Augustine Osayande
07:00 09/06/2015
Abuja - The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has
commended the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria
(FAAN) for its role in the arrest of a Lebanese drug suspect at the
Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos recently.
The 23-year-old suspect was found in possession of 260 grammes of cocaine.
FAAN
supplied the intelligence report that led to the arrest of the suspect
during the screening of passengers for a Middle East airline outward
bound flight.
NDLEA Head of Public Affairs, Mitchell Ofoyeju,
commended the cordial working relations between the NDLEA and FAAN. He
called for a more synergy among government agencies.
“I
must commend the management of FAAN for the role played in this arrest,
this synergy among government agencies should be fostered in the
interest of national peace and development. A 23-year-old Lebanese has
been apprehended with 260 grammes of cocaine, the drug was hidden inside
his boxer shorts,” Ofoyeju said.
“I am happy that FAAN assisted
us in making this arrest; when the drug was field tested, it proved
positive for cocaine. The suspect holds a dual citizenship of Nigeria
and Lebanon and has travelled to Nigeria from Lebanon six times since
January 2015,” Ofoyeju added.
The agency commander at the Lagos
Airport, Hamza Umar, said the case was still investigated and the
suspect would soon be charged to court for unlawful possession and
exportation of cocaine.
News, Events, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Fashion, Beauty, Inspiration and yes... Gossip! *Wink*
Tuesday, 9 June 2015
Dumped baby: accused mom in court
By: Ingrid Oellermann, The Witness
2015-06-09 10:02
2015-06-09 10:02
Pietermaritzburg - A 29-year-old woman appeared briefly in the
Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday charged with throwing a
newborn baby into a pit toilet at Elandskop at the weekend.
The baby girl was recovered from the pit by a local police team on Saturday after residents heard the baby crying.
The newborn was taken to Grey’s Hospital.
The woman, who allegedly dumped the baby in the toilet and is not being named to protect the identity of the baby, appeared briefly in court and asked for a legal aid representative to be appointed to assist her.
She is facing a charge of attempted murder.
The court was told that at this stage the state was opposed to her release on bail and the case was postponed to June 15 for a possible bail application.
The Witness
The baby girl was recovered from the pit by a local police team on Saturday after residents heard the baby crying.
The newborn was taken to Grey’s Hospital.
The woman, who allegedly dumped the baby in the toilet and is not being named to protect the identity of the baby, appeared briefly in court and asked for a legal aid representative to be appointed to assist her.
She is facing a charge of attempted murder.
The court was told that at this stage the state was opposed to her release on bail and the case was postponed to June 15 for a possible bail application.
The Witness
Somali PM predicts defeat of Shabaab by end of 2015
09:00 09/06/2015
New York - Somalia's prime minister predicted Monday that al-Shabaab extremists will be defeated militarily by the end of the year but he said tackling the root causes that attract young people to the al-Qaeda-linked group will take some time.
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke told reporters after a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council that there may be increased attacks during June when the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins, which al-Shabaab has done in recent years.
But he said the military campaign by Somali and African Union forces has been successful and the Islamic militants now control only 20% of the country.
"We hope that in the coming few months the whole country will be liberated," Sharmake said. "We are really on the verge of defeating them in terms of conventional arms."
He said he looks forward by the end of the year to having all states liberated and stabilisation programs under way in every district to revitalise the economy, establish rule of law, and start educating and providing jobs for young people who now see no other alternative than joining al-Shabaab.
Somalia has been trying to rebuild after establishing its first functioning central government since 1991, when warlords overthrew a longtime dictator and then turned on each other, plunging the impoverished nation into chaos.
The country's weak government is being supported by AU and Somali troops against the al-Shabaab insurgency.
But despite major setbacks in 2014, al-Shabaab continues to wage a deadly insurgency against Somalia's government and remains a threat in the East African region, carrying out a series of deadly terror attacks in neighbouring Kenya which has troops in the AU force fighting the insurgents in Somalia.
