Man mounts telecom mast over delay in suit

 Mallam Musa Walkatu, caused a stir in Abuja on Tuesday when he climbed to the top of a telecom mast at the premises of the Federal High Court along Shehu Shagari Way.

He spent about three hours on the mast before he was persuaded to come down by security personnel and officials of the National Emergency Management Agency.

The middle-aged man, who was dressed in a cream kaftan, initially vowed not to come down until the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, or former Vice President Atiku Abubakar came to dialogue with him.

Walkatu, an indigene of Adamawa State, was said to be a litigant and had visited a courtroom on the third floor of the FHC complex. He allegedly complained to the staff about the slow pace of his suit which was being heard by the court.

Court officials, however, explained that Walkatu’s case was not making any progress because he did not have a lawyer to handle the suit. Walkatu left the courtroom shortly and then climbed the mast, ignoring entreaties made to him to come down by court officials, NEMA staff and policemen.

A court worker said, “When we pleaded with him to come down, the man refused, saying he would have taken his protest to  the National Assembly complex but there was no mast there.”

His action attracted crowds of onlookers. Motorists stopped to look at him, causing slight traffic hold-up.  Staff of a private security firm, Kings Guards, who were in charge of the court premises could not explain how Walkatu climbed the mast.

11 Vehicles Burnt In Fire Accident In Ibadan

At least eleven vehicles were burnt early this morning in a ghastly fire incident that occurred in front of NNPC Mega Station located very close to General Gas Junction along Iwo-Ojoo road.

The affected vehicles included eight trucks with registration numbers Lagos XU 39 KRD, Lagos XQ 647 MUS, Lagos XU 115 KSF and Lagos 417 FKJ, among others. Also some electricity poles were damaged by the vehicles.

According to the NNPC Sales Manager in charge of Oyo and Osun Depot, Mr. Adebisi Adewale, and the station manager, Bello Victor, a truck with registration number: XQ 717 GGE conveying coal from Ojoo veered off its lane and hit a NNPC truck, attempting to park on another lane.

The NNPC truck, while trying to avoid the truck conveying coal, hit another NNPC truck which was fully loaded with petrol.

He said: “The petrol spilled on the road and caused fire outbreak. The fire began to spread from one vehicle to another. It also spread to a truck fully loaded with diesel.”

Adewale added that Oyo State Fire Service was called immediately but did not turn up until 3 a.m. He, however, said they did their best to put out the fire.

He said nobody was injured or died.

According to him, what saved the situation was that the fire was prevented from spreading to the NNPC filing station and two other filing stations, Sycams and Keemrat filling stations.

When Newsmen visited the scene of the incident, men of the Oyo State Fire Service were trying put out the fire.

The incident scared residents at Iwo Road-Ojoo axis and Idi-Ape-Akobo axis, because of the continuous explosions caused by the fire.

Most of them said they could not go back to sleep out of fear that the fire could spread to their houses.

Copter Crash kills new Police chief, 3 others

A helicopter belonging to Nigeria’s Special Task force has crashed in Jos, the Plateau state capital, northcentral Nigeria, killing all the four men on board, including the newly appointed Police Deputy Inspector General, Haruna John.

The helicopter crashed in a residential area, around Rukuba Road behind Jos Satellite Market as it embarked on it’s regular surveillance early Wednesday morning.

None of the four persons on board survived the crash as the helicopter burst into flames.

The National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) has confirmed the incident.
The Special task force was set up to coordinate the security of the troubled state following killing of hundreds of people.

Police sources said Haruna John who was recently promoted from Commissioner of Police to Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG, was among the dead.

Newsmen could not confirm the identities of other officers who also died. Haruna John, born in 1956 was formerly the Commissioner of Police in charge of Benue State before his promotion as DIG. He was also in charge of Federal Capital Territory before his transfer to Benue State. He was from Taraba State.

“Four police officers, including a (deputy inspector general), were killed,” police spokesman Yemi Ajayi told AFP.

The officers’ mission was not clear as well, but a joint military and police task force is deployed in Jos to contain violence between Christian and Muslim ethnic groups that has rocked the city in recent years.
The identities of the other victims were yet to be made public.

