Boko Haram suspects’ trial begins Nov. 18

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja will on November 18 begin the trial of six alleged members of an Islamic sect; Boko Haram. Shuaibu Abubakar, Salisu Ahmed, Umar Babagana, Mohammed Ali, Musa Adam and Umar Ibrahim have pleaded not guilty to a five-count charge, which includes criminal conspiracy and voluntarily causing grievous harm, slammed against them by the State Security Service (SSS). The alleged offences are contrary to and punishable under Sections, 97 and 248(1) of the Penal Code Law, and section 15 (2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Establishment Act 2004. According to the charge, the accused allegedly, at various times within the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State prepared, planted and detonated Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). They are believed to be the brains behind the April bombing at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Suleja, Niger State, where 16 persons, including serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members died on the eve of the rescheduled National Assembly elections. The accused persons also allegedly conspired with others at large to cause grievous bodily harm by unlawfully planting deadly substances which led to the death of three persons at a political rally in Suleja. They also allegedly detonated explosives which killed three peace officers in Dakna village, Bwari. The alleged offences are contrary to and punishable under sections 97 and 248(1) of the Penal Code Law. When the matter came up yesterday, counsel to the six accused persons asked the court to grant them time to look into the proof of evidence served on them on Tuesday by the prosecution. Justice Bilkisu Aliyu, after listening to the submissions, adjourned the case till November 18, for trial and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in the custody of the State Security Service. Culled fom Nation

Four members of CAC drown in River Abeokuta, Police detain prayer coodinator

River Abeokuta

Four members of the Apostolic Church Students Fellowship of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State, yesterday drowned in a river in the Aro Area while on a seven-day prayer and fasting retreat. A church member, who requested anonymity, said the deceased persons had gone to the river to take their bath when the incident occurred. He explained that the female members had earlier gone to take their bath but their male counterparts decided to swim, without knowing that the river was deep. One of the deceased persons, an ND II student of Business Administration, was a Muslim who had just joined the fellowship, while the others were identified as Ebenezer, a student of the Electrical-Electronics Department; Olamide, Architecture Department; and Nifemi, a Mass Communication student. Three bodies had so far been recovered and deposited in a mortuary in Abeokuta. The police have detained the prayer coordinator of the fellowship. The Director of Student Affairs at the polytechnic, Dele Soyemi confirmed the incident

How Libyan rebels raped Nigerian women

Libyan rebels

Thirty days in the desert after fleeing the crisis-torn Libya, 450 Nigerians yesterday arrived Maiduguri, Borno State, with tales of rape, torture and loss of their personal effects to the fighters opposed to the regime of late Col. Muammar Gaddafi. Over 300 others were said to be still languishing in Ndjamena, the capital of neighbouring Chad Republic. The Nigerians, who looked dirty and unkept, arrived Gamboru, a border town between Nigeria and Chad, early yesterday morning. And after undergoing the necessary immigration processes, proceeded to Maiduguri from where some of them left for their various states. Some of them, who arrived the country without any money on them, had to seek refuge from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which was alerted as to their entry into the country by Immigration officials. The NEMA officials subsequently arranged accommodation for them at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp within Maiduguri metropolis. Narrating her ordeal, Splendid Eze, who claimed that she had been in Libya since the last four years, said at the peak of the revolution, she had to take refuge at the United Nations camp in Saba, Libya for two months. Eze said she was repatriated alongside 450 others from the camp on 28 September and they were made to take the long and tortuous journey through the desert. She said before leaving the camp at Saba, they faced various hazardous situations including sleeping in the open and getting hit by bullets from the warring factions. According to her, they did not fare better on the journey back home as they “were robbed and raped by the rebels”. She said: “I was robbed of my US$1000 and some of those in my company were robbed of their valuables including laptops and handsets.” Another returnee, Obire Matthew Tony, said they were packed in a truck like sardines and sent on the long and tortuous journey through the desert to Nigeria. He revealed that they had a stopover for three days in Ndjamena where they were accommodated by the International Organisation for Immigration and subsequently sent to Nigeria by the organisation. He alleged that the Nigerian ambassador to Chad avoided them like plague and at no time came to their assistance. Speaking to journalists on what plan the agency has for the returnees, the Zonal Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Aliyu Sambo, said they would be kept at the camp, fed and transported to their various states after their respective state emergency management agencies must have been approached. On how the agency got to know of their arrival, Sambo revealed that they were alerted by the Immigration officials at the Gamboru border and the agency immediately started making preparations for them. He said quite a number of them arrived the country early in the morning and came to Maiduguri around noon, but some had since left for their various destinations since they could not be held back against their wishes. He further disclosed that the returnees were the first batch and others were still being expected to come through the Gamboru border into the country. Culled from Thisday

