 | Perspective Volume XV 
Sunday Nov 17, 2002
Perspective is a weekly features of unorthodox news reports from around the globe. Some of the reports serve to prove the point that we Nigerians are not as unique as we may be thinking. To put any news report in Perspective please send a note to
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Headlines
Nun Arraigned for Possessing Illegal Firearm Back To TopOwerri, Nigeria:A 27 YEAR old nun, name withheld, has been arraigned before an Owerri Chief Magistrate Court on a two count charge of illegal possession of firearm. According to a certified true copy of the charge sheet made available to Vanguard, the matter is registered as number OW/427C/2002. The charge reads inter alia: "That you (names withheld) on the 24th day of October 2002, at Imo State University premises, Owerri, in the Owerri Magisterial District, did have in your possession or control, one locally made revolver pistol, being a prohibited firearm, without licence and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 28 (1) (a) (i) of the firearms Act Cap 146 Vol. IX Laws of the Federation 1990."Count two: That you (names withheld) on or about the same date and place and in the aforementioned district, did have in your possession or under your control six (6) rounds of .72 mm live ammunition without licence and thereby committed an office punishable under Section 28 (1) (a) (11) of the firearms Act Cap 146 Laws of the Federation 1990." When the charges were read to the accused person, she pleaded "not guilty" and this paved the way for her counsel, Dr. Anamelachi Aguwa, to apply for her bail. Dr. Aguwa spoke glowingly of the nun and pleaded with the court to grant his client bail on self recognition, insisting that the entire thing was a frame up. In granting the accused Catholic nun bail, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs De Nwigwe, ordered among other things, that the father and mother superior of the accused nun's congregation should sign the bail bond, as well as deposit their passports with the court. The matter was later adjourned to November 12, 2002, for hearing. Source:http://www.nigeria.com/cgi-bin/FrameIt.cgi?Url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200211110062.html
Australian Burglars Choose Prime Minister's Residence as Hideout Back To TopTwo suspected burglars have been arrested in Australia after they initially evaded capture by police, only to hunker down in ill-advised hiding places.Police say the two men fled the scene of a break-in in Sydney and gave them the slip - by entering the grounds of the governor-general's official residence. The fugitives immediately triggered alarms, sparking into action federal police, a police dog squad, and protection officers stationed at the mansion, known as Admiralty House. But one of the suspects still managed to get away into the mansion next door - the official Sydney residence of Australia's Prime Minister, John Howard. The suspect reportedly managed to lay low for up to three hours before being arrested, a delay that raised concerns regarding the security at the prime minister's residence, Kirribilli House. Police said the fugitives would have been caught anyway, but by climbing into federal property "you certainly increase the risks", said a police spokesman. "Perhaps one might say they were unfortunate," said Inspector Doug McKenzie. The two men and their two alleged accomplices are facing a mix of charges, including break-and-enter and trespassing on Commonwealth land. Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2440627.stm
Man hid cocaine in false leg Back To TopA man who smuggled £65,000 worth of cocaine into Britain in a false leg is beginning a 10 year jail sentence.Customs and Excise said 59-year-old Yenline Neil, from Jamaica, was caught when their officers stopped him with sniffer dogs at Gatwick Airport earlier this year. The drugs were found when customs decided to x-ray Neil's false leg. Neil, of Spanish Town, Jamaica, was jailed on Friday after being found guilty of attempted drug smuggling following a three-day trial at Croydon Crown Court. The court was told a sniffer dog took a interest in Neil soon after he arrived at the airport on a British Airways flight from the Caribbean. He was being helped by ground staff through arrivals on an electric buggy, when the dog started barking and alerted officers. The man's artificial leg was removed and under x-ray, customs offices found 824 grammes of cocaine - with an estimated street value of about £65,000 - hidden below the knee joint. The false limb was confiscated as evidence by customs and Neil was arrested. He was issued with a replacement leg before the trial. Neil denied the charge, telling the court he had no knowledge of the fact that he was carrying the class A drug. Although he had taken the artificial limb for repairs shortly before his trip, Neil claimed he had not noticed any extra weight after it was returned. The jury took just 15 minutes to reach a unanimous verdict. Sentencing Neil, His Honour Judge Stowe called cocaine a "vile" drug and said the evidence against the Jamaican had been overwhelming. A customs spokesman said: "He (Neil) claimed that he had no idea his leg contained cocaine. But he didn't have a leg to stand on in court." He said drug smugglers are always finding new places to stash their illegal supplies. Customs officers had not been able to determine if Neil - who had made previous visits to the UK - was part of a wider drug smuggling operation. The spokesman added: "This sentence should send a very strong message and should act as a deterrent to anyone who is tempted to smuggle drugs into the UK." Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2430483.stm
Robber Blinded by Own Mask Sent to Jail Back To TopBERLIN (Reuters) - A German bank robber who forgot to cut open eye slits in his mask and lifted it up to demand money was convicted and sentenced to four years in jail, state prosecutors in Giessen said on Tuesday.The robber, dubbed "Germany's dumbest criminal" by Bild newspaper, had entered a bank in the western town with a burlap bag over his head. Bumping into bank customers on his way to the teller, he pulled out a plastic knife and a toy pistol. He then lifted the front of his mask to look at the teller and demand money. The robber was told the safe couldn't be opened and he fled. But he was easily identified from the security cameras behind the teller and soon arrested. "He was a real amateur," said Giessen police spokesman Gerald Frost. "He lifted the mask and looked straight into the camera. He was quickly identified and arrested a day later." Volker Kramer, spokesman for the Giessen state prosecutor's office, said the robber was convicted of attempted robbery late on Monday and sentenced to four years in jail. Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1722196
Italian 'Dead' Con Man Caught Alive Back To TopMILAN (Reuters) - An Italian con man has given new meaning to the phrase "Wanted -- Dead or Alive."Stefano Ramuni evaded summonses from some 50 Italian public prosecutors' offices by pretending he was dead. Then his luck ran out and he was arrested alive and well in the northeastern city of Verona, judicial source said. Ramuni, who was wanted up and down Italy for fraud, thefts, forgeries and other crimes, put investigators off his trail by sending them death certificates in his own name, drawn up as if they had come from the public records office of Palermo, Sicily. A public prosecutors' office in northern Italy finally woke up to the fact that the certificates were forgeries and had Ramuni arrested. Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1730898
Women Enjoy Best Sex Within Marriage Back To TopLONDON (Reuters) - Forget forbidden flings and passionate one night stands, it's married women who enjoy the best sex.Two thirds of married women say the best sex they've had is with their husband, compared to 13 percent who say it was when they were single and just nine percent when having an affair, a survey by British health magazine Top Sante said Tuesday. "This survey turns on its head the idea that the best sex is when we are footloose, fancy free and single," Juliette Kellow, Top Sante's editor, said. "The truth is truly great sex and deep intimacy are most likely to happen within the trusting, committed environment of marriage or a long-term relationship." Men will be able to draw reassurance from the findings, based on a survey of 2,000 women across the UK. More than half of women think their partner has a "gorgeous body," 69 percent are happy with their man's weight, and 93 percent are pleased with his "manhood." Even after 14 years of marriage, 63 percent of women still fancy their husband as much as when they first met and 65 percent think sex never goes off the boil with the right man. But although 95 percent of women believe being faithful is important in a long-term relationship, 16 percent admitted to having affairs. Most blamed TV shows such as "Sex And The City" for the breakdown of relationships, with 74 percent saying such programs give out the message that infidelity is normal. Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1721310
