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 ...

President Goodluck Jonathan The year 2014, being the last year before  the next round of general elections is  bound to be decisive as politicians from  across different political hues take  position. Some Nigerians who are bound  to direct the pace of political activities  in the country are mentioned underneath President Goodluck Jonathan will be the centre of action in the coming year. As president of the country eligible for a second term, the pace and posture of his politics would largely determine the pattern of political activities in 2014. President Jonathan who had in the past pooh-poohed questions on whether he would seek re-election had said that he would make his plans known in 2014. With that year now at hand, the president can no longer wave aside a response to the issue. Will he or will he not? Though his body language has all but indicated that the president would be contesting the election, it is not impossible for him ...

A Lebanese soldier examines of one 20 the shells that were fired by the Israeli army into southern Lebanon on December 29, 2013 Rockets coming from Lebanon smashed into northern Israel on Sunday near the town of Kiryat Shmona, the Israel Defense Forces said. Israeli forces fired toward the source of the launch, the IDF said. At least 20 Israeli rockets landed in southern Lebanon, according to the IDF and the Lebanese official National News Agency. There were no initial reports of injuries on either side. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the weekly meeting of the Israeli Cabinet, said he blames the Lebanese government for allowing Hezbollah to position rockets in neighborhoods while attacking civilians. "This is a double war crime that is being perpetrated under the aegis of the Lebanese government and army, which are not lifting a finger to prevent this arming and these crimes," he said. He said the IDF responded quickly and forcefully. "We will not allow a dr...

Three Al Jazeera journalists were arrested by Egyptian security forces, with the government saying at least one of them met with members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood. Correspondent Peter Greste, producer Mohamed Fahmy and cameraman Mohamed Fawzy were taken into custody Sunday evening in Cairo, the network said. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior said on its Facebook page that security forces arrested a Muslim Brotherhood member and an Australian journalist at a Cairo hotel. Greste, an Australian, previously worked for CNN, Reuters and the BBC. The ministry said the Muslim Brotherhood member used the hotel to meet with other members and as a media center to broadcast damaging news about the government for Al Jazeera. Egypt has been in political turmoil since former President Mohamed Morsy was removed from office in a July 3 coup. Last week, the military-backed government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. Police and members of the Muslim Brotherhood have cl...

Witnesses described a scene of carnage following the blast At least 10 people have been killed and more than 20 others hurt in a suspected suicide bombing on a trolleybus in the Russian city of Volgograd. The blast comes a day after 17 people died in another suicide attack at the central station in the city. Security has been tightened at railway stations and airports across Russia. Moscow is concerned militant groups could be ramping up violence in the run-up to the 2014 winter Olympic Games in the city of Sochi. The Olympic venue is close to Russia's volatile north Caucasus region. The explosion was the second in the city in 24 hours. A blast hit a train station on Sunday. Volgograd lies about 900km (560 miles) south of Moscow, 650km north of the North Caucasus and 700km north-east of Sochi. The latest explosion took place near a busy market in the city's Dzerzhinsky district. Maksim Akhmetov, a Russian TV reporter who was at the scene of the blast, said the trol...