Nigerian Rapper Stabbed 12 Times, Survives Attempted Murder

Nigerian rapper Arinze Obinna Iheme aka Jahborne says he feels lucky and blessed to be alive after surviving what he claims was an attack on his life Sunday, March 11, 2012.

Jahborne says he was standing very close to his house somewhere in Okota, Isolo area of Lagos on the night of March 11 when unidentified men rushed him and stabbed him 12 times in the arm, chest and the back of his head.

‘They just came from nowhere and rushed me. They stabbed me so much I started losing a lot of blood. They left me there on the street, bleeding’.

The rapper says when friends came to his rescue and rushed him to Kahn Specialist Hospital, Okota, in search of help, the nurses turned him away.

‘I bled for 25 minutes before I got to the hospital; I was two minutes to hell. The nurses rejected me until my brother intervened and promised them a ransom to keep me alive’, Jahborne said.

Already, the Nigerian Police Force has declared a man named Ebuka wanted for attempted murder on the rappers life.

Jarhborne is now recovering from the attack after receiving medication and nine snitches where the stabs pierced through. He’s told friends he plans to record a song he’ll title ’9 stitches’.

Questionmark Dares Asa

In February, internationally renowned Nigerian singer Bukola ‘Asa’ Elemide threatened to take legal action against her former record label QuestionMark Entertainment, for allegedly infringing on the singer’s trademark by ‘preparing to go into commercial production of a purported Asa music production’.

Despite the warning, the record label has gone ahead to produce and release a 10 track album containing the musician’s songs.

The album, which is titled ‘Down on Me‘ and features former Questionmark act Silver Saddih has already hit the streets and is being sold for N150. Some of the songs contained on the CD appeared on her debut ‘Asa‘, while others are alternate versions.

Asa, in a swift reaction, called the record a ‘dubious album released by criminals to dupe people’.

 ‘My name & Photo has been used on a dubious album released by criminals to dupe people, Pls be informed its not a new album! Pls RT thanks‘, Asa tweeted.

‘Unfortunately we blame it on the Alaba Market but it’s not from them but from Question mark entertainment! pls pass on this message! Thanks!‘, she continued.

‘I am passionate about my music, I have received death threats from these people, I have kept my head up and focused on giving my best always‘, Asa said.

The artist has been battling the record label, owned by Kevin Luciano-Gabriel since 2006, over a pending production deal that had her tied to the label.

Justin Bieber Gets $100,000 Electric Car as Birthday Gift

A $100,000 (N16M) Fisker Karma electric car has been given to the world famous music figure, Justin Bieber for his 18th year birthday.

Justin who clocked 18 on March 1, 2012 was presented the luxury 2012 vehicle with a solar-parallel roof by his manager, Scooter Braun while appearing on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres show’.

Prior to this exotic gift, Justin had earlier lost a car to a serious accident involving his maternal grandparents, Bruce and Diane Dale, an accident that left his grandfather with broken ribs.

The car with a two-litre, four hybrid engine can do more than compete with a typical gas guzzling sport car as it can go from 0-60 miles per hour in under 6 seconds with a top speed of 125 mile per hour.

Features of the electric car include keyless entry, bucket seats, and a diamond dust in the paint. Prior to this addition, Justin owns a batman-themed customised Cadillac and a Ferrari.

He was the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

D’banj’s Shocker – ‘I Own Mo’Hits and Don Jazzy is My Artiste’

It looks like things are about to get worse in the Mo’ Hits camp, as D’banj seems to be fanning the flames of the on-going controversy regarding him and hit producer Don Jazzy parting ways.

In a recent interview on Ebony Magazine’s official website, published on March 12, 2012, D’banj claims to own the record label Mo’Hits, and also says he was responsible for signing the label’s artistes, including Don Jazzy.

‘Coming from Africa I’m my own manager, I have my own label called Mo’ Hits with my artists Dr. Sid, Wande Coal, Don Jazzy, D’Prince and K-Switch. I own Mo’ Hits and we’ve won numerous awards by the grace of God’, D’banj told music journalist Hillary Crosley.