Sharia: Governor Lost His Head Figuratively, He May Face Loosing It Literarily Back To TopChairman of the outlawed Arewa People Congress (APC) and notable traditional leader in the North, Alhaji Sagir Mohammed, has described the statement credited to the Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, that God had spoken to President Olusegun Obasanjo endorsing his candidature was "blasphemous."Reacting to the speech by Adamu during the recent presidential visit to Nasarawa state, Mohammed in a telephone interview, said that "as a Muslim, Adamu knows that God does not speak to people directly, not even prophets," but "Speaks only through a veil." "How could He have spoken to Obasanjo?" Mohammed queried, pointing out "what Adamu has done is high blasphemy." He said the governor had only "three days to renounce that statement or he should consider himself as having renounced Islam in which case he should be beheaded in line with Sharia provisions." Quoting chapter 42, verse 51 of the Holy Qur'an to back his argument, Mohammed, who is the Waziri of Ringim, explained that there was never an instance, where God spoke directly with any mortal. He said the statement credited to Adamu sounded incredible, noting that he had expected a prompt denial because of its grave implication for a Muslim. Adamu was reported to had said that Almighty Allah has endorsed Obasanjo for a second term in office in 2003.He spoke at a dinner in honour of the visiting Obasanjo in Lafia. "God has Himself endorsed our argument when the President was not sure, which way to go. He (Obasanjo) asked God and God said to him 'go ahead'. We fully support his decision to seek second term in office because we believe it is good for the system and for the country," Adamu reportedly said. Source:http://www.thisdayonline.com/news/20021114pxt02.html
Four Arrested With Arms in Church Back To TopJos Nigeria:Men of the State Security Service (SSS) in Plateau State have arrested four persons at ECWA Church in Tudun Wada area of Jos metropolis with three locally made pistols one Barreta pistol and live ammunition.Investigation carried out by our reporter revealed that the suspect who are all members of the ECWA Church were apprehended by the security personnel at the church premises on Saturday October 26, 2002 after a tip off. They are Danjuma Alhassan, Thomas Asaka, Audu Salami and Stephen Hodus who were also found with 15 cartridges in their possession at the time of the arrest. Plateau State Police Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Emmanuel Adams, who confirmed the report said the suspects were initially taken to the State Area Command by the SSS before they were later handed over to the police at the "A" division of the state police command. He said that the suspects in their confessional statements to the police at the time of interrogation claimed that they were being hired to provide security at the church but failed to disclose the source of the arms in their possession. "From what we discovered of this case I came to understand that the weapons were brought from somewhere and that is why we are handling the issue with all seriousness," he said while noting that the suspects had already been taken to court for prosecution. In a related development, security men have equally arrested one Ishiyaku Bulus Zang who specialises in the manufacturing of locally made pistol at the Set Gyel village of Jos South Local Government Area of the state. During the search conducted at his residence at Set Gyel, items recovered were three locally made pistol, one live cartridge and empty shed. According to the Plateau State Police Command spokesman, other items found with the accused included two locally made pistol under construction, two iron spare parts and iron pipe used for the production of such weapons. He disclosed that the suspect who was arrested on October 25, 2002 at about 6.00 p.m. has since been charged to court. It will be recalled that in the recent past soldiers stationed along Shendam road arrested seven reverend fathers with arms and ammunition in a car belonging to Cocin Church Mungna. Source:http://allafrica.com/stories/200211140587.html
Bill Gates Welcomed to India with Huge Condom Back To TopHYDERABAD, India (Reuters) - An eight-foot tall condom greeted Microsoft chairman Bill Gates Thursday during a visit to an Indian city, a tribute to mark his generosity in fighting AIDS.The world's richest man smiled when he saw the giant air-filled condom in India's rising technology hub of Hyderabad, where his company has opened its first software development center outside the United States. The billionaire inaugurated his four-day visit to India on Monday by announcing $100 million in contributions from his charity, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to spread awareness on AIDS. India has four million people with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, making it the second largest number in the world after South Africa. http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1737738