"In coming weeks, we're going to go even more forcefully against al-Shabaab," said Ambassador Maman Sidikou, the AU Commission's special representative for Somalia.
He said the AU force, known as Amisom, needs to be reconfigured to make it more effective against al-Shabaab.
"We need to destroy them because that's the only language they know," Sidikou said.
New York - Somalia's prime minister predicted Monday that al-Shabaab extremists will be defeated militarily by the end of the year but he said tackling the root causes that attract young people to the al-Qaeda-linked group will take some time.
Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke told reporters after a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council that there may be increased attacks during June when the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins, which al-Shabaab has done in recent years.
But he said the military campaign by Somali and African Union forces has been successful and the Islamic militants now control only 20% of the country.
"We hope that in the coming few months the whole country will be liberated," Sharmake said. "We are really on the verge of defeating them in terms of conventional arms."
He said he looks forward by the end of the year to having all states liberated and stabilisation programs under way in every district to revitalise the economy, establish rule of law, and start educating and providing jobs for young people who now see no other alternative than joining al-Shabaab.
Somalia has been trying to rebuild after establishing its first functioning central government since 1991, when warlords overthrew a longtime dictator and then turned on each other, plunging the impoverished nation into chaos.
The country's weak government is being supported by AU and Somali troops against the al-Shabaab insurgency.
But despite major setbacks in 2014, al-Shabaab continues to wage a deadly insurgency against Somalia's government and remains a threat in the East African region, carrying out a series of deadly terror attacks in neighbouring Kenya which has troops in the AU force fighting the insurgents in Somalia.
"In coming weeks, we're going to go even more forcefully against al-Shabaab," said Ambassador Maman Sidikou, the AU Commission's special representative for Somalia.
He said the AU force, known as Amisom, needs to be reconfigured to make it more effective against al-Shabaab.
"We need to destroy them because that's the only language they know," Sidikou said.
IOC chief: FIFA needs 'painful' reform
09:00 09/06/2015
Lausanne - Olympic chief Thomas Bach said Monday that scandal-plagued FIFA needs "painful" but necessary reform.
The IOC president said the crisis at football's world governing body was bigger than the bribes-for-votes furore over the awarding of the 2002 Winter Games to Salt Lake City.
"We know from our experience that putting everything on the table can be painful but it's absolutely necessary. We've seen that in our past," he said at the International Olympic Committee's Lausanne headquarters.
"It's only by doing that that the IOC restored its credibility."
He added: "We can only encourage FIFA to pursue the reforms that it has chosen to carry out. We appreciate that FIFA should be ready for substantial reforms."
Bach said the scale of the 2002 Games affair was nothing in comparison to the storm enveloping FIFA.
"The difference in magnitude is enormous," the 61-year-old told media after an IOC meeting.
"There is almost no comparison with what happened with Salt Lake City and what is happening at FIFA.
"It's hard to compare, perhaps on the principle, but not on the scale."
Bach addressed FIFA's Congress last week in Zurich 24 hours after the corruption scandal blew up with the arrest of seven FIFA officials as part of a US-led corruption inquiry.
He told delegates there to co-operate fully with the wide-ranging investigation to shed "full light" on the corruption allegations.
On top of a mass of bribery claims involving FIFA officials Swiss judicial authorities are probing the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar that has also raised questions about the 2010 event in South Africa.
The scandal triggered the shock resignation of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, four days after his reelection for a fifth term.
Blatter, an IOC member, will not be present at a meeting Tuesday when Beijing and Almaty set out their bids for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Lausanne - Olympic chief Thomas Bach said Monday that scandal-plagued FIFA needs "painful" but necessary reform.
The IOC president said the crisis at football's world governing body was bigger than the bribes-for-votes furore over the awarding of the 2002 Winter Games to Salt Lake City.
