Sabinews Midday News Update For August 8, 2015
Boko Haram suicide bombers spread fear in Cameroon
Empty streets, body searches and tips to police embody the fear that Boko Haram has instilled in northern Cameroon, where they killed more than 40 people in suicide bombings in July.
Raiders from the Nigerian sect later kidnapped 135 villagers and killed eight others in a pre-dawn strike across the border last Tuesday, police and local sources said. Read more
Gunmen kill four soldiers, one policeman in Bayelsa
Armed men suspected to be sea pirates, Friday night, attacked a military checkpoint in Nembe, Bayelsa East senatorial district, killing four soldiers and a policeman.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 11.30pm at the Nembe waterfront.
The gunmen, believed to be in search of arms and ammunition, according to a security source, attacked the military checkpoint from land and water. Read more
Onyeka Onwenu shuns ICPC’s Invitation to explain N17m bribe
The Director-General of the National Centre for Women Development, NCWD, Onyeka Onwenu on Friday refused to honour the invitation of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, over an alleged N17 million contract bribe.
An insider at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja told Leadership that the NCWD DG declined to appear before the anti-corruption agency because she had to attend to a health challenge. Read more
Captives rescued as Mali hotel siege leaves seven dead
Captives held by gunmen during a standoff at a hotel in central Mali have been freed overnight and at least five foreigners evacuated from the site, according to Malian military sources.
The hotel was stormed by the armed men in an attack on Friday that left at least seven people dead, including a UN contractor.
“We cannot say that everything is finished, but a number of hostages” were freed by Malian forces deployed around the Hotel Byblos in Sevare, a source said early on Saturday, according to the AFP news agency. “Work continues, it is not over,” the source said, without elaborating. Read more
Citizens from 45 countries can obtain visa on arrival in the UAE
Citizens of about 45 countries can obtain short-term visit/tourist visas on arrival in the UAE, but Nigeria is not on that list, so arrangements must be made before attempting to travel. For a Nigerian it is usually easiest to apply through a travel agent, airline or tour company. Requirements include a passport with at least three months’ validity, a copy of a national identity card, a visa application form, proof of return travel, proof of health insurance and a copy of a bank statement. If applying for a tourist visa, you are likely to be asked to provide confirmation of leave from your employer, and if you do not have a hotel booking, a letter of invitation from your host with their relevant information and proof of their identity. Read more
Governor Wike signs three Bills into law
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has signed 3 Bills into Law.
The new Laws are the Rivers State Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori ( Amendment) Law, 2015, the Rivers State Kidnap (Prohibition) Amendment Law, 2015, as well as the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Law No.4 of 2015, all passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Wike declared that the new anti-kidnapping law passed by the State Assembly will help in checking the rising wave of the ugly crime in the state. Read more
Kano Government sacks 2,620 street sweepers
The Kano State Government, Friday, announced the sacking of about 2,620 street sweepers.
The sacked street sweepers were employed by the state’s Refuse Management and Sanitation Board.
This was disclosed by the State Commissioner of information, Alhaji Muhammad Garba, while speaking with journalists after the weekly state executive council meeting in Kano, adding that the decision followed government’s resolve to curb unnecessary expenditure. Read more
Six killed in N’Sudan floods
At least six people were killed as heavy rains and floods hit two states in northern Sudan during the past hours, Sudan Tribune reported Friday.
“Four children were killed when high floods swept their home near a valley, some 50 km south of Merowe town in the northern state,” the report said. Read more
Kano battles with overseas students N3bn unpaid tuition
The Kano State Government is battling to pay over N3bn school fees of its students in foreign universities and 50 female nursing students.
State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, said this while receiving members of the General Association of Northern Nigerian Students based in Egypt at the Government House on Friday. Read more
Ex-Chile spy chief dies while serving 500-year sentence
General Manuel Contreras, who headed the feared spy agency that kidnapped, tortured and killed thousands during Chile’s military dictatorship, has died at a military hospital while serving a combined sentence of more than 500 years for crimes against humanity. He was 86.