Conference Prescribed More Sex to Boost World Economy Back To TopSINGAPORE (Reuters) - An international conference on sex started in strait-laced Singapore on Thursday.And if that wasn't unlikely enough, participants said they may have found a pleasurable way to boost the drooping world economy. Healthy sex lives make happy workers, who will in turn create a more robust economy, said Emil Ng, sex therapist and founder of the Asian Federation of Sexology. "Sexual health is not just about absence of diseases or dysfunction...It is about the ability to enjoy sex," Ng told reporters on the sidelines of the 7th Asian Congress of Sexology. "This will improve the whole nation's well-being and productivity. "When your economy is down, sexual activity will be lower, not because of sexual problems, but financial problems. This is a vicious cycle." Experts also said that sexual myths rooted in Asia's diverse religions and cultures could create social problems that spread into an adult's working life. "In the Asian context, there are more myths and misconceptions surrounding sexuality which can contribute to dysfunction and family disharmony," said Ganesh Adaikan, president of this year's congress. Sex and the economy also crossed paths in the 1960s when "the pill" gave women control over reproduction and heralded an influx of women into the work force, they said. The four-day congress has a host of topics on the anvil -- the "P spot," the "G spot" and other erogenous zones, enhanced Viagra-like drugs to cure male erectile dysfunction, sexuality after 50 and new dimensions of the Kama Sutra, India's ancient treatise on sex. Aimed at enhancing awareness of sexual health in Asia, the congress has been held previously in Hong Kong, China, India, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1737810
Italian Men Legally Allowed to Slap Women’s Bums Back To TopThe Italian government has legally allowed male office workers to slap their female colleagues’ butts. There was one condition stipulated in the law, though: this slapping is not supposed to become a habit.This decision was made by the Italian court of appeal. The court ruled that slapping underneath the back is not a display of sexual abuse, if the fact of slapping happened once. This was the end of the trial that lasted for eight years. The trial was started by a female office worker from Venice. She was made to file a lawsuit against her male colleague, who slapped her bottom every day. This man, a manager named Enzo Miceli, was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison in 1994. However, when the case reached the court of the highest instance, he was acquitted. The court ruled that there was no display on libido in that behavior. Source:http://funreports.com/2002/11/14/39537.html
Man Gets 25 Years to Life in Prison over $11.00 Theft Back To TopSANTA BARBARA, California (AP) -- A career criminal was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison under California's three-strikes law for stealing $11 worth of wine, lip balm and breath freshener.Superior Court Judge Frank Ochoa called Ronald Herrera, 57, one of the worst criminals to pass through his courtroom, and prosecutor Darryl Perlin said: "He's what the three-strikes law is all about." Herrera's record lists 17 serious felonies, including a 1971 home-invasion robbery and rape of a woman and her 15-year-old daughter, the shooting of a police dispatcher, and six armed robberies in Virginia. He was sentenced Thursday for burglary and petty theft at a supermarket. At trial, his lawyer said Herrera has a brain injury that made him forget to pay for the items. California's three-strikes-you're-out law, passed in 1994, is the toughest in the nation, mandating 25 years to life for a felony committed by someone already convicted of two serious crimes. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments earlier this month on whether such sentencing amounts to unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment. Source:http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/11/15/strike.three.ap/index.html
Church on Strike Nationwide Back To TopActivities at Roman Catholic institutions across Liberia ground to a halt on Friday as the church observed a day of suspension in protest at allegations against an outspoken bishop by a member of the House of Representatives.Church-run schools and hospitals are closed and churches are not performing wedding services. Representative Sando Johnson of north-western Bomi County has now referred to the bishop as "an immoral person who has failed to correct acts of homosexuality in the Catholic Church." Bishop Michael Francis has often criticised the government of President Charles Taylor, saying it has a poor human rights record. Mr Johnson was reacting to the bishop's claims that the killing of five nuns in Monrovia at the height of the Liberian civil war was by fighters of the former rebel National Patriotic Front, led by Charles Taylor, of which Mr Johnson was a member. The representative accused the bishop of conniving with the West African peacekeeping force, Ecomog, which served in Liberia, to kill the nuns, and of being involved in one of the worst massacres during the war. The Catholic Church issued a strongly-worded statement on Thursday, announcing a one-day suspension of its activities in protest at the allegations against the bishop. It described the representative's comments as "sacrilegious and sadistic", saying services and institutions to be affected by the suspension include schools, hospitals, ambulances, the media, human rights, marital and