Villeworth Security Services Ltd

week 15

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Oil Thieves Arrested in Rivers State

Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested three suspected crude oil thieves with 55,000 litres of the substance loaded in two trucks. The State Police Commissioner, Tunde Ogunsakin, said the suspects, who specialised in pipeline vandalism, stole the crude oil from Shell oil installation at Elelenwon in Obio/Akpor LGA. Ogunsakin disclosed that the three oil thieves were arrested on Akpajo Eleme Road on March 28, 2014, by the police monitoring team attached to his office. He added that the suspects were loading a third truck before they were apprehended by the police. The state police commissioner restated the Rivers State Police Command’s commitment towards fighting oil bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage in the state. Ogunsakin promised that the suspects would soon be charged to court.

Bayelsa Experiences 40 Oil Spills Monthly -NOSDRA

The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has revealed that Bayelsa State, records about 40 spill cases in a month. The Director General, Dr. Peter Idabor, who disclosed this, also said that findings indicate that the rate of oil spill in Bayelsa is more devastating than that of the widely reported Ogoni land in Rivers State. Though Bayelsa is one of the most endowed states in the federation, it nonetheless faces one of the worst environmental despoliation occasioned by oil exploration and exploitation activities. The Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has lamented the ongoing despoliation of the environment.

DSS Smashes Car Snatching Syndicate

A six-member car snatching syndicate operating in Anambra, Kogi and Rivers states has been smashed by men of the Department of State Service (DSS), in Anambra State. State director of DSS, Alex Okeiyi, identified the syndicate as being responsible for increased car snatching activities in Anambra State in recent time. Some of the suspects have confessed to their involvement in the crime. One of them also confessed that he started the illicit business of snatching cars in 2009, adding that his gang’s first operation was when they drugged a driver of a Nissan Sunny in the FCT before taking away his car.

Bonga Fishermen Seek Compensation from Shell over Oil Spillage

Fishermen in the country affected by the December 2011 Bonga Field oil spill on Tuesday sought the intervention of the House of Representatives to get compensation from Shell, owners of the field. Fishermen from five states, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Ondo and Delta were affected by the spill. The fishermen, under the aegis of Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria, told the House that they had over 35,000 members in the five states, whose livelihood depended on fishing. The National President of the association, Bishop Godknows Nefipre, complained that since the spill, no compensation had been paid to them by Shell.

SSS Arrests Priest, Monarch in Akwa Ibom for Child Theft

The State Security Service, Akwa Ibom State Command, has arrested a Catholic priest, Rev Father Joseph Okon; a traditional ruler, Chief Uchenna Onyekaozuru, and 18 others for alleged child theft. Deputy Director, Operations, Fubara Duke, during a parade in Uyo, disclosed that eight children had been rescued from the suspects. He said the service was working on reuniting the children with their families. He explained that criminals had resorted to child trafficking after security agencies successfully kept kidnapping and other violent crimes at bay. He said about 50 children had been stolen and sold in the last eight months in Akwa Ibom State. He added that the development had necessitated the command to direct its security operations to the illicit trade in the last few months. According to him, the syndicate has abductors and facilitators who are mostly operators of orphanages, social and women affairs officers and agents.

Man Beheads Father in Ebonyi

The Ebonyi State Police Command, on Thursday, paraded a 30-year-old Nwode Chukwudi Awam, for beheading his father, Michael Awam, 56, and eating the victim’s neck. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Chris Anyanwu, confirmed the arrest of the suspect, who was caught eating the neck and waving the machete which he used to cut his father’s head, while threatening to kill anybody that gets close to him. The suspect, who was seen intermittently smiling and looking suspiciously calm, said he carried out the act after he heard a voice which told him to go to his village and kill his father. His uncle, Mr. Joseph Nwite, said that the suspect had been away from home for over six years, adding he just came back from Imo State and killed his father.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

NBA Petitions IGP over Killing of Two Members in Delta

Warri Branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (I-G) over the gruesome killing last week of two lawyers at Ozoro, Isoko North LGA of Delta State while on their way to the court. The lawyers are demanding that justice be done in the case involving two of their defenceless, law-abiding colleagues, Messrs Horace Eguono Dafioghor and Samuel Ekuwangju who were shot dead enroute to the High Court Ozoro for a ruling in the petition filed by the deceased. The late lawyers, who were both from the Whytfort Jurisconsult Chambers located on Udu Road, Ovwian Town in Delta State, were initially simply said to be handling a certain "high-profile case" when they were gunned down in cold blood. Delta State Government has assured citizens of the state that full and thorough investigation will be carried out on the alleged assassination of two lawyers in Warri on Thursday, last week.

