Thursday, June 20, 2013

16 Women Freed In another ‘Baby Factory’ Raid

Nigerian police have raided a home in the commercial town of  Aba in the eastern Nigerian state of Abia and freed 16 pregnant young women who were allegedly being forced to have babies to be offered for sale for trafficking or other purposes, police said Thursday.

They said they arrested the man suspected of running the home, adding he was arrested on similar accusations two years ago but it was unclear what happened to the previous case or why he had been freed.
“The operation was carried out by the DSS where 16 expectant mothers, aged between 17 and 37, were found,” Abia state police spokesman Geofrey Ogbonna told AFP.


The DSS is the Department of State Services, a domestic intelligence and police force.
He said the raid on Cross Foundation in the southern city of Aba was carried out on Tuesday and the proprietor, Hyacinth Ndudim Orikara, had been arrested.

“The suspect is a serial human trafficker. He claims to be a medical doctor. I could recall that the same man was arrested in May 2011 and 32 teenage girls were rescued from his home,” he said.
He said the girls confessed that they had been offered to sell their babies for between 25,000 and 30,000 naira (around $200), depending on the sex of the baby.

Ogbonna said the previous incident had been referred to the state-run agency fighting human trafficking, the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.
“I don’t know what became of the matter and now he has been arrested again for the same offence,” he said.

A spokesman for the anti-trafficking agency said it does not have jurisdiction over such cases and had handed the man back over to police. He was unsure what occurred after that.
Nigerian security agents have uncovered a series of alleged baby factories in recent years, notably in the southeastern part of the country.

Last month, six pregnant teenage girls were freed in a raid on a house in Enugu where three people suspected of planning to sell their babies were arrested.
The incident came just five days after police in nearby Imo State freed 17 pregnant girls and 11 small children from a home in the town of Umuaka.

The girls, aged between 14 and 17, said they had been impregnated by a 23-year-old man who is currently in custody. The owner of the building is on the run.
source: pmnews

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

City of Dallas hosts “Doing Business in Africa” Discussion

The City of Dallas’ Office of International Business and Protocol Services In collaboration with the Department of Commerce will host a “Doing Business in Africa” Roundtable discussion. The event will feature Michael Masserman, Commerce Department Executive Director for Export Policy, Promotion and Strategy.

Masserman will provide an overview of President Obama’s message on increasing trade and investment in Africa.  The roundtable event will hold on 21st of June at 9 am in the Dallas City Hall Flag Room.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Exercises to boost Sex

To "keep your sex life awesome," exercise physiologist Rich Weil suggests these top five "sexercises”. Though the following exercises are geared toward men, they also work great for women who want a boost to their sex life.

1. Pushups
If you're going to pick just one exercise to do, this is the one to go for, Weil says, "for all the obvious reasons." If you can’t do basic training-quality pushups at first, start with wall presses (essentially pushups done against the wall), aiming for 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions. When you're ready, progress to knee pushups on the floor, making sure to keep your back straight (squeeze your butt and suck in your gut) while you slowly touch your nose to the ground. Once you're ready to kick it up a notch, progress to traditional hand-and-toe pushups.

2. Abdominals
Weil, director of the New York Obesity Research Center Weight Loss Program at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center, says your abs are a critical sex-boosting body area to work on. "After all," he says, "you have to use your abdominal muscles during sex." Weil suggests starting your ab workout with good old-fashioned crunches. Lie on your back, hands supporting your neck, knees bent, and your feet on the floor. Then bring your body up just enough to get your shoulders off the ground. Do 3 to 5 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.

3. Bridges.

Lying on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor, lift your hips up and down for 3 sets of 15 reps. Men can also try pelvic tilts. Standing up or lying down, straighten your lower back and pull your belly button in until your lower back touches the wall or floor. Women can try Kegels. Contract your pelvic muscles -- the ones you'd use to stop the flow of urine; squeeze the muscles tight for 3 seconds, then relax for 3 seconds. Do 10 to 15 repetitions three times a day.

4. Deadlifts
This exercise will keep your back as strong as it can be, Weil says, and give your legs and torso a workout too. Deadlifts, in which you start in a neutral bent-over position and raise a weighted barbell or dumbbells from the ground, are easy to do -- and easy to do wrong. So technique is important to prevent injury. Get some pro tips online or at your gym to be sure you're getting the most out of doing deadlifts.
Torso side bends and twists
To get the most from this exercise, as well as the next one, head to the gym. The effort is worth it because torso side bends and twists will keep your upper body strong, Weil says, and give you stamina. "Do them on the cable crossover machine for maximum effect."