Enugu Govt to build a monorail for $1.6bn

a monorali

The Enugu State government has announced plans to build a 117 Kilometre-long monorail line. During the presentation of the project to the Urban Development Bank of Nigeria (UDBN) Plc. in Abuja, the State Governor, Sullivan Chime revealed that the project would cost the state government $1.6 billion dollars. Describing the monorail transport system as safe, self-sustaining and economically viable, Chime urged the UDBN to collaborate with the state government and its technical partner, Globim Trans International of Canada, by allowing the state to access part of the bank’s N10billion Public Mass Transit Revolving Loan Scheme. He said the project, which will create 4,000 new jobs, would be executed in six phases. The first phase of the project would be completed between 20 to 24 months from the date of financing. Responding, the Managing Director of UDBN, Adekunle Oyinloye, revealed that the bank had granted more than N8billion loans under the Loan scheme within the last year. He expressed the bank’s willingness to partner with all willing state governments to address their infrastructural needs including water, roads, waste management, rural mobility and tourism, through the use of alternative financing techniques. He said state and local governments need to embrace the concept of joint service schemes to arrest infrastructural decay in various sectors, in order to achieve some of the Millennium Development Goals and socio-economic reforms.

How Boko Haram attacked Kaduna State

Boko Haram sect

KADUNA State at the weekend had its own bitter taste of bloody action of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, as it razed a police station, killing a police Inspector, destroyed two banks and carted away millions of Naira. The sect operated in Saminaka, about two hours drive from Kaduna metropolis, throwing residents into confusion, shooting sporadically as they attacked the police station and banks in the local government head quarters. The Moment gathered that gunmen after attacking the police station, also killed two and carted away weapons before destroying the station. According to sources in Saminaka, the assailants immediately moved to two banks, First Bank and KeystoneBank Ltd where they robbed and carted away unconfirmed amount of money, leaving one security man dead. A report monitored on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa Service on Sunday morning said, ‘ Information gathered from Saminaka confirmed that at about 3a.m. on Sunday, unknown assailants invaded Saminaka, attacked the divisional police station and two banks in the town.‘ Information gathered indicated the assailants destroyed the police station after which they carted away unconfirmed amount of money from First Bank and Keystone Bank, in Saminaka. ‘A police inspector was killed at the police station while three people were reported killed by the assailants during the attack,’ the BBC report said. The number of the dead and the invaders could not be clearly ascertained. However, it was said the invaders because of their strong firepower were suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect. There was, however, no group including the sect had come forward to claim responsibility as at the time of filing this report. The invaders were said to have escaped with millions of Naira from the two banks and are still at large. The Kaduna State Police Commissioner (CP) Ballah Magaji Nassarawa confirmed the incident. The CP, the Commandant of Operation Yaki Col D.G. Maman (rtd) and the other top security functionaries including the chairman of Lere Local government were immediately at Saminaka to ascertain on the spot extent of the attack. The CP in an interview with newsmen at the scene of the incident in Saminaka said the DPO’s office and the MTD were razed. He said only two victims; the police inspector and a security man in one of the banks were killed in the attack. He said the police inspector died in the inferno. Walls of the attacked First Bank building were riddled with bullet holes while the strong room of the bank was destroyed and littered with remnants of lose currency notes. The Sole Administrator of Lere Local Government, Alhaji Kabir Tahir, in a separate interview also expressed his concern, adding that because of the strong firepower of the assailants, there is a strong indication that the invaders might be members of the Boko Harram sect. Another senior source in the State Security Service (SSS) who pleaded anonymity said he could not ascertain whether the hoodlums are members of the Boko Haram sect. He said, the assailants, are suspected to be armed robbers who invaded the police station, killing the police inspector, carted away weapons, burnt down the station and used same weapon to rob the two banks, namely First Bank and Keystone Bank branches in Saminaka. The situation was, however, brought under control with Operation Yaki security outfits drafted to areas. The police however, did not give the name of the inspector who was killed in the attack. Culled from The Moment

