Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 42

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PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

JTF Nabs 26 Oil Thieves

The Joint (Military) Task Force in the Niger Delta said, on Sunday, that it intercepted two bunkering vessels and arrested 26 suspected oil thieves, including a Ghanaian. According to the JTF spokesman, Lt.-Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the feat was achieved after a week-long operation in Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Edo states. In Bayelsa State, Nwachukwu said troops deployed in the state’s creeks, uncovered a hose illegally connected from Nigerian Agip Oil Company’s pipeline to an illegal oil dump, serving an illegal oil distillation camp containing 15 large storage tanks in Southern Ijaw LGA. He added that the vessel, christened MILANDROS, was intercepted around the West Bank of Bonny anchorage, where a six- inch diameter hose over a distance of 1,000 metres from the vessel had been connected to the pipeline. He said the vessel was laden with 282 tonnes of suspected illegally distilled diesel and was operating in the waterways without relevant registration documents.

Police Arrest 5 Kidnap Suspects

The Police in Ebonyi State have arrested five suspected kidnappers, who kidnapped Ifeanyi Nwakpa, a steward serving a Catholic Church priest. The victim was abducted along Presco area of Abakaliki, the state capital, on September 25, 2013 by some youths in a tricycle and taken to unknown place. Police spokesman, Sylvester Igbo, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, said when the kidnap of Ifeanyi was reported, a team of Special Anti-Robbery Squad swung into action and rescued the victim alive. He said that the suspects had confessed to the crime.

Anambra Governorship Candidate Kidnapped

The governorship candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, in the November 16 governorship election in Anambra State, Chief Leonard Uchendu, was, on Sunday, kidnapped at his Umuawulu, Awka South LGA home town by unknown persons. Uchendu was the President-General of Umuawulu Town Union before he picked the ticket for the governorship election. The abductors were yet to contact the family. However, the Anambra State chairman of the party, Lady Virgy Chukwuogor, said that the circumstances surrounding Uchendu’s abduction was worrisome. According to her, members of NNPC were surprised when the security personnel attached to the governorship candidate were recently withdrawn, thereby putting him at great security risk. She added that despite complaints to the state Police Command, nothing was done as the candidate did not have any security operative attached to him before the abduction.

Policeman, Kidnap Victim, Killed in Failed Rescue Operation

A former Chairman of Ikot Ekpene LGA, Usen Ekene, a police corporal, and two kidnappers were killed during a rescue operation, on Tuesday. Ekene was kidnapped three weeks ago at Nyara Enyin Ntonguno in Ikot Ekpene. The kidnappers reportedly demanded N50 million as ransom from the family of the former council boss. An indigene of the area, Mr. Richard Okon, said that when the villagers spotted the kidnappers’ den, they informed the police, who mobilised to free Ekene. Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Police Command, Etim Dickson, confirmed the incident. He added that one other member of the joint patrol team, sustained serious injury.

Enugu Sacks 138 School Principals Over Age Falsification

One hundred and thirty-eight Chief Supervising Principals, CSPs, recently appointed by Enugu State Government for various schools in the 17 LGAs of the state have been compulsorily retired for allegedly falsifying their ages. The list of those retired was released and posted on the notice board of state Post Primary School Management Board, PPSMB. Some of them were said to have spent between five years and above after attaining their official retirement age due to falsification of records.

Police Arrests Notorious Kidnap Suspects

Two suspected leaders of a notorious gang that specializes in sending messages to innocent members of the public with threats to kidnap them if they failed to pay ransom have been arrested by the Police in Enugu State. The suspects, Emmanuel Ossai and Ejike Onyeke Ignatius were rounded up by operatives of the Anti-kidnap unit of the police following intensive surveillance on them concerning their nefarious activities in the University town of Nsukka and its environs. Police sources revealed that one of the suspects, Emmanuel Ossai, has been on the wanted list of the police for long.  The second suspect, Ejike Onyeke Ignatius who is an alleged leader of a very dangerous criminal group, was also alleged to have been terrorizing members of the public with threat text messages and demanding of ransom. He was arrested with two of his cohorts, Agbo Joseph Chukwuebuka and Emmanuel Onah by the operatives when they stormed their hideout.

