Trial of Norwegian mass killer Anders Breivik begins in Oslo

THE trial of Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik has begun in Oslo, with the 33-year-old - who admits killing 77 people in last July's attacks - expected to plead not guilty, claiming he carried out the killings in "preventative self-defence".
He made a far-right salute to the courtroom after his handcuffs were taken off before lead judge Wenche Elizabeth Arntzen opened the proceedings.
Breivik then told Ms Arntzen he did not recognise the court, as it supports multiculturalism, and he also objected to her as judge.
When asked if he was unemployed, Breivik said he was a writer and worked from prison.
A police convoy believed to be transporting the gunman, arrived at the courthouse shortly before the trial commenced.
The convoy, including a grey van escorted by motorcycles and an unmarked police car, entered an underground parking lot at the courthouse, an AFP journalist at the scene reported.
Heavy security was in place for the trial, the biggest in post-war Norway, which has sparked massive worldwide interest with hundreds of journalists accredited.

German couple looses bid to sustain incestous relationship through court action

Patrick Stuebing and Susan Karolewski

A brother and sister from Germany who had an incestuous relationship, arguing they had the right to a family life, have lost their European court case.
Patrick Stuebing and Susan Karolewski had four children together, two of whom are described as disabled.
The European Court of Human Rights said Germany was entitled to ban incest.
Stuebing, who was convicted of incest and spent three years in prison, did not meet his natural sister until he tracked down his family as an adult.
He had been adopted as a child and only made contact with his natural relatives in his 20s.
The siblings grew close after their mother died. Three of their four children are now looked after in care.
The couple insist that their love is no different to any other.
The law against incest is based partly on the increased likelihood of disabled children being produced by the union.
Two of the couple's children do have disabilities.
However, their lawyer argued that there is also a greater risk when disabled people have children, or with older women, but such circumstances are not banned.
Stuebing claimed his rights to private and family life had been violated.
But the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said the German prohibition of incest for brothers and sisters does not violate the fundamental right to protection of family life.
It noted that German courts did not convict Stuebing's sister because she has a personality disorder and was "only partially liable" for her actions.

Bribery Scam: ACN asks National Assembly to impeach Jonathan

Jonathan

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has asked the National Assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against President Goodluck Jonathan, having admitted openly that he solicited a bribe from a foreign construction company, in violation of the Constitution that he swore to uphold.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said commencing the impeachment proceedings will enable the National Assembly to investigate the matter and also reach the appropriate conclusions, since the President, by his own admission and without any prompting, has thumbed his nose at the Constitution.
''To know the gravity of the President's self admission of soliciting the church 'gift' from the Managing Director of Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited (GCG), one needs to understand Section 6 of the Code of Conduct for Public officers embodied in the First Schedule of the 1999 Constitution and the Code of Conduct and Tribunal Act (CAP C15) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
''The Act states: 'A public officer shall not ask for or accept any property or benefits of any kind for himself or any other person on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties. For the purposes of subsection (1) of this subsection, the receipt by a public officer of any gifts or benefits from commercial firms, business enterprises or persons who have contracts with the Government shall be presumed to have been received in contravention…unless the contrary is proved',” it said.
ACN said by his improper and unfortunate action, the President has also undermined the country's fight against corruption and put Nigeria's democracy in jeopardy, hence must not be allowed to get away with such an egregious act.
''Gitto has obtained billions of contracts from the Nigerian government, amid reported allegations in the media that it has not executed such contracts well. How can the federal government hold the company to account, when it (firm) has obtained an ''insurance cover'' by bribing the President? Is this not why the country's anti-corruption efforts have not achieved anything? Can the EFCC and the ICPC honestly and boldly fight corruption when the President is knee-deep in the mud of corruption?'' it queried.

Gates gives $12million grant to boost yam production in West Africa

Bill Gates

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave a $12-million (nine-million-euro) grant Monday to a project aimed at boosting yam production and doubling the income of west African farmers of the crop.
It is the foundation's largest grant for yam production anywhere in the world, said a spokesman of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria's southwest city of Ibadan.
The project's initial focus is on 200,000 smallholder farm families in Ghana and Nigeria, 90 percent of whom cultivate less than two acres, the institute said in a statement.
Yam, a tuber plant, is a staple food in many tropical countries and provides the most important source of dietary calories in Nigeria and Ghana.
But a variety of pests and diseases have dramatically reduced harvests.
"Most farmers cultivate yams mainly for household consumption, but if we can increase yields, while also improving marketing conditions, then many of these farmers should be able to earn a steady income from growing yams," institute director general Nteranya Sanginga said.

