Wednesday, 29 July 2015
An American Dentist paid $50,000 to kill Zimbabwe’s famous Lion
They say Walter Palmer paid $50,000 to hunt and kill Cecil with a bow and arrow. The incident occurred around July 6, with a professional hunting outfit reportedly luring Cecil outside the boundaries of the protected reserve using a dead animal as bait.
“Mr. Palmer shot Cecil with a bow and arrow but this shot didn't kill him,” Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said in a statement. “They tracked him down and found him 40 hours later when they shot him with a gun. Cecil, who was known all over the world would have earned millions of dollars just from sightseeing. Walter Palmer apparently paid $50,000 for the kill."It wasn’t the first kill for Palmer, who has multiple photos posted on the website Trophy Hunt America showing the Minnesota resident posing with dead lions, rhinos, water buffalo, warthogs, and other animals.
“As far as I understand, Walter believes that he might have shot that lion that has been referred to as Cecil,” the spokesperson said. “What he’ll tell you is that he had the proper legal permits and he had hired several professional guides, so he’s not denying that he may be the person who shot this lion. He is a big-game hunter; he hunts the world over.”
“ZPHGA reiterates it will not tolerate any illegal hunting or any unethical practices by any of its members and their staff,” the organization said in a statement. “We will await the completion of the current investigation by Zimbabwe Parks Wildlife Management Authority before commenting any further.”
Park rangers and regular visitors knew the 13-year-old lion as a tourist
attraction, easily approached by safari guide jeeps for photo
opportunities. Cecil had a propensity for lounging in the middle of
roads, said Bryan Orford, a former park guide and a longtime visitor to
Hwange. Hunting such an easy target only made the killing of Cecil even
more wrong, he said.
“I used to drive down the railway line road following Cecil and had to wait for him to get off the road,” Orford said last week. “This walking in front of the vehicle would go on for ages. Other times he would lie in the road, and you had to drive off the road to go around him.”
The death of Cecil not only means one less endangered African lion in
the world but also could mean the demise of a whole line of cubs sired
by the leader of the Hwange pride.
“The saddest part of all is that now that Cecil is dead, the next lion
in the hierarchy Jericho will most likely kill all Cecil's cubs so that
he can insert his own bloodline into the females,” Rodriques said.
“This is standard procedure for lions.”
I didn’t take N700m bribe, Rivers REC cries out
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Rivers State, Mrs. Gesila
Khan, yesterday, denied allegation by the All Progressives Congress,
APC, that she was bribed with N700 million to rig elections in the state
in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
In a statement by her lawyer, Mr Selekeowei Larry, SAN, the Rivers REC
said she never received such money from anyone or party as claimed by
the APC.
She dared the APC to produce her statement of account that allegedly
contained the huge sum of money, Mrs. Khan, insisted that she carried
out her duty in accordance with the law and did not take side with any
group, political party or persons.
Meanwhile, the family of Mrs Khan of Peretoru, Bayelsa State, has
condemned what its described as the arrest and harassment of their
daughter by the Department of State Services, DSS.
A statement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State by the family through their
representative, Mr. Okubama Johnbull, raised alarm over her poor health.
The family which appealed to the human rights community and public
spirited individuals to come to their aid over the unlawful arrest,
expressed displeasure over the DSS, stating that the arrest of the REC
under any guise was uncalled for and vindictive.
According to the family:
“As a woman who was diagnosed of hypertension and diabetic, she was denied access to her drugs. It is a well known fact that all matters or issues concerning the past general elections across the country are presently being handled by various electoral tribunals.
“We wonder why the REC of Rivers State, Mrs. Khan was singled out for victimization and intimidated by DSS, as all issues concerning the past general elections are before competent electoral tribunals set up by laws of the country.”
The family called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and call
the DSS to order and allow due process and the rule of law to prevail.
Denying the allegation levelled against her, Mrs. Khan’s lawyer said
“My client wishes to place it on record that she did not at anytime
collect bribe from anyone and she does not have such money in her
account as alleged by the APC. We therefore, challenge the APC or anyone
who has her bank account containing that sum of money to produce it.”
Khan described the allegation against her as “ridiculous, baseless and a
calculated attempt to tarnish her hard-earned reputation.”
She said that instead of commending her for serving the country, the
APC rather chose to vilify her unjustifiably, adding that the DSS, never
said that it found the alleged bribe money in her bank account.
She challenged the APC to tell the world the source of the “malicious information.”
