 18 years, the charge sheet stated that he was actually 20 years.

Policeman Arraigned over Killing of Three

A 34-year-old police officer, Corporal Abu Bolaji, was, on Tuesday, arraigned before a Lagos State High Court over alleged murder of three persons, Ibrahim Olojede, Rotimi Phillips and Friday Uti. The prosecutor, Mr Olayintan Soetan, told the court that the defendant was avoiding trial by refusing to answer his name whenever his name was called in the prison, adding that the trial was to commence earlier but the defendant’s hiding stalled it. Responding to the prosecution’s claim, the defence counsel, Mr Victor Okpara, argued that his client never avoided trial by not answering his name in prison, noting that his client had been using the same name at the lower court where he was first arraigned and remanded in prison.

GENERAL

Jonathan Proscribes Boko Haram, Ansaru
…Declares them Terrorist Groups

President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday finally approved the proscription of the Islamic terrorist groups, Boko Haram and Ansaru, and authorised the gazetting of an order declaring the groups’ activities illegal and acts of terrorism. The proscriptive order coincided with a statement by the US government Tuesday that Shekau could be tried in the US, when caught. A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President, Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, explained that the Act “officially brings the activities of both groups within the purview of the Terrorism Prevention Act and any persons associated with the two groups can now be legally prosecuted and sentenced to penalties specified in the Act. The proscription order, Abati emphasised, warns the general public that any person “participating in any form of activities involving or concerning the collective intentions of the said groups will be violating the provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act”.

Terrorism: US Offers $23m Bounty for Shekau, 4 Others

The United States has posted up to $23 million in rewards to help track down five leaders of militant groups accused of spreading terror in West Africa. The highest reward of $7 million was offered for the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau. The US State Department's Rewards for Justice Programme also targeted Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), offering its first ever bounties for wanted militants in West Africa. Up to $5 million was posted for Al-Qaeda veteran Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the one-eyed Islamist behind the devastating attack on an Algerian gas plant in January in which 37 foreigners, including three Americans, were killed. A further $5 million was offered for top AQIM leader, Yahya Abou Al-Hammam, reportedly involved in the 2010 murder of an elderly French hostage in Niger. The United States has been increasingly worried about the spread of Islamist groups in Mali and across the vast and lawless Sahel since a military coup ousted the government in Bamako. The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has commended the move by the US.

25 Feared Killed by Gunmen in Nasarawa

At least 25 people were killed in Rukubi village in Doma Local Council of Nasarawa State Tuesday when gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen invaded the area attacked the residents. But other sources said it was a clash between Tiv and Agatu farmers living in the area. Several people were said to have also sustained gunshot injuries in the attack, which happened at about 5:30am. Women and children who were asleep at the time the hoodlums invaded the community were mostly affected. Reasons for the attack were not immediately ascertained. The incident was said to be a result of harbouring of Fulani herdsmen by the Agatu ethnic nationality to sustain their attack on Tiv farmers whose attempts to resettle in their ancestral homes have been resisted by the herdsmen and their “collaborators” since the outbreak of the crisis.

Terrorist Recruitment Specialist Arrested

Troops deployed to enforce the state of Emergency in the north have apprehended in Maiduguri a key terrorist who specialises in recruiting young men into the fold of Boko Haram. He was arrested following a tip-off to the military command. The troops in Yobe State also arrested 49 suspected Boko Haram terrorists in various locations in the state following a tip-off by residents. The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who gave the information on Wednesday, added that another key suspect in charge of the insurgents’ armoury was arrested in one of the cordon and search operations by the Special Forces. Olukolade further revealed that another group of five insurgents, all Nigeriens, were arrested when troops stormed their hideout at Mallam Fatori as they attempted to escape. He said the troops had continued to patrol the notorious Sambisa forest and were cordoning off the Alou forest and Gwoza Hills; recovering more abandoned vehicles, weapons and other items in the camps of the insurgents.