Boy sentenced 16 year jail term for murdering his mother

Daniel Bartlam

A 14-year-old boy who murdered his mother with a hammer and set her body on fire has been jailed for 16 years.
Daniel Bartlam had denied murder but admitted killing his mother, Jacqueline Bartlam, following a row in the middle of the night.
During cross-examination, he was asked what he had done and the teenager replied: "I killed her, basically". He said the killing was not murder because he had been provoked and had lost control.
The prosecution said the victim's body was padded with paper, covered in petrol and set on fire at her home in 2011.
The jury was told violent TV clips had been found on Daniel's computer.
At Nottingham Crown Court, the judge said that after viewing psychiatric reports, the teenager should be detained for a minimum of 16 years.
Reporting restrictions preventing identification of the boy were lifted following his sentencing.
culled from BBC

Nigerian Arch Bishop docked for fraud

Archbishop John Obiokeke

A cleric, Archbishop John Obiokeke of God’s Pentecostal Mission (GPM) has been arraigned in Lagos High Court, Ikeja in Nigeria for allegedly stealing landed property from members of his Church.
The Economic and Financial Crime commission (EFCC) slammed a nine-count charge on the cleric after investigating a petition brought against him by directors of Immortal Impex Limited, the victims of his alleged fraudulent activities.

According to the charge preferred against Archbishop Okeke, he allegedly stole a parcel of land, known as Plot “H1” along 2nd Avenue, Festac town with reference No. FHA/EST/33 dated February 18, 1993, property of Immortal Impex Limited.

As Obiokeke was brought in the dock spoting his usual black atop a black pair of trousers, he appeared shell-shocked as the court registrar reeled out his alleged crimes. EFCC counsel, Ben Obi alleged that the accused forged several documents and signatories of the directors of Immortal Impex to perpetrate the fraudulent act.

According to the prosecution, Obiokeke fraudulently converted plot “H1” allocated by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) to Immortal Impex Limited with reference No. FHA/EST/33 and dated February 18, 1993 to his personal use. Besides, the prosecution alleged that the accused in order to perfect the nefarious act, forged a document entitled ‘Request for Change of Ownership” dated September 13, 2005 addressed to the general manager FHA, Abuja through the Zonal Manager FHA, Festac town, Lagos on false pretence that it was written by the two directors of Immortal Impex Limited, Ignatious Ozurumba and Augustin Agumadu.

The defendant according to EFCC forged a “Deed of Assignment” purportedly executed between Immortal Impex Limited (assignor) and Chief Ugochukwu Ezemedolu and three others trustees and representatives of Mainland Motorcycle and Spare Parts Dealers Association (Assignee) dated 2004, and prepared by Mike Enendu and Co. Both Ozurumba and Agumadu of Immortal Impex Limited were purported to have executed the deed on behalf of the company.

The prosecution alleged the defendant obtained the sum of N7 million from the trustees and representatives of Mainland Motorcycle and Spare Parts Dealers Association under false pretence that it was the cost price of the parcel of land.

The defendant in order to hoodwink his victims, allegedly impersonated Immortal Impex Limited by presenting himself as the owner of the property in a letter dated June 30, 2004, sent to the zonal manager of FHA, Festac town, Lagos in which he requested for certified true copy of the letter of allocation in respect of the parcel of land.
To perfect the fraudulent deal, the archbishop allegedly went to court and falsely deposed to an affidavit that the original allocation paper in respect of the land had been lost.

