Friday 30 December 2016

Herdsmen Killed 808 People in Southern Kaduna Attacks in Nigeria, Says Catholic Church

The leadership of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan in Kaduna State has disclosed that a total of 808 people were killed in 53 villages across the four local governments areas in the state ridden by crisis.
Giving a statistics of the killings and destruction in a statement in Kafanchan, the church leaders said 57 people were injured while farm produce estimated at N5.5 billion were also destroyed.

Nigerian Navy Arrests 47 Stowaways Inside Ship in Lagos

About 47 stowaways were rescued from a merchant ship by the Nigerian Navy in an operation in the Apapa area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.

Thursday 29 December 2016

Cybersecurity: Cybercriminals Launch Ransomware Attacks On Nigeria, Botswana, South Africa, Others

Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting African countries, including Nigeria with ransomware attacks.
According to CheckPoint’s survey, five African nations were among the top 10 most-attacked countries in November, as cybercriminals made increasing use of ransomware attacks using the Locky and Cryptowall viruses, capable of damaging up to 50 per cent of the data.

Road Safety: 187 Nigerians Died in 289 Road Crashes During The Yuletide – FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corp, FRSC, ssays 187 lives were lost in 289 road crashes across the country during the 2016 Yuletide season.

Insurgency: Adamawa State To Close Down All IDPs Camps in January

The Adamawa state government is to close all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the state, by January following the successful defeat of insurgents by the gallant Nigeria military.

Governor Ambode Offers Amnesty ‎To Criminals, Cultists in Lagos State

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday announced the readiness of his government to offer amnesty to cultists willing to renounce their membership of cult groups and turn over a new leaf.

Wednesday 28 December 2016

Security Agents Capture Boko Haram Factional Leader - Abu Musab al-Barnawi

ABUJA— Details have emerged on Nigerian security agencies dismantled the leadership and stronghold of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents with confirmation that the Nigerian factional leader of the sect, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, had been captured three months before the fall of Sambisa forest to Nigerian troops.

Vigilance! Another Fleeing Boko Haram Terrorist Arrested in Abuja

Few days after a Boko Haram Commander was arrested in Ikorodu, Lagos State, a man believed to be one of the fleeing members of the Boko Haram sect has been arrested in Abuja.

Monday 26 December 2016

Many Feared Killed In Fresh Kaduna Village Attack

Scores of people were fearled killed on Saturday when heavily armed men attacked Goska Kanikon village in Jemaa Local Government area of Kaduna State.

Fleeing Boko Haram Commander Arrested In Ikorodu, Lagos State

One of the fleeing Boko Haram insurgents recently dislodged in Sambisa forest in Borno State was arrested on Saturday in Ikorodu area of Lagos State

BREAKING: Suicide Bomber Attacks Maiduguri Cattle Market

Maiduguri, Nigeria Dec 26 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber attacked a cattle market on Monday in Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria, the city worst hit by Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency, the police and a witness said.

Friday 23 December 2016

Background Check: Antidote To Negligent Hiring, Vicarious Liability

Image credit: BackgroundRecords
Holistic Security Background Checks is a global best practice and first line of defence against latent risks of negligent hiring and vicarious liability which employers of labour increasingly face in our today’s world. Whether they bargained for it or not, the very moment an employee is hired, an employer inherits an invincible burden – a reasonable duty of care for the security and safety of others. The crux of negligent hiring lawsuit is that a hiring decision (lack of due diligence or background check) by an employer resulted or contributed to the incident. A growing number of organizations fall prey to negligent hiring and vicarious liability lawsuits. To give us an idea, ‘’about 75% of employers reportedly lose negligent hiring cases with settlement claims averaging $1 million’’.  A jury in an Arkansas Federal Court in the United States awarded $7 million in damages to the family of an Arkansas truck driver killed in a 2008 accident in a wrongful death lawsuit brought against a timber company and its truck driver who caused the accident.

Of The Frivolous Three Weeks Public Holiday in Imo State

Two interconnected and successive events in Imo state prompted this piece: the recent declaration of three weeks public holiday in Imo state and the existing three day work week policy of the Imo state government. This essay aims to dissect the effects on productivity, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), socio-economic activities of a penchant for arbitrary declaration of public holidays in Imo state in particular and Nigeria in general especially in view of the acute recession in Nigeria.

