OOU Lecturer Murdered by Unknown Gunmen

Dr. Olusegun Onabanjo, a senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, was shot dead by unknown gunmen who stormed his private residence in the early hours of Wednesday.

According to reports, the killers suspected to be robbers, stormed the private residence of the late lecturer located in Odomo lasa area of Ilese-Ijebu within the hours of 12am to 2am.

Dr. Onabanjo was said to have been shot and left for dead while trying to challenge the robbers.

Residents of the area told reporters that they heard Mr. Onabanjo shouting "e bami gbe ibon mi (kindly bring me my gun)" to his family members hoping to scare away the gunmen at the time they were making efforts to force their way into the house.

Luck ran out on the lecturer, as the gunmen broke in, shot him dead for challenging them and made away with some of his property.

The Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the killing of the lecturer to newsmen, adding that the policemen rushed to the scene and engaged the assailants in a gun duel as soon as they received a tip-off of their activities in the area.

However, he sympathised with the family of the deceased lecturer, adding the command would do everything possible to bring them to justice, as they were currently on the trail of the suspected killers who have escaped with bullet wounds through a nearby bush.

The PPRO also urged the residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity in the area that could help bring the criminals to justice. He called on doctors in the state to alert the command should anyone with gun wounds approach their hospitals.

Dr. Onabanjo, a well-celebrated scholar of his university, was a graduate of Sociology from the University of Uyo.

Until his untimely death, he had obtained two masters degrees from the University of Lagos and University of Ibadan and was recently awarded a Ph.D by the University of Ibadan.

London killing: Security services tried to recruit Adebolajo – friend

An alleged friend of London soldier murder suspect Michael Adebolajo was arrested at the BBC after telling the broadcaster that British security services had tried to recruit his friend.

Abu Nusaybah told BBC television on Friday that Adebolajo was asked by the MI5 domestic intelligence agency if he wanted to work for them.

He said Adebolajo had snubbed their approach.

The BBC said Abu Nusaybah was promptly arrested on their premises after giving the interview.

Scotland Yard police headquarters said Saturday that counter-terror officers had arrested a 31-year-old man in London on suspicion of the “commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”.

It is understood the arrest was not directly linked to the brutal murder of soldier Lee Rigby, who was hacked to death in the street Wednesday outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, southeast London.

Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, who remain under armed guard in hospital after being shot by police at the scene, were known to the intelligence services but were reportedly assessed as not posing a deadly threat.

Abu Nusaybah said he first met Adebolajo in early 2002 and was struck by things his friend said to him roughly six months ago.

The murder suspect claimed he had been picked up by Kenyan forces and physically assaulted in detention there.

Abu Nusaybah said after Adebolajo returned from Kenya, MI5 agents repeatedly called at his home.

Adebolajo was “basically being harassed by MI5, this is something that he specifically mentioned to me.

“His wording was: ‘They are bugging me — they won’t leave me alone.’

“He mentioned initially they wanted to ask him whether he knew certain individuals.

“But after him saying that he didn’t know these individuals and so forth, what he said is they asked him whether he would be interested in working for them.

“He was explicit in that he refused to work for them but he did confirm that he didn’t know the individuals.”

The BBC said it could not obtain any confirmation from government ministry sources as to whether Adebolajo had been approached by MI5.

Scotland Yard said officers from Counter-Terrorism Command arrested a 31-year-old man at around 9:30pm (2030 GMT) Friday.

He was detained “on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000″, the statement said.

“The man has been taken to a south London police station, where he remains in custody.

“Search warrants are being executed at two residential addresses in east London.”

Attorney-General Admits Deaths of Four Americans in Drone Attacks

The Obama Administration has formally admitted killing four of its citizens in authorized drone attacks in Yemen and Pakistan since 2009, according to a letter from US attorney-general Eric Holder.

The letter, which was addressed to congressional leaders on Wednesday, named three US citizens – Samir Khan, Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, and his father, Anwar al-Awlaki, the intended target of a drone strike in September 2011.

However, the fourth citizen, Jude Kenan Mohammed, was regarded as a victim of America’s efforts to combat terrorism through drone strikes.

The letter reads, “Since 2009, the United States, in the conduct of US counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda and its associated forces outside of areas of active hostilities, has specifically targeted and killed one US citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki.”

“The decision to target Anwar al-Awlaki was lawful, it was considered and it was just,” he wrote.

“The United States is further aware of three other US citizens who have been killed in such US counterterrorism operations over that same time period,” Holder added, after which he named three citizens.

