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

week 39

PORT HARCOURT AND ENVIRONS

Youths Invade Chevron’s Oil Facility in Bayelsa

In a commando-like operation, Ijaw youths from Koluama community in Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa state Sunday invaded an oil facility belonging to the nation's second largest oil producing company, Chevron Nigeria Limited with intension to shut the operation. The irate youths who were said to be protesting the attitude of the company to their welfare were said to be embittered by how issues concerning them have been handled,  took over operation of the North Apoi Oil Platform located over 10 kilometers offshore into the Atlantic Ocean,  forcing the security operatives of the Nigerian Armed Forces to surrender. The youths were said to be angry at Chevron which has refused to pay compensation or send relief materials to the community when its KS Endeavour oil rig exploded in January 2012.

Man Arrested for Beheading of 45-Year-Old Woman

Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested one Mr. Chinedu Nweke, for allegedly beheading a 45-year-old woman, Philomena Nwega, in Ezza North Local Government Area of the state. Nweke, 32, was said to have waylaid and cut off the victim’s head while she was returning from the farm. Both the suspect and deceased hailed from Amuda in Ezza North council, where the incident occurred. State Police Commissioner, CP Maigari Dikko stated this at the command’s headquarters in Abakaliki. CP Dikko also revealed that the command arrested 12 robbery suspects involved in three different robberies in the state.

Vice Principal Murdered in Rivers

A Vice-Principal in Rivers State, Mr. Sabinus Ordu, has reportedly been murdered at his hometown, Ubima in Ikwerre LGA of the state. Ordu, who was the Vice-principal of Community Secondary School, Aluu, also in Ikwerre LGA, was said to have been hacked to death with a machete last Monday when he went to inspect his traps in the bush. The state commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, who disclosed this, said the mutilated body was discovered on the same Monday night by a search party set up by the villagers. Semenitari stated that the murder has been reported to the Elele Police Division, while the corpse had been deposited at a private mortuary. The State police command has confirmed the incident and vowed to ensure that those behind the dastardly act were apprehended.

Suspected Cultists Kill Four in Rivers

At least, four persons were feared killed when a group of armed men suspected to be cult members stormed Ibaa community in Emohua Local Government Areas of Rivers State. The hoodlums shot sporadically into the air as soon as they entered the community in the wee hours of Sunday while indigenes of the area were still in bed. It was gathered that the gunmen had embarked on a revenge mission with arms suspected to be AK-47, just as sources said the deafening sound of their gunshots jolted members of the community from their sleep. A source disclosed that the suspected cultists operated for about five hours without being challenged before they eventually left the community. The source added that four lifeless bodies were seen being taking away in a police patrol vehicle out of the community, adding that some members of the community were leaving their homes after the incident. Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, explained that security operative had begun investigation into the matter.

Police Arrest 4 for Alleged Assassination of Ex-Lawmaker

Imo State Police Command has arrested four persons over their alleged involvement in the assassination of a former member of Imo State House of Assembly, Mr. Kingsley Nkemka. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Andrew Enwerem, who confirmed the brutal killing of the Umunoha-born ex-lawmaker in Owerri, also affirmed that the four suspects were currently being interrogated by the police to ascertain their level of culpability or innocence. Kingsley Nkemka was assassinated last Tuesday. Late Nkemka, who was an aspirant for the Mbaitoli/Ikeduru federal constituency on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, also served as one of the aides of the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Mr. Benjamin Uwajumogu.

Fuel-Laden Tankers Kill 3 in Calabar

Three persons were burnt to death on Wednesday when two tankers laden with petroleum products crashed into one another at the 146 Army Battalion gate in the outskirts of Calabar, the Cross River State capital. An eyewitness, Mr. Sonie Eworo, said his car and his building were also burnt in the inferno that resulted from the crash between the two articulated vehicles. According to reports, the trucks, laden with fuel, were heading out of town and at the Army Junction, one of them attempted to overtake the other. Unknown to the driver, another stationary truck was on its track. “He rammed into it, sweeping the stationery truck off the road while the impact ignited a fire that engulfed the two trucks.” The driver and the conductor of the truck which rammed onto the stationery one, along with a labourer digging a hole for water pipe for the Cross River State Water Board, were burnt in the fire. Three other vehicles were also burnt.