Although, the embattled cleric pleaded not guilty to the nine-count charge, he was sent to Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Lagos as attempt to move oral application for his bail was rebuffed by the prosecutor.
culled from SUN

Indian woman gets $10,000 reward for toilet protest

An Indian woman, Anita Narre who forced her husband to build a toilet in their home has been presented with a cheque for $10,000 (£6,000) by a campaign group.
Anita Narre left husband Shivram's home in the State of Madhya Pradesh two days after their marriage in May last year and returned eight days later after Shivram, a casual labourer, built one with his savings and neighbours' help.
Last week the Indian census revealed that more Indians own mobile phones than have toilets in their homes.
The reward was given to Anita by Sulabh International, a non-governmental organisation that promotes sanitation, for her "bold decision" to stand up for her dignity.
The cheque was presented to Anita by Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh.
Her stand has led to more toilets being built in her village of Ratanpur. Out of 157 houses in the village, 100 have built toilets since her protest. She gave credit to her husband who accepted and acted on her demand.
The couple is expecting their first child in June.
More than half-a-billion Indians still lack access to basic sanitation. According to figures in the latest Indian census, only 46.9% of the 246.6 million households have lavatories while 49.8% defecate in the open. The remaining 3.2% use public toilets. It also revealed that 63.2% of homes have a telephone.
But under new laws in some States, people's representatives are obliged to construct a flush toilet in their own home within a year of being elected. Those who fail to do so face dismissal.The laws have been introduced as part of the "sanitation for all" drive by the Indian government.
The programme aims to eradicate the practice of open defecation, which is common in rural and poor urban areas of India.Special funds are made available for people to build toilets to promote hygiene and eradicate the practice of faeces collection.
Culled from BBC

ECOWAS gives Malian Army 72hrs ultimatum to relinquish power

President Amadou Toumani Toure

West African nations have given the leaders of the coup in Mali 72 hours to relinquish power or face sanctions.
The regional body Ecowas said the proposed measures included closing land borders and freezing Mali's assets, denying Mali access to their ports, and there would be no transfers to commercial banks in Mali from the regional central bank based in Senegal since Mali is one of eight West African countries which use a common currency - the CFA franc.
The leaders met in Ivory Coast, after earlier plans for talks with the coup leaders in the Malian capital, Bamako failed because the coup supporters occupied the airport's runway.
There has been no official reaction to the deadline from Mali's military rulers while many Malians are upset that after 20 years of democracy, the army is once more in charge.
The coup leaders have unveiled a new constitution as well as announcing elections in which those who took part in the coup would be barred from standing. However, no date has yet been fixed.
The coup was led by soldiers unhappy with the way President Amadou Toumani Toure's government had been handling a Tuareg insurgency in the north.
The Tuareg rebels have forced the army out of several northern towns in recent months and on Thursday attacked the town of Kidal.
Under the new constitution, a transitional committee composed of 26 members of the security forces and 15 civilians would take power and those who serve on the committee will be given immunity from prosecution.
Some of the document is similar to Mali's current constitution, including guarantees of freedom of speech, thought and movement.
Meanwhile, Mr Toure, the ousted president, said on Wednesday that he remained in the country, free and in good health.
Culled from BBC

Face transplant by US surgeons attracts global attention

A man who was given a face transplant after living for 15 years as a recluse is recovering well, US doctors say.
Richard Lee Norris is beginning to feel his face and is already brushing his teeth and shaving, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Last week he was given what physicians say is the most extensive face transplant ever carried out, including new teeth, nose, tongue and jaw.
He has also regained his sense of smell, his doctors say.

Richard Norris before and after the transplant

The 37-year-old cut himself off from the rest of the world and wore a mask whenever he went outside after suffering horrific injuries in a gun accident.
The surgery was funded by the US Navy, which hopes the techniques will help casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Surgeons who carried out the 36-hour operation said it was part of a series of transplant operations lasting 72 hours, using organs from one donor in five patients, including Mr Norris.
He lost his lips and nose in the accident, and only had limited movement of his mouth.
Lead surgeon Eduardo Rodriguez said Mr Norris would now get his life back.
"Our goal is to restore function as well as have aesthetically pleasing results," he said.
The US government estimates that 200 wounded troops might be eligible for face transplants.
The first face transplant was performed in France in 2005 on a woman who was mauled by her dog.
In 2010 surgeons in Spain carried out the world's first full-face transplant

