News Desk Thursday, March 6, 2008

8 Africans named on billionaire list

FORBES magazine has released its annual list of the world's richest people, with eight Africans on the 1,125 member list for the first time. Egypt's Naguib Sawaris with a net worth of $12.7 billion and Nassef Sawaris ($11 billion) top the list of the wealthiest Africans in the world. Onsi Sawaris ($9.1b) and Samih Sawaris ($2.9b) are the other two Egyptians on the list. MORE>>>

AFRICA INSIGHT: After Mau Mau, Kenya’s December polls second lesson for Africa

Television pictures and graphic radio reports of burning and looting of property across Kenya, have combined with local experiences of election-related violence across Nigeria during the 2007 national elections and current primaries of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to cast grave doubts about the wisdom of conducting elections. MORE>>>

ICPC to try suspects in N3.32b UBE funds scam

SUSPECTS in the N3.32 billion Universal Basic Education (UBE) fund mismanagement are to face the law, it was learnt yesterday. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) may prosecute them. Of the funds, about N2.3billion has been recovered from about 20 state governments. MORE>>>

FG lists treason offences against MEND leader

The Federal Government on Wednesday accused the detained leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, Mr. Henry Okah, of committing treason. It said that Okah and his co-detainee, Mr. Edward Atata, were involved in terrorism and disappearance of weapons in the Nigerian Army central depot in Kaduna. MORE>>>

Two Army generals, four others face court martial

The Nigerian Army Headquarters on Tuesday inaugurated a five-member court martial to try two Generals and four other senior army officers, who were accused of misappropriation of funds. MORE>>>