Olatunji orders investigation into Optasia, suspected data violation - ITREALMS

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The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), National Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, has ordered a full-scale investigation into the data processing activities of Optasia which operates in Nigeria as Nairtime Nigeria Ltd, reports ITREALMS.

This investigation was triggered by a pattern of suspected non-compliant data processing which was discovered during routine regulatory oversight of data controllers and data processors of major importance.

Privacy right: Court orders UBA to pay customer N8m for gross violation - ITREALMS

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The United Bank of Africa (UBA) Plc in Nigeria has been ordered to pay its customer N8,000,000 only for gross violation of her right to data privacy in a matter funded by Paradigm Initiative (PIN) through its digital rights reporting platform Ripoti, reports ITREALMS.

The bank was found liable for unilaterally opening a domiciliary account for Miss Folashade Molehin without her consent, breaching her right to data privacy.

Why FG rejects US religious freedom violation tag by MoIC - ITREALMS

ITREALMS: 

The Federal Government (FG) has rejected the US designation of Nigeria as a country that engages in or tolerates severe violations of religious freedom, saying the iniquitous tag stems from an orchestrated narrative that has long been discredited, reports ITREALMS.

The Minister of Information and Culture (MoIC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said on Sunday in Abuja, that the good people of Nigeria enjoy unfettered freedom to practice their religion, and blamed failed politicians and disgruntled elements - some of them supposedly-respected leaders - for latching on to religion as their trump card, especially in the run up to the last general elections, to oust the Buhari administration.

He said it is unfortunate that the United States (US) fell for the antics of the discontented and the unpatriotic few, who will not hesitate to hang Nigeria out to dry on the altar of their inordinate ambition and their sheer animosity towards the administration.

The Minister said the Nigerian government is acutely aware of how the political opposition, in particular, had spared no resources in deriving political capital from the various security challenges in the country

''The deliberate effort to give religious coloration to the farmers-herders clashes and the Boko Haram insurgency, in particular, has undoubtedly helped to mislead the US into concluding that the government is doing little or nothing to guarantee religious freedom in the country.

''But, as we have always said, the farmers-herders clashes have nothing to do with religion but everything to do with environmental and socio-economic realities. The religious tag given to the clashes has no basis in fact, but is very convenient for those who will very easily give the dog a bad name just to hang it. On its part, the Boko Haram terrorists are extreme fanatics who do not subscribe to the tenets of any religion, in spite of their pretense to Islamic adherence,'' he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the good news is that the government has succeeded in curbing the farmers-herders clashes through the implementation of proactive and multi-dimensional strategy, which is yielding remarkable results, just as it has largely defeated the BokoHaram insurgency.

On the El-Zakzaky issue, which was referred to in the report by the US government, he described it is purely a criminal matter, which is being handled by a court of competent jurisdiction.

The Minister said while the government welcomes constructive criticism from any quarter, it rejects any attempt to sow the seed of mistrust among the various religious groups in the country.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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BBOG: CDHR indicts Buhari, IGP on human rights violation

ITREALMS:

Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has indicted President Muhammadu Buhari and berated the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on the violation of the rights of the members of the Bring Back Our Girls Group in Abuja, on Tuesday 23^rd January, 2018. CDHR condemned the conduct of the Police in preventing the BBOG from exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression, association and movement, including their right of solidarity to engage in legitimate rally to advance their lawful interest. The Human Rights group described the conduct of the Police as oppressive, primitive and embarrassing.

The BBOG, led by Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, had converged at the Unity Fountain, Abuja on Tuesday, 23^rd January, 2017 for their usual rally to attract attention to their patriotic call for the recue or release of the abducted Chibok Girls. Acting on the directive of the IGP, the Commissioner of Police, FCT, illegally prevented the members of the BBOG from exercising their legitimate freedoms, arrested their members, and violated their fundamental rights.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Henry Peter Ekine and made available to the Press, CDHR decried the level to which the Police have degenerated in professionalism and abdicated their expected role to protect the rights of citizens. CDHR was utterly disturbed that the Police have again displayed crass overzealousness in their conduct. The statement by CDHR described the incident as unfortunate in a democratic regime.

