Eye witnesses said the bombs exploded, as Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan was walking into the hall with his colleagues from Imo and Edo States.      

Meanwhile, the Action Congress in Bayelsa State has condemned the bomb blast at the Government House Warri, Venue of Vanguard Post Amnesty dialogue. Speaking to correspondent Blessing Olomu, AC’s media Secretary, Ebikibina Miriki expressed fears the amnesty process may be jeopardize.

Mr. Miriki called for a better approach in dealing with dissatisfaction rather than resorting to violence.

Still on the bomb blast, leader of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, Ledum Mitee has criticized this morning’s bomb blast at the post amnesty camp in Warri, Delta State. Speaking to correspondent Blessing Olomu, Mr. Mitee said violence was not the best way for anyone to air grievances.

An Ikorodu High Court will tomorrow give judgment in a suit seeking to restrain the Lagos State House of Assembly from investigating Governor, Babatunde Fashola over financial impropriety. The court on Feb. 10 granted an interim injunction restraining the lawmakers from proceeding with the investigation.

Justice Akeem Abiru had on Feb. 17, fixed March 16 for the judgment, after the conclusion of hearing the suit.

Students of Federal College of Fisheries and Marines today protested over alleged nullification of their elected students’ union representatives and the imposition of a caretaker committee. In a peaceful protest to the COOLFM station, spokesperson of the students alleged that the nullification of their elected representatives, followed efforts to reduced the increased school fees.

However, Registrar of the School said the nullification was as a result of failure of the Reps to meet up with required grades. He told correspondent, Arinola Isioye that students in the caretaker committee were appointed based on academic grades and character.

The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria has urged state governments to sponsor aviation training programs for their indigenes. FAAN General Manager, Richard Aisuebeogun told correspondent Johnson Ayedun that such manpower development will help states to take charge of airport management. 

The Nigerian Heart Foundation has launched its ‘Go Red for Women campaign’, to educate women on risks of heart diseases. Chairperson, Organizing Committee, Hulda Duru said the campaign is to create awareness on how to prevent and control heart disease.  She told correspondent, Ijeoma Okoye that more women die of heart related diseases than Cancer, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria put together.

Officers and men of the Nigerian Army have been charged to embrace challenges of catering for internally displaced persons. The GOC, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen Mohammed Isa, gave the charge today at a training for officers and senior non-commissioned officers of the 2 Brigade. Gen. Isa said catering for internally displaced persons was novel in the army.

Meanwhile, Plateau State Women Development Association has called for the tightening of security around Jos and its environs. Spokeswoman for the group, Rifkatu Zang said government need to put in place necessary structures to ensure safety of lives and properties.

Mrs. Zang told correspondent Emiene Odaudu that government also owed victims of recent attacks a duty to ensure perpetuators are brought to book.

A South African Judge has convicted ANC official, Julius Malema of hate speech for his comments about the woman, who accused President, Jacob Zuma of rape. The Equality Court judge ordered Mr. Malema to make an unconditional apology and pay 50,000 rand, to a centre for abused women.

The ANC Youth League leader had said the woman must have had a "nice time", while being raped.  

Sixty-nine suspected Georgian mafia members have been arrested in a co-ordinated operation across Europe. Spanish police said twenty-four of them were detained in Spain, mainly in Barcelona and Valencia, as part of Operation Java. The arrests are the result of a year-long investigation initiated by Spanish police.

A powerful cyclone has hit northern Fiji, damaging buildings and crops, and forcing about 5,000 people to leave their homes. Cyclone Tomas, a category four storm, is packing winds of up to 170km an hour. The storm is forecast to intensify, as schools have closed, public services have been suspended, and international flights have been cancelled.

 : : : BUSINESS : : :

OPEC ministers say no need to change output targets with oil prices above preferred range. Speaking ahead of OPEC’s meeting on March 17 in Vienna, Qatar's Oil Minister, Abdullah al-Attiyah said though soft demand is prompting calls to curb overproduction, there would be no direct change.

OPEC last agreed to cut output in December 2008, slashing a record 4.2 million barrels per day from production to 28.48 million bpd, as the world reeled into recession.

On the floor Nigerian Stock Market today, BCC led the gainers with two naira, 93 kobo, followed by FLOURMILL with two naira, 30 kobo and GLAXOSMITH with one naira, 36 kobo. OANDO, on the other hand, topped the losers with four naira, 24 kobo, followed by AP with one naira, 26 kobo and FIRSTBANK with 80 kobo.

Market capitalization settled at 5.813 trillion naira, with all shares index of 24.141.72 points.

EXCHANGE RATE

1 US Dollar = 153 Naira

1 British Pound = 232 Naira

1 Euro = 211 Naira

 : : : ENTERTAINMENT : : :

Winner of Big Brother Africa, Kevin Pam says he has started a celebrity peace work for the Jos crisis victims. Kevin also told Johnson Ayedun that his coming album with P-square and 2face will highlight how to restructure the peoples’ mindset. He however, added that his major concern was how to bring back Nigeria’s pride internationally.

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland kept its place at the top of the US box office chart for a second week, taking $62million in the last three days. It was well ahead of Matt Damon's Iraq war movie, Green Zone, which took second spot with $14.5million.

Romantic movies, She's Out of My League and Remember Me, were hot on its heels, taking $9.6million and $8.1million.

 : : : SPORTS : : :

Super Eagles’ defender, Yusuf Mohammed, is optimistic he will be fit for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa in June. The defender said he hopes to start jogging in the next 10 days based on his doctor's advice. Mohammed, who noted that he had since dropped his crutches and had started going to gym, said the next stage in his rehabilitation was to begin jogging.

David Beckham's dream of playing in a fourth World Cup looks to be over after he tore his left Achilles tendon in AC Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo on Sunday. The 34-year-old England midfielder will fly to Finland on Monday for surgery.

The finals start in June but Beckham's agent Simon Oliveira told the BBC: "He is upset should he miss the World Cup but is quite a positive individual. "David is a quick healer and we just have to wait for the scan and the surgery, if that goes ahead on Monday."

 Beckham, who is on loan at Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy, was unchallenged when he suffered the injury and hobbled off before being carried away on a stretcher. He hoped to be part of England's World Cup squad but that now seems unlikely - and there has even been speculation that Beckham's career could be over.

However, Oliveira insisted: "This is not the end of his playing career - as has been suggested.