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Gunmen killed four Nigerian policemen in the oil-producing southern Niger Delta on Monday, police said.

The officers were ambushed in the Okobie community while traveling to Yenago, the capital of Bayelsa state, police spokesman Ahmad Mohammad said.

He said it was unclear who was behind the attack. 

Attacks on oil pipelines and kidnappings have been rising in the Delta, which produces much of Nigeria's oil output, since authorities issued an arrest warrant in January for a former militant leader on corruption charges.

Residents have been long demanding a greater share of oil revenues. Crude oil sales account for around 70 percent of national income in Nigeria but there has not been much development in the poor Delta swampland.

President Muhammadu Buhari has extended a multi-million dollar amnesty signed with militants in 2009 to stop them attacking oil facilities but upset them by ending generous pipeline protection contracts.

Reuters

 

 

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Elangwe Pauline

10.May.2016

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The former first lady of Cote d’Ivoire Simone Gbagbo and wife to former President Laurent Gbagbo is facing charges in crimes allegedly committed during the post-electoral crisis in 2010 and 2011 that were triggered by her husband’s cling to power after a losing in the Presidential elections. 

Ivorian authorities refused to transfer her to the International Criminal Court as her husband, claiming that the judicial system in the country is capable of judging her.

According to her lawyer, Mrs Gbagbo wants to explain herself to the people after being accused of committing crimes against her citizens reports VOA

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Elangwe Pauline

10.May.2016

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 The Divisional Officer for Bangante, installed just three weeks ago is now languishing at the Kongdengui maximum prison for allegedly involving in the embezzlement of 4 billion FCFA, money meant for Indemnities of the people of Kribi, following the Kribi deep sea port project.

Bangante is in total consternation as the former First assistant SDO for Ocean and Wouri Division, Joseph Andre EYEBE EYEBE, has now joined his former boss, Mvilong Jean Francois Mvilong, who was former SDO for Ocean, now on retirement. Among the detained is also BESSALA Jean Hurbert, former DO of Kribi, now at Ministry of Territorial Administration, some top officials at  the ministry of Agriculture, Land tenure.

The name of former Secretary General at the presidency of The Republic, now at Kondengui, Marafa Hamidou YAYA and Gervais Mendo ZE, former CRTV General Manager were cited by CONAC in 2011 as possible protagonists in the swindling of 4 billion FCFA. It is reported that the SDO ,DO and other top officials worked together to divert some of the money disbursed by the state to pay indemnities to displaced population whose houses and properties as well as land were used for the Kribi Deep Sea Port project. It is alleged that some ghost land owners were given huge sums of money in complicity with local administration.

The arrest and pre-trial detention of EYEBE EYEBE Andre, new DO for Bangante sub division of NDE Division, is shocking and unprecedented since the launch of operation Sparrow hawk. Till date only former ministers and people who managed public budget have been sent to prison, the act three of this operation with imprisonment of sitting administrative representative is an indication that CONAC means business. The whistle blower of this massive arrest is former SG at Prime minister’s office, the present minister of Economy and durable development, Louis Paul MOTAZE, who is coordinator of the Kribi Deep Sea Port project.

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Nfor Hanson

09.May.2016

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Yaounde, Cameroon; Teke Julius, journalist with the Cameroon Radio Television, CRTV has been arrested and detained at the gendarmerie bridage in Limbe, capital of Fako Division, South West Region while he was covering the visit of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang.

The arrest took place on Monday the 9th of April, 2016 and before Julius was put off communication, he told me by telephone that ; «I was recording some comments being made by some senoir officials concerned with the completion of the Limbe Omnisport Stadium and other projects the PM is visiting when some men in uniform came and asked me to follow them. I later found myself at the gendarmerie brigade where one of the men in uniform told me that I was under detention at the behest of the SDO of FAKO for unauthorized recording».

Shortly after that conversation, Teke went off communication and all attempts to contact him again have gone futile.
The Prime Minister, Head of Government arrived in the South West Region on Sunday the 8th of April, 2016 to inspect the newly constructed football stadium there, along with other infrastructure meant to facilitate Cameroon’s hosting of the Women Africa Cup of Nations in November, 2016 and the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019.
Cameroon is rated not free, by Freedom House in the 2016 freedom of speech and of the press perceptions.
Reort by John Mbah Akuroh,
Journalist, CRTV- Editorial Adivsor
At The Times Journal, Secrzetary General of
The Commonwealth Journalists Association, CJA,
President of the Cameroon Anglophone Newspaper

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John Mbah Akuroh

09.May.2016

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South Africa's top anti-corruption official fears for her life after learning from an informant that hit men are being contracted to kill her, her spokeswoman said on Sunday.

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela is a leading public figure who scored a major victory when South Africa's top court ruled on March 31 that President Jacob Zuma had violated the constitution by ignoring her instructions to pay back some of the $16 million of state money spent upgrading his private home.

"On the 1st of April she received a text message from an informant, and that informant warned her to be careful. That person said a top gangster in the Western Cape was paid to get a hit man to kill her," said spokeswoman Kgalalelo Masibi, confirming a report in the Sunday Times newspaper.

"She is concerned about her safety and security," Masibi said, adding that Madonsela knew the informant personally.

Western Cape province has a reputation for gangsterism and organized crime but Masibi said Madonsela did not know who wanted to kill her.

Her office, which has a constitutional mandate, probes misconduct and abuse in state affairs and can have several investigations on the go at any time.

Masibi said Madonsela had immediately alerted South Africa's VIP protection service to the threat and that her security had initially been beefed up, but had since been scaled down.

"Security Services say that 95 percent of the time the informant is incorrect. But what if this falls under the 5 percent that is correct?" Masibi said.

She also said Madonsela had been told by the informant that the hit "should be made to look natural".

Madonsela was quoted in the Sunday Times as saying she had stopped jogging and had become "cautious" about her movements.

The opposition Democratic Alliance said in a statement that police must look into the alleged death threats.

Police could not immediately be reached for comment.

Reuters

 

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Elangwe Pauline

09.May.2016

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Some 17 French Parliamentarians have demanded a parliamentary enquiry on the treatment of their citizens in foreign countries, especially Thierry Michel ATANGANA who was detained in Cameroon for 17 years. The Franco-Cameroonian was thrown behind bars in 1997 and was only released two years back.

The French parliamentarians made the declaration in the Weekly publication of Marianne. According to them, France does not have to abandon its children because it is her obligation to support all its citizens imprisoned abroad.

According to them 20% of 2558 French citizens who have been imprisoned abroad, approximately 518are not supported by French Government. According to Jeune Afrique’s website, the main reason for the parliamentary enquiry is due to the detention of Thierry M.ATATANGA which has been described as arbitrary. 

Thierry Michel ATANGANA is claiming from the government the sum of 278 billion FCFA as damages he incurred during his 17 years detention.

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Elangwe Pauline

08.May.2016

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