relief services. The Catholic Church runs the most credible church-run schools across the country. The statement called on Catholics, wherever they are, "to observe the solemnity of the day, taking into consideration the grave consequences the reckless, diabolical and devilish comments and allegation against a true Liberian patriot and statesman could have on the overall peace and tranquillity of the Liberian nation and its people". Patients heading for the renowned St Joseph's Catholic Hospital in the Congotown district of Monrovia, the best-functioning hospital in Liberia at the moment, returned home disappointed as the protest action took effect. "The poor will always suffer the actions of the rich," remarked a middle-aged woman returning from the hospital with her sick baby clutching to her bosom on Friday morning. "Actions should be taken against people offending others, instead of punishing the masses." Liberia's Information Minister, Reginald Goodridge, described the church's action as "worrying to the Liberian people". He said he did not understand why comments by a representative "who was speaking personally" could affect the whole country. Liberia, he said, "is a country of free speech, and besides, there is a separation of powers". Mr Goodridge implied that if Mr Johnson had offended the Catholic Church he should have been dealt with as an individual "because he was not speaking for the country or the government". "The executive branch of government does not have power over the legislative branch for which Johnson works," Mr Goodridge argued. But his explanation has so far done nothing to change public perceptions that the government's silence on the matter amounts to an endorsement of the representative's action. Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2480247.stm
Bill Wyman (the Journalist) taken to court by Bill Wyman (a Rolling Stone) over name Back To TopA US journalist has reportedly been contacted by lawyers representing a former Rolling Stones member Bill Wyman over use of his name, which happens to be the same as the guitarist.Journalist Bill Wyman, a staff writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has written an article about receiving the letter, a copy of which is included on the newspaper's website. He wrote that the letter, from Howard Siegel, of New York-based Pryor Cashman Sherman & Flynn, threatened "legal action" over use of his name. "Mr Siegel magnanimously allowed I could continue to use my own name if I could prove that I had come by it legally, and if I added a disclaimer to everything I wrote in the future, 'clearly indicating that [you are] not the same Bill Wyman who was a member of the Rolling Stones'," he added. The journalist said that having been a pop music writer for more than 20 years, he had worked effectively with Rolling Stones publicists in the past with no problems. "I remember scarfing up some food next to Keith Richards backstage at a shed in the middle of Wisconsin with no legal repercussions," he said. The journalist added that the former Stone was actually born William George Perks, and changed his name to Bill Wyman by deed poll in 1964, according to a book about him called Stone Alone. "Me, I was born Jan 11, 1961. What I need now is a lawyer to ask Mr. Siegel that his client stop using a name I have claim to by several years," he said. Pryor Cashman Sherman & Flynn were unavailable for comment. Another Rolling Stone also hit headlines when lead singer Mick Jagger, 59, issued a statement publicly denying a 17-year-old Swedish model's claims that he was pestering her. He is said to feel that the allegations risked hurting his family and friends. The Sun reported that Caroline Winberg had been rung up by the rocker and invited to "join him on his current world tour", and included comments from her parents. But Jagger said on Friday: "This is completely untrue and a misrepresentation of the facts by Miss Winberg and her family. "We have spoken on the telephone several times. "She said she was coming to the States in the autumn and asked if I could get her and her friends some tickets for a concert which I said I would try to help with. "To suggest that I have pestered her in any way is absolutely ridiculous." Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1656206