Nigerian Senate calls for military action against the coupists in Mali

Nigerian Senate President, David Mark

The Nigerian Senate, yesterday, urged President Goodluck Jonathan and other African leaders to take military action against the junta in Mali if they fail to immediately restore the democratically elected government of President Amadou Toure.
It also resolved to urge the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS; United Nations, UN and the African Union, AU to immediately impose sanctions on Mali if the mutineers fail to restore democracy.
Senate President, David Mark, condemning the mutiny in Mali following a motion moved by Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, maintained that the coup plotters must be chased out of power.
He said: “Clearly, we need to show leadership and it is not just leadership by words but leadership by deeds and if we are able to put together ECOWAS even though we are not in government now, to come out in whatever way to let the Malians know that we cannot fold our hands and allow non-democratic government to come to power through whatever means, then we should be able to do it. It is important that we make that very clear to them.
“It is true that coup used to be infectious in those days, but then it was the order of the day then. Every country in Africa was finding its military in governance, but I think they have since learnt their lesson that it is not the order of the day anymore. It is an aberration now, not just a mere aberration. If it happened, it must be condemned and if possible, they will be asked to go and if they do not go on their own, they will be forced to leave the scene.
“We should start the campaign to warn the Malians that if they do not, we put the whole of ECOWAS together and if it becomes necessary, intervene to help the ordinary Malian in the street to restore Toure because he has only one month to go. Nobody can actually understand the haste that the military cannot wait any longer. It simply does not make sense. Those who have come in, whether mutineers or coupist, should be told in clear terms that we will not allow it.”
Senators react – Senators, during consideration of the motion, condemned the military takeover and called for urgent return of democracy in Mali.
Senators Abdul Ningi, PDP, Bauchi;, James Manager, PDP, Delta; Ganiyu Solomon and Buka Abba Ibrahim, ANPP, Yobe advised that military action be taken against the coup plotters if they did not restore President Toure to power.
Senator Ningi in his contribution stressed that military action should be taken by African countries to discourage further coups in the continent, saying: “What is important is for Nigeria to draw lesson from what happened in Mali. We must get involved both democratically and militarily. That is what America does.”
But Senators Ahmed Makarfi, PDP, Kaduna, and Sani Saleh, CPC, Kaduna called for caution, pointing out that Nigerian military is over stretched at the moment due to internal insecurity challenges.
Saleh said: “I want to caution that the Nigerian military is over-stretched in internal security, let us not hastily engage them.”

Nigerian Security forces intensifies search for missing German

Edgar Fritz Raupach

Security agents in Nigeria are battling to locate the whereabouts of a German, Edgar Fritz Raupach, who is believed to have been taken hostage by members of the Al-Quaeda, the dreaded Islamic sect in whose custody two foreigners died three weeks ago.
Raupach, who works with Dantata and Sawoe, was abducted from one of the company's road building projects on a bridge on the outskirts of the city since January 26.
A source, who pleaded not to be named because of the “sensitivity” of the matter, said: “The agencies are investigating the claim of al-Qaeda links with the kidnapped German in Kano and the swap demand for a woman who is said to be held in a prison in Germany.”

A purported spokesman of Al Qaeda later said the group was responsible for the kidnap and the group is now demanding that German authorities should release a Muslim woman, Oum Seif Allah Al Ansari, who they said was being subjected to inhumane treatment in a German prison.

The kidnap of Raupach has led to a manhunt mounted by a combined team of security operatives in the country.
The police said they had no immediate "clear suspicions" as to who were behind the kidnap.

However, AQIM, based in North Africa, last Wednesday, declared that it was responsible for the abduction.

US teenager bags life imprisonment for racial murder

A white Mississippi teenager,Deryl Dedmon has pleaded guilty to fatally running over a man with a truck because he was black, and received a life prison sentence for a crime the presiding judge said left "a great stain" on the southern State.
Deryl Dedmon, 19, received two concurrent life sentences for the racially motivated murder of 49-year-old James Craig Anderson, who died after being beaten and mowed down in a motel parking lot last year, reports Reuters.

