Category: News

APC Alerts Nigerians against Risks of VPN usage to bypass Twitter ban

 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alerted Nigerians of the many risks involved in accessing social media contents using the Virtual Private Network (VPN).

The party raised the alert in a statement issued by Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, the National Secretary of its Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), on Tuesday in Abuja.

It explained that VPN is vulnerable to the heinous activities of criminal hackers, who could steal data and monies in bank accounts.

”The APC warns legitimate private and public entities operating in the country to avoid the many dangers of exposing themselves to cybercrimes through the use of VPN, which is not adequately secured.

”This advisory is necessary because despite the massive compliance by Nigerians to the Federal Government’s suspension of Twitter operations in the country, some individuals in the country have resorted to VPN to assess Twitter, whose unwholesome activities are detrimental to the peace and public order in the country,” said the party.

It therefore advised those using the VPN to desist in their own interests in order to avoid the following risks: data theft, illegal access to strategic company documents and possible economic espionage.

According to the party, VPN users expose their devices to vulnerabilities, because the network allows third-party access to personal data.

It said VPN could also change users’ location to another country, thus compromising data integrity.

”Your record can be traced to another country that is not yours, with all the risks that entails.

”Many individuals and organisations using VPN have lost their investments after compromising the security of their devices,” APC said.

It, therefore, advised Nigerians to avoid installing or using VPN to access social networking sites to protect their privacy and security online.

”This is in our individual and collective interest,” it said.

 

Police Refutes Claims Of Attack on Ikorodu Station

 

Contrary to the video making the rounds of an attack on Ikorodu police station, Igbogbo, Lagos by hoodlums, the state police command has refuted the claims, stating that there was no attack on any of its facilities.

According to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, there was no attack on Ikorodu police station, Igbogbo, Lagos State or any of its police formations in the state.

“There is no Ogijo police station in the state command but in Ogun State, and the same station, Ogijo, was never attacked as speculated in the news. The video in circulation was a portion of the scene of the recent bank robbery attack in Ikire, Osun State,” he said.

The Lagos State Police Command, therefore, urged the public to dismiss the viral video as fake and mischievous, adding that the command remains committed to providing adequate security in Lagos State.

Meanwhile, the command yesterday commenced investigation into Tuesday’s killing of a suspected kidnapper and burning of a golf car at Mulero bus stop, Agege, Lagos at about 8 a.m.

The police operatives attached to Elere division of the command, said upon a distress call of some suspected kidnappers being mobbed at the bus stop, by Omotoye estate, men of the police force moved to the scene where a white gulf car and a male suspect have been set ablaze.

According to CSP Olumuyiwa, the police operatives moved in to rescue the other male suspect who had been injured severally with a machete by an angry mob.

“In the bid to rescue the other male suspect, the agitated crowd also attacked the policemen. The suspect was subsequently rescued and taken to hospital for treatment,” he said.

Also, the Lagos state commissioner of police, Hakeem Odumosu, has condemned jungle justice and called for a discreet investigation into the case.

He promised to tackle such inhumane acts.

 

Trump backs Nigeria on Twitter ban, says more countries should follow suit

 

Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday came out in support of the Nigerian government’s decision to block access to Twitter in the West African country — and called on more nations to follow suit.

“Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their President,” Trump said in an emailed statement.

“More COUNTRIES should ban Twitter and Facebook for not allowing free and open speech—all voices should be heard.

“In the meantime,” the former president continued, “competitors will emerge and take hold. Who are they to dictate good and evil if they themselves are evil? Perhaps I should have done it while I was President. But [Facebook founder Mark] Zuckerberg kept calling me and coming to the White House for dinner telling me how great I was. 2024?”

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Information and Culture announced Friday that Twitter’s operations had been “suspended indefinitely” due to its use for “activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.” The ministry was widely mocked for posting its statement about blocking Twitter on its Twitter account.

Earlier last week, the social media giant that has been rebuked for censoring mostly conservative viewpoints, deleted a tweet by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari that appeared to threaten secessionist groups in the Biafra region.