Argentina 'Angel of Death' Alfredo Astiz convicted

Asitz

Former Argentine naval officer Alfredo Astiz has been jailed for life for crimes against humanity during military rule in 1976-83. Astiz - known as the "Blond Angel of Death" - was found guilty of torture, murder and forced disappearance. Among his victims were two French nuns and the founders of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo human rights group. Eleven other former military and police officers were also given life sentences for crimes against humanity. Four others were jailed for between 18 and 25 years. All worked at the Naval Mechanical School in Buenos Aires - known as Esma - which was the biggest secret torture and killing centre set up by the military during what became known as the "Dirty War". Of the 5,000 or so prisoners taken to Esma, 90% did not come out alive. Some were killed by firing squad while others were thrown from planes - drugged but still alive - into the Atlantic Ocean. More than 70 of those who did make it out were among the witnesses in the 22-month trial. Symbol of oppression Astiz looked straight ahead and showed no emotion as the sentence was read out. Campaigners celebrated the end of a long fight for justice Among the others given life terms are Jorge Acosta, Antonio Pernias and Ricardo Cavallo. Human rights groups had campaigned for years to bring the perpetrators to justice, and there were celebrations as the sentences were read out. "We resisted. We never committed a crime. This is why this is just. They committed crimes. They are imprisoned," said Esma survivor Ricardo Coquet. Astiz, 59, is one of the most notorious symbols of oppression during military rule in Argentina. As a young naval intelligence officer he infiltrated the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo human rights group, which was set up to find relatives abducted by the security forces. He then arranged the kidnap and murder of its three founders - Azucena Villaflor, Esther Ballestrino and Maria Ponce. He had already been convicted in absentia in France for the murder of the French nuns Alice Domon and Leonie Duquet, who disappeared in Argentina in 1977. In his defence, Astiz said he had acted to save Argentina from left-wing "terrorism", and he dismissed his trial as an act of political vengeance. Human rights groups say 30,000 people were killed or made to disappear by the armed forces in their campaign against opposition activists and left-wing guerrillas.

Esther Vickery dies one day before her 110th birthday

Easter Vickery

It was such a pleasure to care for her, and she was very much respected by the staff and residents of Ty-Waunarlwydd. "This is a very sad time for all of us." A woman thought to be the oldest in Wales has died the day before she would have turned 110. Esther Vickery was born in the year Queen Victoria died and spent most of her life farming in the Swansea area. A devout chapel-goer, she never drank or smoked and lived independently until 2005 when a fall forced her to move in to a care home in the city. Jane Thomas, from Ty Waunarlwydd home, said: "It had been a pleasure to care for her." Welsh-speaker Mrs Vickery was born and raised on a farm, and made her first milk deliveries using a horse and cart. Her late husband Tom was also a farmer and after they married the couple started Pwll-y-Whyaid farm, which is now part of the Portmead and Blaenymaes estates. The family moved to Papermill Farm in Ystrad Road in the 1950s. Esther lived a remarkable life and was always regaling us with stories about her up-bringing, her farming life and her family” End Quote Jane Thomas Ty Waunarlwydd Mrs Vickery was widowed in 1964 and in 1986 she moved to a house in Waunarlwydd. She moved into Ty Waunarlwydd care home after injuries sustained in a fall limited her mobility. Mrs Vickery leaves one surviving son, six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. On her 109th birthday, she put her longevity down to her faith in God and attending chapel as well as her abstemious lifestyle. She said: "It's plenty of hard work and no drink. But people that drink live a good long life too so it can't condemn them!" Ms Thomas said: "Esther lived a remarkable life and was always regaling us with stories about her upbringing

Fraudster Bernard Madoff and wife 'attempted suicide'

Ruth Madoff

The wife of jailed US financial swindler Bernard Madoff has said the couple attempted suicide after his $65bn (£41bn) fraud scheme was exposed. Ruth Madoff told the CBS programme 60 Minutes the couple took a "bunch of pills" on Christmas Eve in 2008. "I don't know whose idea it was, but we decided to kill ourselves because it was so horrendous what was happening," she said. Madoff is serving a 150-year jail sentence after being convicted in 2009. Ruth Madoff told CBS that the couple had made the suicide pact on Christmas Eve, which - she continued - added to "the whole depression". "I took what we had, he took more," she said, adding that she did not drink any alcohol with them for fear of vomiting. Among the pills were Ambien (a sedative) and possibly Klonopin (for seizure and panic disorder treatment). "We took pills and woke up the next day... It was very impulsive and I am glad we woke up", Mrs Madoff said. The interview in full will be broadcast on CBS on 30 October. Ruth Madoff says she does not know whose idea the suicide attempt was, but she is glad it failed CBS said it would contain many previously undisclosed revelations about the family in the aftermath of the scandal. Madoff's ponzi scheme, which had been running since the early 1990s, deprived thousands of investors of their savings. Benard Madoff