Contreras had been hospitalised on September 26 because of kidney problems and was later moved to the intensive care unit when his condition degenerated. He died on Friday. Read more
Palestinian baby’s father dies from settler attack
The father of the Palestinian 18-month-old baby boy who died in last week’s settler arson attack in the occupied West Bank has also died from his wounds.
Sa’ad Dawabsheh, the father of Ali, died early on Saturday, his brother told Al Jazeera.
The 32-year-old died in Soroka hospital, where he had been treated for second-degree burns to more than 80 percent of his body. Read more
Buhari’s approval delays NNPC director’s appointments
President Muhammadu Buhari’s silence following the recent sacking of eight Group Executive Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation has continued to delay the appointment of new directors, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.
One of our correspondents learnt that the replacements for the positions are anxiously being awaited by employees of the oil firm as well as stakeholders in the sector.
It was also learnt that eight departments that were headed by the sacked GEDs, had been pruned down to four directorates, while persons to fill these positions had been picked from within the corporation. Read more
Police arrest armed robber during church service
A member of a 3-man robbery gang arrested at Okrikpere, Orerokpe in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State was among 18 suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and cultists paraded on Thursday at the Ughelli Area Command headquarter.
Briefing newsmen while parading the suspects, Delta State commissioner of police, Mr Alkali Usman explained that the suspect, identified as Daniel Nonso, was apprehended at Covenant Peace Ministry when the pastor on suspecting their motive, alerted the police of their mission leading to the arrest of the suspect while his gang members escaped. Read more
Philippine investigators seek graft charges against Aquino ally, senator
Philippine authorities have moved to file corruption charges against two top politicians, including an ally of President Benigno Aquino, the justice secretary said Saturday, as part of a massive graft scandal that has embroiled numerous officials.
The justice department has asked a special anti-corruption body to file charges against Joel Villanueva, a former congressman who is now Aquino’s top advisor on vocational education, and Senator Gregorio Honasan, an ex-military colonel who plotted failed coups against Aquino’s mother, former president Corazon Aquino, according to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. Read more
Indian villagers kill five for ‘witchcraft’: police
Villagers in a rural part of eastern India have killed five women whom they accused of practising witchcraft, police said Saturday.
Police in eastern Jharkhand state said a group of assailants dragged the women out of their huts and beat them to death at around midnight Friday in their village, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from state capital Ranchi. Read more
24 million watched US presidential debate: Nielsen
A staggering 24 million viewers tuned in to Fox News to watch the first major Republican US presidential debate, the highest-rated non-sports telecast in cable television history, Nielsen figures released Friday showed.
The viewership of the prime-time 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm debate, in which frontrunner Donald Trump squared off against nine of his top Republican challengers for the nomination, is by far the highest rating of any presidential primary debate. Read more
Four dead as Typhoon Soudelor batters Taiwan
Typhoon Soudelor ripped up trees, snapped wind turbines and triggered landslides in Taiwan Saturday where it left at least four people dead before heading for mainland China.
Rivers broke their banks under torrential rain and towering waves pounded the coastline as the storm left a trail of destruction, with 1.5 million homes without power Saturday afternoon. Read more
Spain wildfire forces more evacuations
A wildfire that officials suspect was started deliberately forced the evacuation of a third town in western Spain on Saturday, officials said.
Firefighters evacuated about 1,000 people from the town of Hoyos in the early hours of Saturday, a day after another 1,400 people were ordered to leave their homes and campsites in two other nearby towns. Read more
Drought causes Panama Canal to reduce ship size
The Panama Canal will temporarily limit the size of ships using the waterway due to a drought caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, authorities said Friday.
The Panama Canal Authority said the maximum ship draft will be cut to 11.89 meters (39 feet) from September 8, affecting 18.5 percent of vessels that normally transit the link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Read more
Follow us @sabinewsnaija