The pop star goes on to talk about his entrance into the US market and his signing with Kanye West’s label G.O.O.D Music.

It remains uncertain whether D’Banj was actually laying claim to fully owning Mo’Hits, attempting to set the records straight, following recent controversies surrounding he and Jazzy, or he was quoted out of context by the interviewer. But, curiously, apart from referring to Don Jazzy as ‘his artiste’, D’banj doesn’t mention or credit the producer in any other part of the interview.

It is generally believed that D’banj and Don Jazzy co-own the label, with Don jazzy acting as President while D’Banj is Vice President. They’re the label’s only known directors.

The pair, who started out about nine years ago when D’banj released his single ‘Tongolo’ have made headlines in recent times. Sources say they’re currently on the verge of breaking up, following seemingly irreconcilable differences.

NLC, TUC kick against bill to prevent strikes

The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress have described the bill seeking to introduce balloting before they can embark on any industrial action as a worthless effort and an unfortunate attempt to mislead the National Assembly.
The bill, which was sponsored by Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, was slated for second reading on Tuesday, but had to be suspended following sharp disagreements among senators.

The President, NLC, Mr. Abdulwahed Omar, and his TUC counterpart, Mr. Peter Esele, said in separate telephone interviews with Newsmen that the proposed bill would not add any value to labour relations in the country. Omar said Lokpobiri’s bill was an attempt to interfere in the internal democracy of the labour unions in the country.

He warned that the proposed bill had the implication of elongating strikes in the country, as it would be expected that if votes were taken for strikes to commence, the same process would be followed for such strikes to be called off.

Esele, who described the bill as unfortunate, said that it was a product of the senator’s lack of knowledge about the workings of labour unions in the country.

He explained that it was the standard practice in the country for votes to be taken during the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the labour centres before decisions to go on strike will be taken.

NFF resolved their crisis as minister cancels trip

The crisis plaguing the Nigerian Football Federation was finally resolved at a peace and reconciliation meeting convened by the Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi in Abuja on Tuesday. Reports from the meeting detailed that all the warring parties agreed with the resolution which ultimately forced the Minister to cancel his planned trip to FIFA headquarters in Zurich.

The NFF President Alhaji Aminu Maigari, who spoke with Newsmen on Tuesday said the several days of deliberations were fruitful and the decisions taken would give fresh life to the crisis-ridden Nigerian football.

He said, “It was a sincere and open agreement. Now, we can fully concentrate on our programmes and also on the development projects that we have.”

At the meeting, all the parties agreed to settle their differences, withdraw outstanding cases in court and terminate all legal processes.

The terms of the resolution include the NFF withdrawing the suspension and ban placed on Ray Nnaji (one of the litigants) and publicise such. The NFF is to pay reasonable compensation to him and clear his outstanding referee allowance, subject to verification.

LASTMA officials, policemen brutalise motorist, sympathiser

 The brutality ascribed to officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority still persists as a man, Chudi Obiefuna, was on Monday brutalised by a combined team of LASTMA officials and riot policemen in the Ijeshatedo area of Lagos.

An unidentified man, who intervened by explaining that Obiefuna did not park on a wrong lane, was sprayed with tear gas and given the beating of his life by the team.

Obiefuna said he visited a friend at 10/12, Sabaath Close, behind Ijesha Bus Stop and parked his car in front of a mosque about 30 metres from the entrance to the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

He said, “When I was done, I went to my car and wanted to move from the untarred road where I parked. “But I was immediately accosted by the LASTMA officials and some riot policemen. Some of them stood in front of my car while others forcefully entered my car and started manhandling me. They snatched the keys of my car and pushed me out of it.”

Obiefuna was able to identify one of the policemen, Ibidapo Odunaya, by his name tag. He also identified one of the LASTMA officials whose name tag read A. N. Sogbesan. He said, “I made efforts to speak to one of the LASTMA men in a pickup van with registration number BH 182 AGLS but Odunaya in particular manhandled me. He pushed me with the butt of his gun and threatened to shoot me.