Bangkok floods: Thousands flee as waters approach

People leaving Bangkok in a boat

Thousands of residents are rushing to leave the Thai capital Bangkok, which is braced for potentially severe flooding over the weekend. The city's bus and train stations and many roads are jammed by crowds of people attempting to flee. People in several northern districts of the capital - some of which are now 90% submerged by rising water - have been told they should evacuate immediately. More than 360 people have died in Thailand's worst flooding in decades. The crisis is an early test for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who took office in August and has previously been criticised for failing to take the flood threat seriously enough. "It's a crisis, because if we try to resist this massive amount of floodwater, a force of nature, we won't win," Ms Yingluck said. "But if we allow it to flow freely then people in many areas are prepared." Any lingering sense of complacency has long gone, says the BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok. 'Food rationing' Over the weekend the influx of run-off water from Thailand's inundated central plains is expected to combine with seasonal high tides to flood more parts of the capital. Thai authorities have declared a five-day holiday, to run from Thursday through to Monday, in Bangkok and in 20 provinces affected by the flooding to allow residents to relocate. Bangkok's Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra issued an evacuation alert for residents of Don Muang, Bang Phlad and Thawi Wattana districts in the north of the capital. "This is the first time I am using the term 'evacuation', the first time I'm really asking you to leave," Mr Sukhumbhand said. The city's Mo Chit bus terminal has already seen huge crowds of people, some of whom had to wait for hours to get a bus to leave the city. Many residents were reportedly heading for southern and eastern coastal resorts that have escaped the flooding. Flights out of the international airport, Suvarnabhumi, were operating as normal but were said to be packed. At Bangkok's domestic airport, Don Muang, people living in an evacuation shelter are now being moved again. The airport itself is closed because the runway is flooded. But the government's flood relief operation centre, which is based on the second floor of the airport, insists it will not relocate. In the city of nine million, there were reports that some shops were rationing stocks of staples including rice and eggs amid stockpiling by anxious residents. Supplies of bottled water were said to be running low in many areas. Residents were protecting their homes and businesses with sandbags - with some even erecting sealed cement barriers across shop fronts, reported the Associated Press news agency. Britain's Foreign Office on Wednesday warned against all but essential travel to Bangkok. Ms Yingluck has warned that flood nnwaters could linger in the capital for between two weeks and a month. The flooding has been triggered by unusually heavy seasonal rains across the country since July. About one third of all provinces remain affected by flooding.

Relative of Australia killer Ivan Milat admits murder

Ivan Matt

The teenage relative of notorious Australian serial killer Ivan Milat has pleaded guilty to the brutal axe murder of another teenager. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted killing 17-year-old David Auchterlonie. Mr Auchterlonie's body was found in Belanglo State Forest, south-west of Sydney, last November. It is the same forest that Ivan Milat dumped the bodies of seven backpackers he killed between 1989 and 1992. According to papers filed with Sydney's Campbelltown Children's Court, the teenager bragged to a friend the day after the killing: ''You know me, you know my family... I did what they do." He is said to have gone with Mr Auchterlonie and two other friends to Belanglo forest on the night of 20 November 2010. The murder and the conversation leading up to it were captured in a video recording on one of the friends' mobile phone. The teenager accuses Mr Auchterlonie of telling people about money he had stolen - an accusation the victim is heard denying. According to court papers, the accused coaxes Mr Auchterlonie out of the car and swings an axe into his torso. "Over the next 10 minutes (the boy) stood over and threatened the deceased with the axe," according to court documents. Mr Auchterlonie pleaded for his life, but sounds of the axe hitting him can be heard on the recording. The accused and another boy covered the victim's body with branches before all three left the forest. The teenager - who reportedly showed no emotion when his lawyer entered his guilty plea - is due to be sentenced on 2 December and could face life in prison.

