Nairobi/Abuja  - The main militant group in Nigeria's oil- producing Niger Delta region Friday called off a long-term ceasefire, citing an attack on one of its camps.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which in September declared a ceasefire after a week of attacks platforms, pipelines and oil flow-stations owned by Chevron, Shell and Agip, said it would resume hostilities.

Nairobi/Abuja - A mob has has raided the home of a film director jailed for defying Islamic censors in northern Nigeria, local media reported Monday.

Hamisu Lamido, known as Iyan Tama, is serving a 15-month sentence for releasing a film without the approval of the Kano State Censor's Board.

A mob of over 30 men late last week broke into his home and threatened his wife and children, a family friend told Leadership Nigeria.

Nobody was injured and nothing was stolen in the attack.

Lamido was jailed in December, but his lawyers are appealing the sentence.

Abuja - Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited on Wednesday denied allegations that Africa's first communication satellite was missing in orbit.

Ahmed Rufai, Managing Director of the company, a public-private partnership, said that the satellite was powered down after technical problems were identified on Sunday night.

"We, in collaboration with our Chinese counterparts, identified some problems on Sunday and had to switch off the satellite to enable us to carry out fault analysis of the situation," he said, adding that the satellite was fully insured.

Abuja - German President Horst Koehler said Monday that Africa should have a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council

Continuing his six-day visit to Nigeria, Koehler said that in efforts to reform the body, there must be a "fair representation of Africa," although he did not specify which country should be considered to hold the seat.

The German president also said that a fair representation for all the world's regions should be assured as well in other international organizations such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Koehler himself had previously headed the IMF.

Koehler said this issue should be taken up in the debate concerning the causes of the international financial crisis.

Abuja- Nigeria was awaiting the arrival Friday of German President Horst Koehler and his wife Eva Luise for the start of a six-day visit devoted to bilateral and African issues.

In Abuja, Koehler will be meeting with Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and taking part, through Sunday, in the fourth "Africa Forum" for a review of a number of policy issues.

Abuja is the fourth venue for the Africa Forum, after meetings in Bonn, Ghana, and the German town of Kloster Eberbach.

Abuja - German President Horst Kohler is expected in Nigeria on Friday to participate in the German-sponsored fourth Africa Forum of the Partnership with Africa initiative.

The German embassy in Nigeria said Thursday that Kohler would also discuss bilateral issues with Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua.

"Our political relations are on a solid basis and we are still working very hard to improve and to deepen these relations," Germany's ambassador to Nigeria, Joachim Schmillen, said.