I make quick to say that this write-up is not an onslaught on any individual nor does it have a political undertone, affiliation whatsoever. As a true son of Imo state, posterity will not be fair to me if I fail to challenge wishy-washy thinking and if I shy away from adding value, brainstorming solutions to challenges bedeviling Imo state and Nigeria. It smacks of insensitivity and beggars belief that the Imo State government allegedly blew over N600 million on Christmas decorations while pensioners and possibly civil servants in the State are owed arrears of their salaries/entitlements? 

Imo State Chistmas Tree in Owerri

Arbitrary And Unbecoming Declaration of Public Holidays

Preparatory to 2016 Christmas festivity and while celebrating the Imo Day thanksgiving service, Imo State Governor – Chief Rochas reportedly declared three weeks holiday in the State to last between December 19, 2016 and January 10, 2017. Recall that prior to this three week Christmas holiday, the Governor arbitrarily rammed down a three day – Monday to Wednesday work week. The Governor supposed this measure will avail Imo State civil servants, ‘’the opportunity of engaging in other businesses to earn extra income to augment their salaries’’. By this three day work week, it pupils, students attend school three days – Monday to Wednesday in a week?

Nigeria’s Public Holidays Act


According to Nigeria’s Public Holidays Act, enacted on 1st January 1979 which abolished previous public holidays and set the process for making public holidays for the nation, states, and local areas, the President has the power to declare holidays for the entire nation or any state or part of the country. State Governors have the power to declare public holidays in their states or for any part of their states. The Minister for Internal Affairs has powers to change designated holiday dates when he or she determines it necessary or appropriate. The aforesaid Public Holiday Act also stipulates that, ‘’if any holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then only that Saturday or Sunday shall be a public holiday’’. This is far from reality because a typical holiday that falls on Saturday is moved to Monday and so on and so forth.


Consequences of Protracted Public Holidays

Nigeria continues to progress in the negative direction and may continue in that direction for a long time as long as innovative ideas, leaders are lacking. For a state like Imo struggling with poor IGR - Internally Generated Revenue, low productivity, and where pensioners/workers are owed arrears of their entitlements, a money-sapping carnival cum Christmas decorations which reportedly gulped hundreds of millions of Naira and a three weeks public holiday, is to say the least, not well thought out.

Imagine prospective foreign investors, international organizations amongst others, scheduled to come to Imo state having to reschedule for 3 weeks because civil servants are on holidays. Also imagine anyone of us urgently needs an important document (letter of identification or State of Origin etc.) from the State or Local Government Councils say for enlistment into the Armed forces, a scholarship, and immigration or for a contract and we have to wait for three weeks by which time the opportunity may have elapsed. No revenue generating activity, payment and collection of taxes/levies, amongst others, in Imo State for the next three weeks? And workers will be paid for sitting at home for three weeks?

Frivolous Public Holidays in Nigeria Affect Labour Productivity

Labour productivity is defined as the amount of labour input required to produce a unit of output. As we know, the three most important factors of production are labour, capital and land. We have all of these in Nigeria but the problem is harnessing them for optimal productivity, competiveness and sustainable economic activity. With 48 working hours per week, almost 120 days rest days (Saturdays and Sundays inclusive) in a year, Nigeria is said to have the highest number of public holidays in the world compared to Malaysia, China and Indonesia which work 52 hours-seven days a week.

2017 Public Holidays in Nigeria

Abuse of Nigeria’s Public Holidays Act?

No doubt the public holiday prerogative vested on governors is been abused. A few examples will suffice. In Abia, ostensibly to foreclose the swearing in of Dr. Uche Ogah aftermath of an unfavorable gubernatorial court ruling against Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the later bandied the death of one Chief Ojo Maduekwe who died during that period as an alibi for hastily declaring two days – Friday and Monday as public holiday.
2017 Public Holidays in Nigeria

To mark the end of the 2016 Ramadan fast, the Nigerian federal government extended the Eid el Fitr holiday from two to three days because the moon was not spotted as planned.

In Lagos State, most of the major markets were unexpectedly shut down for one or two days sometime in June 2013, in honour of late Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, the Iyaloja-General of Lagos State. Traders especially those selling perishable products lost millions of Naira as a result of this.