"We know from our experience that putting everything on the table can be painful but it's absolutely necessary. We've seen that in our past," he said at the International Olympic Committee's Lausanne headquarters.
"It's only by doing that that the IOC restored its credibility."
He added: "We can only encourage FIFA to pursue the reforms that it has chosen to carry out. We appreciate that FIFA should be ready for substantial reforms."
Bach said the scale of the 2002 Games affair was nothing in comparison to the storm enveloping FIFA.
"The difference in magnitude is enormous," the 61-year-old told media after an IOC meeting.
"There is almost no comparison with what happened with Salt Lake City and what is happening at FIFA.
"It's hard to compare, perhaps on the principle, but not on the scale."
Bach addressed FIFA's Congress last week in Zurich 24 hours after the corruption scandal blew up with the arrest of seven FIFA officials as part of a US-led corruption inquiry.
He told delegates there to co-operate fully with the wide-ranging investigation to shed "full light" on the corruption allegations.
On top of a mass of bribery claims involving FIFA officials Swiss judicial authorities are probing the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar that has also raised questions about the 2010 event in South Africa.
The scandal triggered the shock resignation of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, four days after his reelection for a fifth term.
Blatter, an IOC member, will not be present at a meeting Tuesday when Beijing and Almaty set out their bids for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Sweden draw feels like a win
Soccer Laduma
09:00 09/06/2015
Lagos - Super Falcons striker Desire Oparanozie has described their thrilling 3-3 draw against tournament favorites, Sweden in their first game of the FIFA Women's World Cup, as feeling like a win.
The African champions went two goals down against the Swedes, but came back to level 2-2, went down again, but levelled to end the game in an enthralling 3-3 draw, and Oparanozie says it feels like a win to them.
“This draw feels like a win,” Oparanozie told FIFA after the match.
The Guingamp of France striker couldn't have started the game on a worse note, as she scored an own goal to gift the Europeans an early lead.
The Swedes eventually went into the break with a 2-0 lead, before Nigeria restored parity and Oparanozie has hailed the Nigerian fans at the Winnipeg Stadium for being behind their strong comeback.
“It (the fans' support) really did help,” Oparanozie explained. “It motivated us a whole lot. It was a good thing knowing that the crowd was behind us. They wanted to see us score; they wanted to see us do more. That really made us push harder and give our all.”
Oparanozie would come back to contribute her quota as she laid the pass that put Ngozi Okobi through for the midfielder to score Nigeria's first goal, and she describes the feeling.
“There’s no word to explain this feeling,” Oparanozie said smiling. “It’s a great feeling. Having gone down two goals and having come back to level it is quite tremendous. We feel very happy.”
With the game against Sweden now gone, Oparanozie has directed her focus to Nigeria’s next challenge: a meeting with the Matildas of Australia on Friday.
“After today, we are ready to take on any team,” Oparanozie said confidently when asked about how she would prepare for Australia. “We are not afraid to face anyone. We are ready,” she was quoted by FIFA.
Lagos - Super Falcons striker Desire Oparanozie has described their thrilling 3-3 draw against tournament favorites, Sweden in their first game of the FIFA Women's World Cup, as feeling like a win.
The African champions went two goals down against the Swedes, but came back to level 2-2, went down again, but levelled to end the game in an enthralling 3-3 draw, and Oparanozie says it feels like a win to them.
“This draw feels like a win,” Oparanozie told FIFA after the match.
The Guingamp of France striker couldn't have started the game on a worse note, as she scored an own goal to gift the Europeans an early lead.
The Swedes eventually went into the break with a 2-0 lead, before Nigeria restored parity and Oparanozie has hailed the Nigerian fans at the Winnipeg Stadium for being behind their strong comeback.
“It (the fans' support) really did help,” Oparanozie explained. “It motivated us a whole lot. It was a good thing knowing that the crowd was behind us. They wanted to see us score; they wanted to see us do more. That really made us push harder and give our all.”
