LAGOS (http://ethiopianreview.com/worldmedia/category/nigeria/) — Nigeria’s anti-drugs agency seized 30,000 kilogrammes of cannabis contained in 5,923 bags in southern Edo state, a senior official said Sunday.
“The seizures were made early this {www:week} in Auchi and Okada. The illicit drug was loaded in a truck and two buses before our men intercepted them,” the official from the NDLEA agency told AFP, requesting anonymity.
He did not {www:disclose} the value of the haul but industry sources it could run into several millions of dollars.
In June, the agency seized 80 tonnes of cannabis in its largest ever single haul, in the southwestern city of Ibadan.
BANGUI (AFP) — At least 13 soldiers were killed in an ambush by rebels at Kabo, near the Central African Republic‘s border with Chad, 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Bangui, their families told AFP Wednesday.
The defence ministry confirmed the attack in a statement without giving the number of victims or indicating whether any soldiers had survived.
According to the families, the soldiers were on their way back to Kabo on Tuesday after an {www:operation} near the Chad border when they were ambushed.
The troops did not have time to return fire, the families said they had been told by the military in the area.
The soldiers’ bodies had not arrived back in Bangui on Wednesday, where a large number of people were milling around in the hospital morgue.
In a communique, defence ministry spokesman General Guillaume Lapo said the military unit based in Kabo had been to Moyenne Sido on a routine mission.
On their way back, the soldiers were ambushed by rebels from the Democratic Front (FDPC) led by Abdoulaye Misaine in the village of Nobandja, around 18 kilometres (11 miles) from Moyenne Sido.
“Soldiers were killed and one vehicle was put out of action,” he added.
The country’s principal rebel group, the Popular Army for the Restoration of Democracy (APRD), said its forces were not involved in the {www:attack}.
“They were not APRD men. We don’t know who did it,” APRD leader Jean-Jacques Demafouth told AFP.
“It’s serious but I don’t think that it will threaten the “‘inclusive political dialogue'” forum, due to be held in Bangui next month.
The forum, initially set for last June and repeatedly postponed, is due to bring together a wide range of groups including the government and rebels from December 5 to 22.
One of the world’s poorest nations, the Central African Republic is plagued by insecurity in its northern territories, where rebels and bandits have been battling government troops since President Francois Bozize’s {www:election} victory in 2005.
NIJMEGEN, THE NETERLANDS – Mestawat Tufa and Ayele Abshiro of Ethiopia were the winners of the 25th edition of the Fortis Zevenheuvelen loop (Seven hills run), an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, in Nijmegen.
Tufa won the women’s race in 46:56, missing by a mere second the 46:55 World Record over the distance which was set by Japanese Kayoko Fukushi in Marugame on 5 February 2006.
Tufa was a class of her own. The Ethiopian was after five kilometres already way ahead of her nearest opponents. She passed five km in 15:55, with Martha Komu already nearly half a minute (16:21) back. At 10 kms Tufa clocked 31:31 while Komu passed later in 33:16. Tufa finished 21st overall.
Abshiro clocked 42:16 in winning the men’s race. He was well outside the World record of 41:29, which Felix Limo of Kenya set seven years ago (11 Nov 2001) on the Nijmegen course.
Tufa was well ahead of her nearest opponent, Martha Komu of Kenya, who came home second in 50:06, more than three minutes behind. Abshiro outsprinted Isaac Kiprono of Uganda by four seconds. Hot favourite Kenenisa Bekele finished third in 43:41.
Ankle injury slows Bekele
The Ethiopian Olympic double {www:champion} (5000 and 10,000m) however had an excuse. Two days before the race it became clear that he had an ankle {www:injury}. Although he was advised not to start in the race Bekele decided to start anyway. From the start he was in the leading group of four which further consisted of Abshiro, Kiprop and his younger brother, Tariku Bekele.
Kiprop passed the 5 kilometre marker in 14:08 with the other three two seconds behind. On the way to 10 kilometres Kenenisa Bekele left his opponents and passed 10 kilometres in 27:56, fifteen seconds ahead of Kiprop and 17 seconds in front of the eventual winner Abshiro. But just after 11 kilometres Bekele felt his injured ankle {www:protest}. He decided to calm down and was passed by Abshiro and Kiprop. In the latter stages of the race Abshiro outsprinted Kiprop to take the victory.
Over 31,000 runners took part, running in mild fally conditions.