Bayelsa Shuts Agip Facility over Oil Spill

The Bayelsa State Government, Wednesday, ordered Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) to temporarily shut down its facility in Ayamabele and Kalaba communities in Orkordia clan of Yenagoa LGA of the state over rising cases of oil spills in the area. It also announced the setting up of a rapid response team to handle spills related cases in the communities. According to the state Commissioner for Environment, Iniuro Wills, the decision was to allow a special investigative team to tackle spills in the state. Following the recent gas spillage, which occurred on September 4, at a facility operated by NAOC in the two communities, the ministry has asked the company to temporarily shut down operations in the facility. Meanwhile, the state government has announced that a meeting between the leadership of the impacted communities, the officials of the state government and NAOC has been called to discuss the incidence of spillage with a view to improving environmental standards in the state.

Boat Operators Lament Harassment by Navy

Boat operators, fishermen and passengers in Oron have alleged that operatives of the Nigerian Navy are terrorizing them over one of their missing colleagues, who was on Monday declared missing. A boat operator from Effiat in Mbo LGA said the Navy has been turning them back to the bay from the seas threatening to shoot anyone they see. He explained that they did not know anything about the fate of the missing officer, whether he was dead or alive, insisting that the incident occurred in Calabar and not Oron. However, a source, who did not want his name in the print, said the return boat on which the naval officer boarded, went through the bush path. He was said to have been removed from the boat by the other militants, who drowned and beheaded him down the water.

10 Dead in Rivers Cult Clash

Rivers State police command has confirmed 10 people dead in the violent cult clash which occurred in Ibaa community, in Ahoada West LGA of the state, on Sunday afternoon. While four persons were initially reported dead in the cult clash which left the community desolate, the police confirmed that the number of the deaths had increased to 10, with several wounded, even as it revealed that the clash was between two rival cult groups, Icelanders and Greenlanders. This was contained in a statement issued from the state police command headquarters in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday. The police, in the statement attributed the cause of the clash to “a long standing chieftaincy tussle within the community and a complex web of other politically motivated issues. However, Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr Dan Bature, has assured that he would do everything possible to ensure that the perpetrators of the violent cultist clash were brought to book.

Gunmen Kidnap Bizman, Demand N20m Ransom

Gunmen, suspected to be kidnappers, penultimate Sunday, abducted a businessman identified as Mbah Emeh in Aba, Abia State and have reportedly demanded for N20 million as ransom. The incident, according to sources, occurred at about 9.30p.m at Ayaba Umueze in Osisioma LGA of the state as the businessman was going home. It was gathered that the hoodlums also used the man’s SUV to convey him to their hideout. The police were said to have recovered the vehicle on Monday at Umule, an outskirts of the commercial city. Some of the residents of the area have called for intensive surveillance and patrol by security operatives on the road to curtail the activities of hoodlums in the area, alleging that most of the kidnapping incidents in the city were carried out on the Ayaba Umueze road.

BENIN/WARRI/ESCRAVOS

Man Hacks Neighbour’s Children to Death in Edo

Shock and disbelief gripped the people of Okha community in Ikpoba-Okha LGA of Edo State, on Wednesday evening, as a man reportedly killed two children of his neighbour. The man, simply identified as Mike, was said to have hacked two of the children, aged three and nine months, to death with a machete. Not done with his thirst for blood, the assailant attacked two other children of the family, aged five and seven, cutting off their nose and wrist, respectively, before fleeing the scene of crime. The other two children were later rushed to the Accident and Emergency Ward of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), where they are currently receiving medical attention. Medical doctors at the hospital said the condition of the two children remained stable but critical. The father of the children, identified as Mr Oliver from Enugu State, was said to be away from home at the time of the incident, but his wife, Chinyere, reportedly fled for her life. The assailant, who residents said lived in the same building with the Olivers, was said to have had a long-standing quarrel with his neighbours before the incident.

Robbery Suspects Arrested after Falling Asleep in Victim’s House

The police at the B Division Police Station, Asaba, Delta State, have arrested two persons at the premises of a business man around Abraka community, Asaba, at the weekend after they had reportedly fallen asleep in the victim’s premises. Reports said that the suspects were rounded up while they were fast asleep by the police detectives who recovered some stolen items from them. It was reliably gathered that the suspects had entered the businessman’s premises through his fallen fence during the night and held their victims captive after they had allegedly dispossessed them of some money. But as they moved out of the room, they were said to have fallen to the ground fast asleep and one of their victims immediately called the police from the B Division. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, disclosed that the suspects were still sleeping when the police detectives arrived, adding that they were rounded up and handcuffed before they knew where they were.

