Security
Kaduna: Bandits kill 323, kidnap 949 in three months
No fewer than 323 persons were killed and 949 kidnapped by bandits in the last three months across Kaduna State. This was even as the military troops neutralised 64 bandits and arrested several gunrunners during the period under review. This was disclosed on Friday by the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, while giving security situation in the State for the first quarter of 2021. According to Aruwan, “The report covers banditry, kidnapping, cattle-rustling, attacks, and reprisal attacks. “The report also includes the aerial missions conducted over identified bandit hideouts and locations across the State, during which multiple scores of bandits were engaged and neutralised, with their camps destroyed. “Deaths linked to banditry, violent attacks, comm...
Presidency: Benue governor politicising insecurity
The presidency has said President Muhammadu Buhari expressed his condolences to the families of citizens who lost their loved ones in the recent spate of killings in Benue State. Also, presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Thursday night, said the president stated that the rising level of incidents, especially the killings and violence in various parts of the country calls for further collaboration with security agencies to curb its recurrence. He also stated his disappointment and sadness to hear the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom’s litany of accusations against his person and his government, following the recent unfortunate incidents in the state. Shehu said no responsible government takes pleasure in such events as the killing of the military and that of innocent...
Here’s How Many Mobile Users in Kenya and Nigeria are Affected by Stalkerware
Stalkerware affects one out of every 100 mobile users in Kenya and Nigeria, according to Kaspersky Research. The same report reveals that similar malware impacts every four out of 100 South Africans. “Even though these numbers might seem low, especially when it comes to stalkerware, it bears mentioning that this form of attack is focused on specific individuals,” says Lehan van den Heever, Enterprise Cyber Security Advisor for Kaspersky in Africa. “So, unlike general malware that is distributed on a massive scale, stalkerware is a more personal crime that has life and death consequences for the individual affected, for example, a perpetrator can track down their estranged partner with ill intentions, or human trafficking rings targeting children.” Amongst other things, stalkerware can enab...
Katsina governor: State of emergency won’t solve security problems
The Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, on Thursday said that declaration of state of emergency on security will not solve the security situation in the country. The House of Representatives had on Tuesday in its resolution on a motion over the worsening security situation in the country called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on security. But Governor Masari, who was a former Speaker of House of Representatives said that declaration of a state of emergency was not the solution, rather the commitment of every Nigerian irrespective of political and religious affiliations to a peaceful nation. He spoke to State House correspondents after meeting with the Chief of staff to the president, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He appealed ...
Ondo NUJ tasks Immigration Service on insecurity, passport
File Photo The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ondo State Council, has appealed to the Federal Government to adequately fund the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to boost its performance. The union said that the funding would enable the agency to fully perform its primary responsibilities of providing internal security as well as to overcome challenges of issuing passports to citizens. The NUJ Chairman, Mr Adetona Aderoboye, made the appeal when he led members of the union executive council on a courtesy visit to the state Conptroller of NIS, Ibong Osato Aideyan, at her office on Wednesday in Akure. “In view of the current security challenges facing the nation, it has become expedient for the federal government to give adequate backing to the agency. “It is for it to be able to proper...
Senate passes amended AMCON bill, empowers agency to seize debtors’ assets
The Senate Wednesday passed the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria Amendment bill after considering the report of its Committee on Banking, Insurance, and Other Financial Institutions. The amendment bill passed by the upper chamber empowers the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria to, among others, take possession, manage or sell all properties traced to debtors, whether or not such assets or property is used as security/collateral for obtaining the loan in particular. It also empowers the corporation to access the Special Tribunal established by the BOFIA, 2020 for dealing with financial related matters. Presenting the report, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Uba Sani (APC, Kaduna Central) said the Committee engaged with stakeholders such as AMCON, Federal Ministry of Finance, ...
6 Ways to Protect Your Business from Ransomware
With an ever-growing number of people working from home, primarily due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, cybersecurity attacks are on the rise, meaning that dealing with security risks is an ongoing journey for enterprises. IDC predicts that by 2023, 60% of data will be generated at the edge by people working from home and from devices outside of the corporate firewall. While at the same time, many corporate cloud services are already being rendered from locations outside the data centre. This has given rise to ransomware attacks as many employees who are working remotely have their firewalls and access points configured to allow remote access. With that in mind, here are 6 things Kaspersky experts recommend to protect your company from ransomware: Always keep software updated on all t...
South Africa Ranked as 3rd Most Targeted Country by Ransomware
Over the last few years, the number of users encountering targeted ransomware – malware used to extort money from high-profile targets, such as corporations, government agencies, and municipal organisations – increased by 767%. This increase in targeted ransomware occurred alongside a 29% decrease in the overall number of users affected by any kind of ransomware, with WannaCry still the most frequently encountered family. These are among the most important findings in Kaspersky’s recent report on the ransomware landscape from 2019-2020. The ransomware threat – when attackers encrypt private information and hold it to ransom – became mainstream news in the 2010s following large-scale outbreaks, such as WannaCry and Cryptolocker. They targeted tens of thousands of users and often requested r...
Imo monarchs vow to invoke curses on perpetrators of violence
Traditional rulers in Imo State yesterday condemned the recent attack on the country home of the state Governor, Hope Uzodimma, at Omuma, calling on security agencies to carry out thorough investigations into what transpired and ensure that the culprits and their sponsors are brought to book. Rising from a critical meeting that lasted for few hours at their office in Owerri, the traditional rulers also threatened to invoke curses on those behind the insecurity ravaging the state should they refuse to change. In a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting, the Chairman of the traditional institution and Chairman of the Imo State Community Policing, Eze Emmanuel Okeke, said the royal fathers are of the opinion that the attack was politically motivated, and therefore warned politicians in...
APC chieftain asks President Buhari to declare state of emergency on security
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Otunba Olusegun Agbalajobi, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently declare a state of emergency on security in the country. This, he said has become a child of necessity following the rising waves of kidnappings, killings, banditry, insurgency and other manifestations of insecurity bedeviling the country. Agbalajobi, in a statement titled, ‘Nigeria and its preponderance of insecurity’ issued in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, said declaring emergency on security would help to stem the rising waves of security challenges that are fast pushing Nigeria to precipice. He stressed that the worsening security situation in the country requires desperate and decisive measure in the best interest of Nigerians, hence, the need to ...
Senator Saraki urges Nigerian government to seek help over escalating insecurity
Former President of the Senate, Sen. Bukola Saraki, has advised the Federal Government to seek help wherever it could to address the escalating insecurity in the country. Saraki, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, said that calling for help in the present situation of the country was not a sign of weakness. He said he was worried over cases of violence, kidnapping and terrorism recorded on Monday in Anambra, Kaduna, Yobe, Niger, Lagos states and many parts of the country. The ex-senate president reiterated the need for President Muhammadu Buhari to convene meeting of all those who could help in finding solutions to the problem at hand. ”The people include former presidents and heads of state, serving and former chief justices, serving and former presiding officers of the National Assembly...
Senator Tinubu: Nigeria must remain united to surmount current challenges
The myriad of challenges facing Nigeria as a nation has received the attention of a former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who submitted that the nation must remain united for the problems to be tackled. The National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while canvassing for people’s support for President Muhammadu Buhari as he address the nation’s challenges, also stressed that his personal relationship with the president remains very cordial. Speaking on Monday night after an hour closed-door meeting with President Buhari, Tinubu, who was in company with the former Interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, emphasised that a concerted and united response was what is needed presently to address the various crises facing Nigeria. According to him, ...