“He said if he shoots me, nothing will happen to him. All the while, these men did not tell me what I did wrong.” According to him, at this point, an eyewitness intervened but this infuriated the officials. He said one of the policemen sprayed tear gas on the man while others pounced on him and beat him to a pulp, adding that the eyewitness was later dumped in a van.

Obiefuna said the LASTMA officials later drove his impounded car to their head office at Oshodi.

“While they were trying to snatch my car keys, one of the LASTMA officials opened the glove compartment of my car and took away some of my valuables and documents. I had a digital camera, my chequebook, some cash, printing ink and some textbooks in the car,” he said.

The spokesperson of LASTMA, Mrs. Bola Ajao, could not be reached as her telephone was switched off. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Jayeoba’s telephone was not available too. But a police source said the PPRO was at a meeting with the new Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko.

Chelsea ready for Napoli game

Chelsea will attack from the first minute as they seek to put behind them the rocky Andre Villas-Boas era by overhauling a 3-1 deficit in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie at home to Napoli on Wednesday.
The London club have sacked their young Portuguese manager since last month’s first leg and face the Italians under interim boss Roberto Di Matteo, whose first taste of European action could be his last unless his players stage a stunning comeback.

Arsenal trailed 4-0 from their first leg at AC Milan but scored three goals at home to lose 4-3 on aggregate. Chelsea’s job is easier than that even if Napoli are on a run of six successive wins in all competitions.

“From the first minute we have to try to create chances to score. We know they have very good strikers and we have to be careful with them, but we will press from the first minute,” winger Juan Mata said on the club’s website.

Mata’s goal in Napoli could prove valuable as a 2-0 win in London would put England’s only remaining representatives through on away goals.

“In football nothing is impossible and at Stamford Bridge we have had good results in the Champions League, so I think we can do it,” the Spaniard added. “All the supporters will be cheering us, it’s a final for us, and we can do it.”

Nigeria today worse than before civil war says Akinyemi

FORMER Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi said, yesterday, that if Nigeria as a nation must get it right in all its ramifications, putting in place a Sovereign National Conference, SNC is a must.

 He also said that the Supreme Court at the moment requires more judicial activists that will be more proactive in their actions following the handling of revenue derivation by the apex court in 2002 which lumped the on-shore and off-shore oil resources together.

 Speaking yesterday in Abuja as a Guest Lecturer at the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur Support Group, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Professor Akinyemi noted that things have never been as bad as they are now in Nigeria.

 He said that the country was at a crossroad, adding, ‘’but if the truth be told, and we owe ourselves the truth, things have never been as bad as they are now. Some have said that these times remind them of the darkness before the civil war, but I believe that it is worse that those times.

FG to set up central military commands in Bayelsa

Federal Government has approved the setting up of central military commands in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Newsmen learnt that the nation’s service chiefs took the decision after assessing the economic importance of the state to the country and the rising activities of cultists and pirates.
Also, there has been a resurgence of violence in the state, with some oil facilities destroyed by militant groups in recent times.

Bayelsa State Governor  Seriake Dickson said this on Tuesday when the Chief of the Air Staff, Mohammed Umar, paid him a courtesy visit while inspecting the Nigerian Air Force formations in the state on Tuesday. Dickson, who was represented by his deputy, Mr. John Jonah, said the Navy would be in the state on Thursday to set up its central command.

Dickson said, “I have been told that the Navy is coming in full force on Thursday to establish its central command. The Army has the biggest headquarters around here. So, all the service chiefs will be fully established here in addition to the Joint Task Force. Bayelsa State will be having more of military presence than many states that are new.”

He said for the state to be secure, government must invest in human development. Umar said NAF in 2011 reactivated its mobility command with its headquarters in Yenagoa. He said the headquarters of the mobility command was established in the state because of its strategic importance to the economy of the nation observing that the state provided an “easy reach for the Service to conduct its operations especially within the Niger Delta area”.

He said a parcel of land had been allocated to NAF for the take-off of its command, urging the state government to provide infrastructural assistance to the command.