Robbers Raid Shopping Mall in Edo State

A private shopping complex in Igarra, headquarters of Akoko-Edo LGA of Edo state was reportedly ransacked on Tuesday by suspected armed robbers who carted away properties worth millions of naira. Although no life was lost, the robbers were said to have stormed the complex known as Winners Plaza situated directly opposite the council secretariat at about 1am and carted away virtually all the goods in the shops. Meanwhile two female teenagers who allegedly obtained the sum of N300, 000 by sending threatening text messages to some persons have been arrested in Ekpoma, Esan West LGA. One of them was said to have used the proceeds to purchase a bicycle while the other was said to be planning a birthday party from the proceeds. The suspects were aged between 13 and 14. Police sources said the teenagers threatened to kidnap and kill a business man and his two children based in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State if he refused to pay N300, 000.

LAGOS AND ENVIRONS

Synagogue Death Toll Hits 102
…67 South Africans Dead at Synagogue Building Collapse

Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who have continued the rescue operations at the collapsed building of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun, Lagos, announced that the death toll had hit 44, while 130 persons had been rescued. The incident, which occurred penultimate Friday afternoon, saw the five-storey building which was under construction collapse, burying hundreds of people in the rubble. The South-west spokesperson of NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, said 44 persons were declared dead while 130 had been rescued. He did not however state if some of the 44 dead persons had died at hospitals where they were being treated. He said most of the people rescued were women, accounting for 80 per cent of the total number of victims. South African President Jacob Zuma announced Tuesday that 67 South Africans died collapse. At least five South African church tour groups were at the Synagogue at the time of the collapse, according to officials.

Two Missing as Boat Capsizes in Lagos

Two persons were missing after a boat capsized at the Bayeku area of the Lagos State. It was gathered that the 20-passenger boat had taken off from the Okera Nla area of Ikorodu and was bound for Bayeku when the boat capsized midway. Confirming the incident, the South-west Spokesperson, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said the agency received the distress call and responded accordingly. He said 18 were rescued alive while two are still missing.

Landlord Arrested over Physical Assault on Tenants

Police from Ndiegoro Division in Aba, Abia State have arrested a man said to be the landlord of a building for inflicting machete cuts on a couple who were his tenants. It was gathered that the landlord, Emmanuel Ndukwe, had recently lost his seven-year-old daughter to illness. The landlord was reported to have accused one of his tenants and the wife, Mr. and Mrs. Maduabuchi of being responsible for his daughter’s death. The death of the girl and the ensuing accusation were said to have caused friction which led to the landlord inflicting machete cuts on the couple. Believing that the couple was dead, Ndukwe fled his house. The cries of the couple attracted their neighbours, who met them writhing in pains in the pool of their blood and rushed them to a private hospital in the city where they were said to be responding to treatment. The matter was later reported to the police and the landlord was arrested.

Woman Sets Lover Ablaze in Ondo

A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Akure on Monday ordered a 23-year-old lady, Ajowele Busayo, to be remanded at the Olokuta prison for allegedly setting her lover, Anthony David, ablaze. The Prosecutor, Ayodele Atandeyi, told the court that the accused committed the offence on July 14 in Akure. The accused is a teacher in a private primary school where the children of the victim were pupils. Atandeyi said the 44-year-old victim was rushed to a nearby hospital by neighbours before he later died. Atandeyi applied for an adjournment to enable him forward the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice. The magistrate, Mrs Charity Adeyanju, ordered that the accused be remanded at the Olokuta prison pending the receipt of legal advice from the DPP.

Vandal Electrocuted while Vandalising Transformer in Lagos

Residents of Lonlo area of Iju-Ishaga, Lagos woke up on Monday to find the corpse of a man that was electrocuted inside a transformer cabin. The deceased, whose identity could not be ascertained, was said to have been electrocuted while vandalising the transformer. According to reports, the deceased who was wearing a blue shirt and blue jeans trousers, apparently hid under the cover of darkness and power failure to remove the steel covering of the power equipment. Just then, power was restored and there was reportedly a spark from the transformer. His motionless position alerted curious passers-by who initially assumed he was an official of the Ikeja Power Distribution Company. But on close observation, he was discovered to have been electrocuted. The incident created a scene as residents thronged the scene to have a glimpse. Police sources at Iju said the local government council had been informed towards removing the corpse.