Conclusion:
Failure to do away with whimsical public holidays, poor work attitude, malingering, unskilled workforce, nepotism will foist a cycle of low productivity, poor service delivery, and perennial poverty on Nigeria. Nigeria cannot be a giant of Africa with its citizens sitting at home for several weeks in a year in the guise of public holidays. High time the National Assembly rejigged the moribund National Public Holiday Act and rein in arbitrary declaration of public holidays in Nigeria.

Written By: © Don Okereke
(Security Consultant/Analyst, Writer, Change Agent)
Twitter: @DonOkereke


Christmas: Civil Defence Corps Urges Nigerians to Security Conscious

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has advised Nigerians to be security conscious and conversant with their environment, especially during the Yuletide.

Army Alerts Public, Residents of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe States on Boko Haram Suspects Fleeing Sambisa Forest

The Nigerian Army has said due to its ongoing final clearance and occupation of Boko Haram terrorists hideouts in Sambisa forest, a number of the terrorists are escaping the theatre of operation in the North-east to other parts of the country.

Thursday 22 December 2016

Gunmen Kidnap Female Customs Officer In Festac, Lagos

Gunmen abducted a female customs official, Mrs. Comfort Alaba, after attacking a house in the FESTAC Town area of Lagos State, South-West, Nigeria.

Sunday 18 December 2016

Germany Donates IED Detectors, Pledge €3 Million Military Aid To Nigeria

The German government has pledged to provide Nigeria with three million Euros for the procurement of surveillance equipment, mobile medical care unit and other support services for the country’s armed forces.
The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, announced this on Sunday at joint news conference with the German Defence Minister, Ursala Von dar Leyen, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The Germany defence minister was in Abuja to hand over some military equipment donated her country to Nigeria.

Saturday 17 December 2016

Kidnappers Invade Estate in Ikotun/Igando, Lagos, Abduct 5

Some residents of White Sand Estate in Ikotun/Igando Local Government Area, Lagos have fled the community following invasion of kidnappers in the area.

Friday 16 December 2016

Experts Predict Biggest Cybersecurity Threat Trends in 2017

From internal threats to creative ransomware to the industrial Internet of Things, security experts illuminate business cybersecurity threats likely to materialize in the next year.

Thursday 15 December 2016

Nigerian Senate To Prune President’s Control Of Police Force

Nigeria’s Senate is stepping up efforts at saving democracy from executive abuse. It plans to amend the Constitution to decentralise the police force, whittle down the powers of the President over commissioners of police by giving state governors the power of the ‘last command.’

Monday 12 December 2016

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA Suspends 5 Cabin Crew For Testing Positive To Marijuana 

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, at the weekend suspended the medical certificates of five Cabin crews over drug-related offences.

Police Uncovers Fake Embassy In Lagos, Arrest Chinese And Nigerian Masterminds 

The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command on Sunday said it has discovered fake embassy operating in Lagos where many innocent members of the public had been swindled.

Nigerian Government Secretly Negotiating With Niger Delta Militants

Notwithstanding the seeming reluctance of the federal government  to officially set up a negotiating committee to hold talks with Niger Delta militants, the government has continued discreet talks with the belligerent groups in the region, THISDAY learnt yesterday.

Sunday 11 December 2016

BREAKING: Twin Bomb Blast Hit Maiduguri, Scores Feared Dead, Injured

Less than 48 hours after a twin bomb blast hit Madagali market in Adamawa State, several people are feared dead after a male and female suicide bombers detonated explosives near the popular Monday market in Maiduguri on Sunday morning.

Niger-Delta Leaders To Buhari: Militants Have Stopped Bombing, Let's Talk Now

More than forty days after the coastal states of Niger Delta under the auspices of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, led by former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, met with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, the people are still unsure of Mr. President’s frame of mind.

How Two Suspected Boko Haram Suicide Bombers Evaded Security, Bombed Madagali Market, Adamawa State – Eye witness

The relative tranquility enjoyed in Adamawa State in the last one year was truncated, on Friday, following twin suicide bomb blasts that rocked Madagali Local Government Area of the state. No fewer than 50 people reportedly lost their lives in the bomb blast, and 80 others were said to have been injured in the attack that happened in the Madagali Market, Adamawa state suberb. 