Holder refused to explain why Jude Mohammed and 16-year-old Abdulrahman al-Awlaki were killed. “These individuals were not specifically targeted by the United States,” he said.

“The administration is determined to continue these extensive outreach efforts to communicate with the American people. To this end, the president has directed me to disclose certain information that until now has been properly classified. You and other members of your committee have on numerous occasions expressed a particular interest in the administration’s use of lethal force against US citizens.”

“In light of this face, I am writing to disclose to you certain information about the number of US citizens who have been killed by US counterterrorism operations outside of areas of active hostilities.”

The letter came just a day before US President Barack Obama was scheduled to deliver a speech on the use of drones, and was addressed to Senator Patrick Leahy and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Apparently, it was released with the purpose of defending the Obama Administration over allegations that it wasn’t holding up to its promise of utmost transparency as Obama’s campaign plans has stated.

Only a few months earlier, Senator Rand Paul led a marathon filibuster in an effort to criticize the drone program of the CIA, demanding the administration stand before lawmakers and justify the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in the execution of suspected enemies of the state while turning a blind eye to the innocent civilians killed in the process.

Suicide Bombing near Iraq Place of Worship Kills a Dozen

There have been reports of a suicide bombing targeted at a Shia place of worship (known as a husseiniyah) in Kirkuk, northern Iraq on Thursday, leading to the deaths of at least 12 people.

According to eyewitness accounts, the suicide bomber had attempted to gain entrance to the al-Zahraa husseiniyah. Realizing that he couldn’t carry out his attack due to the refusal by the police to let him in, he detonated the explosives at the entrance, killing at least 12 people and wounding 18 others.

A senior police officer said that family members of victims from a spate of bomb blasts that had occurred the day before were at the husseiniyah receiving condolences at the time of the attack.

Only on Wednesday, six people were brutally killed in a car bomb explosion in Sadr City with about 17 others wounded. Then, another attack saw the deaths of three people, with nine others wounded, according to reports by the medical officials.

The attacks have been blamed on the unending Sectarian dispute occurring between the Sunni minority, and the Shiites majority, of which the Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is a member. Accusations have been passed around, most especially at Nuri’s regime for targeting the Sunni community wrongly

Deadly Car Bomb Detonates Near Benghazi Hospital

There have been reports of a car bomb that detonated in a car park just outside a major hospital in Benghazi, north Libya, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens, according to defense ministry officials.

According to AFP news agency, the car bomb laid waste to Al-Jala hospital’s car park on Monday afternoon, with at least 30 people wounded in the attack.

An official of the ministry also added that two children were amongst the dead, explaining that the explosives were loaded in a grey Toyota car.

Benghazi has been the centre of several attacks ever since the uprising that saw the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi began.

Demonstrators took to the streets, flooding the scene of the bombing with anger clearly seen on their faces. Many blamed militants for the incident, calling for only police and military presence in the country. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The explosion took out dozens of vehicles and did damage to nearby buildings, putting residents in a state of pandemonium.

The attack came only a day after the militants ended their two-week siege on foreign and justice ministries, and days after the US and the UK withdrew some of their staff from the embassies over concerns of their safety in the presence of rising tensions between militants and government forces.

Former Pakistan PM’s Son Abducted at Election Rally

Ex Prime Minister Raza Gilani

There has been a report that the son of former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has been abducted by unidentified gunmen during his own campaign rally at their hometown of Multan on Thursday.

A candidate for the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), Ali Haider was kidnapped in an ensuing gunfire during the rally. His secretary was reported to have been killed in the process, leaving several others with scores of injuries.

Police officer Khurram Shakur told reporters that people came on a motorbike and a black Honda car. Then, they opened fire at the rally, and abducted Gilani’s son, Ali Haider in the car.

Eyewitnesses added that Ali Haider was injured in the gun attack, as he was bleeding when his abductors put him in the car.

Mr Gilani has accused his political rivals as being the perpetrators of the crime, ahead of Saturday’s elections.

“We want our brother back tonight. If we don’t get him, we will not allow elections to be held in our area,” elder brother of Haider, Musa, told reporters in tears.

“There is a war going on between pro- and anti-Taliban forces in this country. They have captured the son of our leader. We are saddened by this and praying that he is safely recovered”, former interior minister Rehman Malik told an Al Jazeera correspondent.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Although, the Pakistani Taliban has promised to dispatch suicide bombers to carry out attacks at the upcoming election, as they have threatened to prevent all parties from conducting any election.