Dedmon's admission that he killed Anderson because of his race doubled the teen's penalty under the state's hate crime statute.
"I was young, I was dumb, I was ignorant," Dedmon said during his court hearing in Jackson. "I was full of hatred."
The sentencing came as the shooting death of a black teenager by a neighbourhood watch captain in Florida has again put a national spotlight on the issue of members of minority groups being targeted due to the colour of their skin.
Anderson, a Nissan auto worker, was alone and returning to his car before dawn on June 26 when he was confronted by a group of white teenagers in a motel parking lot.
The teens had been drinking at a birthday party and drove to Jackson specifically to harass and assault African-Americans, whom they referred to by a derogatory name, Hinds County Assistant District Attorney Scott Rogillio said.
Dedmon and others had gone to Jackson in previous weeks with the same intent, the prosecutor said.
Dedmon and at least one other person in the group punched Anderson before Dedmon deliberately ran over him with the teen's Ford F-250 truck, Rogillio said. Anderson died at the scene.
Dedmon yelled "white power" during the attack, Rogillio said. A hotel security camera captured video of the incident.
"You have admitted killing a man simply because of his race," Circuit Court Judge Jeff Weill Sr. said. "Your prejudice has brought shame upon you and placed a great stain on the state of Mississippi."
Mississippi has a long legacy of racial discrimination and was a focal point of civil rights activity during the 1960s and since. The racist Ku Klux Klan was prominent in the state for decades and remnants of the group remain.
"Know that this craven act isn't who we are," the judge said, addressing those in the courtroom. "We can say this now. Maybe there was a time when we couldn't."
Dedmon apologized to Anderson's family members, who have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the group of white teens over the attack but asked prosecutors not to seek the death penalty for Dedmon because they oppose capital punishment.
Another teen, John Aaron Rice, has been charged with simple assault, and the investigation into the case continues on the state and federal levels, Rogillio told Reuters.
"We expect more charges coming in the near future," Rogillio said, declining to offer further details.

Terror suspects escape from Kirkuk prison in Iraq

Iraqi Minister of Interior, Jawad al-Bolani

At least seventeen prisoners have escaped from a jail in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk.
They included members of al-Qaeda and fighters from a Salafist group blamed for attacks on American and Iraqi troops.
The men used a rope made of blankets to lower themselves out of a small window during the night.
A local politician said there had been "very clear negligence" on the part of the prison guards.
Iraq's security forces are now searching for the men, and extra patrols have been deployed in and around the city. At least one suspect has been detained.
Police in the city say the men escaped in the early hours of the morning by removing a ventilation grille in a bathroom.
One report suggests they drugged guards with tranquilisers hidden in dates, but a provincial councillor has claimed the guards assisted with the escape.
The men were being held in a jail in central Kirkuk which is mainly used to house detainees awaiting trial, but they included two men who have been convicted of murder.
Kirkuk was one of several Iraqi cities targeted by bombers earlier this week.
At least 38 people were killed in a wave of co-ordinated attacks across the country.

Nigerian Court orders plaintiff to bring oracle to court for oath-swearing

A Customary Court sitting in Ijebu-ode yesterday has ordered one Mr. Adewale to bring an oracle with which he administered an oath on his wife 12 years ago and swear by same oracle within the court room.
The judge took this decision after the accused, Mrs. Seinab Adebayo told the court that she was made to swear an oath to keep the secret that her husband was not the biological father of their 3 children, adding that it was a deal between the two of them.

Mrs. Seinab Adebayo who is pregnant, told the court that her husband was also not responsible for the pregnancy,
Mr. Adewale, who is the plaintiff, had early this month, dragged his wife to court for packing out of his house with their three children without his consent.
But the wife said she packed out of the house because her husband, whom she said got married to her 12 years ago, was not the biological father of the children and was not responsible for the pregnancy.
Seinab however, told the court that she could not reveal the details of the secret until her husband brought the oracle with which they swore the oath to court to release her from it. In her words, “I cannot give the details of the secret of who the real father of the children is until I am released from the oath. I will urge the court to order my husband to bring the oracle with which we swore the oath to court and release me from it before I can reveal the secret.”
Her husband, who did not deny the allegation, insisted that he was the biological father of the children.
Delivering his ruling on the matter, the court’s President, Mr. Olatunji Kanimodo, ordered Adewale to bring the oracle with which they swore to an oath to the court in the next adjourned date. Kanimodo stated that the order was imperative for the court to get the full details of the case, and adjourned the case to April 27.
culled from News Agency of Nigeria

Military takes over government in Mali

President Amadou Toumani Toure of Mali

Rebel troops have appeared on Malian State TV to announce that they have seized control of the country, hours after attacking the presidential palace.
The soldiers said a nationwide curfew was in force and that the constitution had been suspended.
The troops, who staged a mutiny on Wednesday, say the government is not giving them enough arms to tackle a rebellion by ethnic Tuaregs.
A presidential election was due to take place in the country in just under a month and the government had so far refused to postpone the poll, despite the unrest involving Tuareg-led rebels.
West African regional body Ecowas has condemned the actions of the troops.
In a statement, it said it had followed the situation with "dismay and mounting concern", describing the behaviour of the mutinous soldiers as "reprehensible" and "misguided".
Mutiny leader, Capt Amadou Sanogo has imposed a national curfew following anger among troops at the government's handling of a Tuareg rebellion in the north. The whereabouts of President Amadou Toumani Toure are unknown and a number of ministers have been arrested.