Gunmen Kidnap Medical Doctor in Lagos, SW Nigeria

Panic ensued at the popular Saint Francis Hospital in Lagos late on Friday as gunmen kidnapped a doctor at the hospital.

Saturday 10 December 2016

INTERPOL To Integrate Nigeria Security Agencies To Its Database 

The INTERPOL has agreed to connect the Economic and Financial Fraud Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking and Persons, National Agency for Foods, and Drugs Administration and Control to its National Data Base tool known as I-24/7. The 190-member body agreed to do this on November 14, 2016.

Kidnapping Scaring Foreign Investors From Nigeria — Guild of Editors

The Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, has expressed concern over the upsurge in kidnapping across Nigeria, which has become a national menace that is negatively impacting on the social and economic life of the country.

Friday 9 December 2016

Security Beefed Up At Akanu Ibiam Int’l Airport, Enugu, SE Nigeria

Security arrangements have been beefed up at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu as many indigenes return home to celebrate Christmas and New Year.

Thursday 8 December 2016

Boko Haram Remains a Threat Despite Losing Territory - UN Envoy

The United Nation's envoy for Central Africa says a multinational regional force has reclaimed much of the territory controlled by Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin but the extremist group remains a serious threat to regional stability.

Wednesday 7 December 2016

South-East Nigeria "Operation Python Dance" Dedicated Emergency Telephone Numbers

The Nigerian Army on Tuesday released telephone numbers for information relating to its Operation Python Dance in the South-East region.

Countering Violent Extremism: Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, and YouTube Collaborate to Remove ‘Terrorism Content’

Social media giants -  Facebook, Twitter Microsoft, and YouTube are collaborating on a project to counter violent extremism by limiting the spread of terrorist content online and on social media.

Terror Alert! Terrorists Implant Bombs Inside Quran

Quran laced with Bomb
Alwaght- ISIS terrorists implant bombs inside Islam’s holy book of Quran and leave them behind to explode in case of movement

Nigerian Military, Police And Civilian JTF Personnel Indicted in IDPs Sex Scandal

IDPs in NE Nigeria
Some Nigerian military, police, and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) personnel and others have been reportedly implicated in the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs camp sex scandal in North East Nigeria.
The policemen and CJTF suspects have been arrested. The Army and the Air Force are expected to surrender their implicated men, Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris said yesterday.

Tuesday 6 December 2016

Governor Ambode Ups Death Insurance Policy of Police Officers Serving in Lagos To N10m

Governor Ambode
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday announced an increment to the death insurance benefit for police officers who die in active service to the State to N10 million, saying that his administration would stop at nothing to ensure the safety of all citizens in the State.

Nigerian Government Bans Importation of Vehicles Through Land Borders

The federal government of Nigeria has prohibited the importation of vehicles, new and old, through land borders.

Kidnappers Murder Dangote’s Senior Strategist, Discard Body In Gutter

A senior strategist with Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. Istifanus Bello Gurama, who was reportedly kidnapped three weeks ago, has been murdered.

Sunday 4 December 2016

Road Safety: FRSC To Commence Enforcement of Speed-limiting Device January 1, 2017

The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, has vowed to commence aggressive enforcement of the speed limiting device on all vehicles across Nigeria by January 1, 2017.

Friday 2 December 2016

Gunmen Kidnap Wife of Zonal Bank Manager in Markurdi, Benue State




There is no gainsaying the fact that kidnapping is proving to be one of the commonest crimes in Nigeria. Gumen this morning reportedly kidnapped one  Mrs. Jill Iyuadoo Tor-Agbidye, wife of Mr Achia Tor Agbidye, the Zonal Manager of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), at their residence at New GRA along Abu King Shuluwa road in Makurdi, Benue State.

Herdsmen Attack Abia Communities

BARELY three weeks after a community in Arochukwu council of Abia State was invaded and attacked by Fulani herdsmen, another community, Ozu Item in Bende council was again attacked with scores of farmers sustaining life threatening injuries.

Thursday 1 December 2016

World AIDS Day: 72, 000 Adolescents in Lagos, 5000 IDPs in Borno Infected With HIV/AIDS

Today, Thursday 1st December, 2016, is World AIDS Day. In a forum to mark the event, the Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, Mr. Oluseyi Temowo, said that about 72,000 adolescents are living with HIV in Lagos State.