Barely weeks after the last crisis that virtually turned the once bubbling city of Jos into a ghost town, tension again enveloped the city yesterday, as security personnel took over almost every part of Jos.

This followed the arrest of 26 men suspected to be mercenaries on a mission in the city, by men of the Plateau State police Command.

Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth (ERA), Mr Nnimmo Bassey, has called on President Umaru Yar'Adua to adhere to the December 31, 2008 deadline his administration set to stop gas flaring in Nigeria.

Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang has dragged the Federal Government to the Supreme Court for setting up a panel of inquiry to probe the November 28 sectarian riots that engulfed the state over the local government election in Jos North.

Over 300 people were reportedly killed in the riots, while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.

Three militants were shot dead and four others captured alive, yesterday, after a heavy exchange of gunfire between the Joint Task Force on the Niger-Delta and militants, who attempted to overrun an Agip flow station at Tebidaba, a creek community in Bayelsa State.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, enlisted the help of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to effect the arrest of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, before the end of the year.

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has concluded arrangement to enter into a joint venture partnership with African Petroleum Plc, in year 2009, so as to construct a refinery in Lekki, Lagos.

The joint partnership will help alleviate the problem of distribution of petroleum products nationwide, an industry expert had noted.

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua yesterday approved urgent humanitarian relief materials in support of South Africa 's efforts to take care of the influx of Zimbabwean refugees and the outbreak of cholera.The President disclosed the approval at a farewell audience with the out-going High Commissioner of South Africa, Mr. Bangumzi Sifingo , in State House.

The Organised Private Sector (OPS) has raised the alarm over the continued decline in capacity utilisation in industries and the real sector of the economy.

The crash in oil prices at the international market has manifested in the depletion of Nigeria's revenue as the nation recorded a drop of N177.52 billion in accruals to the Federation Account last November.

THE violence in Jos, Plateau State capital, continued, yesterday, with reprisal attacks leading to more deaths and loss of property, forcing the state government to extend the curfew in some areas to 24 hours.

The Plateau State Government has ordered security operatives comprising men of the Nigerian Army, Air Force, and Mobile Police to 'shoot on sight' anybody fomenting crisis or defying the curfew order impose

The largest mobile telecommunications network company in the world, Vodafone Group, has expressed its desire to operate in the Nigerian telecoms terrain.

Vodafone, with its headquarters in Berkshire, England, UK has a market value of about £75 billion.

It currently has operations in 25 countries and partner networks in a further 42 countries.

THE case filed by former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu challenging his demotion from the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) has taken new twist as the Federal Government yesterday filed an application seeking the transfer of the case to Abuja.

Nigeria: Nigeria's most prominent militant group on Sunday declared an "oil war" in the restive Niger Delta after two days of major gunbattles with security forces.