Gunmen Ambush Police Team Escorting Suspects to Court, Kill Suspects

Gunmen, on Tuesday, ambushed a team of policemen escorting two kidnap suspects, earlier arrested, to court for arraignment, leading to fierce gun battle, during which the suspects were killed. Delta State Police spokesperson, Celestina Kalu, confirmed that the two kidnap suspects being conveyed to the court lost their lives in the process while the police vehicle was badly damaged. According to her, “a team of operatives from Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad Asaba, conveying two male suspects to a Magistrate Court in Oleh for arraignment in connection with the offences of conspiracy and kidnapping, ran into an ambush by gunmen at Oloh Ogwashi on Kwale Road, and at the end of the ensuing gun battle, the police vehicle was shattered while the two suspects were hit by bullets from the hoodlums.

Kidnappers Abduct Clark’s Son

Suspected kidnappers have abducted Mr. Ebi Clark, son of Ijaw national leader and former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark. Ebi was reportedly kidnapped on Wednesday at Clark’s country home in Kiagbodo, Burutu LGA of Delta State by the gunmen, who invaded the community. Delta State Police Commissioner, Ikechukwu Aduba, confirmed the abduction saying, one of the suspects was arrested and efforts are on to secure Ebi’s release. Spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Eric Omare, said the IYC would use resources at its disposal to fight kidnapping and other acts of criminality in Ijaw land. An Ijaw youth leader, Austin Yadah, described the kidnap of Ebi Clark, as an embarrassment. However, Ebi regained freedom at the weekend after he was dropped in a Village close to Bomadi. Details of his release are yet to be disclosed.

Lawmakers to Probe Agip Oil Spill Compensation in Delta State

The House of Representatives Committee on Environment has appointed an ad hoc committee on the October 2012 oil spill that affected 25 communities in Ndokwa-West LGA of Delta State. The committee is to determine the amount of compensation Nigerian Agip Oil Company, owners of the Kwale/Akiri 10″ pipeline, will pay to the communities. The ruptured pipeline had caused the spill. But, 11 of the communities have already placed a demand of N1bn as damages. The Chairman of the committee, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, explained that three lawmakers would serve on the ad hoc committee; one member from the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency; two representatives from the 11 communities that demanded N1bn; one person from Department of Petroleum Resources; and two members of staff of NAOC. While AGIP is claiming to have compensated “most” of the communities, the House committee is unhappy that the oil company is treating the matter with levity.

Policeman Kills Baby, Batters Wife in Benin

A Policeman in Edo state allegedly killed his 19-month-old baby after battering his wife at their Benin City residence, last weekend. His wife said last Tuesday they were at home when her husband’s countenance suddenly changed and when she tried to find out why, he pounced on her. Dr. Jolly Nosakhare Iguma, of the clinic, said that the baby was pale with tooth bite injuries on his face. However, if he was brought in early enough, the baby would have been transfused with blood. He may have died of jaundice. Their residence was deserted as neighbors claimed not to have seen any of its occupants in the past few days.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

5 Boko Haram Suspects Arrested in Oyo

Five suspected members of Boko Haram terrorist sect have been taken into custody by officials of the State Security Services (SSS) in Oyo State. Security sources confirmed to THISDAY last night that about 18 suspected members of Boko Haram were intercepted and picked up last Friday at a location within the state by the joint operatives of the military and SSS. After extensive interrogation, 13 of them were said to have been released, while the remaining five were said to be in SSS custody for further interrogation and investigation. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Ilobanafor, however, said she was not in a position to confirm the arrest of the suspects, stating that if there was any such arrest, the state Police Command would have passed the information to the public.