Generator Fumes Kill Two Friends in Bayelsa

Generator fumes have reportedly killed two friends in the Swali suburb of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. The victims, both female, identified as Patience Augustine and Esther were found dead in their room. Miss Augustine, aged 20, identified as the daughter of a serving police officer. The duo reportedly left a generator running in the corridor of their home and fell asleep while watching television. It was gathered that the late Esther was not feeling fine and had asked her friend, Patience to come over and pass the night with her when tragedy struck. Other residents, it was learnt, became suspicious when the two friends did not come out in the morning. The door to the room was reportedly forced open by their curious neighbours only to see their lifeless bodies on the bed.

Three Pastors Arraigned in Court for Obstructing Security Operatives

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday arraigned three pastors –Mrs. Ruth Abbah, Mrs Deborah Jeffrey and Mr. Shedrack Ajadi- for allegedly obstructing the operatives of the commission from performing their lawful duty. The trio were arraigned alongside Imomotimi Bowei on a two counts before Justice Lambo Akanbi of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt. According to the Acting Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, the suspects were arrested on October 8, at Warrior of Christ International Church, Off Odili Road, Port Harcourt. The suspects allegedly obstructed security operatives of the commission in the course of inviting one Rev. John Richard, who was alleged to be involved in a case of obtaining money by false pretences.  They pleaded not guilty to the charge.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Robbers in Police Uniform Terrorise Warri and Environs

Armed robbers operating in full police gear have been terrorising Warri, Ekpan, and their environment in the last one month. Residents have now petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Ikechukwu Aduba, and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan reporting daily attacks by the gang who also snatch vehicles from unsuspecting motorists. Coordinator of Niger Delta Peace Coalition, Mr. Zik Gbemre, chronicled the growing incidents of armed robbery and other criminal activities in Warri and environs, especially within the last two weeks. According to him, the situation is so bad that within the last two weeks, three police officers have lost their lives and their guns taken by armed robbers. He therefore urged the Delta State Police Command to intensify vigilance and security operations in Warri and environs.

Court Sentences Two to Death by Hanging for Kidnapping, Armed Robbery

An Asaba High Court, Thursday, sentenced two persons to death by hanging for kidnapping and robbing a female magistrate at gunpoint on December 26th 2011. The convicts, Saidu Haruna and Raphael Egwuba, who claimed to be phone technicians and welder at Osubi, respectively, were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, kidnapping and armed robbery. Prosecution told the court that the female magistrate was, on December 26, 2011, driving into her compound at noon, when the armed men abducted her. She was eventually taken to a bush where they dispossessed her of valuables. In another development, an Asaba chief magistrate’s court presided over by Chief Magistrate S. C. Okebu, has remanded two persons, including a nursing mother, who were arrested in Asaba for allegedly operating a patent medicine store without license, in prison custody.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Police Arrest Kidnap Gang, Rescue Hostage Held for 3 Years

Police in Lagos State, Wednesday, said they have arrested a three-man gang of kidnappers, who specialised in kidnapping young boys in Lagos and Ogun states. This was as 37-year-old Idowu Ajibola has been arrested by policemen attached to the Area ‘E’ Police Command in Festac, Lagos, for allegedly abducting a 30-year-old woman, for three years. Lagos Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Damasus Ozuani, who paraded the suspects, said the three kidnappers were currently being detained by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). Ozuani, who identified the suspects as Olalekan Benjamin, Gbenga Sholaja and Samson Somorin, said they were arrested when the Divisional Police Officer at Igando Police Station, Ben Osuji, received an intelligence report on the gang’s activities and caught a member of the gang. During interrogation at SARS, the suspect confessed and named some of his gang members.