71,135 ghost pensioners on FG’s pay roll – Sali

Jonathan

ABUJA – The House of Representatives Committee on Pension, yesterday, heard that over 71,135 ghost pensioners were on the pay roll of Federal Government which cost the government over N28 billion annually. The Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Sali, told the committee, yesterday, that the report of the pension reform task force revealed that there were several scams going on in pension service. He said, by last month, the payroll indicated that there were 113,089 pensioners on payroll of the office of the Head of Service of the Federation with a total monthly pension of N1,634,166,812.02 as against previous payment of N3.3 billion monthly before the report. He said before the exercise, under-aged persons were paid pension, many names and account numbers were duplicated, many pensioners provided falsified documents for verification and that with the weeding of over 70,000 fake/ghost pensioners, “the Federal Government will make an annual saving of about N28 billion. He said that investigation also revealed that many problems associated with the administration of pension are human-related and traceable to staff of the Pension Office in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, among others. Chairman of the committee, Mr. Ibrahim Kamba, had described the reported cases of fraud in the Pension Office as worrisome.

Communal war claims 20 lives in A�Ibom

Godswill Akpabio

NO fewer than 20 people are feared killed in communal clashes in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. According to eyewitnesses, property worth several millions of Naira including houses, vehicles and livestock, were either looted or destroyed during the crisis. Several victims of the violence have taken refuge in churches and police stations in Ini and the neighbouring Ikono and Ikot Ekpene Local Government Areas. The Moment learnt the violence occurred in Nkari clan over a disputed marshland under serious contention by the people of Mbente on one hand and those of Ikot Offiong, Ikot Akpan and Ubienkene on the other. Worst affected by the violence are Ikot Offiong, Ikot Akpan and Ubienkene villages where several houses were torched. When The Moment visited the three villages which were completely deserted as the residents fled and took refuge in forests and neighbouring communities. The immediate past councillor in the area, Nya John, said he hurriedly cut short his visit to Abuja, as his phones were inundated with calls on the mayhem. He called on the security agencies and government to investigate the matter with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book. According to Edet Akpan Okon, a community leader in the area, ‘the crisis had been there for a long time and it was only a war waiting to be ignited. ‘We have written several letters to constituted authorities including security agencies on the threat posed to us by the Mbente people, to no avail’. He alleged that Mbete people hired mercenaries from Ikot Umo Essien and Abam, to inflict violence on the community. Meanwhile, calm has returned to the area as the Commissioner of Police, Solomon Arase, has drafted Policemen from Ikot Ekpene, Ikono, Ini and the police headquarters at Ikot Akpanabia, to restore order. Arase, who inspected the ruins at the weekend, has reassured citizens of their safety and urged the people to go about their normal businesses without fear. He said the police is on top of the situation and would stop at nothing to fish out the hoodlums and their sponsors.

Gaddafi's will published at last

Gaddafi

Gaddafi website publishes 'last will' of Libyan ex-leader In his will, Gaddafi urged Libyans to fight on Muammar Gaddafi's website, Seven Days News, says it has published the last will of the deceased former leader of Libya. The document was reportedly handed to three of his relatives, one of whom was killed, the second arrested and the third managed to escape the fighting in Sirte. Here is the English translation: "This is my will. I, Muammar bin Mohammad bin Abdussalam bi Humayd bin Abu Manyar bin Humayd bin Nayil al Fuhsi Gaddafi, do swear that there is no other God but Allah and that Mohammad is God's Prophet, peace be upon him. I pledge that I will die as Muslim. Should I be killed, I would like to be buried, according to Muslim rituals, in the clothes I was wearing at the time of my death and my body unwashed, in the cemetery of Sirte, next to my family and relatives. I would like that my family, especially women and children, be treated well after my death. The Libyan people should protect its identity, achievements, history and the honourable image of its ancestors and heroes. The Libyan people should not relinquish the sacrifices of the free and best people. I call on my supporters to continue the resistance, and fight any foreign aggressor against Libya, today, tomorrow and always. Let the free people of the world know that we could have bargained over and sold out our cause in return for a personal secure and stable life. We received many offers to this effect but we chose to be at the vanguard of the confrontation as a badge of duty and honour. Even if we do not win immediately, we will give a lesson to future generations that choosing to protect the nation is an honour and selling it out is the greatest betrayal that history will remember forever despite the attempts of the others to tell you otherwise."