Youths Uncover Baby Factory in Abeokuta

There was pandemonium in the Akinremi Estate, Adigbe, Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday after some youths discovered a baby factory in the area. The incident comes barely two weeks after eight women were rescued from a baby factory in the Akute area of the state. The youths, who thought the building was a ritual killers’ den broke into the compound. In a fit of rage, the youths were said to have set two vehicles ablaze as well as the one-storey building. A traffic official, who witnessed the incident, said the youths were able to recover a blood-filled basin, coffin, mortar, calabash, effigy, assorted charms, clothes, live scorpion and other suspected fetish items. Trouble began after a pregnant woman, escaped from the building and pleaded with the residents to save her from her assailants. The pregnant woman said she was from Abia State and her elder sister sold her to the people for N100,000. The state Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, disclosed that three pregnant ladies and five kids were rescued from the base and two suspects had been arrested.

Man Bags 3-Year Jail-Term for Raping Minor

An Abule Egba magistrate’s court in Lagos, on Thursday, sentenced a 20-year-old meat-seller, Oye Adeleke, to three years in the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, without an option of fine, for raping his customer’s 14-year-old daughter. The magistrate, Tajudeen Elias, said “This will serve as deterrent to others who indulge in having sex with under-aged teenagers. “This sentencing is mitigated by virtue of the leg injury of the defendant and remorse on his part,’’ Elias said, while passing his judgment.

Eight Die as Passenger Boat Capsizes in Lagos

A boat with 26 passengers on board, Wednesday, overturned at the Ikorodu area of Lagos, claiming the lives of eight persons. While 12 of the passengers survived, six others remain missing. The accident comes barely a month after another boat capsized at Ogogoro village in Apapa, Lagos, killing about 10 persons, including a mother and her child. The ill-fated boat belonging to Bell Marine Services was said to have taken off from Ebute-Ero jetty on the Lagos Island and was heading to Majidun jetty at Ikorodu when turbulent waves upturned it. A combined team of emergency and rescue workers drawn from different agencies in the state who were mobilised to the scene of the accident rescued 20 persons, while the search is on-going for the six remaining passengers, who have been declared missing. Public Relations Officer, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-west, Ibrahim Farinloye, confirmed the incident.

Navy Hands over Arrested Fishing Vessels to FG

The Nigerian Navy (NN) has handed over four vessels arrested for alleged illegal fishing to the Department of Fishery, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and also returned one vessel to its owner after it was duly cleared of all charges. The arrested fishing trolleys, which include Sunny I and II, Golden Golf I and II, were arrested by officials of the NNS Beecroft, Apapa, under the command of the Flag Officer Commanding, Rear Admiral Sanmi Alade, operating in the nation’s waters with expired fishing licences. The other vessel, Lurongyu, belonging to Sunrise Fishing Company, which was also arrested by the Navy, was however returned to the company after the Navy discovered the vessel was duly licensed, although it did not have its document on board. While handing over the vessels, Commander NNS Beecroft, Commodore Ovenseri Uwadiae, said a total of eight vessels were arrested at Lagos and Port Harcourt in the past one month.

Police Nab Fake Navy Officer

The Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force in Lagos, Wednesday, paraded a Marine Engineer, 36, who deceived members of the public by claiming to be a senior naval officer. The spokesman of the command, Lewis Suleman, who paraded the suspect at the command’s headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, said that the engineer was arrested on March 28. Suleman said that the suspect paraded himself before members of the public as a senior naval officer, claiming also to be a Nigerian Merchant Navy officer. He said the command received a petition from one Iredia Obaze, that the suspect used navy uniform to forcefully collect four of his imported vehicles from his agents, stressing that none of the cars had been recovered from the suspect.

Community Accuses Customs of Extra-Judicial Killing of Bike Rider

The Idiroko Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has been accused by the residents of Koko Town in Ogun State of killing a commercial motorcyclist during a raid on the community. In a petition to the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, the community said the bike rider, Timothy Ezekiel, was murdered on February 26, 2014 when a team of customs officials raided the town. The petition, signed by Chief Shina Ogunyale, counsel for the community, said customs officials were guilty of several extrajudicial killings in Ilashe, Ajegunle, Ihunbo, Ogosa, Ajilete and all other communities along the Idiroko Road. The petition further alleged that the customs officials had not shown remorse since the incident. The NCS Public Relations Officer, Idiroko Command, identified simply as Mr. Ngigie, simply stated that Timothy’s death was a regrettable incident and that the NCS commiserates with the family.