Man, 35, Arraigned in Court over Rape of 9-Year-Old

An Ibadan High Court, Tuesday, remanded a 35-year-old man, Segun Majeed, in prison over alleged rape. The prosecutor, Mrs Olumide Ojo, told the court that the defendant allegedly raped a nine-year-old girl on May 29, 2012, at the Army Barracks Primary School, Iwo Road, Ibadan. She told the court that she was yet to respond to the application filed by defence counsel, Mr. Olaniji Olabinjo. Ojo said she had just been served, that the court should give her time to respond. Justice Mashud Abas ordered that the defendant be taken back to prison and adjourned the case.

Driver Arraigned in Court Over N12m Theft

A 36-year-old driver, Abayomi Omojowo, was on Thursday arraigned before an Ikeja magistrate’s court over alleged robbery of valuables worth N12 million. Omojowo is facing a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and robbery, preferred against him by the police. Police Prosecutor, Inspector Roman Unuigbe, said the defendant and others at large, conspired to commit the alleged offence on July 4, at Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos. Magistrate Olufunke Sule-Hamzat granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200,000, with two sureties in like sum, and adjourned the case till November 11.

NDLEA Arrests Plumber for Trafficking Cocaine in Condoms

Narcotic officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 29 -year-old plumber, Ogu Talent Okechukwu, in connection with unlawful importation of 945 grammes of cocaine. The suspect, according to the anti-drug agency had attempted to import 57 wraps of cocaine he ingested from Brazil when he was caught at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The arrest occurred during the inward screening of passengers on an Etihad flight from Abu Dhabi. The NDLEA Airport Commander, Alhaji Hamza Umar, said the suspect ingested a total of 57 wraps of cocaine packed in male condoms. The case is under investigation and the suspect will soon be charged to court. The suspect in his confessional statement said he was lured into drug trafficking because of his inability to pay his rent of N150,000.

Gas Plant Fire Injures Three

Three people were severely burnt during a fire outbreak at the premises of Second Coming Nigeria Limited Gas Plant, on Lekki-Epe Expressway, Sangotedo, Ajah on Tuesday. The Public Relations Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Fariloye, revealed that the incident occurred at 5:30am due to the activities of suspected vandals, who attempted to steal gas products from one of the tankers within the premises. It was gathered that the incident, which recorded no casualties, left three of the company staff severely burnt. Apart from the tanker that the vandals attempted to steal gas from, which caught fire, no other company property was damaged.

Gunmen Kill 3 Policemen in Lagos

Gunmen suspected to be armed robbers on Tuesday killed three policemen in Lagos. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Umar Manko, who confirmed the incident, said that the policemen were shot from behind while in a moving patrol vehicle. Manko said that the suspects, three of whom were dressed in caftan, took advantage of a down pour to hit the policemen who were on legitimate duty around the Ijora-Olopa area of Lagos. The commissioner said that five policemen were in the vehicle when the suspects, who were on motorcycle, attacked them. Manko said that three of the policemen died on the spot while the fourth sustained injuries with the driver, escaping unhurt. He said that investigation had commenced into the incident.

Police Stray Bullet Kills Man, Mob Protest Police Killing of Business Man

A licensed clearing agent, Ganiyu Adedoyin, has been killed in Oshodi, Lagos, by policemen attached to the Makinde Division. Adedoyin was said to have died on Sunday after he was hit by a stray bullet from a policeman’s rifle while the businessman was having a meal at a canteen. The incident occurred when police attempted to disperse protesters, who had stormed the station to protest the death of one Rafiu Adeniji, who was reportedly killed by a policeman in the presence of his six-year-old daughter. In a bid to disperse the protesters, some policemen were said to have fired into the crowd.  A witness, Adebayo, said Adedoyin was taken to three hospitals but was not given any treatment as they did not have any police report. The deceased’s friends allegedly met a brickwall when they attempted to obtain a police report from the Akinpelu Police Division. Although the Lagos State Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Damasus Ozoani, confirmed the protest at Makinde Police Division, he however said the police were not aware of the killing of Adedoyin.