Hoodlums Club Man to Death

A rampaging gang in Ajegunle area of Lagos last Sunday night killed a man. The gangsters, numbering about 20, were said to be in the habit of dispossessing people of cash, mobile phones and other valuables in different streets, and they usually move with cutlasses, iron rods, axes and other dangerous weapons. It has become a weekly affair as they usually terrorize innocent people every Sunday night. Their victim was said to have bumped into them and they clubbed him to death. It was gathered that immediately the gang began the atrocious act, the divisional police officer attached to Ajegunle police station, CSP Abayomi Agbana led a team of policemen to the scene. Upon sighting police patrol vehicle approaching, the hoodlums fled in different directions. Policemen removed the body of the victim and deposited it in a general hospital mortuary. Police had earlier arrested three suspected members of the gang over a similar incident a week earlier.

Two Suspects Arrested For Defrauding Foreigner of $7.9m

Two suspected fraudsters have met their waterloo for allegedly defrauding a foreign investor of the sum of $7.9m.  The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed that the alleged fraudsters: Mr. Victor Uadiale and Captain Nnaji Everest were arrested separately in connection to the scam. Uadiale, the principal suspect, is the arrowhead of an international syndicate versed in defrauding international businessmen seeking investment opportunities in Nigeria. He allegedly invited the investor, a businessman from the Middle East, to invest in the flourishing oil sector in Nigeria. Using a pseudo name: Victor Emeka, he made the investor to visit Nigeria and received him at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja and thereafter flew him in a helicopter to a destination where he reportedly met a certain Mr. Grant, a member of the syndicate, who assured him of the credibility of the business arrangement. In the course of investigation, Uadiale denied meeting or transacting any business with the foreign investor. He was however nailed by a business associate of the investor who identified him as the fraudster that duped the investor and led operatives of the EFCC to the private residence of Uadiale in Festac Town, Lagos.

Couple Docked over Rape of 16-Year-Old Housekeeper

A man, Ezechima Patrick and his wife, Uzoima, were on Wednesday charged before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos over alleged rape of their 16-year-old housekeeper. Ezechima, 42 and Uzoima, 37, are facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, child defilement and rape. The prosecutor, ASP Godwin Anyanwu, told the court that the accused committed the offences between June 1 and June 4 at their residence. He alleged that the husband conspired with his wife to rape the teenage housekeeper. “Patrick conspired with his wife to defile the 16-year-old girl. Uzoima had overpowered the girl for the husband to rape her.’’ The couple, however, denied the charge. Similarly men of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 25-year-old man, Kayode Akanni, at Pedepo village in Ohunbe, Yewa South LGA of Ogun State for defiling a three-year-old girl. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed that the parents of the victim reported the case to the police when they noticed that there were bruises on her genitals. According to him, during police interrogation, it was discovered that the suspect tricked the young girl into his room and had unlawful carnal knowledge of the girl. He said the suspect had confessed to the crime.

Man Arraigned for Defiling Neighbour’s Daughter

A 30-year-old trader, Emeka Okafor, who allegedly defiled the five-year-old daughter of his co-tenant, on Wednesday, appeared before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. Okafor, 29, is standing trial for child rape. The prosecutor, Godwin Anyanwu, told the court that the accused committed the offence on August 13, at his residence. Anyanwu explained that the accused lured the child to his room and inserted his finger in her genitals. The prosecution submitted that the offence is in contravention of Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011. Okafor, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge levelled against him. The magistrate, Mrs Yewande Aje-Afunwa, order that the file be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice. Aje-Afunwa granted the accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to Oct. 10 for DPP’s advice.

Court Remands 30-Year-Old in Prison over Rape of Teenager

An Ibadan Magistrate court has ordered that an accused man, Monsuru Tiamiyu, aged 30, be remanded in Agodi Prison over alleged rape. The Magistrate Court presided over by E.A. Idowu and sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan refused to take the accused plea before remanding him in prison. Tiamiyu was alleged to have had unlawful carnal knowledge of one Idowu Mukaila (18) without her consent. According to the police prosecutor, the accused had on September 6 at about 1.40pm at Ajeja Village, Moniya, Ibadan had unlawful carnal knowledge of the victim. The case was adjourned till September 30, 2014.

