Ex-officer tried for 'Dirty War' crimes in Argentina

An ex-navy captain dubbed the Blond Angel of Death has gone on trial in Argentina with 18 others for kidnap and torture during military rule.

Alfredo Astiz and the other defendants are accused of abuses at the Navy Mechanics School detention centre.

He is accused of involvement in the disappearance of dozens of people, including two French nuns.

Between 10,000 and 30,000 people are believed to have been disappeared during the 1976 to 1983 dictatorship.

Mr Astiz is alleged to have had a central role in the abduction and disappearance of the nuns, Alice Domon and Leonie Duquet, investigative journalist Rodolfo Walsh and several founders of a human rights group, the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.

He is said to have helped security forces by infiltrating meetings of the Mothers at a church in Buenos Aires.

Leonie Duquet was thrown from a plane during one of the many "flights of death" during which the military disposed of prisoners.

Her body was washed ashore and she was buried in an unmarked grave, until her remains were formally identified in 2005. Alice Domon's remains have never been found.

Mr Astiz denies any knowledge of such flights and argues that he was following orders to protect Argentina from extremist violence.

The Argentine courts have identified 250 navy personnel who worked in the Navy Mechanics school at the time - some 70 have been charged so far.

Nkem Owoh "Osufia" regains freedom

Six days after he was seized on the Port Harcout-Enugu Expressway, the popular Nollywood actor, Nkem Owoh, aka Osuofia, on Saturday regained freedom from his abductors.
Owoh‘s freedom was said to have been negotiated by members of his family who paid N1.4m, SUNDAY PUNCH gathered.The kidnappers, however, continue to hold on to the actor‘s car pending the payment of N100,000 balance, a member of the family told SUNDAY PUNCH on the condition of anonymity.The source said the family could only raise N1.4m out of the N1.5m demanded by the kidnappers.Our correspondent gathered that the family members pleaded with the abductors to release his vehicle but all efforts proved abortive.It would be recalled that the actor was abducted on Monday when a gang of kidnappers reportedly blocked his car as he made his way towards a film location in Enugu.

"I Go Chop Your Dollar" Actor, Nkem Owoh kidnapped

Kidnappers have abducted the popular Nigerian actor, Nkem Owoh. The president of the actors guild of Nigeria told channels television today that Mr. Owoh was kidnapped along Enugu-Port Harcourt express way.
The kidnappers are reported to have demanded 15 million naira ransom from Mr. Owoh’s family.
Meanwhile reports reaching us say that the permanent secretary, youth and strategy in Niger State, Alhaji Adamu Umar has also been kidnapped along the Suleja Minna road. The kidnappers are reportedly demanding a ransom of thirty million naira.

N200 Million Paid To Free Pa Soludo

The police in Anambra State this morning in Awka told journalists how abductors of Pa Simeon Soludo, father of former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Professor Charles Soludo, released the old man last night. He was said to have been released at a location in Uga in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. According to the police, the kidnappers had earlier called the

Anambra kidnappers free Soludo's father

Kidnappers released the father of former Central bank governor Charles Soludo a few hours ago according to reliable sources. Pa Simon Soludo, 79, was kidnapped by gun men from his country home in Isoufia village in Anambra State last week. Saharareporters could not confirm if ransom was paid to secure his release.

Soludo's Father Kidnapped and His Campaign Reacts

There are strong indications that the father of the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Prof. Chukwuma Soludo , Pa Simeon Soludo, was kidnapped at about 7 : 00 PM Nigerian time in his village Isoufia, Anambra State. It would be the second time the aged father of Soludo would suffer attack from unknown assailants.
The 80-year old man lost an eye to assailants in January 2006 after he was attacked and left for dead in the same village.
Soludo often explained that the kidnap of his father led him to relocate his wife and kids to the United Kingdom. Our efforts to contact the former CBN governor by phone proved futile as he did not pick his phone or respond to text messages.
However, one of his lawyers,Patrick Nwankwo- Ikwueto (SAN), who spoke to Saharareporters stated that he was in no position to confirm if the father of the former CBN governor's father was abducted.
Soludo campaign reacts: RE: KIDNAP OF PA SIMEON NWANKWO SOLUDO THEY CANNOT BREAK OUR WILL TO SERVE 1. At about 6pm today, Tuesday, October 27, 2009, a gang of armed men invaded the village residence of 78 year old Pa Simeon N. Soludo and kidnapped him. Up until now, no word has been heard as to his whereabout. Pa Soludo is the father of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria , and the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming election in Anambra State , Professor Chukwuma C. Soludo.