Michael Ojuroye Initiative (Ngo)

A truck packed with explosives blew up in a city north of Baghdad yesterday, killing at least 19 people, as security forces and allied tribesmen fought an uprising by al-Qaida-linked militants who overran police stations in several Sunni cities. The truck blew up on Thursday evening in a busy commercial street in the city of Balad Ruz, 45 miles (70km) northeast of Baghdad, destroying several shops. At least 19 people were killed and 37 wounded, according to security officials and health officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Shiite-led government is trying to contain the eruption of militant violence in mainly Sunni Anbar province. The unrest has been fuelled in part by moves by the authorities including the arrest of a senior Sunni politician on terrorism charges and the dismantling of a months-old Sunni sit-in protest. In an apparent bid to assuage Sunni claims of bias, security forces also arrested a controversial Shiite cleric who leads an Iranian-backed militia...

Mr. Chidi Lloyd THE Rivers State Police Command said it had arrested the Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, for the alleged murder of his kinsman, Mr. Kingsley Ejeuo and a police sergeant, Urang Obediah. A statement made available to The PUNCHon Thursday night indicated that Lloyd was purportedly arrested on his way to join the state Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, in his private jet in order to escape justice. The statement sent via e-mail by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, specified that Lloyd knocked down Obediah while pursuing Ejeuo, identified to be his political opponent. Lloyd, who was still standing trial for his involvement in the fracas that took place in the State House on July 9, 2013, was said to have rammed into Ejeuo’s Passat car with a bulletproof vehicle and killed him (Ejeo). The police command pointed out that it had initially thought it was an auto accident until Lloyd relocated to another hospital, ...

 Tragedy struck in Umuogwuta, Ndegwu, Owerri West local council area of Imo State, as a lady who was giving her testimony during the New Year service suddenly collapsed and died. A villager, who spoke to Vanguard on ground of anonymity, said: “The Lagos-based lady, Ifeoma Anozie, collapsed and died while giving her testimony inside Saint John’s Anglican Church, Ndegwu.” Vanguard also gathered that Ifeoma returned to her country home not to only give testimony about her achievements in the passing year, but also felicitate with her kith and kin. “The lady had hardly commenced her testimony when she suddenly slumped and died in front of the officiating  cleric and left the congregation completely perplexed,” the villager said. Speaking also on the issue, a woman who simply identified herself as Felicia, lamented that what ordinarily should have been a double celebration for the Anozie family suddenly turned sour. “The church service was designed to be a double celebration for ...