Man Sentence 6 yrs for selling baby for N60,000

Abia State Chief Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Mrs. E.K.O. Umah, has sentenced one Chigoziem Nwankwo to six years imprisonment for selling a four-year-old baby girl. The court also sentenced him to another three months imprisonment for stealing mobile handsets valued at N14,000.

Chigoziem was alleged to have sold four-year-old Miss Rejoice Ibe, stolen from a couple.
He was said to have sold the baby for N60,000 to an accomplice , Bashiru, said to be at large.
Delivering judgment, Mrs. Umah said, “having considered the nature of the offences committed by the accused person and investigations conducted by the prosecuting officer as well as the accused person admitting to the truth of the matter, the jail terms of six years imprisonment becomes imperative.”

Chigoziem, said to be a wheel-barrow pusher at Gariki in Enugu, Enugu State, was alleged to have conspired with one Mr. Bashiru and stole a Nokia GSM handset valued at N8,000 and Samsung handset valued at N6, 000, property of Mr. and Mrs. Sunday Ibe. During his arrest, Chigoziem was said to be violent and  assaulted  the couple allegedly with a kitchen knife and inflicted injuries on Mrs. Ibe.

However, the Magistrate said the prison terms are to run concurrently. Meanwhile, one Mr. Ndubuisi Nnamachi, 65, was remanded at the Federal Prisons, Afara Umuahia, for allegedly killing one Mr. Nweke David by setting him on fire in conspiracy with Mr. Chisom Nkuche and Okechukwu David.

This incident was said to have happened on January 21, 2012, at Akirika Ukwu in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state.

After listening to the charges, Magistrate  E.C.N. Kalu said the charge  fell outside the jurisdiction of his court and ordered that the matter be transferred to a high court, while the accused persons were remanded in prisons custody.

Power surge shuts down operations at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport

There was complete power outage at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, last night, following a power surge which damage the air field lighting, including taxi and runway lights. Consequently, all in-bound flights into the airport were reportedly diverted to other airports, while flights schedule for take off were cancelled.

Newsmen gathered last night that the incident, which occurred at about 7:00pm, led also to the cancellation of a Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta, U.S.

Also, all other international flights out of the airport were cancelled as a result, as most passengers were said to have returned home, while transit passengers were checked into hotels in accordance with international civil aviation regulations.

It was learnt that airport engineers had assumed that what happened was merely an outage by the Power Holdings Company of Nigeria, but got the shocker when the airfield lighting failed to come after the generating sets at the airport were switched on.

former super Eagle, Shittu Dies At 75

NEWSMEN gathered that the former Nigerian striker, who has been bed-ridden with stroke since February, died around 12:30pm today at the General Hospital in Gbagada, Lagos State, Nigeria. He was aged 75. A close of friend of the former NEPA-ECN player, Adenuga confirmed his death this afternoon.

Report said the late Shittu, who was survived by two boys and a girl, battled hard to stay alive from the ailment, “but he gave up in a painful way this afternoon, just 24 hours to the day that Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola plans to fly him to Indian for further treatment.”

According to  Adenuga, “We have notified the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Lanre Babalola, to inform him of the latest development. The burial is tentatively fixed for Wednesday, 14 March, 2012. It is painful that Shittu has to leave his little children and rest of us at this period,” Adenuga lamented this afternoon. Shittu, fondly called ‘The Bulldozer’ was one of the greatest footballers that ever played for Nigeria even under the colonial masters.

Born in Jos, Plateau State in 1937, by a Yoruba parentage, Amusa Shittu began his soccer career in 1958, when he featured for Plateau and Northern Region X1. The ebony-black striker got his first invitation into the national team, The Red Devils, in 1959, where he showcased his soccer talents alongside great players like Teslim Balogun, Dejo Fayemi, Olu Onagoruwa, Jide Johnson, Monday Sinclair, Cyril Nwajei, Godwin Etemeke, Asuquo Ekpe and Peter Amaechima.

