Al Qaeda kills U.S. hostage during raid

Al Qaeda militants killed American hostage Luke Somers in Yemen during a raid conducted by U.S. forces to rescue him, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Saturday.
President Barack Obama ordered the raid because "there were compelling reasons to believe Mr. Somers' life was in imminent danger," he said.
During the raid Friday, the militants also killed a second hostage, South African Pierre Korkie, according to his employer, Gift of the Givers.
It was the second such attempt by U.S. forces in two weeks.
In the first attempt in November, U.S. and Yemeni special forces outfitted with night visors embarked on the mission about a few miles from a cave where al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- or AQAP -- was holding hostages.
A gunbattle ensued, and the special forces killed all seven abductors and freed eight hostages. But the militants had separated Somers and four more hostages from the group and moved them to another location two days before the raid.
This week, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a video threatening to kill Somers and showing the American photojournalist pleading for his life.
A spokesman read a statement saying Somers would meet his inevitable fate if Washington did not meet the terror group's demands. The spokesman did not name the demands but said the U.S. government knew what they were.
They gave U.S. officials three days to comply. That time was due to run out.
Family pleaded for his life

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Aliko Dangote has emerged as the Forbes Africa Person of the year2014

Nigerian business man, Aliko Dangote has emerged as the Forbes Africa Person of the Year 2014. Other finalists of the most coveted award were Thuli Madonsela, South Africa’s Public Protector, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian author, Arunma Oteh, Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria and Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank.
In selecting Dangote, the panel of judges noted that “Aliko Dangote is a lion of Africa in terms of business. He is second to none when it comes to investing in Africa, not just Nigeria. He is also a capitalist with a big heart. He puts his money where his mouth is and his foundation is a step forward for a man who wants to make a difference on the continent,”

Aliko Dangote
This was Dangote’s fourth nomination for the prestigious awards. Other past finalists include his Highness Dr. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi (2011), James Mwangi (2012) and Akinwumi Adesina (2013). Also feted during the event was Donald Kaberuka, president of the African Development Bank. Kaberuka, who received the lifetime achievement award.
While giving his acceptance speech, Dangote said he considered it an honour to be nominated for the award and thanked the organisers for the priviledge of choosing him as the “Forbes Man of the Year”
“My thanks also go to my family for their unquantifiable support over the years; my diligent staff for their uncommon dedication to duty; my fellow Africans for believing in us; and my numerous friends across the globe, who have been a source of inspiration. I will also like to specially recognise and commend the other nominees for making it up to this stage. Their achievement is no mean feat, given the quality of the award”
Dangote said: “Of course there are challenges, but which are not unsurmountable as long as we stay united in our resolve to overcome them. If we all join hands together, we can emancipate Africa from poverty, ignorance and disease – the triple obstacles to our development as a people”
Chairman, CMA Investment Holding, Rakesh Wahi, described Forbes as a brand, synonymous with entrepreneurship, inspiration, success, failure, getting up after failure and never giving up despite all the odds. He said Forbes highlights journeys of hope; of trials and tribulations of people who despite all challenges have the courage and determination to see their dreams to fruition.

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deportation of igbos fashola wins case