Okiro Confirmed as Police Service Commission Boss

The Senate, on Tuesday, confirmed the appointment of former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, as the chairman of Police Service Commission. Five other nominees were confirmed members of the Commission. They include retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Yakubu Mohammed representing North West Zone; Hon. Justice Olufunke Adekeye (South West); Aisha Larai Tukur (North East); Mrs. Comfort Obi (South East) and Chief Torngee Gem Toranyiin (North Central). Igbuzor, a human rights activist, was a candidate representing South/South geo-political zone. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Paulinus I. Nwagwu (Ebonyi Central), while submitting his report, told the Senate that approval of former Police boss, Okiro and retired Deputy IG Yakubu, was necessary to enable them bring their past experiences to bear on the organisation.

Civilian Casualties in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa Minimal –COAS

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika, Tuesday said the number of civilian casualties in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States where President Goodluck Jonathan declared state of emergency had been minimal. According to him, troops deployed in the three troubled states are being assisted by the public to ensure the return of normalcy as the people are happy over the military operations that have come to rescue them. Also, terror victims in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, protested the delay by the state government to compensate them. However, residents of Maiduguri who were attacked by the men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), in the early phase of the anti-terror war protested the failure of the state government to compensate them.

Gunmen Kill Lawmaker in Sokoto

Gunmen have assassinated a member representing Gada West constituency in the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Alhaji Murtala Attahiru Wauru. The lawmaker was killed while on his way to his residence at Mabera area of the Sokoto metropolis around 9.45pm on Monday. It was gathered that the assassins went away with the deceased vehicle after perpetrating the heinous act. Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Lawal Gambo, said some hoodlums on motorcycles trailed the deceased and cornered him in a dark area at Mabera area where they attempted to snatch his Honda car. Gamba explained that a thorough examination of the scene of the incident revealed that the deceased struggled with the assailants before he was killed. He stated that the command had already alerted surrounding states of Katsina, Kano and Zamfara States where the miscreants might likely take the vehicle for onward sale. The commissioner disclosed that four empty shells were recovered at the scene of the incident, adding that the hoodlums used AK47 to perpetrate the dastardly act.

IGP Urges Public Support to Curb Crime

Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, has said there is the need for members of the public to provide intelligence information to the police in order to achieve a zero level crime in the country. The IG, who made this call last weekend at a workshop on Intelligence Sensitisation and Community Partnership, organised for the South-South zone in Calabar, Cross River State, said the police were not all knowing, insisting that they needed information from members of the public to fight crime. According to him, it is not possible for the police to know everything that transpires in the numerous communities in the country, stressing that viable information given to the police would help to crack criminalities in areas where they occur.

NAFDAC Parades 4 over Fake Drugs Importation

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), last weekend, paraded four suspects over the importation of counterfeit drugs worth N59 million. While parading the suspects, Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, said he was more embarrassed by people losing their lives due to fake drugs than flimsy claims of those he described as ‘fake drug abettors’ on failure of technology in identifying fake products. The names of the suspects were given as Mr. Paul Ogbonna, Mr. Celestine Eruokwu, Mr. Ifeanyi Edeh, and Mr. Ozoemena Odo. Orhii said that Mr. Celestine Eruokwu was a generator dealer, but was arrested for importation of 90,000 doses of counterfeit Maloxine tablets. Recent findings indicated that counterfeiters of medicines now hide under the shadows of other businesses to carry out their activities.

Lawmaker Demands Commission of Inquiry into Ombatse Killing

Chairman, Senate Services Committee, who is also a Senator Representing Nasarawa South, Senator Suleiman Adokwe, has demanded the composition of a Judicial Panel of Inquiry to unravel the killings of over 100 security operatives in Alakyo village on May 7. The senator said that the Federal Government needed to institute the panel in order to unravel those behind the crisis and their real intentions. He declared that it had become imperative to nip the crisis in the bud in view of the closeness of Nasarawa to the seat of Federal Government.

Thousands Displaced as Gunmen Kill Eight in Benue

Three communities of Guma Local Council Area of Benue State were attacked last weekend by people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. The attack claimed eight lives while over 12 thousand people were displaced from their area. The most affected communities –Tse Akor, Tse-Kondon and Tse Umega – were completely razed down by the marauders. The local council chairman, Frank Usah Adi, expressed shock over the unending killings and damage of property of his people allegedly by Fulani mercenaries and called on the federal and state governments to act fast and adopt more proactive steps towards stopping the menace. Adi, who called on federal and state emergency agencies as well as other organisations and philanthropic individuals to come to the aid of the displaced persons quartered into three camps at Gbajimba, Daudu and NKST Primary School Igungu, also noted that the influx into the three camps was intimidating. The chairman, however, warned the people of the area to avoid the temptation of embarking on any reprisal attacks on the Fulani herdsmen.

