Oscar Pistorius Indicted For Murder; Trial Set For March

Oscar Pistorius will go on trial on March 3, accused of premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
At a hearing Monday, prosecutors indicted Pistorius in the Valentine’s Day shooting death. Pistorius has been charged with planned and premeditated murder, which comes with a mandatory sentence of life behind bars.
The indictment says “the accused did unlawfully and intentionally kill a person.”
Pistorius also was indicted for allegedly violating South Africa’s firearms control act.
In South Africa, people can possess ammunition only if they’re licensed to own a gun, and their ammunition must be specific to that weapon. Pistorius has acknowledged storing ammunition for a gun his father owned.
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Steenkamp would have turned 30 on Monday.
The indictment follows the completion of the police investigation into the case.
The double amputee track star killed the woman he calls the love of his life in his home. He denies the murder charge and says he mistook her for a home invader.
The first phase of the trial will take place in March, but the entire trial could take place at various times across a year or more because of potential motions and postponements along the way.
In the indictment, the prosecutors included a list of more than 100 witnesses the state might call. The Pistorius legal team has not released a witness list.
The police investigation team “is convinced that the accused has a charge to answer,” a police statement said last week.

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Kidnapped Nigerian Press Council Director Released On Sunday.

What a way to start their sunday?
Chief P.O Agbebaku Izobo, the Ag Director/Liason officer of the Nigerian Press Council, who was abducted on the 26h of March by four gun men at Apple Junction, in the Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, has been released by his abductors. Chief Izobo was freed yesterday and is currently recuperating in a hospital.

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Henry okah sentenced to 24years imprisonment.

Nigerian Henry Okah was jailed for 24 years by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
“Effectively, the accused [Okah] is therefore sentenced to 24 years imprisonment,” Judge Neels Claassen said as he handed down sentence.Well the government still working.. read more after the break.

On 21 January, Okah was found guilty on 13 counts of terrorism, including engaging in terrorist activities, conspiracy to engage in terrorist activities, and delivering, placing, and detonating an explosive device.
Car bombs
The charges related to two car bombs in Abuja, Nigeria, in which 12 people were killed and 36 injured on 1 October 2010, the anniversary of the country’s independence.
The second bombing took place in Warri on 15 March 2010 at a post amnesty dialogue meeting. One person was killed and 11 seriously injured.
In both bombings, two car bombs went off minutes apart in both places. The cars were parked in close proximity to each other.
Claassen sentenced Okah to 12 years imprisonment for each of the bombings and 13 years for the threats made to the South African government after his arrest in October 2010.
The 13 years would run concurrently with the 24 years.
In January, during judgment Claassen said the State had proved Okah’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and his failure to testify meant the evidence against him remained uncontested.
Okah has denied any involvement, claiming the charges against him were politically motivated.

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