London, Sept. 2 : Anti-corruption authorities have seized over 630,000 dollars raised during an "Africans for Obama" gala dinner held in Nigeria''s commercial capital, Lagos.

Hundreds of the city''s high-society elite and business leaders paid up to 11,000 pounds for a table at the glitzy fundraiser, but police intervened when it became clear that US laws prohibit overseas donations.

The Telegraph quoted staff from Barack Obama''s campaign team said the Democratic presidential hopeful was in no way connected with the "Africans for Obama" organisation and added that no money from the group would be accepted.

Nairobi/Abuja - Nigeria

Abuja - An 84-year-old Nigerian man with 86 wives and 170 children has accepted a decree issued by Islamic authorities that he must divorce 82 of them, reports said Monday.

The BBC, quoting a local emir, reported that Mohammadu Bello Abubakar on Saturday agreed to the mass divorce.

Abubakar, a former teacher and preacher, faced the death penalty under Sharia law, which was reintroduced to the Muslim-majority Niger State, North-West Nigeria, in
2000.

While the death sentence was lifted, Abubakar still faced eviction from his home.

Abuja  - Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua has changed his chief of defence staff and installed new figures at the head of the army, navy and air force.

Air Marshal Paul Dike becomes new Chief of Defence Staff, Major General AB Dambazau took over as the head of the army and Rear Admiral Isaiah Ibrahim became chief of the navy.

Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin took over from Dike as the head of the air force.

All of the men being replaced were due for retirement, the president's office said.

Yar'Adua took office over a year ago and is under pressure to quell unrest in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, where militants have been attacking oil facilities and kidnapping workers.

Abuja - Nigeria was Wednesday preparing to officially hand over the disputed Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon on Thursday, ending a decades-long dispute marked by legal battles and sporadic violence.

Abuja - Niger Delta militants have been abducted two French sailors at Onne, a seaport settlement some 20 kilometres from Port Harcourt, an army spokesman said Sunday.