CDHR warned that this conduct by the COP on the directive of the IGP, as well as several similar conducts of continuous abuse and violation of the rights of Nigerians by the Police and other state agents, could only incite citizens’ reaction and invite anarchy in an already volatile Nigerian society. CDHR implored the Attorney-General of the Federation to advice the President and the IGP appropriately, at all times, on their conducts that may affect the rights of citizens. Conducts by state agents that violate the rights of citizens raise direct questions on the commitment of the Government to core democratic principles and values.

The foremost human rights group emphasised that the provisions of sections 39, 40 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amendment, provide for the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, assembly and movement, respectively. The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Article 11); the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Articles 13, 19 and 20) also provide for these rights. The state has the responsibility to protect these rights. It was held in Inspector General of Police v. All Nigeria Peoples Party (2007) 18 NWLR (Pt 1066) that the Police must not disrupt the constitutional right of Nigerians to hold a peaceful and legitimate rally; the Police, in a democratic society such as Nigeria, is rather expected to provide security during rallies. CDHR observed that the conduct of the Police operatives amounted to violation of the rights of citizens, particularly the members of BBOG.

CDHR, under the leadership of Comrade Malachy Ugwummadu, therefore called on the Inspector-General of Police, Commissioners of Police, all the operatives of security agencies and the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari, to abide by our Constitution and the rule of law and respect the rights of all citizens to exercise their fundamental freedoms. The rule of law must always prevail against arbitrariness and alternatives which have no credence under our Constitution. All state agents must submit themselves to the law, and security agencies must not be seen to violate the rights of citizens.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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PIN writes Buhari, accuses Dickson, Amaechi, others of hacking

ITRealms:

Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) has written a letter to the President Muhammadu Buhari, over what it called violation of human rights of private citizens as well as abuse of power by some Governors in Nigeria, ITRealms reports.

The Governors fingered in the letter, according to PIN Executive Director, Mr. Gbenga Sesan includes the incumbent Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, ex-Governor Godwin Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State who is also the current Minority leader in the Nigeria’s Senate, and ex-Governor  Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State.

PIN, ITRealms learnt, said that these national figures were engaging in illegal surveillance and hacking activities which involves them breaking into target computers and phones to monitor citizen’s private and confidential conversations on communication devices.

The letter was to demand that President Buhari use his good offices to protect the rights of citizens by Investigating and bringing to Justice every one found culpable in these illegal activities.

Copied in the said letter, ITRealms gathered, were; the Vice President, Senate President, Speaker house of representative, Chief Justice of the Federation, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Justice,  National Security Adviser,  National Human Rights Commission,  Femi Falana Chambers, Nigeria Bar Association, United Nations Human Rights Commission, Freedom House International, Department of State Security Services, United Nations Secretary General, and Amnesty International.

 

According to the Premium Times report which quoted sources from the National Security Adviser’s office and some of the governments under investigation, the illegal practice of intercepted calls and hacked phones and computers gave these public servants backdoor access  to many people’s private lives, at the expense of taxpayers they swore to serve. Right to privacy is a constitutionally guaranteed right of every Nigerian citizen.

As part of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria’s Internet Freedom Advocacy efforts, ITRealms reports, PIN raised an alarm when it was reported in the media that the Nigerian government under President Goodluck Jonathan invested massively in surveillance equipment as reflected in 2013 and 2014 National Budget. PIN published two Policy Briefs on May 29, 2013 and November 29, 2013, to identify the underlying issues and raise public awareness on the implications of these activities.

In addition to this, a Freedom of Information request was made to demand contract details of purchased surveillance equipment as listed in the country’s national budget for 2013 and 2014. The request was denied, following which PIN approached the Court in order to pursue justice.

The constitution is the supreme law in Nigeria and it does provide for freedom of speech, association, rights to privacy, etc. of every citizen. National Security has become a ready excuse for Government to acquire sophisticated technology with capability to monitor and spy private citizens’ online activities or conversations such as email, phone calls and all forms of text/chat messages. 

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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