VIDEO: NTA Channel 5 Interviews "Mystery Goat" Eyewitnesses

Short recorded clip of Nta Channel 5 correspondents interviewing residents of the area who "claimed" to see the thief turn into a sheep and then into a goat.

Nigeria's main militant group calls off ceasefire after clash with troops

LAGOS, Nigeria — The main militant group in Nigeria's restive southern oil region has called off its unilateral ceasefire after coming under attack from government forces.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said Friday that is ending the truce it declared in September. It declared the ceasefire after carrying out a wave of deadly attacks against military and oil industry installations that slashed crude output from Africa's petroleum giant.

The group says in an email that its decision was prompted by an attack earlier in the day by government forces on a camp run by one of its members.

It said it would retaliate with attacks against Nigeria's oil industry in an operation it called "Hurricane Obama."

Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, a spokesman for the military task force charged with calming the region, confirmed an armed engagement.

The militants declared a cessation of hostilities in late September after attacks on troops and the infrastructure that carries oil from wells to export terminals in the southern Niger Delta, where Nigeria's petroleum is found.

That upsurge of violence slashed crude output in Nigeria, where long-simmering unrest has kept the country's daily crude production below two million barrels a day, or about 20 per cent under Nigeria's estimated capacity.

The militant group, known by its acronym MEND, emerged about three years ago, showing greater sophistication and ability in its attacks than the other armed factions that had existed in southern Nigeria for years.

It serves an umbrella organization for various armed gangs in the Niger Delta, where criminality and militancy are closely intertwined.

The militants say their campaign of sabotage against the oil industry is meant to force the federal government to spend more money in the poor southern region where the crude oil is produced.

The government calls the militants gangsters who are using political agitation to mask their criminal activities, primarily the siphoning and illegal overseas sale of oil.

Source

International Job (Nigeria) $160,000 - $180,000

Job Title: National Manager

Position Id
4620

Last Updated
1/5/2009 3:38:21 PM

Type
Permanent

Salary
Salary: 160000 to 180000
Term: Yearly
Currency: US Dollar

Minimum Education

Contact
Verne McClelland
(330) 666-3354 Ex. 118
austin@GlobalESG.com

Description

Reporting to the Regional Manager in W. Africa, for one of the largest non-asset based global logistics providers with revenues in excess of $20 billion dollars. The company is a global third party logistics provider delivering end-to-end supply chain management, including air and ocean freight forwarding, warehousing & distribution and arranges the transportation of goods by road and rail, and offers customs brokerage services. The company’s contract logistics unit offers warehousing and distribution services. Will be responsible for Operations, Sales & Administration with 14 direct reports and two facilities, focusing on Oil & Gas, Mining and Engineering including approaching project opportunities and responding to pre-qualifications, bids & proposals, and negotiations. Will develop international sales in West Africa in cooperation with US operations, key agents, overseas corporate stations and agents, and company’s affiliates on cross divisional sales approach. Challenge is to maintain and maximize existing accounts and mentor regional sales and operational teams involved in key accounts, in order to expand account base, increase revenues and improve profitability.

Background Required:
• International Freight Forwarding, Oil & Gas (7 years)
• Have worked as a forwarder in Nigeria or West Africa with focus on Oil & Gas
• General management (Branch or Regional)
• Corporate contracts with multiple divisions
• Proven track record developing business (Project Cargo, Oil & Gas, Heavy Machinery)
• Presented to C-Level clients
• Travel 50%
• Residence: Port Lagos, Nigeria

Background Preferred (but not required):
• Freight forwarding operations
• Developed customs products and project tools
• Lived or worked internationally (Europe, Middle East, Asia, or Africa)
• Education: College Graduate- BA or BS
Other essential abilities and skills:
• Ability to motivate people through collaborative skills
• Business processes
• Integrity
• Excellent customer service
• Negotiations

Gunmen abduct catholic priest in SE Nigeria

LAGOS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's oil-rich Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of a catholic priest, Pius Kii on Jan. 25, reported the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday.

Rita Abbey, Spokesperson of the command, made this known on Monday, adding that Kii was driving out of the Christ the King Catholic Church, Sangana Street, Port Harcourt when some armed men abducted him.

Kii, a former Chairman of the Rivers State Post Primary Education Board, becomes the first catholic priest to be taken hostage in the state.

Abbey said details of the incident are still sketchy. "We have already commenced investigation and a police team is already working on it," she said.

She added that no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction of Kii. Meanwhile, the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourthas condemned the abduction of a priest, describing it as a heinous crime.

A priest, who did not want is name mentioned, said the head of the catholic community in the state would soon come out with a statement.

He called on the abductors to free Kii immediately and unharmed.