Mutiny leader, Capt Amadou Sanogo

A spokesman for the renegade soldiers, identified as Lt Amadou Konare, said they had ended the "incompetent regime" of President Amadou Toumani Toure. Lt Konare condemned the "inability" of the government to "fight terrorism", and said the soldiers would look to hand over to a democratically elected government.
So far, there has not yet been any reaction from President Toure to the announcement.
The BBC reporter who captured the event said it was not clear whether the mutinous soldiers, up to 15 of whom were seen on screen, have complete control of the presidential palace or have the support of all the Malian forces.
He said Mali has had democratic rule for the last 20 years, during which it has come to be seen as a model which other emerging democracies can look, adding that an elite force known as the Red Berets could still be loyal to President Toure
The Kenyan government said its foreign minister, Moses Wetangula, and three officials accompanying him are safe in their Bamako hotel after being stranded in Mali.
They were in the country to attend an African Union meeting.
The unrest began on Wednesday as the country's defence minister started a tour of military barracks north of the capital.
Soldiers fired in the air during the inspection, prompting an immediate strengthening of security around the presidential palace.
Troops are upset with the government's handling of a Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country, and are also reportedly opposed to any potential talks with the rebels.
There was heavy gunfire in Bamako throughout Wednesday, and armoured vehicles had moved in to protect the presidential palace. Gunshots reportedly continued to ring out overnight.
A member of the presidential guard described the fighting to AFP.
Residents in Bamako said soldiers were firing into the air overnight in celebration
"We are in control of the presidential palace. People are shooting towards us and we are returning fire," he said.
In the northern town of Gao, young recruits were said to have begun rioting at a military base, according to the Associated Press news agency.
Both the US and France have urged the soldiers and government to resolve their dispute through peaceful means.
The Tuaregs have forced the army out of several northern towns in recent months.

$12.4bn oil windfall: Court fixes April 27 for ruling on Okigbo report

Nigeria Attorney-General, Mohammed Adoke

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja today fixed April 27 to deliver judgement in a suit seeking to compel the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to disclose how the $12.4 billion oil windfall money that accrued to the Federal Government between 1988 and 1994, was spent.

The suit was instituted before the High Court by six civil society groups led by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009.

The other plaintiffs in the suit are: Women Advocates and Documentation Centre (WARDC); Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Access to Justice (AJ); Partnership for Justice, and Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR).

Though the judgment has been stalled since last year when hearing was concluded on the matter, however, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, today, ordered all the parties to appear on the next adjourned date to re-adopt their processes to enable him to give verdict on the case.

Specifically, the plaintiffs asked the court for “an order of mandamus compelling the respondents, individually and/or collectively, to publish detailed statement of account relating to the spending of $12.4 billion oil windfall between 1988 and 1994, and to publish in major national newspapers a copy of the statement of account.”

It would be recalled that in 1994, the Federal Government constituted the Pius Okigbo Panel with a mandate to investigate the activities of the CBN and recommend measures for the re-organization of the apex bank.

In the course of its assignment, the Okigbo Panel reportedly uncovered that about $12.4 billion that was reserved in the ‘Dedicated and Special Accounts’, was depleted to $200 million by June 1994.

Consequent upon the alleged mismanagement of the said $12.4 billion by the then military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, the investigative Panel, recommended an immediate discontinuance of the said ‘Dedicated and Special Accounts’.

In their suit however, the plaintiffs further pleaded the court to order the respondents to not only prosecute anyone indicted by the report, but to also recoup the money from them and return same to the national treasury.

Besides, they also sought for an order directing the respondents to provide adequate reparation, which may take the form of restitution, compensation, satisfaction or guarantees of non-repetition to millions of Nigerians that had been denied their human rights as a result of the respondents’ failure and/or negligence to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of $12.4 billion oil windfall between 1988 and 1994.