Murdered Stuart Walker faced indecency allegation

Walker

A man who was brutally murdered in Ayrshire had been questioned by police two months ago over alleged indecency, police have confirmed. Stuart Walker, 28, was beaten and burned in an attack in Cumnock. Strathclyde Police said a report had been sent to the procurator fiscal in August after Mr Walker was accused of indecency involving a 12-year-old boy. Officers said there was nothing to suggest the murder had been connected to the allegation. Detectives are continuing to identify a motive for the murder of the openly gay hotel worker. The police said there had been nothing to suggest the attack was a homophobic crime, but they refused to rule it out from their investigation. Mr Walker's body was found at about 05:00 on Saturday near the Caponacre Industrial Estate in Cumnock. Family and friends have described Mr walker as a "true friend and gentleman". Hundreds of tributes have also been posted on Facebook.

Child killer Robert Black found guilty of murder

Black

Child killer Robert Black found guilty of murdering Jennifer Cardy Robert Black Convicted child killer Robert Black has been found guilty of murdering Jennifer Cardy in Ballinderry, County Antrim, 30 years ago. The nine-year-old was abducted from the roadside near her home on 12 August 1981. It emerged during the trial that the 64-year-old was a predatory paedophile with a history of abusing young girls. Black, originally from Grangemouth in Scotland, is serving life in prison for the murders of three children. The jury in the trial at Armagh Crown Court was sent out to consider its verdict on Wednesday morning. On Thursday, Judge Mr Justice Ronald Weatherup said he did not want an outburst when the verdict was announced.

Robert Black

When it was finally delivered, there was an audible sigh from the public gallery. Black showed no emotion. Judge Weatherup told Black: "You have been convicted by a jury of murder. There is only one sentence that will be imposed by law. "That's the sentence of life imprisonment. Accordingly, I sentence you to life imprisonment." He then turned to the guards and said: "Take him down please." As Black was led away, Jennifer's mother Pat burst into tears and a member of the jury also began to cry. Huge search

Jennifer had left her home to cycle a short distance away to meet a friend During the course of the five-week trial, the jury heard that Jennifer had left her home to cycle a short distance away to meet a friend. Her red bicycle, which had been a birthday present two weeks earlier, was later found thrown over a hedge close to her home. After a huge search operation, her body was found at McKee's Dam near Hillsborough, six days after she disappeared. In August 1981, Black was working as a delivery driver for a London-based poster company. The prosecution said this role brought him to the Lisburn area on 12 August, the day Jennifer went missing. Abducted He stopped Jennifer before she reached her friend's house, abducted her, sexually assaulted her and killed her before dumping her body at McKee's Dam. He had always denied killing her. During his trial it was revealed that he had been convicted of several similar crimes. In 1982, he abducted and murdered 11-year-old Susan Maxwell from the village of Cornhill-on-Tweed, close to the border between Scotland and England. Like Jennifer, Susan was sexually assaulted and her body dumped close to a lay-by. A year later, Caroline Hogg disappeared from outside her home in the seaside resort of Portabello, just outside Edinburgh. Ten days later, the five-year-old was found dead in a ditch in Leicestershire. A third girl, 10-year-old Sarah Harper, was abducted as she walked from a corner shop near her home in Morley, Leeds. Robert Black had a history of sexually abusing and murdering children She was murdered by Black and her body discovered in the River Trent in Nottingham. Black, who is originally from Scotland, was caught after abducting a six-year-old girl in Stow in the Scottish borders in 1990, nine years after Jennifer's murder. He had been spotted and was caught a short time later with the girl trussed up in a sleeping bag in the back of his van. He was given a life sentence for abduction and in 1994 was convicted for the murders of Susan, Caroline and Sarah.

Frank Moore jailed for Stewart Taylor murder

Frank More

A man who attacked his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend in a jealous rage in Edinburgh has been jailed for life. Frank Moore, 43, must serve at least 22 years for killing Stewart Taylor and leaving Lynsey Methven for dead in the city's Grange area on 7 February. Last month he was found guilty of the murder of Mr Taylor and attempted murder of Ms Methven, 31. Police said the "horrific attack" came after Moore had stalked and threatened the couple over a number of weeks. He was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh. Moore had denied the charges and claimed he had an alibi. Mr Taylor, 34, was originally from Aberdeen. Ms Methven said after the verdict: "Everyone keeps asking me how I feel, nothing I can say would ever be enough. "Stewart and I were happy together and now he's gone. "No amount of time that he spends in jail would ever be enough." She added: "I would like to thank the police officers that have helped to put this case together and all the support they have given me and my family." The father of Stewart Taylor, murdered by stalker Frank Moore, says hanging should be brought back Derek Alexander, Stewart Taylor's father, said: "It's been a real tragedy. "It is his mother and his brothers who I really feel sorry for now. "They are finding it very hard to cope, as am I. "It think it has been a case of him being at the wrong place at the wrong time. "He should have got more, they should bring back hanging." Moore had stalked the couple over a period of weeks, subjecting them to intimidation and threats that culminated in an attack at a flat in Chalmers Crescent. He inflicted severe injuries on both victims, leaving them unconscious, before fleeing the property. Stewart Taylor