Osun Police Nab Motorcycle Snatchers

Osun State Police Command has arrested four suspects for allegedly stealing and snatching of motorcycles. The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Abubakar Marafa stated this on Tuesday in Osogbo. Two of the suspects, Aluko Adewale and Sunkanmi Ilesanmi were said to have allegedly robbed one Dauda Akeem at Osunjela area in Osogbo. Marafa explained that Aluko and Ilesanmi forcefully stopped Dauda and brutalized and left him in a pool of his blood until he was rescued by good Samaritans who took him to the hospital where he was resuscitated. He said police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) got the information, chased the suspects and apprehended them. Three other motorcycles were also recovered from the suspects. The police also paraded 40-year-old Sula Alabi and 19-year-old Olalekan Odedeji for bugling houses and shops of their victims at Station road and Zaso area Osogbo.

Army Arrests 3 over Illegal Weapons

Three men suspected to be dealing in illegal sales and distribution of weapons in Ilorin, Kwara State, and its environs have been arrested by men of the Nigerian Army, Sobi Cantonment, Ilorin. The suspects, identified as Musibau Samaila, Nura Abdulrahaman and Saidu Muhammed, were intercepted along Sobi Barracks Road while travelling in a Volkswagen Sharan during a routine check on the road. Parading the suspects, the Public Relations Officer of the cantonment, Lieutenant Weri Finikumo, said the suspects were arrested on September 11 by soldiers at a checkpoint in Shao, Sobi Cantonment.
The army spokesperson noted that “preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects dealt in assorted locally-made swords, knives and bows/arrows. He said further investigation revealed that the suspects were coming to Ilorin for the first time and had no specific home address in the state.

Kwara Police Designates Thuggery As Act Of Terrorism

The Kwara state Police Command has designated political thuggery as an act of terrorism. The new commissioner of Police in the state, Salihu Garba disclosed this in Ilorin during his maiden press conference. He warned against defacing or outright destruction of political bill boards, saying that the command has zero tolerance for act of political thuggery in whatever guise. On the security situation of the country, Garba advised Kwarans to be very vigilant and provide the police with necessary information at all times. He pledged to do all within his power to ensure that the state remains peaceful. He promised to operate an open door policy to allow anyone with useful information concerning the security of the state to ventilate such idea.

8 Family Members Remanded in Prison for Murder

An Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, Thursday, remanded in prison nine people including eight family members on alleged murder of a man over land dispute. The accused are facing charges of conspiracy and murder. The Magistrate, Miss Olanike Olagbende, who gave the ruling, said the accused should be remanded at Ikoyi Prisons for 30 days pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP. Earlier, the prosecutor, Charles Odii told the court that the accused committed the offences with others still at large on July 15 at Abule Ado in Satellite area of Lagos. He alleged that the men shot and killed one Olajuwon Olawepo over land dispute. The accused also opened fire on policemen who were dispatched to the scene to restore order, but luckily they escaped unhurt, he said. Odii added that Latifu, the oldest among them and self-acclaimed Baale, led the group. The trial took another dimension when Idris, the 4th accused, told the court that Olawepo was an armed robber.

Motorcyclist Docked Over Child Defilement

A 30-year-old commercial motorcyclist, Michael Odunlami, who allegedly defiled a five-year-old girl, was on Thursday arraigned in a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. The prosecutor, Peter Nwangwu, disclosed that the accused committed the offences on September 10 at the minor’s residence when he inserted his fingers into her genitals, causing her severe pain and injuries. Nwangwu explained that Odunlami was a regular visitor to the minor’s compound, where he patronises a local dry gin (Ogogoro) seller. The prosecutor said that Odunlami caused damage to the child’s private part, which bleeds profusely after the assault. Odunlami, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him. The magistrate, Mrs Arike Ipaye -Nwachukwu, ordered that the case file should be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

GENERAL

Gunmen Kill 58 in Kaduna, Kano Attacks

Forty three people have been killed in three rural communities in Sanga LGA of Kaduna state by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. The incident was said to have occurred at about 12 midnight on Tuesday and lasted into the early hours of Wednesday. In another incident, a bomb blast, on Wednesday, rocked the Federal College of Education in Kano as gunmen killed 15 students. One attacker was shot dead by police and another died after an explosive belt he was wearing detonated, according to the police.  According to an eyewitness, lecture was going on when two terrorists walked in and threw two objects that exploded within seconds. The blast was accompanied by sporadic gun shots as some of the gunmen, who were stationed outside the lecture hall, opened fire on some of the students who tried to escape from the scene. The prompt response of security agents at the nearest check point however saved the day as they engaged the gunmen and shot two of them to death.

