Italy opened an inquiry on Wednesday into allegations by a refugee fleeing Libya that some people on the boat he arrived on threw other refugees into the sea as a human sacrifice during a storm.
The 16-year-old Ghanaian spoke to a volunteer from the charity Save the Children after arriving on the island of Lampedusa earlier this month and his disturbing allegations against a group of Nigerians were reported to police.
"As soon as we received the testimony we opened an investigation as required," the local chief prosecutor, Renato Di Natale, said.
Emanuela Salvatori from Save the Children, said: "We can confirm that we collected the testimony from this minor and that an investigation is underway."
"It was like a rite of sacrifice," La Stampa quoted him as saying, adding: "The captain pointed them out and the others threw them overboard."
The Ghanaian, who is now in a refugee centre in Italy, said his brother was one of the victims and also spoke of women being raped on the boat.
The news reports said other refugees had confirmed the Ghanaian's story.
Thousands of refugees fleeing Libya - almost all of them migrant workers from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia - have been arriving in Italy in recent weeks as the conflict in North Africa has escalated.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Friday, May 06, 2011
Kenyan police seize tusks of elephant heading to Nigeria
Police in Kenya seized the tusks of 58 elephants-totaling one ton of ivory — after sniffer dogs led investigators to containers at the country's main airport that were destined for Nigeria according to Kenyan poice on Friday.
Police officer in charge Joseph Ngisa, said no arrests had been made. It was not immediately clear why the ivory was being transported to Nigerian; the most common destination for smuggled ivory is Asia.
"We are suspecting they could be from here or neighboring countries and we are on their toes. We must get them. They have killed many, many elephants and we cannot allow this," said Eunice Kiheko, the deputy police chief in charge of all airports.
Patrick Omondi, an expert on elephants at the Kenya Wildlife Service, says illegal ivory smuggling in Africa increased after the 2007 temporary lifting of a ban by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. It allowed a one-off sale by countries that had stockpiles of ivory from elephants that had died naturally or problem elephants killed by wildlife officials.
In 2007, Kenya lost only 47 elephants to poaching, Omondi said. In 2008 — the year the sale took place— Kenya lost 145 elephants. In 2009, 271 elephants were killed and 187 were killed in 2010. Omondi said Kenya has already lost 87 elephants this year.
Police officer in charge Joseph Ngisa, said no arrests had been made. It was not immediately clear why the ivory was being transported to Nigerian; the most common destination for smuggled ivory is Asia.
"We are suspecting they could be from here or neighboring countries and we are on their toes. We must get them. They have killed many, many elephants and we cannot allow this," said Eunice Kiheko, the deputy police chief in charge of all airports.
Patrick Omondi, an expert on elephants at the Kenya Wildlife Service, says illegal ivory smuggling in Africa increased after the 2007 temporary lifting of a ban by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. It allowed a one-off sale by countries that had stockpiles of ivory from elephants that had died naturally or problem elephants killed by wildlife officials.
In 2007, Kenya lost only 47 elephants to poaching, Omondi said. In 2008 — the year the sale took place— Kenya lost 145 elephants. In 2009, 271 elephants were killed and 187 were killed in 2010. Omondi said Kenya has already lost 87 elephants this year.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Super Eagles to play Camerron on May 28
The Super Eagles of Nigeria are in search of a quality opposotion to challenge on May 28th to mark next month’s inauguration of the country’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, who was recently re-elected.
Siasia's choice though favours the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon as the team the Super Eagles test its strength with in Abuja, as the Cameroon FA as already agreed terms the Nigerian Football Federation.
Cameroon have demanded for an appearance fee of 60,000 Euros for the friendly, while Egypt wants to be paid $300,000 and Cote d'Ivoire have slashed their asking price down to $170,000.
Siasia's choice though favours the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon as the team the Super Eagles test its strength with in Abuja, as the Cameroon FA as already agreed terms the Nigerian Football Federation.
Cameroon have demanded for an appearance fee of 60,000 Euros for the friendly, while Egypt wants to be paid $300,000 and Cote d'Ivoire have slashed their asking price down to $170,000.
Octopus predicts Real Madrid win, do you agree?
An octopus named Iker predicts the winner of the Champions League semi final soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona, to be played on April 26, by choosing a sardine from a glass cylinder decorated with Real Madrid's badge instead of the glass cylinder with Barcelona's badge, at an aquarium in the southern Spanish city of Benalmadena, near Malaga, in Spain.
Iker predicts Real Madrid will carry the day.
Do you agree?
Iker predicts Real Madrid will carry the day.
Do you agree?
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Nigerian smuggler 'sentenced to death' in Vietnam
A court in Vietnam has sentenced a Nigerian to death for heroin trafficking, state media said on Saturday.
He is the second person from the African nation to be condemned to execution for drugs offences in the past month.
Nnaji David Ete, 33, was convicted Thursday after a three-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City for his role in trafficking 11 kilos (24 pounds) of heroin into the country and then on to China over several years, the Vietnam News reported.
His Vietnamese wife was jailed for life on the same charge, while three other Nigerian men involved in the cross-border drugs ring were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
The case comes a month after Michael Ikenna Nduanya, a 34-year-old Nigerian, was sentenced to death for transporting heroin from Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City.