Justice Musa Kurya of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday entered judgment in favour of the Lagos State Government in a suit filed by some people alleging a breach of their rights.
The applicants, Rosemary Nathaniel, Friday Ndukwe, Grace Igbochi, Ugulori Tutua, Chinyere Nicholas and Osondu Mbuto filed the suit on their behalf and 77 others, seeking the enforcement of their rights.
Joined as respondents in the suit are the Lagos State Government, the state attorney-general and the commissioner of police in the state.
The applicants had sought a declaration that their alleged arrest, remand and forceful deportation from Lagos to Onitsha, Anambra, in 2012 by the government, on the ground that they were non-indigenes of Lagos, was a violation of their personal liberty and freedom of movement.
The applicants had prayed the court to declare that the alleged action was a violation of Sections 35, 41(1) and 42 of the Constitution and Articles 6,12, 2 and 28 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
They asked the court to award damages in the sum of N2 billion against the Lagos State Government and its agents for the alleged breach of their rights.
The applicants had also sought an order of the court compelling the respondents to apologise to them in at least three national dailies.
Justice Kurya held that there were conflicts in the affidavit evidence tendered by both parties, which ought to be resolved by oral evidence.
He said that efforts were made to serve the respondents with the court processes.
“Efforts have been made to get the respondents served, and from the proof of service, they have been served consequent upon which they filed their counter-affidavit.
“The respondents’ case is a complete denial of the facts and circumstances as put forward by the applicants.
“The respondents said in their affidavit that they did not deport the applicants to any place outside the territory of Lagos State at anytime.
“They said that, in furtherance of state government’s policy to cater for the welfare of citizens irrespective of their origins, the applicants were rescued from different parts of state while they were begging for alms and engaging in vices.
“The respondents said that those who could not provide details of their places of residence or businesses were taken to a rehabilitation centre at Majidun, Lagos, and given an opportunity to acquire vocational skills.
“They said that it was three months after that the applicants’ home state contacted the respondents and the applicant, who had successfully completed their programme and indicated their intention to rejoin their families.
“The respondents decided to assist the applicants in getting back to their families.
“It is trite law that where there are conflicts in affidavit evidence; it is normally resolved by oral evidence, and applicant counsel did not call for such oral evidence.
“The court was therefore, left with no option but to decide the matter on available evidence.
“I do not find any substance in the case of the applicant; there seems to be truth in the respondents’ averment.
“Consequently, judgment is entered in favour of the respondents against the applicant with no cost awarded to either party,” Kurya held.
Counsel to the applicants, Mr John Nwokwu, had argued that it was unlawful for Lagos State or any other state in the country to forcefully remove a citizen of Nigeria from its geographical boundary on account of indigeneship.
Nwokwu had prayed the court to order Lagos State to go in search of the said deported Igbo indigenes and to return them to Lagos.
He had also prayed for an order restraining the respondents from further deporting the applicants out of the state.
However, the Lagos State Government argued in its counter affidavit that the applicants’ deportation to Onitsha was not done out of malice but with the intention of re-uniting them with their families.
Lagos State averred that the applicants were assisted to re-join their families

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Islamic State setting up Libya training camps, US says

Various Islamist militant groups are competing for power in eastern Libya
Islamic State militants have set up training camps in eastern Libya, the head of the US Africa command says.
Gen David Rodriguez said there could be "a couple of hundred'' IS fighters undergoing training at the sites.
He said the camps were at a very early stage, but the US was watching them "carefully to see how it develops".
Libya has been in turmoil since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011, with various tribes, militias and political factions fighting for power.
Several Islamist groups are competing for power in the east of the country, with some militants recently declaring allegiance to IS.
Syria connection
Speaking in Washington on Wednesday, Gen Rodriguez said it was not yet clear how closely aligned the trainees were with IS.
"It's mainly about people coming for training and logistics support right now, for training sites," he said. "Right now it's just small and very nascent and we just have to see how it goes."
Correspondents say that in the aftermath of the revolution that ousted Gaddafi, many rebel fighters left to fight with militant groups in Syria, and some are believed to have returned home.
The elected government has lost Libya's three main cities amid the political crisis.
Benghazi, the country's second city, is in the hands of Islamist fighters, and the internationally recognised parliament is now based in the coastal town of Tobruk in the east.
The US has been leading an international coalition conducting air strikes against IS in Iraq and Syria in recent months.

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Man, 27, rapes 11-yr-old girl with Down’s Syndrome

By Gabriel Enogholase
BENIN—A 27-year-old man, Austin Okonkwo, has been remanded in prison custody by an Evboriaria Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ikpoba-Okha, Edo State, for allegedly raping an 11-year-old Down Syndrome girl.
The accused, who was described with unprintable words when his victim was presented in the court, pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge preferred against him.
Police Prosecutor, Aigbedion Obakpolor, informed the court that the offence was committed on November 29.
When the case was mentioned, Chief Magistrate Frank Idiake, who refused the bail application, said rape cases were on the increase.
A relative of the victim, who pleaded anonymity after the court sitting, said the accused took the girl to his room where the act was committed.
The relative said the victim cried of pains in her private part, which led to the arrest of the accused.
The case was adjourned to January 21, 2015 for continuation of trial.

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