Six Killed in Plateau Violence

A fresh outbreak of violence in Plateau State has claimed the lives of no fewer than six persons in Gwande village in Bokkos LGA. It was gathered that four people were killed when gunmen, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, attacked the village to avenge the killing of two of their kinsmen, forcing residents to flee their homes to safety. It was gathered that no fewer than 100 gunmen invaded the community. The two herdsmen earlier killed were among six gunmen that penultimate Saturday night attacked the village and were repelled by the youths of the community. Angered by the development, the gunmen allegedly went to regroup and stormed the village on Sunday night, burning houses and killing four persons in the community. A resident of the community said it was the quick intervention of the soldiers of the Special Task Force (STF) that saved the death toll from being higher.

Jonathan Pledges Safer Skies

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, led mourners nationwide in remembrance of the first anniversary of the 153 passengers and 10 others on the ground, who perished when a Dana airplane crashed into a Lagos suburb on June 3, last year. Jonathan, who was speaking at the unveiling of a cenotaph in memory of the victims at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, pledged that Nigeria’s air space would henceforth be made a lot safer for all intending air travellers and operators of the aviation industry. The president’s pledge was made just as the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, unveiled another cenotaph at the crash site in Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, in memory of those who lost their lives in the tragedy. The Dana plane, Flight 992, which was flying to Lagos from Abuja, crashed into the densely populated Iju-Ishaga neighbourhood a year ago, a few minutes to landing, killing all 153 passengers on board as well as some ten persons on the ground.

IGP Pledges to Arrest Killers of Policemen in Nasarawa

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar has said investigation into the killing of security personnel by the Ombatse cult group in Nasarawa State is ongoing, stressing that the killers will not go unpunished. Abubakar vowed that nobody or group of persons operating under any name would kill personnel of the force and escape justice. Speaking with newsmen shortly after inaugurating 12 patrol vehicles for the Abuja-Kaduna highway at the Force Headquarters, Abuja on Monday, the IG explained that he lost 49 policemen in the attack on security men at Lakyio village in Nasarawa State. He said their death would not be in vain.

INTERNATIONAL

Red Cross Alarmed over Syrian Town

The Red Cross has expressed alarm over the situation in the besieged Syrian town of Qusair, and has appealed for immediate access to deliver aid. Thousands of civilians are believed to be trapped in the town, which lies close to the border with Lebanon. The battle for control between pro-government forces and rebel fighters has made medical supplies, food and water scarce, according to the Red Cross. Russia has also reportedly blocked a UN "declaration of alarm" on Qusair. The draft Security Council declaration, which was circulated by Britain, voiced "grave concern about the situation in Qusair, and in particular the impact on civilians of the ongoing fighting". A diplomat said Russia blocked the draft text because the UN had failed to speak out when Qusair was seized by rebels. Rebel-held parts of Qusair are effectively blockaded by government forces and Hezbollah fighters.

Egyptian Court Jails 43 NGO Workers

An Egyptian court, Tuesday, sentenced 43 Egyptian and foreign non-governmental organisation (NGO) workers to jail terms ranging from one to five years for working illegally, causing outrage abroad and raising fears for the future of civil society work in Egypt. Reports indicated that the sentences follow trials which came in the wake of raids in 2011 on the offices of foreign NGOs, many which had operated without licenses under ousted President Hosni Mubarak but which the new authorities deemed were receiving funds illicitly. The Cairo criminal court sentenced 27 defendants in absentia to five years. Five defendants who were present in the country, including one American, were sentenced to two years behind bars and ordered to pay a fine of 1,000 Egyptian pounds (around $143).

Floods Wreak Havoc in Central Europe

With death toll hitting 10, rising rivers menaced swaths of Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria Tuesday, as floodwaters inundated historic cities and forced mass evacuations of low-lying areas. The floods are feared to be the worst since 2002, when parts of Germany and the Czech Republic were devastated and communities in Austria, Slovakia, Russia and Romania were affected. Floodwaters in Bavaria are now receding but the crest on the Danube continues east into Austria and could threaten cities such as Vienna, in Austria, and Bratislava, in Slovakia. Large parts of Meissen, a town built on the banks of the Elbe River in Saxony, were also inundated after flood defences were breached overnight Monday to Tuesday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited towns in the region on Tuesday and promised 100 million euros ($130 million) in emergency aid for affected areas. The German military, government agencies and local authorities are helping with efforts to evacuate residents and protect properties.

