Boko Haram: Jailed 70 Soldiers Write Buhari, Appeal For Presidential Pardon

The 70 soldiers currently held in Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons have written President Muhammadu Buhari, urging to him to grant them pardon. The soldiers, who were all involved in the fight against insurgency in the North East, were earlier sentenced to death by a court-martial but had their sentences reduced to 10 years imprisonment.

Counsel to the soldiers and Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, in the letter to the President, said: “We are counsel to the 70 soldiers who are currently held in custody at the Ikoyi and Kirikiri Prisons in Lagos State. We have the instructions of our clients to write this letter of appeal to Your Excellency.

“Our clients were charged with mutiny before courts-martial for demanding for weapons to fight the well equipped insurgents in the north east zone.

Dangote Named Africa’s 2nd Most Powerful Man, See Who’s The Most Powerful Man In Africa

Africa’s richest man has been named the second most powerful man in Africa behind yet another powerful man in Africa who came first.

Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has been named as the second most powerful man in Africa. He was named in the list of top 100 most powerful people in the world.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was named as the most powerful man on earth, followed by American President-elect, Donald Trump and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, as the 2nd and 3rd most powerful persons in the world.

Arik Air Workers Begin Indefinite Strike Over Unpaid Salaries (Read)

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, National Union of Air Transport Employees and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria have directed workers of Arik Air to commence an indefinite strike action today (Tuesday) over non-payment of seven months’ salaries.

The strike, according to a statement jointly signed by Abba Ocheme, Olayinka Abioye and Francis Akinjole, on behalf of the three unions, will continue until the management of Arik Air pays the arrears of seven months’ salaries and give a commitment to pay salaries as and when due.

The unions also called for total unionisation of Arik’s employees in compliance with extant labour laws and with respect to the constitution of the country.

Photos/Video: Russian Ambassador Shot Dead

This is likely to be the saddest thing most of us have seen this year and i wonder how his family will forever live with this, seeing their father/brother/uncle being shot dead life in a broadcast. Some people are just animals, they don’t deserve to live. The idiot shot him severally and kept shouting allahu akbar.

So the Russian ambassador to Turkey was murdered this evening in an 'assassination attempt' - that was allegedly carried out in retaliation for the crisis in Aleppo.

2 Dead, 17 Injured As Market Stalls Collapse In Akwa Ibom

Two women have been confirmed dead, while 17 other persons sustained various degrees of injuries following the collapse of market stalls at Urua Edet-Obo, a popular market at Ikot Akpatek in Onna LGA of Akwa Ibom.

The state Police Commissioner, Murtala Mani, confirmed the tragic incident in a telephone conversation with journalists on Monday in Uyo.

“Two women died during the tragedy caused by the collapse of an old wall that fell on them. Others who sustained injuries have been taken to the hospital for treatment,” Mr. Mani said.

Donald Trump Wins More Than 270 Electoral College Votes, Confirming His Election As US President

The US Electoral College has confirmed as expected Donald Trump's election as the 45th president of the United States, unswayed by a last-ditch bid by die-hard opponents to bar the Republican's path to the White House.

Six weeks after his upset victory over the Democrat Hillary Clinton, Mr Trump sailed past the 270 votes needed to make his victory official, according to US media, clearing the way for him to succeed Barack Obama on January 20.

9 Dead In Berlin After Truck Drives Into Christmas Market

A truck driver plowed into a crowded Christmas market late Monday on a city square in central Berlin, killing at least nine people and injuring 50 others, in what the police said they believed was an attack.

German media reported that the truck driver jumped the sidewalk around wooden stands at the market, which was set up around the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, whose jagged spire, a reminder of the bombings during World War II, is one of the most symbolic sites in Berlin. It sits between two main streets that run through the heart of West Berlin.

Local media reported that the driver fled the scene. Later, Berlin police said they had arrested a man near the Christmas market, but they were not immediately able to confirm whether he was the driver. The police also said a passenger was found dead in the cab of the truck.