Suspect Smuggles Rifles in Sacks of Yam Flour

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Lagos State has apprehended two men for robbery and for allegedly smuggling Ak-47 rifles. Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, said the suspects, Olatunji Olatubosun, and Abdulazeez Amao, were arrested following investigations by SARS men. Manko said the investigations revealed that one of the suspects, Amao, brought in guns from Mali through Burkina Faso and Benin Republic into Nigeria. The police boss said Amao was able to beat security checks along the routes by concealing the guns in yam flour sacks. Amao, it was learnt, was arrested with 10 AK-47 rifles and 19 AK-47 magazines fully loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition. Amao, however, denied links to terrorists or armed robbers. He said he only sold guns to militants in the Niger Delta and the South- Eastern part of the country.

Man Arrested with Heroin in Anus at MMIA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested a 34-year-old man, who allegedly inserted two wraps of heroin into his anus to bring it into the country. This is contained in a statement by Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju, Head, Public Affairs of NDLEA, on Friday. The suspect was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on his arrival from Pakistan. The heroin was allegedly detected during inward screening of passengers on a Qatar airline flight. It quoted NDLEA’s Airport Commander, Mr Hamza Umar, as saying that the arrest was facilitated by a scanning machine. The commander, according to the statement, said the suspect tested positive for drug possession.

Police, OPC Clash in Lagos, One Killed

Members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and policemen clashed at the Tolu Police Division, Ajegunle, Lagos State penultimate Saturday evening, leading to the death of a member of the OPC, while a police corporal sustained gunshot injury. The fracas was caused by a disagreement over the release of an unidentified man from OPC’s custody. It was learnt that prior to the incident, the man at the centre of the disagreement had been arrested by the OPC Friday for allegedly raping an 18-year-old girl. The OPC Lagos State Governor, Wasiu Afolabi, disclosed that after his men had arrested the alleged rapist, policemen forcefully released him from their custody. The OPC boss urged the government to look into the excesses of policemen, especially those attached to Tolu Police Station, as they had become notorious for such. A police source at the station, however, said they went to the release the alleged rapist because they learnt that OPC men were torturing him and that they wanted to avoid a repeat of the Ejigbo torture which led to the death of a woman last year.

Court Sentences Man to 51-Years Jail Term for Stealing N14m

An Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday sentenced one Taiwo Ojo to 51 years imprison for stealing N14 million belonging to the Traditional Council of Obas. The state counsel, Akintayo Arogundade, disclosed that the accused committed the offence in September 2008 and April 2009 at Ilawe-Ekiti. He said that the accused was facing a 12 count-charge bordering on stealing, cheating, forgery and fraud. Arogundade said that the accused forged the signature of His Royal Majesty, Oba Oladapo Oyebade, the Ologotun of Ogotun-Ekiti, and another traditional ruler by signing their signatures on payment vouchers. According to him, the accused used the signatures to withdrew N14 million from the Traditional Council account. In his plea, the counsel to the accused, Mr Kayode Akinwumi, urged the court to tamper justice with mercy and be lenient with his client. Chief Magistrate Ropo Adegboye sentenced the accused person to two years imprison on count one to three, and five years on count four to twelve, saying the sentences would run concurrently.

GENERAL

Army Arrests 18 Suspects, Recovers Arms from Fulani Settlement

Troops from the One Division of the Nigerian Army Kaduna, last Sunday, arrested about 18 people and recovered several arms in Laduga village, a Fulani settlement in Kachia LGA. The army was said to have stormed the village in the early hours of the day following a tip off on alleged plans for reprisal attack over the killings of seven herds men in the southern part of Kaduna shortly after the March 14 attacks on three villages where about 125 people were killed in the attacked believed to have been carried out by Fulani herds men. Acting on security tip off, the troops were said to have condoned the village for a search leading to the successful arrest of 18 suspects with several arms recovered. The spokesman of the One Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Col. Usman Abdul, who confirmed the incident, said the military carried out the action in good faith for public good.

19 Killed, 15 Abducted In Benue Attack

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have killed 19 people and abducted 15 others in different villages of Agatu LGA in Benue state. The killing, according to a source occurred during the early hours of Saturday in Some remote areas of Agatu LGA. The council chairman, Stephen Dutse, said the attackers invaded, Olegaje, Ogumogbo, Ejuma and Ogbagaji, headquarter of the LGA killing 19 persons and abducting 15 others. According to him, the gunmen surrounded different locations in the villages shooting sporadically, hacking and killing residents when the people were asleep. He appealed to the security agencies in the state to deploy their personnel to the affected villages and surrounding communities in order to prevent further attacks on his people.