5 Women Remanded in Prison over Alleged Prostitution

An Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, Monday, remanded five suspected commercial sex workers in Ikoyi Prisons, after they pleaded guilty to loitering and soliciting for the purpose of prostitution. The Magistrate, Mrs Ikubeinje, remanded them in prison, pending a review of facts and sentencing. The accused are standing trial on a charge of behaving in a disorderly or indecent manner in a public place. The prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu, told the court that the accused committed the offence on October 6, at Obalende area of Lagos. The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 166 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. The magistrate adjourned the case till October 8 for facts and sentencing.

GENERAL

20 Killed as Boko Haram Attacks Borno Mosque

At least 20 people were killed when Islamist group Boko Haram attacked a town in Borno state, triggering clashes with troops. The military said the Islamists crept into the town of Damboa penultimate Saturday and killed five worshippers at a mosque as they said their morning prayers. Troops engaged the terrorists, killing 15 of them in the process while others fled, the military spokesman, Captain Aliyu Danja, said in a statement. Nigerian fighter jets had recently bombed camps belonging to suspected Islamist militants in northeast Nigeria in response to a massacre of students at an agricultural college that killed at least 41.

JTF Uncovers Bomb Factory in Kano

The Joint Task Force (JTF) in Kano State, in the early hours of Monday, uncovered a bomb factory where bombs and other dangerous equipment were being made. The son of the owner of the house where the explosives were being manufactured was killed during the JTF operation. The 3 Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General Ilyasu Abba, said the whole festive period could have been a disaster if the huge amount of weapons being manufactured were not discovered. Among the dangerous weapons which had already been made for an assignment at the terrorists’ hideout are 193 rounds of 5.3mm ammunition, one AK 47 magazine, 107 rounds of 7.6mm special ammunition and working tools and materials used for making Improvised Explosive Devices (EIDs). Others are materials used for making IEDs, which include three primed cylinders of IEDs, one primed explosive suicide back pack, 18 empty IEDs cylinder, small bags of fertilizer, IEDs timers, cortex wires, three remote control devices and 24 detonators.

Butcher Jailed for Raping 11-Year-Old Girl

An Upper Area Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State, Thursday, sentenced a 27-year-old butcher, Mu’azu Lawali, to four years imprisonment for raping an 11-year-old girl. The presiding officer, Vincent Gwehemba, did not give the convict an option of fine. The prosecutor, Inspector Joseph Ahua, said that the matter was reported by the victim’s parents at Masaka Police Station on October 4. Ahua said the convict confessed to committing the offence, which contravened Section 283 of the Penal Code. The accused, however, pleaded guilty to the charge.

Mutilated Body of Missing Female Lawyer Found

The Police are investigating the suspected murder of a female lawyer, Mrs. Ijeoma Micah, whose lifeless body was found mutilated in her chambers in Maitama area of Abuja. Ijeoma, the owner of Micah and Micah Chambers, was found dead in her office three days after she was said to have gone missing.  Her husband reported the matter to Area Command of the police in Maitama. Commissioner of Police FCT, Femi Ogunbayode, said that it was discovered that some men had called Ijeoma to her office for some business, which she went for and afterwards, nothing was heard from her. Ogunbayode said that as a result of the killing, a security detail that was attached to Ifeoma was arrested and was being interrogated for alleged complicity. He said that since the security detail did not report the case to the police until her husband came back from abroad and discovered her body, he was therefore a suspect. He added that the Forensic Investigation Unit at the FCT Command was already at the office, where she was allegedly killed and had commenced investigation into the matter.

3 Nigerians Accused of Kidnap Lynched in Bissau

Three Nigerians accused of kidnapping a child were killed on Tuesday by an angry mob in Bissau, according to a hospital source. The trio was killed after the disappearance of a young boy on Tuesday morning in the capital of Guinea-Bissau. A rumour quickly spread across the city that the child had been taken by a group of Nigerians, prompting an angry crowd to gather which security forces were unable to control. Police fired warning shots and tear gas in an effort to disperse the mob, but they were unsuccessful. The police called for reinforcements and soldiers from the Economic Community of West African States currently in the country were deployed in the town and managed to restore some sense of calm in the afternoon. Nigeria’s embassy in Bissau, where many Nigerians sought refuge, was surrounded by security forces for protection. The latest abduction came at a tense time in Bissau, as in the past fortnight several kidnappings have been reported to the police.

