Nigeria

Former president Ibrahim Babangida said yesterday that the PDP was being dishonest when it said President Jonathan could run for election next year on his initial joint ticket with the late Umaru Yar'adua.

A gang of four armed men last Friday night kidnapped the son of first Republic Prime Minister, Dr Jhailil Tafawa Balewa in Abuja. Dr. Jhailil is also the leader of one of the Goodluck Jonathan 2011 campaign groups.

The Kidnappers who are still keeping the medical doctor turned politician in their hideout as at the time of filing this report are said to be demanding a ransom of N100m.

A major blow was yesterday evening dealt on the federal government amnesty programme when the leader of "Outlaws" and major urban guerrilla, Mr. Soboma George, was killed by four men while two of his close aides were injured.

Conflicting reports said two girls who were in his company also lost their lives though it is not yet clear what led to the attack and by which group.

A Kaduna Chief Magistrate's Court has ordered the arrest of the Commandant of the Nigerian Army Central Workshop, Kaduna , Brigadier General A. C. Ani, for refusing to appear before the court.

Ani was taken to court by a Kaduna based car dealer, Tanimu Ibrahim and Barrister Mustapha Saidu, for allegedly refusing to pay the balance of cost of a Mercedez Benz (C-class) 230, he bought from them.

After months of rumours and intense speculations, President Goodluck Jonathan will formally declare his interest in the 2011 presidential race early next month, THISDAY has learnt.

Abuja and Matthew Onah in Yola — Former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, yesterday re-launched his bid to become the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite the position of the party that he is yet to be formally accepted into its fold.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said it would issue next week the guidelines for the forthcoming 2011 general elections even as it revealed that about 360,000 personnel would be recruited for the exercise.

THE Joint Task Force, JTF, on the Niger Delta deployed soldiers with two Armoured Personnel Carriers to quell a clash in Warri between the second batch of ex-militants invited for training at Obubra, Cross River State, and the group that had not yet enrolled for the programme.

NO fewer than 500 Nigerians are currently serving jail terms for various offences in Switzerland. Also, 1,800 others are living and working legitimately in that country while 1,600 seek asylum annually.

In Nigeria, a pile-up has killed 40 people along the Ife-Ibadan expressway in the south-west of the country. Many of the victims were burned beyond recognition. The Federal Road Safety Commission has traced the cause of the accident to recklessness on the part of a driver.

China oil giant, Sinopec, has struck oil in its first exploration well drilled in Nigeria's Block 137, previously owned by Canadian oil giant, Addax Petroleum.

According to Reuters report, the Udele-3 well of Block 137, in the Niger Delta, was the first exploration well Sinopec drilled in Nigeria this year after its acquisition of Swiss oil and gas explorer Addax almost a year ago.

Barring last minute hitches, the new leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation will announce the appointment of a new coach for the senior national team, the Super Eagles and the lucky man is no other person than the former U-23 chief coach, Samson Siasia.

United States ambassador to Nigeria Ms Robin Renèe Sanders has urged the Nigerian government and Nigerians to muster enough political will to make democracy work by ensuring free and fair elections next year.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Nigeria on Wednesday for the Developing Eight (D-8) summit, a gathering of the world's largest Muslim countries.

The D-8, with a total population of 930 million, includes Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

Gunmen have kidnapped 12 foreign sailors after attacking a cargo ship in the waters off the coast of Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region.

The attack according to Navy spokesman David Nabaida left one of the crew members injured from gunshots while 12 were taken hostage.