A Nigerian Secondary School having 81.3% University Admission Back To TopTashikalmah Hallah, Maiduguri:For exhibiting academic excellence in the just released Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) results, 74 students from the Imam Malik Islamic Centre have been offered automatic admission into the University of Maiduguri.Alhaji Mohammed Mustpaha Al-Barnawi, Chairman, Academic Board of Directors of the centre told Daily Trust that out of the 91 students who sat for the SSCE in June this year, the school recorded 315 per cent pass in all the subjects sat for. Alhaji Al-Barnawi disclosed that the mass admission offered to the students of the centre by the University of Maiduguri is a morale booster, and it will help in gingering the performances of both the staff and students. This indicates that out of the 91 candidates, 74, representing 81.3 per cent obtained the five credit requirements by the Nigerian universities. "All the 74 candidates are university materials," he declared. The five best students, he said, have nine credits each, while the two least candidates have two credits each. Alhaji Al-Barnawi also stated that over 90 per cent of the candidates have credits in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Arabic and Islamic Studies, adding that all subjects except Arabic, Geography, Agricultural Science, Economics, have at least pass grade. The Imam Malik Islamic Centre is a centre owned by the Islamic Educational Institution, with the main aim of promoting understanding of Islamic values, and preparing students for qualitative education. It was established by a renowned philanthropist, Alhaji Tijjani Bolo, to offer education at the nursery, primary and secondary school levels. "The institution seeks to blend western and Islamic education with the sciences and humanities purposely to produce students with solid Islamic orientation in any field of specialisation," Alhaji Al-Barnawi stressed The chairman expressed his delight that the centre has carved out a niche for itself by striving hard to place itself among the leading award winning post-primary institutions in the country. The school, he said, was awarded a certificate of merit for producing four out of five best students that won the National Mathematics Centre competition in Abuja. Elated by their performances, he said, the state government donated N5.25 million to the centre. Source:http://allafrica.com/stories/200211150755.html
Sharia: Man Received 100 Lashes in Ibadan For Fornication Back To TopThe private Shariah implementation initiative of the Oyo state Muslim community received an unexpected boost Thursday October 31 this year, when a 29-year-old bachelor, Sulaiman Shittu who confessed to committing fornication and insisted on being punished in accordance with Shariah law, was given 100 hundred strokes of cane at the Oja-Oba central mosque, where the Oyo state Independent Shariah Panel (ISP) sits.The public canning of Shittu before a large crowd of Muslims, security agents in mufti and uniform, and journalists from international and local media organizations, signified an inadvertent widening of the jurisdiction of the ISP which was hitherto mandated by the state branch of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) to adjudicate only on civil Shariah matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance, etc. Indication are that the shariah panel would continue to have more than it bargained for as Shittu's bold move is likely to be emulated by other penitent and shariah-conscious Muslims who may have committed similar offences in the past. If brought before it, cases such as adultery whose penalty is stoning to death and stealing whose penalties include amputation, are likely to put the panel in a difficult situation as it has no governmental backing yet. Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni, the national president the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) and a member of the Oyo state SCSN Majlis Shura (consultation committee) opined that if such cases are brought before the shariah panel "the Almighty Allah will teach us how to deal with them in the present circumstance. Let's get to the river first, Allah will direct us as to how to cross it. "It is most unlikely that further entertainment of criminal cases by the Oyo shariah panel will go unchallenged by security agents, if their activities during Mallam Shittu's canning at Oja-Oba is anything to go by. But for the wisdom of the Qadis to implement the judgment right inside the mosque, the execution of the sentence would have been aborted by security agents who allegedly got a directive from Abuja to prevent the canning by whisking Shittu away. Alhaji Sanni told Weekly Trust that some of the police officers who stormed the Oja-Oba central mosque on the fateful day had confirmed to him that they got a directive from Abuja to disrupt the event. They probably couldn't carry out the order because of the volatility of the situation and the fact that the event was being staged within a mosque. Perhaps if they had recognized Shittu before he entered into the mosque premises, they would have arrested him. For the shariah panel itself the decision to entertain Shittu's case was a very difficult one. A member of the seven-man Majlis Shura who is the president of the Oyo state branch of Muslim lawyers association had strongly objected to the case being entertained to avoid harassment by security agents. But other members had argued that since Shittu voluntarily confessed and placed a curse on the SCSN if they refused to give him the appropriate Shariah punishment, his case should