Sambisa: Hundreds of Terrorists Killed, 20 Soldiers Missing

Hundreds of insurgents were killed in a combined operation by Special Forces and the men of the Nigerian Air Force on Friday and Saturday in the volatile Sambisa Forest of Borno State. Investigations revealed that 20 soldiers are still missing as a result of an operational misunderstanding between the ground troops and the officers in the Air Force Alpha Jet. It was learnt that mid-way into the operation, the Air Force Alpha Jet radioed the ground forces that had advanced in three companies that they should withdraw because it was running out of bombs. It was learnt that while the second and the third battalions withdrew, the first company of soldiers did not get the critical operational order. The situation was said to have put them at a numerical disadvantage in the encounter with the insurgents. It was gathered that the soldiers fought their way through in desperation until they got to Bama Barracks. The Director of Defense Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, has confirmed the death of two soldiers and six others missing in the clash.

Soldiers Kill 30 Insurgents in Nasarawa

Days after the military was deployed to contain the recent attacks that have claimed over 200 lives and displaced thousands of residents in Nasarawa and Benue States, the security forces recorded a major victory on Thursday when they flushed out and killed over 30 Fulani insurgents in Keana LGA of Nasarawa State, following a gun duel. The military was said to have acted on a tipoff on the insurgents’ hideouts in Maraba Giza and Tse-Azer, where they had taken over the ancestral homes of the Tivs in the areas, and launched an offensive on the terrorists. It was further gathered that sophisticated weapons were recovered by the military from the insurgents who were taken unawares by the attack from the security forces. Residents of Keana said the military had taken over the town with about four armoured tanks that had been strategically positioned in order to ensure that the insurgents had no escape routes.

Six Dead, Scores Hospitalised as Cholera Outbreak Hits Plateau

Six persons have been reported dead and 113 others hospitalised in a fresh cholera outbreak in Bassa and Jos North LGA of Plateau State. Four of the victims died in Rukuba/Bassa and two in Jos metropolis as a result of the epidemic in the past two days. The case in Jos North involved a 61-year-old caterer who was said to have complained of stooling and vomiting, symptoms peculiar to cholera, was taken to the hospital and died on Wednesday morning. According to the Deputy Director, Epidemiology in the state Ministry of Health and state epidemiologist, Dr. Raymond Juryit, who confirmed the incidents, the case in Jos metropolis involved a family.

Government Imposes 24-hour Curfew on Kafachan

A 24-hour curfew has been imposed on Kafanchan, the headquarters of Jama'a LGA of Kaduna State, following the alleged killing of two youths by soldiers in the area. The youths were killed during an attempt by scores of them to lynch some 20 Fulani men who were arrested with weapons by soldiers at a checkpoint. The weapons were discovered hidden underneath the truck and covered with mats and motorcycles. According to sources, 12 AK 47 rifles, about 13 Dane guns, a bag of ammunition, machetes, knives and improvised explosives, among others, were discovered in the vehicle. On hearing the news, the youths of the town, where suspected Fulani herdsmen had killed scores of people in the area and its environs, were said to have mobilised to the checkpoint and demanded that the suspects be handed over to them for punishment.

Terrorists Now Disguise as Herdsmen –Ex Governor

Former governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Mahamud Aliyu Shinkafi, has linked the deadly attacks on communities in Plateau and Benue States to the activities of terror gangs and not the Fulani herdsmen. Speaking against the background of the recent bloody clashes involving the Fulani herdsmen in some states in the country, Shinkafi said the number and mode of operations of the attackers had betrayed their identity. Shinkafi commended President Goodluck Jonathan for listening to the wishes of Nigerians for an opportunity to jaw-jaw by convening the national conference, adding that it is everyone’s wish that the delegates to the conference will use the chance to rebuild the country.

21 Killed in Failed Attack on NNPC Facility in Borno

Twenty-one persons, including six suspected members of the outlawed Boko Haram sect, were killed Tuesday when the terrorists were on a mission to bomb a facility belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Maiduguri. A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade, said the suspected bombers, driving Golf cars, were heading to the NNPC facility on Maiduguri-Damboa Road when they died in their vehicles laden with improvised explosive devices (IED). Fifteen civilians, including a member of the Youth Vigilante Group, known as Civilian JTF, died while 17 others, including five soldiers, were wounded in the explosions.