5. Pushing or pulling exercise in the gym
Rows, flyers, and lateral raises on the cable crossover machine will do a great job of enhancing your performance in the bedroom, according to Weil. Remember to get a few quick tips from a pro on how to do these exercises most effectively.
If you want even more sizzle, exercise for 20 minutes right before sex and, Weil promises, "you’ll never do better!"

Bonus Tips for Better Sex
If pushups, crunches, and deadlifts aren't your idea of a sweaty good time, you've still got plenty of exercise options to help keep things steamy.
Pick your pleasure. Rather walk, swim, or jog? How about Pilates or yoga? Maybe you prefer biking or skiing? Great, because Paul Frediani, fitness coach and co-author of Sex Flex: The Way to Enhanced Intimacy and Pleasure, says barring any health problems, cardiovascular exercise of any kind is a great way to stimulate your sex life.

But you'll want to avoid the weekend warrior syndrome to get the most bang for your exercise buck. Aim for a 30-minute workout five times a week. Get your blood pumping regularly and the payoff is simple: endurance, more strength to hold positions, and the flexibility to hold them in comfort. Now that's sexy.

Better Erections
You may already be sold on the benefits of exercise, but here's a bonus at no extra charge. Exercise may help beat erectile dysfunction. One study showed that, for men over 50, being physically active means a 30% lower risk of erectile dysfunction as compared to men who are sedentary. Studies also show a strong link between obesity and ED.

In addition, people who exercise often have a better body image than people who don't. This can help them feel more sexually appealing. "One study found that 80% of men and 60% of females who exercised two to three times a week felt their sexual desirability was above average," Weil says.
Want to have sex like you're 20 years younger? Weil cites a study that showed swimmers in their 60s have sex lives comparable to people in their 40s. Other research found that, for men and women over 55, high levels of sexual activity were associated with higher degrees of fitness when compared to younger inactive people.

"Although there can be many factors to exercise and sexual activity, what some studies suggest is that people who are fit and active have more sex than sedentary people." The bottom line? "Being strong and flexible with lots of endurance will put the spunk into sex for you and your partner," Weil says.
And don't forget to develop the most important muscle of all. "Sex begins with the muscle between the ears," says Frediani, "not the muscles in your abs, arms, or thighs. If you feel healthy and have a positive body image, you will have a better sex life."


Source: Rich Weil (exercise physiologist)

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Ghana airport security chief, others arrested on narcotic issues

The head of security at Ghana’s main international airport has been arrested in the United States on charges of heroin trafficking, in the latest sign of a growing narcotics trade in West Africa, statements obtained by AFP on Wednesday said. Solomon Adelaquaye, the head of a private firm contracted to run security at the Accra airport, was charged alongside his Colombian and two Nigerian co-conspirators, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Board and the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) said.

In February 2012, Adelaquaye used his influence at the airport to guide a laptop packed with heroin through security in exchange for $10,000, (7,600 euros), according to the DEA.
Then, last month, the group made new plans to move 3,000 kilograms of cocaine through Accra in 25-kilogram installments  All of their negotiations, held mainly in Accra, were caught on tape by undercover DEA agents, statements said.


Adelaquaye, 48, and the two Nigerians — Frank Muodum, and Celestine Ofor Orjinweke — were arrested in New York on May 9, according to the DEA. It was not clear why they travelled to the US ahead of their arrest and the US embassy in Accra did not immediately respond to enquiries.
Samuel Antonio Pinedo-Rueda, 72, was arrested in Colombia on May 16 and is awaiting extradition, the DEA said.

“Drug trafficking in West Africa has become a plague,” Derek Maltz, DEA special agent said in the June 3 statement. The agency identified Adelaquaye as the individual “who was responsible for security at the international airport in Ghana.” Ghana’s narcotics bureau said Adelaquaye was the managing director of a private firm called Sohin Security, which has security contracts at airports across the country.
Those contracts have been “suspended with immediate effect,” the bureau said.

Documents filed to a federal court in New York, where the group has been charged, said the heroin came from Afghanistan, which had been brought to Ghana by Pinedo-Rueda.
Analysts say Ghana, a nation of some 25 million people, is an emerging trafficking hub for South American and Asian narcotics destined for sale in the US and Europe.


Transportation infrastructure is advanced compared to other countries in West Africa, but corruption among customs and port officials remains rampant, according to analysts.

source: AFP