be entertained. They reasoned further that Allah's punishment on them would be more severe than security agents' harassment if they refused to treat Shittu's case. Consequently with a vote of six to one the Majlis Shura decided in favour of handling the case. The acting Grand Qadi of the shariah panel Sheik Ahmed Tiamiyu, had reiterated while delivering the judgment that the panel was reluctant to hear the case because it was outside its jurisdiction "but since Sulaiman voluntarily confessed and demanded that he be punished according to shariah law, placing a curse on us if we fail to punish him, we had no option than to do it in order that Allah will not punish us." So what exactly was the curse that sent jitters down the spine of the Ibadan shariah operators and compelled them to pass judgment on Shittu. The Shariah convict himself told Weekly Trust that. "Before he was finally punished, Shittu confirmed that he was sent back by the panel on three occasions to reconsider his confession and desire to be punished, but he insisted on letting the shariah law take its course. After convicting Shittu, the panel which apparently did not prepare for criminal cases could not immediately decided on those to effect the caning until Sheik Tiamiyu came up with a suggestion that two children who are yet to attain puberty among the crowd he called out to cane the convict. Tiamiyu's suggestion which was unanimously approved by the panel was obviously informed by the fact that in Islam, those who are yet to attain puberty are considered pure as no sin is recorded against them yet. Thus, two young boys, Shakiru Lawal and Abass Abdullah were chosen from the crowd to administer 50 strokes of the cane each on Shittu. Shortly after the convict was beaten, his father Pa Shittu Awe, emerged protesting the judgment, and he was later calmed down by some members of the SCSN who explained the issues involved in him. However, the shariah convict told Weekly Trust that his father never meant to protest the judgment. Explaining that he had earlier briefed his father about the case before he went for the canning, he stated that the old man was only acting on impulse as somebody had counseled him that his son could die from the beating as was the case during the Islamic caliphate of Umar bin Khatab whose son died while receiving 100 lashes for fornication. Indeed, Shittu's confession and preference for Shariah punishment has again underscored the fervent desire of Yoruba Muslims to have the Islamic legal system adopted by state governments in the South-West. Just last September, Governor Bola Tinubu confirmed that pressure was being mounted on him to implement shariah in Lagos state. Weekly Trust gathered that similar pressure is being mounted on other governors in the South West by Yoruba Muslims. It was the refusal of the Oyo state House of Assembly to pass into law private shariah bill presented to it by members of state Muslim community that prompted them to establish the independent shariah panel last May. Over 150 cases were reportedly brought before the panel between May and last month. Sheik Tiamiyu confirmed to Weekly Trust that one of the six cases heard by the panel on October 31, was brought by parties from far away Lagos. With the imminent congestion of cases at the Oja-Oba venue of the shariah panel, Alhaji Sanni hinted that more shariah courts would soon be established in Ibadan and other parts of Oyo state. In a similar vein, the chairman of the Lagos state branch of SCSN, Barrister Ishaq Adesina has hinted that the body will launch shariah in Lagos in the nest few weeks with or without government cooperation. Obviously, the clamour for shariah in Yorubaland is by no means misplaced. The Islamic legal system had been practiced in many Yoruba towns before the advent of colonialism in the country. Until the colonial masters terminated shariah in Yorubaland, there were official shariah courts in Iwo up till 1906 during the reign of Obas Muhammed Lamuye. Ede also had shariah courts up till 1913 when Oba Abeeb Lagunju was reigning, just as Ikirun had same up till 1912 during the reign of Oba Aliyu Oyewole. There were also shariah courts in Epe, Isale-Oke, Ibadan and other places in the pre-colonial period. Traces of shariah terminologies are still noticeable in Yoruba vocabulary up till now. Words like Zina (Arabic word for fornication or adultery). Riba (Arabic word for interest), are still being used as part of Yoruba vocabulary currently. Source:http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r52175272