Wim van Hemert for the IAAF
Leading Results –
WOMEN –
1. Mestawat Tufa (Eth) 46:56, second fastest time ever; 5 km 15:55, 10 km 31:31
2. Martha Kome (Ken) 50:06
3. Gladys Otero (Ken) 50:35
4. Beata Rakonczai (Hun) 50:50
5. Miranda Boonstra (Ned) 51:19
6. Massila Ndunge (Ken) 52:16
7. Paula Todoran (Rou) 52:24
8. Ilse Pol (Ned) 52:30
9. Corine Spaans (Ned) 54:36
10. Nadja Wijenberg (Ned) 55:10 40+
MEN –
1. Ayelech Absihiro (Eth) 42:16 splits: 5 km 14:09, 10 km 28:13
2. Isaac Kiprop (Uga) 42:20 splits: 5 km 14:08, 10 km 28:11
3. Kenenisa Bekele (Eth) 43:41 splits: 5 km 14:11, 10 km 27:56
4. Tariku Bekele (Eth) 44:03
5. Dennis Licht (Ned) 44:07
6. Saji Bouazza (Mor) 44:07 correct
7. Stafano Baldini (Ita) 44:09
8. Simon Munyutu (Fra) 44:14
9. Patrick Stitzinger (Ned) 44:18
10. Nordin Athamna (Alg) 45:18
11. Marco Gielen (Ned) 45:20
12. Larbi es Sraidi (Fra) 45:35
13. Marius Ionescu (Rum) 45:52
14. Neals Strik (Ned) 46:22
15. Dimitri Dubovski (Blr) 46:24
16. Koen Raymaekers (Ned) 46:25
17. Maciek Miereczko (Pol) 46:39
18. Colin Bekers (Ned) 46:43
19. Dennis Licht (Ned) 46:43 correct
20. Ruben Scheurwater (Ned) 46:54
Police raids have revealed an alleged network baby “farms” or “factories” in Nigeria, forcing a new look at the scope of human trafficking in the country.
At a hospital in Enugu, a large city in Nigeria’s southeast, 20 teenage girls were rescued in May in a police swoop on what was believed to be one of the largest infant trafficking rings in the west African country.
The two-story building on a dusty street in Enugu’s teeming Uwani district now stands deserted, shutters down.
Neighbors had long found something bizarre about the establishment, where there was virtually no activity during the day, they said.
The doctor in charge, who is now on trial, reportedly lured teenagers with unwanted pregnancies by offering to help with abortion.
They would be locked up there until they gave birth, whereupon they would be forced to give up their babies for a token fee of around $170.
The babies would then be sold to buyers for anything between $2500-$3800 each, according to a state agency fighting human trafficking in Nigeria, the National Agencyfor the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
But luck ran out for the gynecologist, said to be in his 50s, when a woman to whom he had sold a day-old infant was caught by Nigeria’s Security and Civil Defence Service (NSCDS) while trying to smuggle the child to Lagos, the security agency said.
Statistics on the prevalence of baby breeding are hard to come by, but anti-trafficking campaigners say it is widespread and run by well-organized criminal syndicates.
HARARE (Xinhua) — Confusion surrounds the participation of Zimbabwe’s opposition MDC-T in the proposed inclusive government as apparent contradictions have emerged between the party’s national council and some senior officials in the political formation, The Sunday Mail said.
Top council members are understood to be in favour of participation in the new government, but some of their counterparts are stifling progress by seeking to open issues that were concluded during the inter-party talks.
Among the impediments are the allocation of Cabinet posts and the apportionment of other key government positions.
The council, which is the MDC-T’s supreme decision-making organ, met in Harare on Friday and resolved that the party joins the ruling Zanu-PF and MDC-Mutambara under the proposed arrangement.
The opposition MDC-T has reportedly said it will come on stream once the Constitutional Amendment Bill (Number 19), which will give legal effect to key provisions contained in last September’s political agreement, becomes law.
However, the party leader Morgan Tsvangirai did not attend the meeting, casting further confusion around the MDC’s position on the government. It is understood doubts over which side of the line the formation stands heightened within the party as it is still unclear whether or not Mr Tsvangirai supports the council’s decision, The Sunday Mail said.
In apparent contraction to the council’s resolution, MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa said on Saturday that the MDC-T would not be part of the enunciated government.
Chamisa, who would not be drawn to shed more light on the reasons for Tsvangirai’s absence at Friday’s meeting, said outstanding issues such as the allocation of ministries should be resolved first. “The MDC is not participating until the issues have been resolved,” he said.
Chamisa claimed that the council’s resolution had been read out of context. He said his party would not move forward until its demands were acceded to.
Among these are the appointment of provincial governors, senior Government officials such as permanent secretaries and ambassadors. The composition of the National Security Council is another area that needs to be addressed, said Chamisa.
LOME (Reuters) – Togo will start distributing free of charge from November 17 the anti-retroviral drugs that extend the lives of HIV/AIDS patients, its government said Saturday.
“Anti-retroviral medicines distributed by the network of the Central Supply of Essential and Generic Medicines (CAMEG) will be free of charge from Monday 17 November throughout the country,” an official statement broadcast on state radio said.
Around 25,000 people will benefit from the measure, said Augustin Dokla, who represents a network of HIV/AIDS sufferers, up from 8,000 who already have access to the drugs from CAMEG.
Patients who want to receive the free drugs must register with local medical committees.
Anti-retrovirals bought privately cost between 3,000 and 25,000 CFA francs ($47.53) per month. Such treatment can significantly reduce the level of HIV virus in the blood but transmission risks remain, U.N. health agencies have said.
Since 2006, the rate of HIV infection among the Togolese population has been steady at 3.2 percent, according to official figures.
(Reporting by John Zodzi; Writing by Daniel Magnowski; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