Nigeria Uncovers Terrorists’ Hideout on Cameroon Border

Nigeria Trans-border Security Committee says it has identified terrorists’ hideout and routes in the Nigeria’s border communities with Cameroon. In its report submitted to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed, on Thursday in Abuja, the committee listed maritime areas, mountains, roads, rivers, waterways and streams as safe havens and routes for criminal activities. Nigeria and Cameroon signed agreement on the establishment of trans-border security committee on February 28, 2012 in the bid to combat increasing criminal activities in their common borders and to encourage peaceful coexistence.

Gunmen Kill 21 in Plateau State

Gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen, went on rampage Thursday, killing more than 21 persons in a renewed attack on Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau State. According to a source, the gunmen came in a large number and attacked Kukek community in Bakin Kogi village. He said that the gunmen also burnt down the house of a man identified as Tsok Gwom in wee hours of the morning. The deaths of the head of the family, his wife, two other women, and five children; bring the total number of those killed to nine. The attackers thereafter made away with some cattle belonging to the villagers. Residents of the community said that gunshots alerted members of the vigilance group in the community who launched a reprisal attack on the gunmen and killed 12 of them. A resident of the community who did not want his name in print also said that members of the vigilance group also sustained injuries in the attack. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Felicia Anslem, confirmed the incident but not the casualty figure.

Man Remanded in Prison for Abduction, Attempted Rape

A Grade 1 Area Court in Aso Pada in Mararaba, Nasarawa State has ordered one David Monday, 25, to be remanded in Keffi Prison on charges of abduction and attempted rape. The presiding officer, Mr. Albert Maga, gave the order after the Police Prosecutor, Friday Adaji, prayed the court to order that Monday be remanded till October 24. Maga then adjourned the case to October 24 for hearing. Earlier, Adaji told the court that one Esther Patrick of Aso in Mararaba, lodged a complaint against the accused on October 3 at the ‘A’ Division Police Station, Mararaba.

Government Withdraws Illegal Arms’ Importation Charges against Russians

Nigerian government on Tuesday withdrew charges of unlawful importation of arms into the country levelled against 15 Russian sailors at the Federal High Court, Lagos. The accused were charged on four-counts bordering on unlawful importation of firearms to Nigeria, as well as non-disclosure of content of vessel. The prosecutor, Usman Hajara, informed the court of an amended charge before it. She told the court that charges had been dropped against all previous accused, adding that the amended charge now reflected the names of a Nigerian, Stanley Chineye and his company, Maritime Services Ltd. She, therefore, prayed the court to withdraw the initial charge reflecting the names of the accused, their vessel and their company, Moral Security Group Ltd, and substitute it with the amended charge. The trial judge, Justice James Tsoho, accordingly struck out the charge containing the names of the Russians and adjourned the case to November 26 for trial of the new accused.

Court Sentences Man to Death for Killing Step-Daughter

A Talata Mafara High Court in Zamfara, on Monday, sentenced one Abdullahi Abubakar, 37, to death by hanging for the murder of his step-daughter. The convict was arraigned in August 2008 for putting a poisonous substance in his step-daughter’s food, which led to her death. Justice Bello Gummi said the court was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the accused committed the offence as confessed by him in a statement. Gummi said the convict intentionally and with the knowledge that death or grievous bodily injury would be the probable consequence of his action, poisoned his step-daughter, Suwaiba. Counsel to the convict, Mr. Benn Ezza, said the judgment came to them as a surprise.

Four Brothers Killed Scooping Fuel from Ruptured Pipeline

Four members of the same family in Tariya village of Bassa LGA of Plateau State were, Wednesday, killed while attempting to scoop petroleum from a ruptured pipeline. Assistant Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Chrisantus Longbit, said when the five people went to siphon the petroleum, a misunderstanding ensued amongst them. One of them, who fled the scene, allegedly lit a match that led to the explosion. Meanwhile, the decomposed body of a 25-old-man, Zayyanu Abubakar, has been evacuated from inside a petrol tanker compartment where he suffocated and died on Friday, October 4, while stealing petrol. According to reports, the deceased fell inside the tank of the vehicle that parked along Sokoto Western bye-pass and loaded with 33,000 litres of petrol. The deceased was alleged to have stolen 20 litres from the fuel compartment and had returned for more when he ended up inside the tank.