“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War,” Buhari tweeted, referring to the Biafra Conflict, which killed 1 million people between 1967 and 1970. “Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”

In addition to deleting the tweet as violating its “abusive behavior” policy, Twitter suspended Buhari’s account for 12 hours.

“We are deeply concerned by the blocking of Twitter in Nigeria. Access to the free and #OpenInternet is an essential human right in modern society,” Twitter said in a statement Saturday. “We will work to restore access for all those in Nigeria who rely on Twitter to communicate and connect with the world.”

Trump himself received a permanent ban from Twitter in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol. Facebook announced Friday that its own ban on the former president would remain in place until at least Jan. 7, 2023, but could be extended. Last month, a Facebook review board upheld the president’s suspension, but criticized its open-ended aspect.

Trump called Facebook’s decision “an insult to the record-setting 75M people, plus many others, who voted for us in the 2020 Rigged Presidential Election.

“They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this censoring and silencing, and ultimately, we will win,” Trump added. “Our Country can’t take this abuse anymore!”

Davido embarks on spiritual warfare against household enemies After Scary Prophecy

 

The pastor says the singer was poisoned by someone living in his house.

In a video that has since gone viral, a pastor appealed to the singer to be careful around his associates, especially the people living in his house.

According to the pastor, Davido was poisoned by someone in the house and rushed to the hospital.

“Did he die? No, but something was removed from him,” the pastor said.

Hours after the video went viral, the father of three took to his Twitter page where he tweeted about God exposing the evil people around him.

 

CBN Increase Import Duty To N404 /$ As Price Hike Looms

 

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has increased import duty on cargoes imported into the country by N23 after the apex bank hiked the exchange rate from N381 to N404.97 per dollar.

Experts believe such an increase will lead to a hike in the prices of goods imported into the country.

The CBN, yesterday, officially increased the exchange rate for cargo clearance from its initial N381 per dollar to N404. 97 per dollar, even as freight forwarders have raised an alarm over imminent inflation in the Nigerian market due to increase in the prices of goods.

However, the public relations officer, Tin Can Island Customs Command, Mr. Uche Ejesieme, who confirmed the increase, said it was not the function of Customs to increase the exchange rate but that of CBN.

The N23 difference has however, been effected on the customs systems by its IT service providers; Web Fontaine.

Reacting to the development, a freight forwarder, Mr. Emeka Efi Okonkwo, expressed surprise at the suddenness of the increase without recourse to stakeholders.

He said this would further increase the prices of goods at the Nigerian market, and would add to the economic pressure being experienced across the country.

“When we went to access a job this morning, we were told that the exchange rate has been increased, though we have been expecting it, but we didn’t expect that it would be so sudden. The implication of this on cargo clearance is that; cost of clearance would increase by $24.

“The cargoes that are already enroute Nigeria would also be affected, the cargoes that we want to clear this morning were affected. When you go back to the importer and request for money, they will tell you there is no notification of increase from customs, so the freight forwarders are the ones who bear the additional cost,” he lamented.

Okonkwo said freight forwarding professionals need to be guided before such increases are coming up, so that they would be able to advise their importers on the new cost regime obtainable at the ports.

“The customs officials are working for the federal government, so they should have issued circulars to this effect much earlier, so that we can make predictions. This was the same way they increased it last year without any notification.

“Already, goods are expensive in the market, this would further add to the inflation in the Nigerian market, in addition to insecurity in the country. Major stakeholders no longer ship cargoes into Nigeria and the few ones coming in are being hounded,” he said.

Bandits Were Pushed Into Crime But They Now Want Peace — Sheikh Gumi

 

Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, a Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, has stated that bandits become involved in criminal activities as a result of the country’s unfavorable circumstances.

The controversial Islamic cleric who has been at the forefront of lobbying for bandit negotiations, however, has stated that the bandits are tired of fighting and would welcome peace.

Gumi said this in an interview with the DAILY POST on Tuesday, adding that the bandits are willing to hand over their weapons for peace to rule if they have a solid working relationship with the government’s handlers.

“Yes, it’s really real since robbers say they were pushed into banditry by circumstances,” Gumi remarked when asked if bandits were exhausted.

“If they have a genuine partner, they are ready to stop it; they are tired and want peace.