Oparanozie would come back to contribute her quota as she laid the pass that put Ngozi Okobi through for the midfielder to score Nigeria's first goal, and she describes the feeling.
“There’s no word to explain this feeling,” Oparanozie said smiling. “It’s a great feeling. Having gone down two goals and having come back to level it is quite tremendous. We feel very happy.”
With the game against Sweden now gone, Oparanozie has directed her focus to Nigeria’s next challenge: a meeting with the Matildas of Australia on Friday.
“After today, we are ready to take on any team,” Oparanozie said confidently when asked about how she would prepare for Australia. “We are not afraid to face anyone. We are ready,” she was quoted by FIFA.
House leaders to be elected today
Augustine Osayande
09:00 09/06/2015
Abuja – The National Assembly is later scheduled to host the inauguration of the newly elected legislators.
The event in Abuja, which is scheduled to commence at about 10:00am (local time), will also witness the election of the leadership of the eighth National Assembly.
The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun, and governors elected on the platform of the party are uniting its members-elect behind Senator Ahmed Lawan for the Senate presidency and Femi Gbajabiamila for the post of speaker in the House of Representatives.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said the opposition party had adopted Senator Bukola Saraki for the position of Senate President and Yakubu Dogara for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
09:00 09/06/2015
Abuja – The National Assembly is later scheduled to host the inauguration of the newly elected legislators.
The event in Abuja, which is scheduled to commence at about 10:00am (local time), will also witness the election of the leadership of the eighth National Assembly.
The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Oyegun, and governors elected on the platform of the party are uniting its members-elect behind Senator Ahmed Lawan for the Senate presidency and Femi Gbajabiamila for the post of speaker in the House of Representatives.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said the opposition party had adopted Senator Bukola Saraki for the position of Senate President and Yakubu Dogara for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Israel isn't on UN list of parties that kill or injure kids
09:00 09/06/2015
New York - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's latest list of parties that kill or injure children in armed conflict does not include Israel, as some UN officials had recommended, but the UN chief strongly criticised Israel for the "unprecedented and unacceptable" scale of its violence against young people.
Ban said in a report circulated on Monday that the thousands of Palestinian casualties raise "grave concerns" about Israel's compliance with international law, including requirements that any military actions must distinguish between combatants and civilians, be proportional, and avoid excessive use of force.
UN officials said the UN special envoy for children in armed conflict, Leila Zerrougui, had recommended that both Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, be placed on the list of parties that recruit, use, kill, maim or commit acts of sexual violence against children.
But the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the recommendation was not public, said there were differences of opinion among those on the ground on whether Israel should be listed, a key reason why it wasn't and neither was Hamas.
Ban said in the annual report to the UN Security Council and the General Assembly that the year 2014 saw a dramatic increase in violence against children in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at least 561 children killed and 4 271 injured, almost all Palestinians and the vast majority during last summer's war in Gaza. It cites 4 Israeli youngsters killed and 22 injured.
'Concrete and immediate steps'
The annual list is significant because it names and shames governments and insurgent groups that violate children's rights in conflicts. The Security Council resolution that established the list in August 2009 states the council's intention "to take action", including possible sanctions against repeat violators of international laws protecting children in armed conflicts.
This year, the list in the report includes groups in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Colombia, Congo, Iraq, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. It also lists government forces in Congo, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
The secretary-general said that in the Israel-Palestine conflict as well as the Central African Republic, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan and Syria, "children were affected to a degree which is an affront to our common humanity."
Israel maintains that its actions in Gaza were in response to rocket attacks on southern Israel, and were never aimed at children.
Israel's UN Ambassador Ron Prosor said Ban "was right not to submit to the dictates of the terrorist organisations and the Arab states" and include Israel on a "shameful list" with organisations like ISIS, al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, said the Palestinians "deeply regret" Ban's decision to exclude Israel from the list which contradicts UN evidence.