Kidnapping and blowing up pipelines may have focused attention on Nigeria's oil-rich Niger delta, but three years of militant attacks have locked the region into a spiral of crime, which is hindering much-needed development.

Source

Fifteen players die in Nigeria road accident

LAGOS (AFP) – Nigerian football was hit by a second major tragedy in less than a month when 15 players were killed in a road accident near Akwanga, central Nigeria on Sunday.

The head of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mohamed Sanusi, confirmed the incident, which involved players from FC Jimeta of Adamawa.

"The team were on their way to Abuja for a professional league match," said Sanusi.

"Their bus was involved in an accident and 11 players died at the scene while four others died in hospital. Two other players are on the danger list.

"It is really another very sad day for Nigerian football."

Last month, 18 female players were killed in Plateau State when their team bus was involved in an accident.

Source

Video: Modern Transportation System for Lagos State

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) introduces a new transportation system for Lagos State

LOL News: Police parade goat as robbery suspect

It was a shocking sight yesterday as men of the Kwara State Police Command paraded a goat as an armed robbery suspect.

The goat "robbery suspect"
The goat "suspect" is being detained over an alleged attempt to snatch a Mazda car. The mysterious goat, according to the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Tunde Mohammed, while briefing bewildered journalists at the Force headquarters, is an armed robber who attempted to snatch the said car, Wednesday night, and later transformed into the goat in a bid to escape arrest.

He explained that men of a vigilance group in Anifowose Ipata/Oloje areas of the state capital had chased two armed robbery suspects who wanted to demobilise the Mazda car with the intention of stealing it, and

"while one of them escaped, the other was about to be apprehended by the team when he turned his back on the wall and turned to this goat. They quickly grabbed the goat and here it is.’’ Mohammed said.

The police spokesman said the goat "armed robbery suspect" will not be left off the hook until investigations into the case are concluded.

He also said that no fewer than five stolen vehicles have been recovered by the state Police Command while some suspects were also arrested. Among those arrested, he said was one Idowu Oni of Araromi area of Akure who escaped from Akure Prison.

He added that the escaped convict was arrested in Ilorin after stealing a Mazda 323 car belonging to Mrs. Henrietta Ayijesu.

He also said another armed robbery and rape suspect was in their custody, assuring that the suspects will soon appear in court.

Source

Shocking: Two Armed Robbers Burnt To Ashes For Stealing

I remember seeing a lot of this in lagos market. Really sad

NEWS UPDATE: Nigerian Motorcyclists Wear Pumpkins To Evade Helmet Law

Motorcyclists in Nigeria have been wearing dried pumpkin shells on their heads to dodge a new law forcing them to wear helmets, authorities say.

Officials in the northern city of Kano said they had stopped several riders with "improvised helmets", following this month's introduction of the law.

Road safety officials said calabash-wearers would be prosecuted.

Thousands of motorbikes have been impounded around the country and taxi motorbike drivers have staged protests.

Calabashes are dried pumpkin shells more commonly used to carry liquid.

According to the new law, all motorbike drivers and motorbike passengers must wear helmets.

Kano Federal Road Safety Commission commander Yusuf Garba told the BBC they were taking a hard line with people found using the improvised helmets.

"We are impounding their bikes and want to take them to court so they can explain why they think wearing a calabash is good enough for their safety," he said.

Fifty motorbikes had been seized so far in Kano city alone, he added.

Menace

Motorcycle taxis, called "achaba" in the north of the country and "okada" in the south, are a cheap way for Nigerians to get around congested and chaotic city streets.

Many drivers of the motorcycle taxis are furious over the new law, which came into force on New Year's Day.

In the city of Kaduna, drivers waved palm fronds and rode in convoy to protest at the price of helmets, which can cost up to $29 (£20).

They say passengers often steal the helmets once they reach their destination.

Stories have also appeared in the local papers highlighting passengers' fears that the helmets could be used by motorcyclists to cast spells on their clients, making it easy for them to be robbed.

"Some people can put juju inside the helmets and when they are worn the victim can either lose consciousness or be struck dumb," passenger Kolawole Aremu told the Daily Trust newspaper.

Local government authorities often give motorbikes to jobless young men, saying it gives them a way to make a living.

But the BBC's Andrew Walker in the capital, Abuja, says handing out the vehicles does not address the underlying cause of Nigeria's economic problems.

It is often an attempt to buy support for elections, our correspondent says.

The number of motorcycle taxis in big cities has exploded in recent years, causing concern about road safety.

Often untrained and illiterate, the drivers are considered a menace by many motorists.

Fatal accidents are common. Road safety authorities say almost every collision in Nigeria's cities involves an okada.

More than 4,000 people die on Nigeria's roads every year and 20,000 are injured, according to the Federal Road Safety Commission.

Source

Baba 70 Wins at MTV Awards 2008