Anyone found guilty of possessing more than 600 grammes of heroin or over 20 kilos of opium faces the death penalty in communist Vietnam.
Under a decision approved by Vietnam's National Assembly, execution by lethal injection is to replace the firing squad on July 1 this year.
.
He is the second person from the African nation to be condemned to execution for drugs offences in the past month.
Nnaji David Ete, 33, was convicted Thursday after a three-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City for his role in trafficking 11 kilos (24 pounds) of heroin into the country and then on to China over several years, the Vietnam News reported.
His Vietnamese wife was jailed for life on the same charge, while three other Nigerian men involved in the cross-border drugs ring were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.
The case comes a month after Michael Ikenna Nduanya, a 34-year-old Nigerian, was sentenced to death for transporting heroin from Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City.
Anyone found guilty of possessing more than 600 grammes of heroin or over 20 kilos of opium faces the death penalty in communist Vietnam.
Under a decision approved by Vietnam's National Assembly, execution by lethal injection is to replace the firing squad on July 1 this year.
.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Nigeria Live Election Results
ELECTION RESULTS:
April 16, 2011 03:26PM
Presidential election result at GRA, Ikeja/police barracks Ward
LA01/11/09/025a
A total of 168 votes cast.
>>CPC-29
>>ACN-41
>>PDP- 73
>>PPP-1
>>PDC-1
>>Invalid:12
Result at polling Unit Ayangburen road, Ward 007, Ikorodu, Lagos.
PDP-85
ACN-61
CPC-10
ANPP-1
PDC-1
NCP-1
MPPP-1
Presidential election result at GRA, Ikeja/police barracks Ward 2:
LA009/091/124.
Total votes cast: 195
>>ACN-29
>>PDP-118
>>CPC-41
>>PDC-3
>>FP-1
>>ADC-2
>>Invalid: 1
April 16, 2011 03:26PM
Presidential election result at GRA, Ikeja/police barracks Ward
LA01/11/09/025a
A total of 168 votes cast.
>>CPC-29
>>ACN-41
>>PDP- 73
>>PPP-1
>>PDC-1
>>Invalid:12
Result at polling Unit Ayangburen road, Ward 007, Ikorodu, Lagos.
PDP-85
ACN-61
CPC-10
ANPP-1
PDC-1
NCP-1
MPPP-1
Presidential election result at GRA, Ikeja/police barracks Ward 2:
LA009/091/124.
Total votes cast: 195
>>ACN-29
>>PDP-118
>>CPC-41
>>PDC-3
>>FP-1
>>ADC-2
>>Invalid: 1
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
NCC may issue new licences to lower mobile costs
While competition has caused the cost of mobile communications in many eastern and southern African countries to plummet, prices in Nigeria's telecom sector remain high and the country's regulators now say they may issue new telecom licenses in order to spur a more competitive market.
Nigeria is Africa's largest telecom market by investment and subscription. The cost of mobile communications has remained high, however, as operators are not competitive enough to fuel a price war.
The country has more than seven major operators -- including MTN, Bharti Airtel, Globacom, Mobile TV and Mobile Data Service -- with a combined customer base of about 90 million. But the providers are not competing enough to fuel the sort of stiff competition that will drive down prices, according to the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), the country's telecom sector regulator.
Due to lack of competition, most of Nigeria's remote rural areas still remain unconnected to mobile communication networks.
NCC Vice President Eugene Juawah said last week that because prices have not been coming down, the commission will bring in new operators by issuing more licenses. The NCC said it has no intentions of directly forcing operators to bring down prices, but that competition will force them to do so.
Like in many other African countries, the telecom sector is Nigeria's major economic driver after oil. The NCC believes new operators will bring competition that will force operators to expand networks to rural areas in search of new customers
Meanwhile, MTN, Bharti Airtel and Lap Green have all been able to grow their subscriber bases by slashing prices and giving subscribers free calling time of up to 15 minutes within the networks for fear of losing customers.
The whole West African region is now looking to see whether the NCC's move to license more operators will help increase competition and reduce high prices.
Nigeria is Africa's largest telecom market by investment and subscription. The cost of mobile communications has remained high, however, as operators are not competitive enough to fuel a price war.
The country has more than seven major operators -- including MTN, Bharti Airtel, Globacom, Mobile TV and Mobile Data Service -- with a combined customer base of about 90 million. But the providers are not competing enough to fuel the sort of stiff competition that will drive down prices, according to the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), the country's telecom sector regulator.
Due to lack of competition, most of Nigeria's remote rural areas still remain unconnected to mobile communication networks.
NCC Vice President Eugene Juawah said last week that because prices have not been coming down, the commission will bring in new operators by issuing more licenses. The NCC said it has no intentions of directly forcing operators to bring down prices, but that competition will force them to do so.
Like in many other African countries, the telecom sector is Nigeria's major economic driver after oil. The NCC believes new operators will bring competition that will force operators to expand networks to rural areas in search of new customers
Meanwhile, MTN, Bharti Airtel and Lap Green have all been able to grow their subscriber bases by slashing prices and giving subscribers free calling time of up to 15 minutes within the networks for fear of losing customers.
The whole West African region is now looking to see whether the NCC's move to license more operators will help increase competition and reduce high prices.
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