Family of executed Ohio inmate sues expert witness

COLUMBUS, Ohio –  The state's former expert witness on lethal injection should have known that a condemned inmate would suffer because of a never used two-drug combo, the family of the inmate says in a lawsuit.

The lawsuit, expanded from an earlier filing, alleges that Dr. Mark Dershwitz knew inmate Dennis McGuire would suffer during the January execution but helped create the state's new lethal injection policy anyway. The new complaint filed in federal court earlier this month says Dershwitz also provided medical and scientific advice to the state prisons agency.

Suspect sought in 6 shooting deaths near Philadelphia

Police near Philadelphia were hunting a former Marine reservist who authorities say shot and killed six family members and wounded another in a Monday rampage that left dead bodies in three different homes.

A SWAT team storming of a house in Pennsburg, where Bradley William Stone, 35, was believed to be holed up, turned up nothing, The Philadelphia Inquirerreported, and authorities said Monday evening that they did not know his whereabouts.

"As I stand here right now, we do not know where he is," Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said shortly after 6 p.m.

Australia: Lindt Cafe hostage drama: day 2

Two hostages killed in a siege at a central Sydney cafe Tuesday were hailed as heroes "willing to lay down their lives so others might live" in a church service mourning their deaths.

Tori Johnson, the 34-year-old manager of the Lindt chocolate cafe where the crisis unfolded, and 38-year-old barrister and mother-of-three Katrina Dawson died as heavily-armed police ended the 16-hour stand-off.

At a prayer service in St. Mary's Cathedral about 500 metres from the cafe, Archbishop Anthony Fisher spoke of how the "heart of our city is broken by the deaths of two innocents".

Lindt Cafe manager, 34-year-old Tori Johnson, who was killed in the siege

"Reports have emerged this morning of the heroism of the male victim of this siege," Fisher said.

Female robbery suspect, three accomplices arrested in Calabar

A FEMALE robbery suspect, Joy Ugoro and three other accomplices, Eso Esoh Ekoh, Imoke Bassey, and Emmanuel Ohi Euba, said to be members of  a notorious robbery gang in Calabar have been arrested by the Police in Cross River State. 

Joy and her gang were alleged to have robbed and raped one Chima Ogiuke of Catholic Church Essien Town and Chineye Uzoegbu of Flour Mills all in Calabar in the first week of September 2014 and carted away three plasma television sets, one IPad phone, two air conditioners, refrigerator, wearing apparels and other valuables.

Adebayor accuses mum of doing ‘juju’ against him

Tottenham Hotspur Emmanuel Adebayor is on a warpath his family after accusing him of neglecting them.

The Togo captain is alleged to have ejected his mother madam Alice Adebayor from the US$ 1.5million he bought for the family.

It is reported that the former Arsenal man split with his relatives because they were doing rituals against him.

“For the past six years Adebayor has rejected his mother and his immediate family whilst doing charity outside on the premise that our mother is a witch,” Adebayor’s cousin Margaret told Accra-based Peace FM.

How local vigilante tortured apprentice to death

It came like a friendly call, but ended up as the last call for Asomugha Ndubuisi, 25, a technician with a Suleja based private company. The ugly incident which took place on Tuesday, September 30, 2014, climaxed with Ndubuisi being dumped in the morgue.

Time was 7pm. His phone rang. Without the slightest inkling that it was a call signaling his death, Ndubuisi, a Senior Secondary School Certificate holder, picked the phone and the unknown caller informed him about a job that needed his immediate attention.

Gunmen kidnap pastor’s wife, demand N20m ransom

ABAKALIKI—THE wife of Pastor Chris Aniamaka, in charge of Dominion City, Kpirikpiri, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Pastor Ifeanyi Aniamaka, has been kidnapped by gunmen at her residence in Abakaliki.

Vanguard learned that the victim, who was trailed in a yellow bus while she was driving in her KIA Rio car, was intercepted at her residence on Onwe Nkam Street, Democracy Estate, Abakaliki and kidnapped.

In a chat with Vanguard, the husband of the victim, Pastor Aniamaka, called on the church for prayers and for security agents across the state to ensure the speedy release of his wife from the hands of the abductors.

He said: “This incident came as a shock to me. We just finished our thanksgiving service for the year. My wife decided to drive the children home and they were intercepted at our residence.

“From the account of my children, who were instructed to come down from the vehicle before the kidnappers took my wife away, the kidnappers followed them until they got to our residence at Democracy Estate.

“They threatened my wife with a gun and told my children to get down from the car before they drove away.”