Troops Kill 300 Insurgents in Borno

The military has recorded a major feat in its battle against the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram by killing no fewer than 300 insurgents in two Borno State communities. One hundred and fifty of them were shot dead in Konduga, a town between Bama and Maiduguri, while the remaining 150 were killed in Ngamdu, about 100 kilometres from the   state capital. The military also captured one Armoured Personnel Carrier, three Hilux vans, and a cache of arms and ammunition from the insurgents. Residents of Kodunga, who were impressed by the gallantry of the soldiers, trooped to the streets hailing the Special Forces for routing the militants. The Special Forces had killed about 150 insurgents in Konduga barely six days ago. A member of the Civilian Joint Task Force, who put the number of insurgents killed by the soldiers in Ngamdu at 300, said he believed they (insurgents) were heading for Maiduguri for an attack on the city. He said the soldiers from the Nigerian Army 7 Division in Maiduguri who were   stationed at Konduga and Ngamdu were assisted by vigilance groups. A vigilante,   Bashir Abbas,   said some militants were also repelled at Ajiri,   about 60 kilometres from Maiduguri and Mafa, which is 50 kilometres from the state capital on Tuesday night.

DHQ Declares NAF Fighter Jet Missing

The Defence authorities have declared an aircraft of the Nigerian Air Force missing in Adamawa. The Director of Defence Information, Maj.Gen. Chris Olukolade, disclosed that the aircraft had been missing since Friday, September 12, 2014. Olukolade said that the aircraft left Yola by 10.45 am on an operational mission and was expected back to base by 12PM same day but has not been found. He said that the aircraft had two pilots on board. The Defence spokesman said that the military had started search and rescue efforts meant to establish contact with the crew of the Alpha Jet (NAF 466).

20 Killed in Fresh Taraba Clash

At least 20 persons were killed and many others were injured in Tunari village in Wukari LGA of Taraba state on Sunday. The incident occurred as the residents await the return of the ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai, who arrived Abuja airport on Saturday and was expected in Jalingo on Sunday. The incident started at about 10am when some gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, invaded the village from the neighbouring Plateau State. The President of the Youth of Vision, Wukari, Mr. Tsa-asen Agbu, wondered why the attackers would continue to kill and maim people, adding that security personnel were aware of the incessant attacks in the state but intentionally decided to do nothing about it. He expressed regret that the attackers, said to have numbered over 300, targeted only Jukun Christians, prompting a lot of them to relocate to other areas. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Joseph Kwaji, said the attack.

Catholic Church Counts Losses in Borno Attacks

The Catholic Church on Saturday said it has lost over 500 members, including over 170 children to the insurgency in the Northeast region of Nigeria. The Church said that over 500 women have been made widows and over 1,500 children orphaned since the beginning of the crisis in 2009 till date. The Director of Catholic Social Communications, Maiduguri Diocese of the church, Rev.Fr. Gideon Obasogie, reeled out the number of those the Church has   since 2009 to include: over 500 people killed, over 170 children killed, 500 widows recorded, 1,500 orphans, over 90,000 persons displaced and over 50 churches and rectories burnt down by the insurgents.

Herdsmen Invade Zamfara Villages •Rape 50 Women, Displace 2,000

One woman was reported to have died, while 50 were raped and about 2,000 others and children were displaced in multiple attacks by Fulani cattle rustlers in Gusau LGA of Zamfara State. The multiple attacks, which started on Monday evening, lasted till Tuesday morning. A survivor, Malama Aisha Ibrahim, disclosed that she and other women ran to Gusau for safety, following the ransacking of their villages by the hoodlums. According to her, one of the victims, a middle-aged woman, was raped by eight men and she later died. She further revealed that over 50 women were raped in the attacks. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Lawal Abdullahi, confirmed the incident, but was quick to add that the security operatives were on top of it.

