NGE condemns over-zealousness of EFCC, security agencies

ITRealms:

The Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) has condemned what it described as overzealousness of the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other security agencies the media, reports ITRealms.

NGE speaking through its President, Funke Egbemode and General Secretary, Victoria Ibanga in a press statement jointly endorsed and made available to ITRealms, at the end of its second quarterly meeting on June 16, 2017 in Lagos, noted that often, duties come with deep responsibilities that must be upheld and urged the security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities.

The Guild in a 9-point communique also condemned the hate speeches from different sections of the country and calls for restraint and tolerance among Nigerians, stressing that the country remains stronger together.

They noting that those sowing seeds of discord should realise that they are not just destroying the dreams of the nation's founding fathers but the progress “we have made over the years as a nation; their actions have the capacity to alter the destiny of Nigeria negatively.

The Guild reminded the hate agents that as major stakeholders in the Nigerian Project, Editors and Journalists fought for the enthronement of the current democratic dispensation, with some paying the supreme price, to birth a constitutional government.

The Guild regrets that elders from different parts of the country kept quiet for too long, which allowed the youths to take over the socio-political space and brought the nation to the present situation. The Guild equally urged the elders across the country to always keenly take interest in the affairs of the nation, rather than play the ostrich.

“The Guild also urges Nigerians to ignore those agitating for the dismemberment of the country and to go about their businesses without fear or let, and focus more on repositioning the country for present and future generations,” they said.

Further, ITRealms reports that the Guild appreciated the firm and decisive intervention of the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, which has calmed the situation and urges the government to do more.

The Guild noted that the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has been issuing orders to his men to get these persons arrested but is worried that no commensurate action has been taken. It urges the Police to be more responsive and pragmatic.

NGE commends the Nigeria Police Force for the arrest of the kidnap kingpin, Chukwudi Dumeme Onwuamadike and other kidnappers and urges that they should do more to ensure the release of the abducted pupils of Igbonla Model College, Epe in Lagos State, who have been missing for more than three weeks now.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Herdsmen Attacks: Anambra commences aerial patrol

ITRealms:

In a bid to ensure maximum safety of lives and properties of Ndi Anambra, Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, has tightened security with a routine helicopter surveillance of Anambra State in addition to security agencies which are currently patrolling the borders, reports ITRealms.

Obiano said that the leaders of the Hausa-Fulani Community in the state had been instructed to visit those blocks and find out the identities of the various groups and inform them of the existing agreement between cattle herders and host communities.Part of the agreement is a prohibition of the use of AK47 by herdsmen and the payment of compensation when farmlands are destroyed by herdsmen or cattle killed by any community.

ITRealms also gathered that the aerial surveillance of the Police Helicopter covers major cities in Anambra state and then extends to interior areas and territorial borderlines of the state including thick forests, bushes and farmlands in search of any encampment of herdsmen anywhere for proper identification in order to forestall any possibilities of attack or clashes following the recent attack on a community in Enugu state.

The surveillance,which is the initiative of Governor Obiano with the assistance of the Inspector General of Police, is a measure to check the activities of herdsmen in and around the borderlines of the state, which yielded fruits as six blocks of unknown Fulani Herdsmen have been discovered, though without any threat to the peace of the state in the meantime. Proactive actions for proper identification of the herders are being put in place through the Hausa-Fulani leaders in the state.

The Governor enjoined the police to patrol with the smart cars provided by the state government in the night to ensure that herdsmen moving their cattle in the night do not constitute another menace on the roadseither by causing accidents or blocking the road.

The State Commissioner of Police, Hassan Karma, said that the surveillance team was well equipped to track down criminals while also responding to distress calls from threatened communities.

Okoli Vincent/Channels TV/GEE

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Herdsmen rampage on Nimbo: Ugwuanyi blames security agencies, sets up judicial panel

ITRealms:

The Enugu State governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has blamed the security agencies for their failure to avert the suspected Fulani herdsmen rampage on Ukpabi-Nimbo community in Uzouwani Local Government Area, insisting he took all the cautionary measures to forestall the attack, reports ITRealms.

This is coming as Gov. Ugwuanyi has set up a judiciary commission of inquiry to investigate the immediate and remote causes of all the violent occurrences in the State associated with suspected Fulani herdsmen and recommend appropriate measures that will be put in place to prevent future occurrence.

PIN writes NCC, demands Freedom of Information on private data

ITRealms:

The Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) has written a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), demanding information on its alleged self-confessed monitoring and handling of private citizens data to security agencies, reports ITRealms.

PIN in an official press statement made available to ITRealms noted that NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta was quoted by ThisDay Newspaper on October 16, 2015 to have said at an International Trade Fair in Abuja that “the commission in collaboration with telecommunication operators monitor call data of suspected kidnappers and insurgents and forward same to appropriate security operatives, as soon as they are available ….” 

The FOI request, according to the Executive Director, PIN, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, sought to understand the processes, judicial oversight involved in handing over call data of private citizens to security agencies.

The NCC, PIN also said, has never hidden its intention to monitor citizens and violate privacy rights of citizens as could be seen in its controversial draft Lawful Interception of Communication Regulation which it seeks to use to legalize the already ongoing violation of constitutionally guaranteed rights to privacy of private citizen. 

ITRealms recalls that PIN already challenged the legality of using administrative procedure to limit constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens through that regulation of the NCC. 

“It is to this end that we wrote the NCC on identified red flags and subsequently made a submission at NCC’s public inquiry into its draft Lawful Interception of Communication Regulation. Our Policy Brief no. 6 addressed this with greater details,” Sesan said.

He emphasised that the initial FOI request which was sent on October 19 was acknowledged as PIN got a response from NCC on October 23, 2015, in which NCC sought further details of their request. 

“We have responded and provided all the details requested by NCC as at Monday October 26, 2015 and now hope to get an official response from the NCC within seven (7) days as stipulated by the FOI act,” PIN boss said.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 
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