Vanguard gathered that the kidnappers, still believed to be in the state, had made contact with the family, demanding N20 million ransom.

It will be recalled that two weeks ago, a Deacon and Deaconess of Assemblies of God Church in Abakaliki were kidnapped and later released by their abductors after ransom was paid.

It is believed that a syndicate of young men has been terrori-zing churches in Abakaliki by kidnapping members believed to be wealthy.

Rise of Terrorism: ‘How Boko Haram, Islamic State, others recruit fighters’

Mr. Eduardo Cue is the international affairs editor with the French network France24.

The Mexican born graduate of the School of Journalism, Colombia University, in this interview, relives his experience as an international journalist. He also speaks on terrorism.

Tell us about your journey in journalism and experiences.

I started in 1975 and I have had a very unique experience. I began my career actually in Spain. I was working for the radio network of the Associate Press wire service. I was also working for Washington Star which was an afternoon paper published in Washington but died in 1980 or 1981. I was able to write a great deal about the Spanish transition from dictatorship to democracy.

Controversy trails detention of suspect in SARS

Controversy is trailing the alleged indefinite detention, extortion and gross abuse of human rights by some policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja, Lagos, against one Ekenechukwu Uwakwe, a motorcycle spare parts dealer at Ebute-Meta, Lagos.
According to family sources, Ekenechukwu travelled in December last year to his home town in Imo State for his traditional marriage and while there, he received information that he was wanted by the Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja, in connection with allegations of armed robbery, kidnapping and Obtaining by Trick, popularly called 419.

Arrest of relations

Crime Alert learnt that in his absence, the SARS operatives allegedly arrested his elder sister, Nkechi Uwakwe and her Pastor. They were detained pending when Ekenechukwu would show up.

According to the family source who identified himself as Chief Umeh, after he was done with his traditional marriage, Ekenechukwu returned to Lagos on the fourth of January 2014, and immediately presented himself at SARS.

Child Dedication: Men from hell killed my wife — Igbo man in Bauchi

Bereaved husband Leonard Onunkwo

Preparations for the dedication of the two months old son of Mrs Loricia Onunkwo, a Bauchi-based Igbo business woman, scheduled to take place on Sunday, November 9 at the Our Lady of Loretto Catholic Church, Fadama Mada Parish, Bauchi, turned to a nightmare for the Onunkwo family when the nursing mother was brutally killed by gunmen .

The killing, which took place on October 14, threw the Igbo community in Bauchi into mourning and wailing.

Death after Breakfast: Man dies drinking acid served as water

On May 23, 2014, when Mr. Sunday Obi, a retired staff of Chevron Company Ltd, Warri was served breakfast by his wife, Dora, little did he knew that that was going to be his last meal on earth. The late Obi was alleged to have been served acid instead of water to go along with the food. Two of his sons are fingered as among the three suspects. 

 in the family’s No.2 Okumagba Street residence, Warri, the bereaved wife said, “We woke up that morning; and i made his (husband) breakfast before I left for church. While in church, I received an urgent call from his last son, Ikechukwu, that I should come home, that my husband had been rushed to hospital.

Trouble for cultists, as Ondo Police set up anti-cultism squad

ACTIVITIES of cult groups in some major towns in Ondo state has continued to attract public outcry in the last few months.

As various cult groups are said to have been terrorizing the people of major town across the state in recent times, parents have continued to raise alarm over the recruitment of their wards by some miscreants in towns such as Akure and Ondo.

Supremacy battle between the different cult groups have resulted in the untimely death of many innocent youths. Some lost their lives during their initiation, while others died during supremacy tussles between groups.

How robbers exposed Police Inspector’s illegal duty in Ondo

For leading an illegal duty, a Police Inspector and three other police officers are in soup in Ondo state Police Command.

The four police officers with two drivers and a cash officer are being detained and quizzed for embarking on an illegal duty by escorting a bullion van conveying an unspecified amount belonging to a new generation bank, penultimate Thursday, from one of its branches in Ondo town to its headquarters in Akure, when the hoodlums struck.

The two drivers drove the bullion van and the escort vehicle while the cash officer is a staff of one the bank.

We need foreign intelligence service to fight Boko Haram — Ebigwei

Dr. Sylvan Ebigwei (MON) is immediate past chairman, Federal School of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu, president emeritus, Aka Ikenga and board member, Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi. He was recently honoured as Member of the Order of the Niger, MON, by the Federal Government. In this interview, he takes a look at the issues affecting the country