Although he had his first call up to the national team in 1959, Amusa Shittu made his debut on 10 September, 1960, when he played in Nigeria’s 2-2 draw against Ghana in a World Cup qualifier. He scored his first international goal in Nigeria’s 4-1 victory against Port Guinea, now Guinea Bissau in October 1960. Shittu was also renowned for scoring the only goal in an Olympic qualifier in Nigeria against Sudan on 5 November, 1967 and also scored two goals in the reverse fixture on 17 November in Khartoun to silence the vociferous Sudanese home supporters.

He was a member of the Green Eagles squad that played against the visiting German Olympic team in 1971 at Onikan Stadium, Lagos. On the local scene, Amusa Shittu was in the team that won the F.A Cup for the Western Region in 1961 and indeed, was the first footballer to have scored an F.A Cup final goal outside the Onikan Stadium in the1961 final between his team and UAC, Broad Street Millionaires, at the Old National Stadium, the site of the present National Stadium.

Shittu’s greatest moment was in 1970 when he propelled ECN (NEPA) to their third F.A Cup glory against his former club, Highlanders of Jos.The game had ended 1-1 apiece before Shittu, a coach/player, came on to rescue his team by scoring the winning goal for ECN. Shittu, was bed-ridden at the Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos, battling to survive the trauma of stroke that struck him on 12 February, 2012 before he finally gave up today.

Peterson vows to beat Khan again

Lamont Peterson has accused Amir Khan of ‘arrogance’ for suggesting he is unable to fight better than he did in their controversial first bout.

Khan has said he will “win convincingly” in the Las Vegas rematch and that Peterson would not surpass his efforts of their fight in December, BBC reports.

“How can you just assume that I can’t fight better than what I fought him in Washington DC and he can?” he said.

The world title rematch takes place at the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, on May 19.

Khan lost his IBF and WBA light-welterweight belts in December in Washington DC in a split points decision last year.

Peterson told BBC Sport that the Bolton boxer was demonstrating “arrogance” ahead of a London news conference to promote the rematch.

“I won’t say the same about him,” said Peterson. “I expect him to fight a better fight but, at the same time, I know I’m going to be better.

Taliban threaten to behead U.S. soldiers over civilian shootings

The Afghan Taliban on Tuesday threatened to behead U.S. troops in revenge for the massacre of 16 Afghan civilians by a lone American soldier in southern Afghanistan.

“The Islamic Emirate once again warns the American animals that the mujahideen will avenge them, and with the help of Allah will kill and behead your sadistic murderous soldiers,’’ Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.

A U.S. Army staff sergeant has been taken into custody, accused of walking off his base in the volatile province of Kandahar in the middle of the night and gunning down at least 16 villagers, mostly women and children.

 U.S. official said the accused soldier had suffered a traumatic brain injury in Iraq. The shootings triggered a protest by around 2,000 students in the eastern city of Jalalabad, the first since Sunday’s attack, calling for the U.S. soldier to be prosecuted by Afghan authorities in Kandahar.

The demonstrators chanted “Death to America’’ and demanded Afghan President Hamid Karzai reject plans to sign a strategic pact with Washington that would allow U.S. advisers and possibly special forces to remain beyond a 2014 deadline for foreign combat troops to leave Afghanistan.

Suicidal man climbs telecoms mast in Abuja

Panic gripped Maitama District of Abuja on Tuesday as a man, Mallam Musa Dalhatu, climbed a telecoms mast beside the Federal High Court and threatened to commit suicide. He climbed the mast around noon and ignored appeals for him to come down.

Security agents had a hectic time trying to control the crowd that gathered to watch the spectacle.

Initially, there were speculations that he climbed the mast with a bomb.

But a witness at the scene said Dalhatu threw a note down, claiming he climbed the mast because he wanted people to intervene in a dispute between him and a prominent Nigerian.

The spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, Yushau Shuaibu, confirmed the development, saying an official of the agency had been trying to persuade Dalhatu to come down from the mast.