Cult War Claims 2 In Idah

Two cult groups last weekend engaged in battle of supremacy in Idah LGA of Kogi State that led to the death of two persons. According to report, the two persons whose names were given as Ayegba and Abuh were innocent bystanders. The names of those who were around, according to sources, were Alih Water whom they said was a notorious boy in Idah, who has been evading police arrest, and one Abimaje who was said to be an ex-student of Federal Polytechnic, Idah. According to a source, the problem started at a popular bar when two customers who belonged to different cult camps struggled over one lady called Chioma which led to disagreement and eventually to exchange of gunfire.

Woman, Her Two Kids, Others Die in Plateau Attack

Six people, including a 40-year-old woman and her two children, aged three and five, were killed in a fresh attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Mbar community in Bokkos LGA of Plateau State. More than 20 houses, including farmlands and houses, were also torched in the incident said to have happened at about 11.45pm on Sunday. The woman and two toddlers in a house died of suffocation. The assailants were said to have stormed the village with various types of weapons and started shooting sporadically. The pandemonium scared people away, after which the attackers embarked on killing and destruction of houses. The Plateau State Commissioner of Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Solomon Maren, who confirmed the attack, described it as barbaric. Commander of the Special Task Force (STF) on security in Jos, Maj. Gen. David Enetie, also confirmed the death toll, adding that 15 persons were also injured. Troops have however restored order to the area.

Robbers Kill Bureau De Change Operator

A 35 year old bureau de change operator in Kaduna, Abdullahi Ibrahim, was last Saturday evening stabbed to death by dare devil robbers at a hotel in the state capital. The robbers who claimed to be his customers, it was gathered, carted away with N3 million. A colleague of the deceased said that Ibrahim went to the hotel with N3m for the purpose of transacting business with the said robbers. It also was learnt that the deceased, a father of three was tricked by robbers into the hotel where he was stabbed to death. He had since been buried according to Islamic rites. Meanwhile, Kaduna State Police Command said it had commenced a manhunt for the killers of the bureau de change operator. Police spokesman, Aminu Lawan, said confirmed the incident. According to Lawan, the deceased was taken to a hospital where he was medically confirmed death following several stabbing he received on his chest.

Niger Police Arrest 182 Criminal Suspects

The Niger State Police Command has arrested no fewer than 182 suspects in 65 raids on hideouts and black spots across the state last month. The state’s new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olusola Amore, who made the disclosure, said out of the figure, 39 suspects were screened out. He stated that 124 of the suspects were convicted, 19 other awaiting trial, while 103 exhibits were recovered in connection to crimes. Amore said that the crime wave in Niger State between August and September had drastically reduced, and this was due to regular patrols and constant raids of criminal hideouts and black spots. “In the period under review, 65 raids were carried out across the state, and 182 suspects arrested. Thirty nine suspects were screened out and 143 suspects charged to court for different offences.

INTERNATIONAL

Hundreds Feared Dead as Boat Sinks off Libyan Coast

A boat filled with up to 250 migrants heading for Europe has sunk on off the Libyan coast and many passengers have died, a spokesman for the Libyan navy has said. Only 26 people have been rescued after the boat sunk near Tajoura, east of the capital Tripoli, said navy spokesman Ayub Qassem. Qassem disclosed that the under-equipped coast guard had few resources to search for survivors. Migrants have been streaming out of Libya in boats in rising numbers for years, on their way to Europe. So far in 2014, more than 100,000 have reached Italy shores, the Italian government said. Human traffickers are exploiting the political chaos and lack of security that has blighted Libya since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in an uprising in 2011. Qassem said the migrants on the capsized boat were mostly Africans. Libya’s coast guard mainly exists on paper and relies on fishing boats and tugs it borrows from the oil ministry. More than 100 African migrants died in a similar boat accident in August.

Police Arrest Suspected Shebab Bombers over Bomb Plots in Uganda

Ugandan police said Sunday that 19 suspected Islamist Shebab insurgents arrested in weekend raids had planned to carry out bomb attacks, as the US embassy said the immediate threat had been “countered”. Police raids on Saturday came two weeks after Ugandan troops, fighting in Somalia, reportedly provided intelligence that helped US Special Forces kill the Shebab’s chief in a devastating air strike. Al-Shebab planned to carry out attacks in Kampala and other towns over the weekend, but police working with sister agencies stopped these attacks and we have recovered the explosives they were to use, police chief Kale Kayihura, disclosed. No details have been given of possible targets. The US embassy on Sunday lifted warnings to its citizens to stay at home, but said people should remain vigilant. “Based on coordination with Ugandan authorities, and taking into account the heightened security measures the government has put in place, we believe that the immediate threat of an Al-Shebab attack has been effectively countered,” the embassy said in a statement.