Stewart Taylor was attacked in a flat in the Grange The couple were discovered by firefighters who had been called to deal with a blaze that had broken out in the flat following the attack. Stewart Taylor died of his injuries shortly after, and Frank Moore was arrested the following day, in Bothwell Street, Edinburgh. Stephen McGowan, district procurator fiscal for Edinburgh, said: "Frank Moore engaged in an obsessive and malicious campaign of harassment directed at his former girlfriend Lynsey Methven, who had ended their relationship. "That culminated in him committing a sustained assault of extreme brutality on his two victims. "He killed Stewart Taylor and left Lynsey Methven with permanent injuries. "He demonstrated an utter disregard for human life. "I hope that today's sentences will provide some comfort to Lynsey Methven and the family of Stewart Taylor." Lisney Methven

Lynsey Methven told the court she had no recollection of what happened in the flat Passing sentence judge Lord Pentland told Moore: "You have been convicted of the depraved and brutal murder of Mr Stewart Taylor and of the attempted murder of your former partner, Ms Lynsey Methven. "The motive appears to have been jealousy and hatred towards the couple. "Ms Methven no longer wanted to be associated with you, but you pursued and harassed her in defiance of her wishes. "She and Mr Taylor sought only the chance to develop their relationship with one another. "This you were unwilling, or unable, to tolerate." Det Supt Allan Jones, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "Nothing can undo the anguish that Frank Moore has caused to Stewart Taylor's family, and to Lynsey Methven, and it is testament to their character that they have conducted themselves with courage and dignity during what has been a harrowing ordeal for them. "It is my sincere hope that today's sentence will provide them with some form of closure, and our thoughts are with them for the future."

NDLEA intercepts 316.65kg of cannabis in a Govt vehicle

NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade

The Lagos State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a vehicle carrying 316.65kg of cannabis on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.
The drug was being conveyed in a Hilux vehicle carrying a government inscription. It was not immediately clear if the inscription wasfake or genuine.The vehicle was impounded and its occupants arrested.
The suspects, two women and a man, were travelling to Lagos from Owo in Ondo State.
They are Mr. Olasupo Taofeeq Olabode (31), a driver; Mrs. Rose Ossai (39); and Mrs. Grace Adejo (40).
Lagos NDLEA Commander Aliyu Sule said: “This group, made up of suspected women cannabis merchants and two drivers, specialise in inter-state distribution of cannabis.
“They operate cleverly and smoothly, using official vehicles as a cover. We got the information and have been working hard to arrest them. We must work hard to make Lagos drug-free.”
Aliyu said three members of the group, one driver and two women, are still at large.
The suspects have confessed to the crime.
Olabode said Ogidan Kayode, the driver of the official vehicle, introduced him to the business.
He said: “My daughter was ill and I needed N6,000 for her treatment. I met my colleague, Ogidan Kayode, for help and he promised to assist. He later drove his official vehicle to my house in Akure, the Ondo State capital, and told me to convey cannabis from Owo to Lagos. That was how I got involved. All I wanted was to take care of my sick child, but unfortunately, we were arrested.”
Mrs. Ossai, a Lagos resident, said: “I was told that there is much profit in hemp sale. I entered into the trade because I wanted to pay my rent. I am a divorcee with four children. I sell kerosene and drinks; I beg for pardon in the interest of my children. This is my first time.”
Mrs. Adejo said: “I am a widow with two children. This is my second trip to Owo to buy cannabis. I have realised my mistake and pray for mercy because of my children. I used to sell clothes in Jos, the Plateau State capital, to sustain my family after the death of my husband. “Unfortunately, I lost my shop and everything to the Jos crisis and relocated to Lagos, where I was lured into the cannabis trade.”
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Ahmadu Giade said the use of government vehicles to convey drugs is an indication of the desperation of drug barons.
Giade said: “This is worrisome, because these are mothers distributing cannabis to other people’s children. I urge the public to report suspected cases of drug trafficking to the agency. The consequences of these drugs on the society are grave. Drug barons are constantly looking for who they will engage in their illicit trade and it is wise not to yield to their deception

Woman gives birth to monster in Iyin Ekiti

middle-aged woman (names withheld) has been delivered of a headless baby at a general hospital in Iyin-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
An official of the hospital, who did not want his name in print, said the woman gave birth to the monster through caesarean operation at about 2.15pm last Thursday.
The Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Wole Olugboji, confirmed the incident yesterday.