The duo preliminary objections that were raised against the suit by both the AGF and the CBN, the respondents pleaded the court to dismiss the suit on the premise that the plaintiffs were bereft of the locus-standi to approach the court for such reliefs as sought by them.

The CBN insisted that the suit was non justiceable, contending that it was not covered under the fundamental rights provisions of sections 33-46 of the 1999 Constitution.

The duo urged the court to reject the Okigbo panel report, saying it was not admissible in law considering that it was not published in a gazette, neither was an official white paper issued on it.

In the court today, the duo equally posited that they could not find the Okigbo report, and had no duty to render account on the spending of the accrued revenue.

The judge therefore postponed its ruling till April 27, 2012.

Trial of ex-ICJ judge opens in Madagascar

Raymond Ranijeva

A former judge on the UN's highest court went on trial in Madagascar Monday on charges of complicity in a coup plot.
Raymond Ranjeva denies any involvement in the alleged plot to unseat strongman Andry Rajoelina, who seized power in a coup in March 2009.
In November 2010, while the Indian Ocean island was voting in a constitutional referendum, a group of some 20 officers announced they were "suspending government institutions" and said a military committee would run the country.
Three days later, the armed forces put an end to the mutiny by storming the barracks where they were holed up.
A document dividing up missions for the mutiny was allegedly discovered in Ranjeva's home during a police search.
"Professor Raymond Ranjeva has always denied any connection to these events," his lawyer Andre Randranto said at the start of the trial.
Ranjeva, 70, is a former rector of Antananarivo university and was vice president of the International Court of Justice, which settles disputes between nations.
He returned to Madagascar in 2010 and openly declared his opposition to Rajoelina's rule.

Oil Spillage: Court orders Shell to N4bn to 5 Communities in Imo State

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has awarded N4 billion as general damages against Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), in favour of five communities in Imo State for a crude oil spill that occurred in 1997.
A Shell pipeline which ruptured along the Egbema-Assa delivery line, had large volume of crude oil beneath the surface until the soil became saturated, and with rising water levels, oil was carried to the surface, destroying swamps, streams, forest of Umudike, Alimiri Umudike, Ekpe Agah, Ukpazizi Ekpe Mbede and Etekuru communities in Imo State.
Based on this, Chief Sylvester Onyema Esiegwu (Eze-Ali Umudike-Egbema) and 11 other chiefs on behalf of the communities, through their counsel , Mr. Lucius Nwosu (SAN) had filed a suit No.FHC/PH/CS/159/2002, to demand special damages in the sum of N5,408,000.000 as compensation for immediate direct losses to their means of livelihood as assessed by their expert chartered Valuation Surveyors and itemized in their report.
Prior to the suit, a N900 million ex-gratia was made by Shell to the communities, for which they were compelled to sign an undertaking that the full and final settlement for the oil spill had been made.
Justice Gladys Olotu in her judgement, observed that looking at the documents presented by Shell in relation to the agreement, one might be tempted to agree with Shell.
But she stressed that by doing so, the course of justice will not be served.
And based on the fact that the word ex-gratia means favour and not right, Justice Olotu said the agreement with the communities cannot act as bar on their rights to claim adequate compensation.
While looking at the claims for the sum of N5.4 billion in special damages as compensation for the immediate direct losses to their means of livelihood as assessed by their experts, chartered valuation surveyors, the Judge declined to grant this based on the fact that it was not pleaded by the plaintiffs as required by law.
Instead, Justice Olotu ordered Shell to pay the sum of N4 billion as general damages for the indirect economic losses and negative environmental impact the communities suffered, including loss of objects of reverence, totems, historical land marks, air quality and associated fear and forced refugee status.
Shell had in a bid to determine the cause of the spill which occurred on April 29, 1997, constituted a tripartite investigation team made up of 11 persons, five of whom were on its staff, one from the Department of Petroleum Resources, as well four persons from the communities.
In a report which Shell tendered in court as Exhibit 5, it was noted that the spillage incident was as a result of an external corrosion on the pipeline. In course of the trial, Shell presented an amended statement of defence, alleging that the spill was caused by sabotage.
But Nwosu had argued that a graphic examination of the point of rupture and the depth of the pipeline (buried seven metres) will show the impossibility of a saboteur accessing the point to punch the hole standing atop the buried pipeline from the earth’s surface above.
“From the graphic illustration attached, possibility is zero that a saboteur standing on the surface of the earth, using a punch can achieve a punch on the pipeline at an impossible angle such as the 4 o’clock position instead of the 12 o’clock or at the worst 2 o’clock position” he said.
The communities accused Shell of negligence, for failing to realise that the steel pipelines it buried underground in a tropical rain format environment is susceptible to rapid corrosion.