Police Corporal Dismissed over Rape of 4-Year-Old

The Plateau State Police Command has dismissed a police corporal, Damudu Bzibu, who was accused of raping a four-year-old girl. Bzibu, with force number, 378612, was a riot police man attached to the Special Task Force (STF) on security in Jos, when he, on March 26, lured and raped her in a makeshift tent. The state Police Commissioner, Chris Olakpe, who paraded the suspect alongside other criminals at the state police headquarters in Jos, said the girl's father found out when he came back from work that she was bleeding profusely, and when he asked her what happened, she said she was raped by a policeman. According to the CP, the suspect was given orderly room trial, found guilty, and dismissed. Also arrested and paraded were four armed robbers, who invaded the home of a Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Julie Anpe. Other suspects paraded were Benjamin Toma, who beat his wife to death and later hanged her to fake suicide, because “she did not yield to his special advances.” Another suspect, who along with four others, are now at large, conspired to kill a 20-year-old boy.

NSA Introduces 'Exercise Quick Thinker' to Tackle Insecurity

The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) has embarked on 'Exercise Quick Think', a crisis management exercise, in order to continue to provide strategic level training to stakeholders. This was contained in a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to NSA, Karounwi Adekunle. Adekunle said the exercise, which was being coordinated by the Director, PC4, Maj-Gen Theophilus Waya, is to engage the participants from the intelligence and security agencies in situation evaluation, execution of situation evaluation and crisis management. According to him, the exercise was also set to test participants’ abilities in intelligence collation, evaluation and dissemination, and also set to further test participants on intelligence sharing and joint operations planning. He added that the exercise is to also test the skills of intelligence agencies in analysing and sharing information, and to develop plans for multi-agency crisis decision making.

Military Offensive against Terrorists Extends to Cameroun

The on-going military offensive against members of Boko Haram sect has extended to Cameroun, which the fleeing terrorists have carved out as their safe haven from where they carry out cross border attacks. This was confirmed by the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, who noted that the military joint efforts with neighbouring countries in pursuit of the insurgents are yielding results. Olukolade said the resolve for collaborative efforts in fighting terrorism in the sub-region got the recent boost when the Cameroun security forces, assisting Nigerian military made a huge seizure of arms apparently meant for use by the terrorists operating in the country last weekend. He disclosed that over 288 rifles and 35 rocket propelled guns, as well as 35 locally made IEDs were recovered after a fierce encounter at Abugasse, Cameroun, close to the Chadian border. He listed other weapons recovered to include pistols, mortar bombs, sub-machine guns and various calibres of ammunition following the arrest of two suspects believed to be major arms suppliers to the terrorists in Nigeria.

Suicide Bombers Attack Military Checkpoints in Borno

Some soldiers were feared dead Tuesday afternoon when suicide bombers rammed into a military checkpoint in Maiduguri. This incident was a recast of what happened recently when suicide bombers rammed into police patrol vehicles in Maiduguri which left five policemen dead. It was learnt that the suicide bombers who were in two separate vehicles rammed into two military patrol vehicles at a major checkpoint in the outskirt of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. This led to a loud explosion which shook parts of the troubled town and caused apprehension. It was learnt that the two suicide missions were carried out at a military checkpoint in Molai, the last village leading to Maiduguri along the Damboa-Biu road.

Presidency to Probe Jailbreak Bid in Abuja

The presidency is to set up a board of enquiry to probe Sunday's attempt by some suspected Boko Haram members to escape from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). Twenty-one of the terrorists were killed in the attempt, which was however foiled by vigilant DSS personnel who fired several gunshots to subdue the detainees who had tried to overpower an officer who went to serve them lunch. Two of the secret policemen sustained varying degrees of injuries in the attack. Penultimate Sunday’s attempt at a jailbreak, which led to the shootout at the DSS headquarters, located within the precinct of the State House, Abuja, caused a security scare in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as many people mistook it for a coup d’etat. Giving a detailed account of the incident, DSS Deputy Director, Marilyn Ogar, confirmed that there were “18 causalities”, while three other detainees later died from gunshot wounds they had suffered during the shooting.