Army Kills 30 Suspected Boko Haram Members

Troops from 7 Division, Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Wednesday, launched separate pre-emptive attacks on suspected Boko Haram enclaves in Bama and Damboa council areas of Borno state, killing no fewer than 30 suspected members, including a leader of the sect. Also killed were unspecified members of the group at Izza village in Bama town just as five Hilux vehicles mounted with anti-air craft guns and one 18-seater bus with foodstuff belonging to the terrorists were destroyed. A statement by the military spokesman in Maiduguri, Captain Aliyu Danja, said the operation involved air strikes and ground attacks. Danja also said that the pre-emptive attack followed intelligence reports about plans by the insurgents to attack Bama and other towns in the state.

FG Investigates Killing of Nigerians, Attack on Embassy in Guinea

The Federal Government on Wednesday ordered investigation into the reported killing of three Nigerians and the attack on the Nigerian Embassy in Guinea-Bissau. The affected Nigerians, who were alleged to have kidnapped a child, were lynched by rioters in Bissau. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs II, who is in-charge of Africa, briefed council about development in Guinea Bissau involving an attack on the Embassy, resulting in the death of at least one Nigerian. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs waded into the matter and protested to Guinea Bissau authorities, making it clear that this was not acceptable. The Nigerian Ambassador in Guinea Bissau was directed immediately to take up the matter with the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Guinea Bissau and the matter is being investigated.

Police Arrest Wife, Lover over Murder of Husband

A 25-year-old woman, Yakbyen Nanbol, who allegedly conspired with her lover to murder her husband, has been nabbed by the police in Jos, Plateau state. While her lover, Samson, who was also her husband’s friend, said that the woman asked him to kill her husband, she strongly denied asking him to kill her husband. Parading the suspects at the State Police Headquarters alongside 14 others, Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Chris Olakpe, lamented incidences of homicide, saying the command was battle-ready to combat any form of criminal activities in the state. Similarly paraded was a young man, who killed his mother on allegation of witchcraft and other suspects whose offences ranged from child trafficking, armed robbery to cow rustling. Olakpe said the suspects were undergoing interrogation by the CID and that they will be charged to court for prosecution as soon as the investigation was over.

Boko Haram Insurgents Killed by Camerounian Soldiers – Military

A fierce gunfight launched against the fundamentalist Islamist group, Boko Haram, by Camerounian soldiers has led to the killing   of no fewer than 180 insurgents and two gendarmes around a Nigerian border with Cameroun. It was gathered that during the battle which took place on Tuesday evening, many of the wounded insurgents were also arrested. About 200 rifles, 70 machine guns and heavy military hardware were said to have been recovered from the insurgents by the soldiers. It was gathered that the Camerounian authorities directed the soldiers to launch the attack against the Nigerian gunmen, who had earlier on Tuesday, ambushed and killed two gendarmes on patrol in the border community.

INTERNATIONAL

US Forces Hit al-Shabab in Somalia, Capture Militant Leader in Libya

US Special Forces have carried out two separate raids in Libya and Somalia targeting senior Islamist militants, American officials say. In Libya, US commandos captured an al-Qaeda leader accused of the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Anas al-Liby was seized in the capital Tripoli. And a leader of the al-Shabab group was targeted in southern Somalia, but that raid appears to have failed. The al-Shabab leader – who has not been identified – is suspected of involvement in last month’s attack in the Westgate shopping centre in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, which left at least 67 people dead.