Two Nigerians jailed for £1.7m fraud in London

JOBCENTRE staff swindled £1.7million by hijacking identities and making thousands of false benefit claims, a court has heard.

The Nigerian-born gang are accused of ripping off nearly £900,000 in tax credits over five years by submitting claims using names, dates of births and addresses raided from the Department of Work and Pensions' confidential database.

They are also said to have netted another £820,000 in bogus claims for Sure Start Maternity Grants — a one-off £500 payment to support pregnant women. They backed these claims by forging the signatures of midwives, nurses and doctors, Croydon Crown Court in South London was told. The cash was said to have been paid into accounts they had set up.

Prosecutor Andrew Evans said Anthony Ekajeh, 48, of Rainham, Essex, played a "principal" role in the fraud while an executive officer at the Dagenham JobCentre in East London.

He denies conspiracy to defraud along with Fiayo Akinwumiju, 35, of Coulsdon, Surrey, and Olufemi Kehinde, 47, of Acton, West London, who worked in other branches.

Three others are being tried in their absence and a seventh man admitted three charges at an earlier hearing. The trial continues

Pastor Joachim Gauck elected as Germany's president

Joachim Gauck

A former Lutheran pastor and civil rights activist has been elected as Germany's new president.
Joachim Gauck, from the former East Germany, won 991 votes out of 1,232 at a special assembly of MPs.
The 72-year-old has no party affiliation, but has gained a reputation as an eloquent speaker not afraid to address controversial issues.
He will replace Christian Wulff, who resigned last month in a scandal over financial favours.
Chancellor Angela Merkel had supported Mr Wulff, her ally, against Mr Gauck when they ran against each other for the largely ceremonial role of president in 2010.
This time round she has backed Mr Gauck, although observers say her hand was forced by the liberal Free Democrats, whose support she needs in the coalition government.
By all accounts, Mrs Merkel likes him as a person, the BBC's Stephen Evans in Berlin reports.
The question is, he says, whether Mr Gauck will be too outspoken for her political needs - say during a visit by a dignitary from an oppressive regime.
Our correspondent says the appointment means that the political leader and the head of state of a united Germany both grew up in the old East Germany - something few would once have imagined.
Communist-era crimes
Mr Gauck was elected by an overwhelming majority at the Bundestag on Sunday, easily defeating his main rival - former Nazi hunter and journalist Beate Klarsfeld. She won 126 votes.
Joachim Gauck

• Born in Rostock in 1940
• Became a Lutheran pastor in 1965, when he was forbidden to study other university subjects
• In late 80s, held services which preceded big demonstrations that eventually toppled the regime
• After the wall came down, he headed a probe into the activities of the Stasi, East Germany's secret police
Lawmakers and dignitaries greeted the result with a standing ovation.
"What a beautiful Sunday," Mr Gauck then said, prompting loud cheers in the chamber.
The new president and Mrs Merkel share a similar background.
They were both raised in the East, which disintegrated in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Mrs Merkel is the daughter of a Lutheran pastor, while Mr Gauck is both a pastor himself and the son of a pastor.
Mr Gauck became interested in politics in the East after his father was deported to Siberia for his civil rights activism.
He became a Lutheran pastor after opting to study theology when other university courses were denied him because of his father's dissidence and because he was not a member of the communist youth organisation.
As a pastor, he held services which preceded the demonstrations that eventually toppled the communist government.
After the fall of the wall, Mr Gauck was made head of the body which investigated the activities of the Stasi, the East German secret police - earning the admiration of all but diehard communists for his work in exposing the crimes of the communist era.
In recent years he has concentrated on campaigning against both left and right extremist threats to Germany's democratic system.
Mr Gauck describes himself as a "liberal left conservative", and has expressed support for the policies of both Social-Democrat and Christian-Democrat coalition governments on a non-partisan basis.
A father of four, he is separated from his wife.
His partner since 2000, the journalist Daniela Schadt, will take on the ceremonial duties of First Lady.
culled from BBC