Vanguard
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
Pres. Buhari appoints new Coordinator for Niger Delta Amnesty Programme
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Brigadier-General P.T. Boroh (rtd.) as the Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme for former Niger Delta militants. Brig. Boroh, whose appointment takes immediate effect, is to take over the responsibilities of the former Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Niger Delta who also doubled as Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme.
The appointment of a new Coordinator for the Amnesty Programme is expected to lead to the speedy resolution of recent hitches in its implementation such as the non-payment of outstanding allowances to ex-militants.
Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) July 28, 2015
Ini Edo steps out in short shorts on European trip (photos)
Female rapist faces jail after being found guilty of running paedophile ring
Ten people - including six women -
were on trial accused of the child sex abuse which is said to have
centred around Marie Black, 34, of Norwich.
She denied 26 offences at Norwich
Crown Court but today, after 19 hours of deliberations and a three-month
trial, the jury convicted her of all but three counts.
She was found guilty of offences including rape, conspiracy to rape and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Michael Rogers, 53, from Romford,
Essex, was also found guilty of 14 counts including cruelty, rape and
inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Jason Adams, 43, a former cleaner at Norwich and Norfolk University Hospital, was found guilty of 13 similar counts.
Carol Stadler, 59, from Norwich, was
found guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm but cleared of nine
other charges, including serious sexual assaults.
The remaining defendants - Anthony
Stadler, 63, Nicola Collins, 36, Andrew Collins, 52, Judith Fuller, 31,
Denise Barnes, 43, and Kathleen Adams, 85, all from Norwich - were
cleared of all counts.
On some occasions, the adults threw parties and played card games to decide who would abuse which child, Mrs Rafferty said.
In interviews the victims described how they were abused in front of one another and other adults.
They said the abuse became so routine the victims came to accept it as normal.
The children were preyed upon during
a period beginning around 15 years ago. Several victims described Black
and Jason Adams taking photos and laughing.
One male victim said: ‘There would
be parties and they would do some games where the boys were in one room
with the men and the girls were in another with the women.
‘The adults would have a card game
and the winner would get to choose a boy to start touching their private
parts and then hurt them afterwards.’
Describing Black, Mrs Rafferty said:
'Was she a helpless victim of abusive males or was she herself deeply
involved with the children's ill treatment?
'Many of the defendants have become good at appearing normal and respectable.
'This is what you would have to do in order to be child abusers to the extent alleged here.'
All of the defendants denied abusing the children, and claimed it simply did not happen.
During the trial it emerged that
police had launched an investigation in to the conduct of Norfolk County
Council social workers involved in the case.
The court heard that the trial had
originally been due to start last year only to be delayed when
prosecutors raised concerns over changes made by social workers to
statements taken from the children.
This resulted in Norfolk Police launching an investigation into alleged misconduct.
Sarah Elliott QC, representing
Black, told the court that at the time the county's children's services
department had recently failed an Ofsted inspection, being ranked
'inadequate' in all areas.
The guilty defendants will be sentenced this afternoon.
Speaking outside the court,
Detective Chief Inspector Pete Hornby praised the bravery of the victims
and said he was satisfied with the result of a 28-month investigation.
He added: 'This case provides a sickening glimpse into sexual abuse on a large scale.'
He said the force had concluded its
investigation into the allegations made against social workers and no
criminal charges would be brought.
Mr Hornby added: 'In their tender
years, these children were subjected to sexual abuse beyond most
people's imagination by adults they believed were telling the truth.
'It is the most harrowing case I have dealt with in 23 years of policing.
'Marie Black has been found to be at
the centre of this abuse and incited others to commit abuse against
them. She thought they would never speak out.
'Today's verdict is testament to the
children's bravery and to the hard work of dedicated professionals from
a range of agencies in this case.
'It has brought them the knowledge
they are believed and, I hope, will encourage other victims of abuse to
find their voice and come forward.'
Sheila Lock, interim executive director of Norfolk
children's services, said: 'Sexual abuse against children is an
horrific crime and still often goes under-reported or unnoticed.
'The victims in this case have shown
tremendous courage in speaking out and I hope that this verdict will
give other victims or witnesses the confidence to report abuse - because
agencies in Norfolk will listen and act.
'This was a complex case brought by
the Crown Prosecution Service, with our staff among several witnesses
who gave evidence in the proceedings.
'The needs of the children, who were
central to the prosecution case, have always been at the fore of our
minds and have been the main focus of all of the agencies involved.'
Source: Mail Online
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)