Iraqi Woman Caught Planting Bomb near School

A guard caught a woman planting a bomb next to a primary school in Iraq on Monday, while two blasts killed four Sahwa anti-Al-Qaeda fighters, officials said. The woman was trying to plant a bomb next to the wall of a school in Madain, south of Baghdad, but was discovered by one of the school’s guards, who turned her over to the army with the help of a second guard. The attempted bombing came a day after suicide bombers attacked a primary school and a nearby police station in northern Iraq, killing 18 people, including 10 children. A total of 36 people were killed in attacks across Iraq on Sunday. North of the capital, two roadside bombs killed four Sahwa anti-Al-Qaeda fighters and wounded five on Monday. The Sahwa, who joined forces with the United States from late 2006 and helped bring about a sharp reduction in violence in Iraq, are frequently targeted by Sunni militants, who consider them to be traitors.

Israel Files Charges against Arrested Iranian Spy Suspect

An alleged Iranian spy, Ali Mansouri, has been charged by state attorney’s office in Israel with aiding an enemy during wartime and espionage. Mansouri, 58, was arrested on September 11 carrying photographs of the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv. News of his arrest was made public last week, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left for the United States, determined to expose what he called “sweet talk” by Iran. According to the indictment filed at the Petah Tikva district court, Iran-born Mansouri, who holds a Belgian passport and is multilingual, was recruited by Iran’s elite Republican Guard in 2012 “for an espionage mission aimed at harming Israel’s security”, and visited the country three times. The prosecution said Mansouri confessed his ties to Iranian intelligence during police and Shin Bet interrogation. He also said he had been promised $1 million (740,000 euros) to use his position as a businessman to set up companies in Israel on behalf of Iranian intelligence to “harm Israeli and Western interests”.

Experts Begin Destruction of Chemical Weapons in Syria

Experts on Sunday began overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons on under the terms of a United Nations resolution which will see Damascus relinquish the banned arms. The source in the international mission said experts had begun verifying details turned over by the Syrian government about the arsenal and destroying weapons and production facilities. The team faces the daunting task of disposing of an estimated 1,000 tonnes of the nerve agent sarin, mustard gas and other banned arms at dozens of sites in Syria by mid-2014. The team of disarmament experts from the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) based in The Hague arrived in Damascus on Tuesday. Meanwhile, eight people have been killed by mortar fire that hit a Christian neighbourhood in central Damascus on Sunday.

Suicide Bombers Kill 24 in Attack on Shiite Pilgrims

Suicide bombers attacked Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad, a primary school and police station in a Shiite village in north Iraq Sunday, killing about 24 people. In the capital, a suicide bomber detonated explosives near pilgrims who were walking to a shrine in the north of the city to commemorate the death of Imam Mohammed al-Jawad, the ninth Shiite Imam. The blast killed at least nine people and wounded at least 30, officials said. A bus parked near the site of the explosion had a streak of blood running from a shattered window down its side. Iraq is home to some of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam, and millions of pilgrims visit them each year. But crowds of pilgrims are frequently targeted by Sunni militants including those linked to Al-Qaeda, who consider Shiites to be apostates. Two more suicide bombers, on Sunday, targeted the Turkmen Shiite village of Qabak in Nineveh province about 50 kilometres from the border with Syria.

Morsi to Face Trial over Death of Protesters

The trial of ousted President Mohamed Morsi on charges of inciting the murder of protesters is due to start on November 4. Morsi will stand trial with 14 other members of his Muslim Brotherhood over the killings of at least 10 protesters outside his presidential palace in December 2012, according to reports. The deadly clashes broke out after the Brotherhood dispersed a sit-in by secular-leaning opponents. They had gathered to oppose a temporary decree passed by Morsi placing his decisions beyond judicial review. Morsi’s predecessor, Hosni Mubarak is also on trial. The deaths came almost six months before Morsi was deposed in a military coup in July. Morsi, who became Egypt’s first democratically elected president, has been detained in a secret location since his ouster. Following his departure, security forces launched an extensive crackdown on his supporters that has resulted in over 1,000 deaths. The Muslim Brotherhood has also been banned. Hundreds of Islamist loyalists were killed on August 14 when security forces broke up protest camps set up by Morsi supporters in Cairo.

