An unknown group of gunmen on Tuesday night, seized a vessel reported to be affiliated to Chevron Oil, and kidnapped its 11 passengers, nine of whom are Nigerians, a Portuguese and an Ukranian. The gunmen are demanding a ransom of N30 million for the release of the hostages.

The boat owned by Tide Waters was said to be carrying supplies for the American oil company— Chevron. The attack on Lourdes Tide took place between Onne and Escravos.

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Abuja - President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has directed the Minister of State for Transportation in charge of Aviation, Mr. Felix Hyatt, to immediately investigate reports of maltreatment of Nigerian passengers by the British Airways and other foreign airlines.

This is against the backdrop of protest by Nigerians on board a British Airways Flight 0075 from London to Lagos on March 27, 2008. The President was particularly miffed at the incident in which British Airways officials allegedly ordered over 100 Nigerians off the London–Lagos bound flight.

The passengers were protesting the brutal treatment of a Nigerian deportee aboard the flight.

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Abuja - The Nigerian Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, has urged the British High Commission to relax its strict entry visa conditions to ease the hardship of Nigerians traveling to the United Kingdom for legitimate businesses.

A statement by the Special Adviser (media) to the speaker, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, said that Bankole made the appeal on Monday when he received the new British High Commissioner to Nigeria , Mr. Bob Dewar in his office.

Speaker Bankole expressed concern over the hardship Nigerians were made to go through before obtaining UK visa and asked the Commission to soften its visa policy on Nigerians.

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London - Human Right Activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Gani Fawehimi, has been diagnosed with cancer of the lungs, by a private hospital in the United Kingdom, contrary to false diagnosis of heart-related problems, by a Nigerian hospital.

Confirming this, was one of Chief Fawehimi’s daughter, Rabiat, during activities marking his 70th birthday anniversary.

President Musa Yar’Adua, also undergoing treatment in Germany, gave Chief Fawehimi a surprise call to wish him a happy birthday and get well soon.

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Beijing (China) - The Nigeria U-23 Soccer team, aka the Dream Team have been drawn to play the Olympic soccer team from the USA, Netherlands, and Japan in the forthcoming Olympic men soccer tournament taken place in Beijing, China, this August.

The line-up for the group stage of the global competition, which will be staged in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao from 6 to 23 August, threw up pairings that are interesting and exciting in equal measure.

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