He said, “There was a woman who gave birth to a baby without a head at the General Hospital, Iyin. The baby is dead but the mother is okay.”

According to him, the woman never saw the baby (as she was still under sedation) till it was disposed of to save the parents from embarrassment.
It was learnt that the father of the baby was in the delivery room, and he approved of the quick burial of the monster.

The strange creature had two bulging eyes (almost like frogs’) and few strands of hair on what looked like its forehead.

A source at the hospital described it thus: “The baby did not have a brain. His head was open at the back and you could see mucus inside the head, instead of brain. It was strange nobody in the hospital had seen such a baby before.”

He further told the Nigerian Compass that the strange creature was very small at birth; and that the delivery was abnormal as the fluid drained from the mother’s body was more than the normal quantity.

The woman was said to have gone for series of scan tests in some private hospitals where she was told that she was going to have a set of twins; but officials of the General Hospital at Iyin told her she was carrying only one fetus and that it was headless.

Though it could not be ascertained what led to the abnormal creature, some believed the baby must have been deformed due to the effects of some drugs or herbs.

“That is why we always ask pregnant women not to take any drugs unless they were prescribed by doctors. We can’t also rule it out that the deformity might have been caused by concoction. It is possible,” a medical staff in the hopital said.
culled from Nigerian Compass

Mudered NTA Reporter was a spy- BOKO HARAM

weekend murder of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) cameraman and reporter, Zakariyya Isa, the first such attack targeting the media. Isa was shot dead Saturday evening in front of his house shortly after leaving a mosque in Maiduguri, where Boko Haram has carried out most of its attacks.

“Zakariyya was not killed in error,” said the emailed statement from Abul Qaqa, who claimed to speak on behalf of the sect a number of times in the past.

“We killed him because he was spying on us for Nigerian security authorities. The killing was carefully planned and executed.
“We have ample evidence … that he was giving vital information to security agencies on our mode of operation that led to the arrest of many of our members.”

There was, however, no evidence that the journalist had acted as an informant, and both his network and the secret police strongly denied the claim.

The statement, written in the Hausa language, said Boko Haram “killed him not because he was a journalist but for his personal misconduct”.

It added that the sect would not hesitate to “kill anybody that steps on our toes”.

The NTA manager in Maiduguri said he had “no reason to believe that he (Isa) was working as a spy for the security agencies.
“Zakariyya Isa was a dedicated and loyal staff,” said Daniya Mohammed.

“He was a kind of person who could not hurt a fly. I was therefore shocked and sad when I learnt that he had been killed by some gunmen.”

Marilyn Ogar, a spokeswoman for the State Security Service (SSS), said Isa had not worked as an informant on her agency’s behalf.

Boko Haram has been blamed for scores of bomb blasts and shootings, mainly in the North-East. It also claimed responsibility for the August 26 bombing of UN headquarters in the capital Abuja that killed at least 24 people.

Abducted oil workers regain freedom

Nig NAVY on Patrol

Two oil workers abducted by unidentified gunmen at the Qua Iboe oil fields operated by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited have regained their freedom, security sources said on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that armed men attacked a fuel supply vessel at an offshore location within the company's oil block on September 30, abducting the captain and injuring a crew member.
A similar attack on October 17 led to the abduction of another captain of a vessel named `MV Wilbert Tide'.
The security sources at the Qua Iboe crude export terminal told NAN that the two captains regained their freedom last weekend, but declined to state if any ransom was paid to secure their release.
``The captain of MV Wilbert Tide, Mr. Huque, a Bangladeshi national and his Nigerian counterpart, whose name could not be ascertained, were released at Ibaka brigde from where they made contact.
``The Bangladeshi captain contacted diplomats from his country who facilitated his return to his home country to meet his family and relatives,'' an anonymous security source said.
Mobil's Public Affairs Manager, Mr. Nigel Cookey-Gam, confirmed the release of the contract workers in a telephone chat with NAN on Wednesday.
``Reports from our contractors indicate that the abducted captains have regained their freedom and re-united with their families,'' Cookey-Gam said.