Mafia Boss Turns Himself in After Pope's Speech Back To TopROME (Reuters) - A fugitive mobster turned himself in to the police Thursday, prompted by Pope John Paul's speech to the Italian parliament on Christian values which was broadcast live around the country, his lawyer said.Benedetto Marciante, who has been sentenced to 30 years prison for murder and seven years for association with the Mafia, surrendered to police in Rome where he was in hiding, his lawyer Roberto Tricoli said. "The pope's words moved him so much, he immediately turned himself in," Tricoli told Reuters in a telephone interview. "My client is a simple man and the comments on family values and the importance of being a Christian really affected him in a kind of miraculous way," he added. In the pope's historic speech Thursday, he urged Italians to have more babies and appealed to Europe to cherish its Christian roots. It was the first time the 82-year-old pontiff had addressed Italy's parliament. Marciante, 50, is a native of Sicily where he has been found guilty of murder and Mafia connections. Tricoli said Marciante did not admit to the crimes when he turned himself in. "He just suddenly felt the need to do what was expected of him by the law," he said. Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1747400
Call for Condom Testers Swamped by Offers Back To TopLONDON (Reuters) - An appeal for British students to volunteer to rigorously road test condoms and be paid 100 pounds ($158) a term into the bargain has been overwhelmed by applicants, manufacturer Condomi said Friday.Within a week of the appeal for sexually-active men and women to come forward, the firm had received 10,000 applications and is combing the list selecting 100 who will get lucky. The winners will be required to perform what the firm called "rigorous pleasure tests" on its entire range and fill in a detailed questionnaire on their reactions. "The response has been phenomenal," marketing manager Victoria Wells said. "It is quite surprising how much detail some people go into when answering intimate questions." Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1747509
Japanese Economic Growth Produced by Sharp Increase in Funeral Consumption Back To TopTOKYO (Reuters) - For an economy long used to morbid news, the announcement earlier this week that personal consumption in Japan boosted growth seemed a rare bright spot.Until you consider that it was caused in large part by funerals. Takehiro Sato, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, noted on Thursday that a 0.8 percent rise in personal consumption in July-September, which boosted overall growth for the period, was largely due a sharp spike in spending on last rites. "The household spending data is pretty distorted by the funeral expenses," Sato told Reuters. "Maybe in the sample of households some people were taking very gorgeous funerals." Household spending figures for July-September showed a healthy gain from a year earlier, helping lift the personal consumption component of GDP figures out Wednesday which showed Japan extended a fledgling recovery with 0.7 percent expansion from the previous three months. But Sato said the household spending rise was largely due to a 34.7 percent spike from the previous year in "ceremonial" spending, mainly funerals. "It's just statistical noise, not a substantial movement," said Sato, pointing out that the survey only covers 8,000 households, making it sensitive to one-off spending. "Funeral expenses are higher than purchasing a passenger car, so it easily distorts the data," he added. Funerals in Japan are infamously pricey, averaging about 2.3 million yen ($19,160), about three times the Canadian and U.S. level, and often costing much more. ($1=120.05 yen) Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1737867
Wife Killed Husband by Axing His Testicles Back To TopPHNOM PENH (Reuters) - A Cambodian woman who murdered her husband by axing him repeatedly in the groin before running off with her son-in-law has been sentenced to 15 years in jail, officials said Friday.But 35-year-old Chhoeun Sovann, from Kompong Thom province 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Phnom Penh, is not yet behind bars. Six years after the murder, prosecutors say they cannot find her. The verdict was handed down in absentia. In a case shocking even by Cambodian standards, Chhoeun Sovann set about battering her husband to death with the blunt end of an axe, the blows falling mainly on his groin. "She fell in love with her son-in-law, which was against her husband's wishes. Finally, she had to kill her husband so she could escape with her lover," female presiding judge Sim Samoeu told Reuters. "It is totally unacceptable in Cambodia that a wife should kill her husband by smashing his genitals," the judge said. "After hours of deliberation, I decided to punish her with 15 years in jail." She also awarded the victim's family compensation of two million riels ($500) -- nearly double the average Cambodian annual wage. Under Cambodia's notoriously erratic and ineffective judicial system, trials in absentia are relatively common as are cases of convicted criminals enjoying their freedom for years after receiving hefty jail sentences. Source:http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=humannews&StoryID=1747484
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