14 Killed, 12 Missing as Boat Sinks in Indonesia

A boat sank Sunday in bad weather off eastern Indonesia, killing at least 14 people and leaving 12 others missing, an official said. The long wooden boat carrying 35 passengers went down in the waters off Sula islands after it was hit by towering waves in rough weather, National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. He added that a rescue team comprising of police and military officials were searching for the missing victims. Provincial disaster official Hassan Ahmad said all the passengers were Indonesian. Indonesia relies heavily on boats to connect its more than 17,000 islands, but has a poor maritime safety record. Eighteen foreign tourists and five Indonesians survived after their boat hit a reef and sank in stormy weather last month as they were travelling from Lombok Island to Komodo Island, a popular tourist destination.

Soldiers Killed in Taliban Attack in Kabul

A Taliban suicide bombing has killed at least six soldiers, including three members of the NATO force ISAF, and wounded more than 25 others near the US embassy in Kabul, according to police sources in Afghanistan’s capital. The car bomber attacked a military convoy just a couple of hundred yards from the embassy compound at about 8am (0330 GMT) on Tuesday, causing a huge blast that rattled the neighbourhood, the police said. Faird Afzalai, chief of criminal investigations for Kabul’s police, confirmed reports that the bomber targeted a foreign convoy. Three of the victims were Afghan soldiers. The blast happened near the country’s Supreme Court on a busy road that runs from the heavily fortified US embassy to Kabul airport. In the aftermath of the explosion, which occurred during heavy rush-hour traffic, Afghan and foreign troops secured the area as fire and rescue vehicles moved in. At the side of the road, foreign troops gave first-aid to some blood-stained fellow soldiers from the convoy.

Six Police Killed in Egypt Bombing

Six Egyptian policemen have been killed by a roadside bomb in the Sinai Peninsula, the Egyptian interior ministry says. Two officers were also hurt in the attack, it said. The group was travelling in an armoured convoy in northern Sinai. Militants in Sinai have intensified their attacks on the security forces after the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood last year. Tuesday’s bombing took place on the road between Rafah, on the border with Gaza, and North Sinai’s provincial capital, el-Arish, the interior ministry said. Responsibility for past attacks has been claimed by an al-Qaeda-linked group, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis. The group says it is avenging the hundreds of Islamists killed and thousands detained in a crackdown on Mr Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood.

Four Civilians Killed in Donetsk Shelling

Four civilians were killed in renewed fighting in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine on Monday despite a ceasefire, the local authorities said. Three were killed and five injured in shelling in the rebel-held city of Donetsk, while another died in the nearby town of Makiyivka, the city authorities said. Persistent shelling on Monday around Donetsk airport, where the Ukrainian military said it has fought off several assaults by pro-Moscow separatists was reported. Another six civilians were killed in heavy bombardments in a district a few kilometres from the airport on Sunday, the bloodiest day since the shaky truce took effect on September 5.

80 Missing in Central Africa Boat Mishap

Around 80 people are missing in Central African Republic (CAR) after their boat sank last week on the M’poko River south of the capital Bangui, the government said on Wednesday. Only 20 people had been rescued from the boat that had more than 100 onboard, the minister of transport, Silvere Yabada. Several hundred people cross the M’poko River every day, travelling between rural areas and the capital. The ferry that makes the crossing is regularly out of order, forcing locals to use small, overloaded boats.

Houthi Rebels, Militia Clash in Yemen

Fighting between Shia rebels and Sunni militias in Yemen has escalated, with clashes on the edge of the capital. Armed rebels, known as Houthis, shelled buildings of the state TV and the main Sunni Islamist party, Islah, in Sanaa. Hundreds of residents have fled their homes and international flights to the city have been suspended. About 40 people have been killed since Tuesday, reports say. The rebels have staged protests for weeks, demanding political and economic reforms. President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi has dismissed the government and promised to review a decision to cut fuel subsidies. Over the past few weeks the rebels have occupied protest camps on the road to the airport and staged sit-ins at ministry buildings, as well as clashed with fighters loyal to Islah. On Thursday night Houthi fighters attacked the state television headquarters in Sanaa.