Police Inspector, soldier, 4 others killed in Adamawa

A police inspector, a soldier and four other persons were killed in a Monday night attack by unidentified gunmen in Mubi, Adamawa. Eyewitnesses told journalists in Mubi that a unit of military patrol team were also attacked by the gunmen, injuring the men on duty.

The witnesses said that unidentified gunmen attacked a military patrol vehicle on Ahmadu Bello Way in Mubi. The attack was followed by multiple explosions and sporadic gunfire, which started at about 7.30 p.m. and lasted throughout the night in various parts of the town.

The witnesses said that some of the gunmen were riding in a car while others were on motorcycles.
One of the witnessed, Malam Bala Muhammad, told reporters that, the gunmen, riding in a car detonated an explosive device and opened fire on the moving military patrol vehicle.

He said that the soldiers, who were under heavy gun attack, responded to the fire in self-defence, adding that one soldier was killed and four others wounded in the surprise attack.

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Tension in Jos as death toll rises to 19

The death toll from Sunday’s suicide bomb attack on St Finbarr’s Catholic Church, Jos and the ensuing reprisals rose to 19 yesterday as more corpses were taken to hospitals.

This came as tension enveloped parts of the city following renewed hostilities between Christian and Muslim youths on revenge mission over reprisal killings that started since Sunday. There were unconfirmed reports of more silent killings in various parts of the city..

Many residents in Tinna Junction, Fillin Ball and Duala areas had to run for cover as security men shot into the air to disperse scores of youths from both sides who were advancing towards each other for a showdown.

While a source said the fresh tension followed the disappearance of some people suspected to have been killed by one of the sides, another version said a bus conductor was attacked in a part of the town and when the driver who escaped with injuries reported to his people, they mobilized for a confrontation.

Jonathan begs govs to back Tukur

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday begged governors from the North-East to back his candidate to be the new chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party. A source in government told THE PUNCH that the President did so at a meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday.

Presidential aides have said that the President does not have a candidate among  the aspirants for the position, but there are speculations that he is backing Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

Although the party has zoned the position to the North-East, efforts to make the zone present a consensus candidate have failed to yield fruits.

Afghanistan militants 'attack Kandahar killings site'

Militants in Afghanistan have launched an attack on a government delegation visiting the site where a US soldier killed 16 civilians.

Two of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's brothers and several top security officials were in the delegation in Panjwai in Kandahar province.
One Afghan soldier was killed and three other people injured but the delegation is heading back to Kandahar city.

The US soldier said to have carried out Sunday's attacks is under arrest. The unnamed 38-year-old staff sergeant is being held at an undisclosed location.

NECO vows not to lower standards

National Examinations Council, NECO, has pledged that it will not lower its standard in a bid to be patronised by eligible students.

Registrar/Executive of the Council, Professor Promise Okpala who made this known while answering questions from reporters in Minna, capital of Niger State also denied that there was rivalry between NECO and the National Business and Technical Examination Board, NABTEB, as both examination bodies like others were championing the same cause of raising standard of education in the country.

Okpala however, said that NECO had become more acceptable by students and higher institutions within and outside the country because of its high standard and zero tolerance for examination fraud.

He pointed out that the problems of examination leakage, impersonation, certificate racketeering among others have been reduced to the barest minimum,thereby making it easy for the certificate to be generally acceptable.

50 women, children massacred in Syria’s Homs

Nearly 50 women and children were found with their throats cut or bearing stab wounds in Syria’s Homs, prompting hundreds of families to flee the restive city, the opposition and activists said on Monday.
Hadi Abdallah, a Syrian activist in the central city, told AFP the bodies of 26 children and 21 women were discovered in the Karm el-Zaytoun and Al-Adawiyeh neighbourhoods of the besieged central city.

“Some of the children had been hit with blunt objects on their head, one little girl was mutilated and some women were raped before being killed,” he said, adding that most victims had been stabbed to death or had their throats cut.


Activists posted videos online showing graphic images of charred bodies and children with mutilated and bloodied faces.

Syrian state television attributed the killings to “armed terrorist gangs”, saying they had kidnapped residents of Homs, killed them and then made video footage of the bodies in an attempt to discredit Syrian forces.