"It is without doubt that Israel, flagrantly, systematically and grossly commits human rights violations against Palestinian children constituting grave violations that qualify it for such a listing," Mansour said.
Pummeled with questions about Israel's exclusion, Ban's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said the list was the "result of a consultative process" and in the end was Ban's "difficult decision to take".
Dujarric alluded to the intense lobbying ahead of the report's release by Israel's supporters, reportedly including the United States, and opponents, saying UN member states and non-governmental organisations "have never been shy" about expressing their opinions to Ban.
The secretary-general urged Israel "to take concrete and immediate steps" including reviewing its policies and practices to ensure that children are protected, not killed or maimed, that schools and hospitals aren't attacked, and that perpetrators of alleged violations are brought to justice.
"I would like to put all parties to conflict on notice that those that engage in military action that results in numerous grave violations against children will, regardless of intent, find themselves under continued scrutiny by the United Nations, including in future reports relating to children and armed conflict," Ban said.
New York - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's latest list of parties that kill or injure children in armed conflict does not include Israel, as some UN officials had recommended, but the UN chief strongly criticised Israel for the "unprecedented and unacceptable" scale of its violence against young people.
Ban said in a report circulated on Monday that the thousands of Palestinian casualties raise "grave concerns" about Israel's compliance with international law, including requirements that any military actions must distinguish between combatants and civilians, be proportional, and avoid excessive use of force.
UN officials said the UN special envoy for children in armed conflict, Leila Zerrougui, had recommended that both Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, be placed on the list of parties that recruit, use, kill, maim or commit acts of sexual violence against children.
But the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the recommendation was not public, said there were differences of opinion among those on the ground on whether Israel should be listed, a key reason why it wasn't and neither was Hamas.
Ban said in the annual report to the UN Security Council and the General Assembly that the year 2014 saw a dramatic increase in violence against children in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at least 561 children killed and 4 271 injured, almost all Palestinians and the vast majority during last summer's war in Gaza. It cites 4 Israeli youngsters killed and 22 injured.
'Concrete and immediate steps'
The annual list is significant because it names and shames governments and insurgent groups that violate children's rights in conflicts. The Security Council resolution that established the list in August 2009 states the council's intention "to take action", including possible sanctions against repeat violators of international laws protecting children in armed conflicts.
This year, the list in the report includes groups in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Colombia, Congo, Iraq, Mali, Myanmar, Nigeria, Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. It also lists government forces in Congo, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
The secretary-general said that in the Israel-Palestine conflict as well as the Central African Republic, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan and Syria, "children were affected to a degree which is an affront to our common humanity."
Israel maintains that its actions in Gaza were in response to rocket attacks on southern Israel, and were never aimed at children.
Israel's UN Ambassador Ron Prosor said Ban "was right not to submit to the dictates of the terrorist organisations and the Arab states" and include Israel on a "shameful list" with organisations like ISIS, al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, said the Palestinians "deeply regret" Ban's decision to exclude Israel from the list which contradicts UN evidence.
"It is without doubt that Israel, flagrantly, systematically and grossly commits human rights violations against Palestinian children constituting grave violations that qualify it for such a listing," Mansour said.
Pummeled with questions about Israel's exclusion, Ban's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said the list was the "result of a consultative process" and in the end was Ban's "difficult decision to take".
Dujarric alluded to the intense lobbying ahead of the report's release by Israel's supporters, reportedly including the United States, and opponents, saying UN member states and non-governmental organisations "have never been shy" about expressing their opinions to Ban.
The secretary-general urged Israel "to take concrete and immediate steps" including reviewing its policies and practices to ensure that children are protected, not killed or maimed, that schools and hospitals aren't attacked, and that perpetrators of alleged violations are brought to justice.
"I would like to put all parties to conflict on notice that those that engage in military action that results in numerous grave violations against children will, regardless of intent, find themselves under continued scrutiny by the United Nations, including in future reports relating to children and armed conflict," Ban said.
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