Argentine Court Says Captive Ape Has Human Right To Freedom

Argentine Court Says Captive Ape Has Human Right To Freedom

An orangutan held in an Argentine zoo can be freed and transferred to a sanctuary after a court recognized it has a “non-human person” unlawfully deprived of its freedom, local media reported on Sunday. Yahoo! News has more:

Animal rights campaigners filed a habeas corpus petition – a document more typically used to challenge the legality of a person’s detention or imprisonment – in November on behalf of Sandra, a 29-year-old Sumatran orangutan at the Buenos Aires zoo.

In a landmark ruling that could pave the way for more lawsuits, the Association of Officials and Lawyers for Animal Rights (AFADA) argued the ape had sufficient cognitive functions and should not be treated as an object.

The court agreed Sandra, born into captivity in Germany before being transferred to Argentina two decades ago, deserved the basic rights of a “non-human person.”

“This opens the way not only for other Great Apes, but also for other sentient beings which are unfairly and arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in zoos, circuses, water parks and scientific laboratories,” the daily La Nacion newspaper quoted AFADA lawyer Paul Buompadre as saying.

Fulani Herdsmen Threaten To Attack Abia Village Over Missing Cows, Little Boy

Fulani Herdsmen Threaten To Attack Abia Village Over Missing Cows, Little Boy

Residents of Okporenyi village in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State have been sleeping with one eye closed over fears of possible attack by Fulani herdsmen following a face-off between the community and the nomads.

The Fulani herdsmen were said to have threatened to attack the community if the people failed to produce the cows allegedly stolen by the villagers.

Tracing the genesis of the problem, a member of the village said that on Christmas Eve, a group of herdsmen suddenly showed up in the village, threatening to attack the villagers if they did not produce their missing cows.

According to the source, farmlands and valuable crops in the village have been destroyed by cows belonging to the Fulani herdsmen and despite complaints by the villagers, the cattle rearers refused to find an alternative means of feeding their cattle.

The source further said that the herdsmen later came to the village accompanied by some policemen, alleging that they were searching for one of their cattle rearers, said to be a little boy.

Speaking further, the source claimed that an attempt by one of the villagers, simply identified as Onyi, to exonerate the village from any involvement in the whereabouts of the allegedly missing boy, led to a face-off with one of the herdsmen, who inflicted a machete cut on his upper arm.

He said the villagers had been living in a state of fear of imminent raid by the herdsmen, who had been fingered in some attacks on communities in the Middle Belt as well as part of Enugu State in recent times over grazing land.

When contacted, the Abia Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed the incident but said, “Police are on top of the situation”.

Ogbonna, a DSP, said talks had been initiated with both parties with a view to resolving the face- off. He also assured the villagers of full protection of their lives and property but advised them against taking laws into their hands.

Buhari: Why I Didn’t Submit My Academic Qualifications To INEC

Buhari: Why I Didn’t Submit My Academic Qualifications To INEC

Former Head of State and Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2015 general elections, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has told the Independent National Electoral Commission that his academic qualifications and credentials are with the military.

This came to light on Monday when journalists visited the headquarters of INEC in Abuja.

Unlike those of other presidential candidates, whose academic qualifications were on display including President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Buhari’s own were conspicuously missing.

However, the development was better explained in an affidavit the APC presidential candidate deposed to before an Abuja High Court.

According to him, all his certificates were with the Secretary, Military Board. The affidavit was dated November 24, 2014 and was stamped and received by INEC on December 18, 2014.

“I am the above-named person and deponent to this affidavit therein. All my academic qualifications documents as filled in my presidential form, President APC/001/2015, are currently with the Secretary, Military Board as of the time of presenting this affidavit. The affidavit is made in good faith and for record purpose”, Buhari stated.

 

Sudden Death of First Bank Staff; Mrs Bosede Adebomi

Sudden Death of First Bank Staff; Mrs Bosede Adebomi

Late Mrs Bosede Adebomi's husband's friend writes...

What a waste and sheer negligence on the part of our health system in our dear Country over a mere post-ectopic pregnancy surgery complications that led to Septic Shock which ultimately aggravated to septic shock. Within 3 days, in 3 different health Institutions presumed to be good if not first class in Lagos State. It is saddening and harrowing for my friend Adebomi Taiwo to lose his best friend, partner, heartthrob, confidant, wife and mother of their wonderful son in such a pitiable circumstances especially when he was willing to do everything humanly possible to save the adorable wife.

For me, it was painful to lose someone i had reasons to learn one or two in-tricks about Digital Marketing professionalism from during the process of sealing a lucrative contract. I have had 2 weeks of eventful reasons to have observed her from close quarters in company of the Husband and we all appreciated her impeccable touch of excellence in her field of endeavor coupled with her humble and easy going mien at home and at work. I pray that God will give my friend, her darling immediate sister, mother-in-law and her own mum who shared the 3 days of hellish throes at the Hospitals with us. My friend paid so heavily to the hospitals yet he never got the premium service delivery that he wanted and became delusional.

My only source of joy was that she was a true believer, compassionate and a loving,submissive wife to the Husband. ECTOPIC PREGNANCY, SEPSIS or SEPTIC SHOCK or whatever did not win because she is actually resting in the bosom of our dear lord. It was a glorious exit, an impact-ful life devoid of any skirmishes. She was a great personality, adorable even at her workplace-First Bank PLC where her fellow staffs are still in a shock. DEATH WHY! DEATH WHY MUST IT BE Bose Oyawale Adebomi at all. I PRAY THAT MY FRIEND WILL HAVE THE FORTITUDE TO BEAR THE LOSS.

Defence HQ denies claims of Cameroon conducting airstrikes on Boko Haram camps in Nigeria

Defence HQ denies claims of Cameroon conducting airstrikes on Boko Haram camps in Nigeria

There were reports yesterday that Cameroonian army conducted airstrikes on some Boko Haram camps within the Nigerian territory captured by Boko Haram. The Nigerian Military says it's not true.

LAWMA to convert popular Ojota dump site to golf course

LAWMA to convert popular Ojota dump site to golf course

Have you ever passed by Ojota going towards Maryland in Lagos? Then you would have noticed the Olusosun dumpsite that stinks to the high heavens. The news is that Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) said yesterday that it would soon turn the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota into a golf course. Tagged as Nigeria's most popular refuse dump, Olusosun has been a subject of foreign documentaries in the past because of the many activities of scavengers at the site.

The managing director of LAWMA, Mr Ola Oresanya, said the golf course project would come under the agency's second 10-year-rolling plan.

"In the rolling plan, we are focusing downstream and our downstream is at the disposal sites. Our landfills development is a real focus, we already sign contract for development of our state of the heart landfills sites at Epe and Badagry. And those landfill sites are the real focus for the next rolling plan and a site also will be located in Ogun state. That is around Mowe/Ibafo area that we took over. Then we will close down the Olusosun dumpsite completely and turn it into golf course. We will continue to build transfer stations and material recovery plants in Lagos".

"Those are parts of the ten year rolling plan and we will increase our waste conversion to almost 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the wastes we generate in Lagos. The wastes will now be converted to something very useful within that ten years rolling plan. Then, we want to make sure that we get the economics of waste management very well and the economics must be perfect within the next ten year. So those are the key ingredients of those plans.''

Winnie and Zindzi Mandela cover Forbes Woman Africa new issue

Winnie and Zindzi Mandela cover Forbes Woman Africa new issue

The December/January issue of Forbes magazine features the 4th most iconic South African figure of all time and ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela and her daughter, Zindzi Mandela.