Military Attacks Bandits in Benue, Others

The Defence Headquarters has announced the commencement of a major military offensive against bandits causing mayhem in the three North-Central states of Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau. The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, said on Monday that the DHQ on Sunday deployed troops for a major confrontation in the three states where several people had been killed and many communities destroyed in clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers. Olukolade said the Nigerian Air Force, police and other security agencies had also been deployed in the operation designed to ensure restoration of peace in the state. He said the security agents had a mission to neutralise and take over all enclaves of criminal elements in the state. He urged the people to cooperate with the security forces by providing them with relevant information on the activities of such gangs in their localities.

FG Deploys Troops, Special Court to Tackle Pipeline Vandalism

The Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe on Monday, announced the decision of the Federal Government to deploy troops and a special court in a renewed war against vandals of gas supply pipelines to the 10 completed National Integrated Power Projects valued at over $16 billion. Okupe said though the repairs on the vandalised and blown gas pipelines have commenced to restore regular supply to the existing power plants in order to raise the power generated up to the targeted 7,000 megawatts, the war against vandals and saboteurs would be executed in line with the on-going security action against insurgency and terrorism in some parts of the northern states.

INTERNATIONAL

Six Killed in CAR Grenade Attack

Six people were killed and about 10 injured on Friday in a grenade attack in Bangui, the Central African Republic (CAR) capital. An eyewitness account said the attackers wore uniforms of Burundian peacekeepers, but they were suspected to be local and Chadian Islamist extremists disguised as peacekeepers. It said the grenade was hurled at a group of people mourning a person who had been given a funeral the day before. The fatalities belonged to the same family which included a two-year-old child, a pregnant woman and an elderly man. Hospital sources confirmed that six bodies had been placed in the morgue, while other survivors with various degrees of injuries were being attended to.

Crew Missing after North Korean Ship Capsizes off South Korean Coast

A ship carrying North Korean sailors has sunk off South Korea, killing at least two people. Sixteen sailors were on board the Mongolian-flagged cargo ship that went down off the southern coast of South Korea. Three of the crew members have been rescued, South Korean officials said. A search was under way for the remaining 11 crew members. The vessel was heading from North Korea to China with a cargo of steel. South Korea’s coast guard said 13 vessels and six aircraft were involved in the search. It is not clear what caused the ship, which sent a distress call in the early hours of Friday, to sink. South Korea generally returns North Korean sailors who encounter trouble in its waters, if they want to return.

Flash Floods Hit Solomon Islands

Flash floods have killed several people and left some 10,000 homeless in the Solomon Islands capital, according to reports. The Matanikau and Lungga rivers burst their banks late on Thursday, washing away homes and bridges, and submerging large areas of Honiara. The national disaster body said six people had died, but a government spokesman disclosed that 16 bodies had been recovered. More people were reported missing and the death toll was expected to rise, aid workers said. Disaster officials said several evacuation centres had been set up. Some roads leading into the city, located on the main island of Guadalcanal, were reportedly closed. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the floods had followed days of heavy rain, which was still falling. Solomons Prime Minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo, said the government would declare a state of emergency. Director of the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), Loti Yates, said that the flash floods were the worst he had seen. The NDMO has warned residents to go to higher grounds or stay indoors.

Police Chief Killed In Cairo Bombing

A police brigadier-general has been killed in a twin bomb blast near Cairo University, reports say. Five others were also injured in the attack, the health ministry confirmed. The explosives were planted next to a police post, officials at the scene said. No group has so far said it carried out the bombings. Egypt has witnessed several attacks against government targets by militant groups, following the ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood in July. Reports suggest the bombs went off a few minutes apart. The explosions happened outside the faculty of engineering at the university.

Six Dead, Dozens Injured In Kenya Bomb Attacks

At least six people have been killed and up to 25 injured after three bombs were thrown in a busy part of the predominantly-Somali area of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. The blasts on Monday targeted roadside food stalls and restaurants in the Eastleigh suburb of the city, known as “Little Mogadishu” for its large immigrant population. The first hit a roadside where women were selling food. Two more were thrown into separate restaurants. Most of the victims were believed to have died in one of the restaurants. No group or individual has claimed the attacks. However in the past, such attacks in the area have been blamed on Somalia’s al-Shabab armed group. Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, is under increasing pressure to secure the capital. The government, had last week, ordered all refugees, most of whom are Somali, to leave urban areas and head to two designated refugee camps. The order followed the deaths of six people in a gun attack on a church service a week ago in Mombasa.