“As regards their ongoing activities, you realise that even when soldiers are fighting and a ceasefire is declared, it takes a long time before they stop fighting.

“We are able to see about 80 per cent of the big ones and then some small splinter groups which we could not meet because due to circumstances as we cannot go into the bush again.

“But generally, they are ready for peace, in fact, we have gathered their representatives, discussed with them, and they said they are ready but need a genuine partner. Politics is the cause of this issue.”

 

BREAKING: Armed Soldiers block Sunday Igboho from entering Igangan Forest

 

Popular Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo popularly called Sunday Igboho on Monday visited Igangan in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo state, a day after the town was attacked by Fulani herdsmen.

Igboho was in the town to access the level of damage in yesterday’s attack. During the visit, Igboho also tried to comb the forest with his boys in search of the killer herdsmen.

He was, however, prevented from entering the forest by a team of fully armed soldiers, who were trailing his convoy immediately they arrived the town.

About 8 trucks of the Nigerian Army behind Igboho’s convoy. It will be recalled that several Yoruba people were massacred by suspected herdsmen in Igangan, also the palace of the Asigangan, the paramount ruler of the area was also burnt.

 

FG Considers Death penalty for Railway Vandals in Nigeria

 

The Federal Government announced on Monday that railway track vandals in the country may face the death penalty.

Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, said this in Abuja during a Town Hall Meeting on “Protecting Public Infrastructure.”

Rail track vandalism is a capital offense, according to Amaechi, and the repercussions should be regarded as such.

“I am not quantifying the material cost; what I am quantifying is the lives that will be lost. Imagine that a driver of a rail track is driving and suddenly bumps into a track that has been severed, what happens? It will derail.

“Each coach in Nigeria carries about 85 passengers, sometimes we carry 14 coaches, sometimes 20. So, imagine you are carrying a train of 14 or 20 coaches with 85 passengers in each coach, if it derails, can you quantify how many passengers that would have died in the course of one man thinking he is making money.

“So, it is not about the cost, but the lives that would have been lost because of little interest. Some people have recommended that since these people are killing people, if an accident happens people will die; so, we should go back to the National Assembly and pass a law that does not only criminalise the action, but consequences should be death,” he said.

The minister further suggested that if armed robbery, whether successful or not, attracts life imprisonment, rail track vandalism should not be any less.

He said the track vandalism was being done in collaboration with foreign partners.

“In Jos, they arrested a Chinese company that bought those tracks from them, went to court and the court found them guilty and fined them N200, 000. So, there must be consequences as N200,000 is not enough.”

Amaechi commended residents along the Lagos-Ibadan rail track as no incident of vandalism has been recorded along the route.

“Lagos and the Western District recorded one, North Western 31, Northern District 10, North Eastern 43, Eastern 36 and North Central 50 incidents of vandalism. Abuja-Kaduna has 13, Warri-Itakpe two and Lagos -Ibadan nill.”

 

Daddy Freeze, Peter Okoye React As Ugandan Pastor Celebrates T.B. Joshua’s Death With His Members

 

Controversial media personality, Daddy Freeze and Peter Okoye of Psquare have reacted to the video of Ugandan pastor Jackson Senyonga celebrating the death of prophet T.B. Joshua with his members.
Naija News earlier reported that Nigerian televangelist and founder of the Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua (alias TB Joshua) reportedly died in Lagos on Saturday evening after concluding a programme at his church in Ikotun.

The cause of death was not immediately disclosed but family sources said his remains had been deposited at the morgue and an autopsy would be performed forthwith.

In the video shared, the Ugandan pastor questioned the late prophet, saying ;“What makes you think that you can kill others because you want sacrifices”

Reacting to this, Freeze outrightly condemned the pastor’s action, saying; ”Are they rejoicing over TB Joshua’s death? Even if they were sworn enemies, is this what the Bible teaches?🙄◄ Proverbs 24 ►

New Living Translation

[17] Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;

don’t be happy when they stumble.

[18] For the LORD will be displeased with you

and will turn his anger away from them.”

@Peter Of Psquare reacted to the video, he wrote; ‘This life just do you! Nobody send you’

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