Islamist Militants Attack Northern Mali

Suspected Islamist militants hit the northern Malian city of Gao with artillery fire on Monday in the first attack on the insurgents’ former stronghold in months, city residents, military and government officials said. Gao was the first city freed from Islamist occupation by a French-led military intervention that drove al Qaeda-linked fighters from the country’s north earlier this year. It bore the brunt of the guerrilla-war waged by remnants of the defeated insurgents in the months following the January offensive, until Monday’s violence the area had not seen an attack since May. A series of four explosions hit the town of Gao, and a Malian soldier was wounded, Idrissa Cisse, a municipal official in Gao, said. Cisse and Gao residents said Islamists had fired mortar bombs from outside the city, though a military official said the explosions had been caused by rockets. French helicopters were patrolling the skies above Gao by mid-morning, and residents said calm had returned to the city.

15 Killed in Clashes in Egypt

At least 15 people have been killed and 83 injured in Egypt in clashes between police and supporters of the deposed Islamist President, Mohammed Morsi. More than 200 members of the Muslim Brotherhood were reportedly arrested in connection with the violence in Cairo. Supporters of Morsi marched in several cities, as the military-backed government celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Security forces used tear gas and fired in to the air to stop thousands of supporters of Morsi from entering Cairo’s Tahrir Square. The street battles raged for hours with small fires burning and black smoke rising in several parts of the capital, according to reports. Hundreds of people had gathered in Tahrir Square to mark the military anniversary. Backers of Morsi said they would use the public holiday commemorations to denounce what they say was as a military coup in July. The interior ministry earlier warned it would confront any “attempts that may disturb the 6 October celebrations”.

Mexican Authorities Arrest 13 Policemen in Kidnap Gang Swoop

Mexican authorities have arrested 13 federal police officers who were allegedly part of a kidnap and murder gang that operated in the resort of Acapulco. It was reported that the officers were detained along with five civilians – four men and a woman – who also allegedly killed some of the kidnap victims. The gang is thought to have been involved in seven murders and four kidnappings. The suspects were arrested on the outskirts of Acapulco after an anonymous tip, the Mexican government’s national security spokesman, Eduardo Sanchez said. Sanchez said that those arrested are suspected of committing crimes against health, organised crime, homicide, kidnapping, carrying weapons used exclusively by the Armed Forces, among others.”

 

Death Toll Hits 275 as Divers Find more Bodies in Migrant Boat Mishap

Italian divers on Tuesday recovered the bodies of more migrants from the wreck of a smugglers’ ship that sank off the tiny island of Lampedusa, raising the death toll to 275. Coast Guard Commander Filippo Marini said 43 bodies were recovered from within the ship’s hold, while one was spotted by a helicopter floating near the wreck, before the operation was suspended for darkness. Just 155 migrants, most if not all from Eritrea, survived Thursday’s shipwreck. Survivors said there were some 500 would-be asylum seekers aboard when the ship capsized and sank in sight of land. A disproportionate number of the dead are women. The survivors were helping with the identification of the bodies, mostly through photographs. In some cases, divers also have recovered documents. Thursday’s shipwreck has one of the highest verified death tolls among migrant ship disasters in the Mediterranean Sea.

Preacher Jailed for Raping, Killing Daughter

A Saudi court sentenced a preacher convicted of raping his five-year-old daughter and torturing her to death to eight years in prison and 800 lashes, a lawyer said on Tuesday. In a case that drew widespread public condemnation in the kingdom and abroad, the court on Monday also ordered Fayhan al-Ghamdi to pay his ex-wife, the girl’s mother, one million riyals ($270,000) in “blood money,” a lawyer, Turki al-Rasheed, disclosed. Blood money is compensation for the next of kin under Islamic law. The girl’s mother had demanded 10 million riyals ($2.7 million). Ghamdi’s second wife, accused of taking part in the crime, was sentenced to 10 months in prison and 150 lashes. The girl was admitted to hospital on December 25, 2011 with multiple injuries, including a crushed skull, broken ribs and left arm, extensive bruising and burns, activists said. She died several months later. Ghamdi had confessed to having used cables and a cane to inflict the injuries, human rights activists said earlier this year.