Former Israel PM Convicted of Bribery

A Tel Aviv court, on Monday, found former premier, Ehud Olmert, guilty of bribery linked to a Jerusalem property development, in one of the worst corruption scandals in Israeli history. At a hearing presided over by Judge David Rosen, Olmert was convicted on two counts of bribery, making him the first former premier to be convicted of the offence. The trial, which included 16 defendants and took place over two years, was linked to the construction of the massive Holyland residential complex when Olmert served as the city’s mayor. In 2010, Olmert was named the key suspect in the so-called Holyland affair on suspicion that he received hundreds of thousands of shekels for helping developers get the construction project past various legal and planning obstacles. The towering construction project, which dominates the city’s skyline, is seen as a major blot on the landscape and widely reviled as a symbol of high-level corruption. Olmert’s spokesman, Jacob Galanti, vowed to appeal.

Six Killed as Suicide Bomber Attacks Afghan Interior Ministry

A suicide bomber wearing the Afghan security forces uniform has detonated himself at the gate of the Interior Ministry in central Kabul, killing at least six police officers. The ministry confirmed the deaths from Wednesday’s attack. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that the bomber had penetrated a “third ring of security” at the ministry. The Afghan capital is on high alert ahead of an April 5 presidential election which Taliban insurgents have vowed to disrupt.

Soldiers Hunt Escaped Inmates After Earth Quake Hit Parts of Chile

Chile’s army has been deployed to the northern city of Iquique after some 300 inmates escaped from a women’s jail following an 8.2-magnitude earthquake. Officials said about 26 had so far been captured since the quake on Tuesday. Chile’s President, Michelle Bachelet, has declared disaster areas in the northern regions of Arica and Parinacota and Tarapaca. At least six people are known to have died and tens of thousands evacuated. There have been power cuts, fires and landslides as dozens of aftershocks – including a 6.2 tremor – continued through the night. But although waves of up to 2.1m (about 6ft) hit some areas tsunami warnings in several areas have now been lifted. It was not clear exactly how the women inmates escaped from the prison in Iquique. But Interior Minister, Rodrigo Penailillo, said a military plane of 100 anti-riot police was being flown to work alongside 300 soldiers.

Ebola Outbreak: Death Toll Hits 80 in Guinea

The Ebola death toll in Guinea has risen to 80, while 122 suspected cases have been registered, health authorities said on Tuesday. Medical charity, Medecins Sans Frontieres warned that the outbreak was ‘unprecedented’ because the spread of the disease across Guinea made it very difficult to control. President Alpha Conde announced a ‘health emergency’, but snubbed Guinea’s northern neighbour, Senegal, which closed its borders to protect its population from the virus, for causing panic. In Liberia, to Guinea’s south-east, at least two people died from the virus. However, the health ministry announced at least 11 suspected cases last week. Ebola is one of the most contagious viral diseases known, often resulting in death.

Musharraf Charged with High Treason in Pakistan

A court in Pakistan has charged former military ruler Pervez Musharraf with treason, the first army chief to face such a prosecution. Mr Musharraf is accused of unlawfully suspending the constitution and instituting emergency rule in 2007. He pleaded not guilty and has always claimed that the charges against him are politically motivated. He faces the death penalty if convicted. President from 2001 to 2008, he was one of Pakistan’s longest-serving rulers.

Mudslide in US: Death Toll Hits 24

A County medical examiner on Tuesday said that the death toll from a mudslide in the western United States of America had reached 24 as at Monday. It said the officials had succeeded in reducing the numbers of missing persons from 30 to 22. It said no survivors had been located in the huge debris field since the ridge gave way above the small logging town of Oso following month of rains in Washington State.

Chad to Pull Troops from CAR

Chad is to pull its peacekeeping troops from an African Union mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) in protest at claims that they aided rebels. A statement from the Chadian foreign ministry said its troops had been criticised despite their sacrifices. Chad has contributed roughly 850 soldiers to a 6,000-strong contingent. Its forces have been accused of siding with Muslim rebels, whose expulsion of the CAR government last year triggered a wave of religious violence.