Army Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Murdering 16 Afghan Civilians

A U.S. Army sergeant accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians in cold blood last year pleaded guilty on Wednesday to premeditated murder and other charges under a deal with military prosecutors to avoid the death penalty. Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, a decorated veteran of four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is accused of roaming off his Army post in the Afghan province of Kandahar last March and gunning down unarmed villagers, mostly women and children, in attacks on their family compounds. The shootings marked the worst case of civilian slaughter blamed on a rogue U.S. soldier since the Vietnam War.

Mali Military Launches Assault on Tuareg Rebels

Malian soldiers have reportedly launched an assault on armed Tuareg separatists accused of ethnic cleansing, in a bid to dislodge them from a key northern stronghold ahead of national elections. After a wave of expulsions of black residents by the rebels, the government troops attacked the positions of National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) in the town of Anefis at the start of an operation to retake the key city of Kidal. The clashes in Anefis were confirmed by the MNLA and a regional military source. Maiga said the army was using “heavy weaponry” and vowed that the MNLA would mobilise all its units “to advance on all army positions in the territory of Azawad”, the name given by the Tuareg rebellion to northern Mali. Former colonial power, France, voiced its support for the army action and called on the rebels to lay down their weapons. The fighting erupted after more than 100 black inhabitants were expelled from Kidal by the lighter-skinned MNLA fighters in an act denounced as “ethnic cleansing” by the government.

Protests Rage in Turkey as Government Apologises to Protesters

Turkish protesters have clashed with police in Istanbul's Besiktas district, in some of the worst violence since unrest erupted. Mosques, shops and a university have been turned into makeshift hospitals to deal with the injured. Protesters tore up paving stones to build barricades, and police responded with tear gas and water cannon. Protests were sparked by plans to build on an Istanbul park, but have broadened into nationwide anti-government unrest. Officials say more than 1,700 people had been arrested during protests in 67 towns and cities, though many have since been released. Nearby, police were also battling to protect the prime minister's office, which has become another focal point for the protesters. The Turkish government has apologised to people wounded in days of clashes and blamed police for sparking the initial clashes. Clashes have continued in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities, as people voice their discontent with the 10-year rule of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

France Confirms Sarin Use in Syrian War

Sarin has been used "several times and in a localised manner" during the two-year Syrian conflict, says France. Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, said lab tests in Paris confirmed usage of the nerve agent, adding that those who resort to chemical weapons must be punished. Sarin, an extremely potent chemical nerve agent, is colourless and odourless. There is evidence that chemical weapons may have been used by both sides in the Syrian conflict, says a new UN report. The report said the Syrian conflict had "reached new levels of brutality", with violations amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both sides. It comes as international powers struggle to set a date for a peace conference on Syria, where the conflict is believed to have cost at least 80,000 lives. Meanwhile, a number of people were killed in an exchange of fire between Syrian rebels and fighters from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, on Monday. Lebanese security sources said the clashes took place on Lebanon's side of the border, near the town of Baalbek. Hezbollah is fighting alongside the army in Syria, but the clashes have rarely crossed onto Lebanese soil.

US Tourist Gang-Raped in India

An American tourist has been gang-raped by a truck driver and two of his accomplices after hitching a ride in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, police said.The men offered the 30-year-old a lift and she accepted it, police inspector Abhimanyu Kumar said. The incident follows the alleged rape of a 21-year-old Irish charity worker in Kolkata last weekend and comes as the country attempts to tackle endemic sex crime with tougher anti-rape laws, reports say. Inspector Kumar said medical tests on the American tourist had confirmed she was raped and police were hunting for the accused men around Manali, a tourist destination in the foothills of the Himalayas 500 kilometres from New Delhi. They drove the truck to an isolated spot and raped her for nearly one hour," he said. Indian police, on Thursday, arrested three men over the gang-rape of the incident.