The Digital Surveillance Confession - Editorial@ITREALMS

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The airwaves crackled with a chilling nonchalance on Friday, February 13, 2026, as former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, admitted on Arise News to a high-level breach of privacy that strikes at the heart of the Nigerian state.

By claiming to have "listened in" on the private conversations of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, El-Rufai did more than just settle a political score following his airport confrontation; he handed over what presidency officials have rightly termed a "confession of wiretapping."

When loans become surveillance & Nigeria’s regulatory triangle by Remmy Nweke -WeekendDigits@ITREALMS

WeekendDigits@ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Nigeria’s regulators, FCCPC, NCC, and NDPC, unite to curb data abuse by digital lending apps. WeekendDigits@ITREALMS with REMMY NWEKE explores how everyday loans turned into surveillance, and how the regulatory triangle fights back.

Preamble:
Madam Lizzy only wanted a quick loan.
The advert promised “instant approval, no paperwork.” Out of curiosity, she downloaded the app, requested ₦1 million, and within hours, the funds appeared. She repaid before the due date—relieved and impressed.

Then the calls began:
Every morning, a strange number flashed on her screen: “Madam, you are yet to pay your loan.” She explained repeatedly that the debt was settled, yet the messages multiplied short messaging service (SMS) reminders, WhatsApp texts, even phone calls from aggressive “customer agents” threatening to contact her friends and family.

Paradigm Initiative to sue FG over social media surveillance

ITREALMS:

Digital rights group, the Paradigm Initiative (PI), has vowed to challenge the Nigerian Government’s latest attempt to curtail free speech online in a law court, reports ITRealms.

A press statement available to ITRealms, PI condemned the recent order issued by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, to security agencies to “tackle the propagation of hate speech through the social media, particularly by some notable Nigerians.”

Mr Ali, ITRealms gathered gave the order during a security meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, did not provide any detail as to what constitutes “hate speech” and the criteria that would be employed by the security agencies to determine when free speech becomes “hate speech”.

The absence of such details in Mr Ali’s order, PI noted, has become customary with critics of free speech online including President Muhammadu Buhari who once complained about an undefined “red line” online users are wont to cross in their expression online.

Also, ITRealms recalled that few months ago, the Director of Defence Information, Major General John Enenche, publicly announced to the world that the military now has “strategic media centres that monitor the social media to be able to sieve out and react to all the ones that will be anti-government, be anti-military, (and) be anti-security.

“We tackle them appropriately with appropriate responses” Enenche had declared.

Reacting on the latest FG plans, the Paradigm Initiative’s Digital Rights Programme Manager for Anglophone West Africa, ‘Boye Adegoke, lamenting that security agencies now routinely tap citizens’ phones, especially in the federal capital, Abuja.

The Buhari administration, he noted, through its policies and public statements by its functionaries, has successfully created an atmosphere that emboldens security agents from EFCC to DSS and to the Police to make themselves the arbiter of free speech online. In the last one year, at least 14 Nigerians have been arrested and detained for making free speech online.

“we are deeply concerned that free speech online continues to suffer sustained attacks from agents of government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. The restriction of access to twenty one news websites including Naij.com is just one of the several attempts by the government to curtail people’s rights online. Therefore, the order by Mr Ali can only further negatively affects the digital space,” Adegoke said.

Further, ITRealms gathered that Paradigm Initiative and partners are currently in court to challenge Sections 24 and 38 of the Cybercrimes Act that have been repeatedly used to persecute online critics in the last two years.

The organisation equally sued the Ministry of Science and Technology over its alleged acquisition of spy satellites. In this vein, the organisation has dragged the Nigerian Communications Commission to court over the illegal restriction of access to some news sites. There seems to be no end to the government’s attempt to invade privacy and curtail free speech.

“As Nigeria heads for a general election in 2019, Nigerians must not allow the government to trample on constitutionally guaranteed rights such as free speech. Paradigm Initiative, on its part, will continue to challenge any anti-free speech policy or posturing by the government. Digital rights like privacy and freedom of expression are important features of modern societies and must not be allowed to be abused by people who are afraid of criticism,” Adegoke said.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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Olu Falae: Police explains how aerial surveillance aided rescue

ITRealms:

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has explained how aerial and land surveillance assisted the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase-coordinated operations that led to the rescue of Chief Olu Falae from his abductors, reports ITRealms.

NPF in a press statement endorsed by Acting ACP Olabisi Kolawole, Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, the rescue of Chief Olu Falae from his captives on September 24th, 2015 was made possible by both aerial and land operations to ensure the freedom of the former presidential candidate of the SDP.  

According to Kolawole, the IGP moved in some technical teams to reinforce the efforts of Ondo State Police Command and the team started the operation in the early hours of the Thursday, September 24 culminating in the combing of every nook and cranny of Ondo state till success was achieved in Owo.

Reacting to the rescue while re-uniting Chief Olu Falae with his family, IGP Arase said “those who think Nigeria is lawless should have a rethink as the Nigeria Police Force and other sister agencies are everywhere to deal decisively with those miscreants who intend to test the capabilities of the Force.”

Further, he said that the former Secretary to the Federal Government is hale and hearty meanwhile, the Nigeria Police promised to leave no stone unturned till the perpetrators of the dastardly act are brought to book, as nothing was said of the suspects.

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