Senate Passes Legislation to Check Cyber-crime

The Nigerian Senate has passed a bill that provides the legal framework for the fight against cyber crime as well as other related frauds in line with international best practices.

Titled "a bill for an act to provide for the prohibition of and punishment of electronic fraud and crime in all electronic transactions prevention, detection, response, investigation and prosecution of cybercrime," it provides for the prohibition and punishment of electronic fraud and cybercrime whilst promoting e-government services, electronic communications, transactions between public and private bodies, as well as institutions and individuals.


The bill, as passed by the Senate, also criminalises certain acts and omissions in line with the regional and international best practices, and provides procedural guidelines for investigation of such offences.

The bill also defines the liability of service providers which would ensure that national interest of Nigeria is not compromised by the use of electronic transactions.

During public hearing on the bill, Senate President David Mark had stated that the fight against electronic fraud and other related crimes perpetrated on the internet has been a long drawn one.

He also stated that the level of technological advancement and growth in our society has brought with it some challenges which pose great dangers and concerns to Nigerian economy, national security and critical national information infrastructure, adding that it requires drastic measures to curb its negative effects

Some of the offences spelled out in the bill include: illegal interception of data, system interference and misuse of devices. Others are computer related forgery, child pornography, cyber-stalking and cyber-squatting.

The bill as passed provides a framework for dealing with cybercrimes and to also foster the sharing of information amongst users and security agencies

I fell out with Patience Jonathan because I refused to share Rivers money with her" - Amaechi

Governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi says the major reason he and the first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan fell out was because he refused to share the state money with her.

Gov Amaechi said this yesterday October 24th at the graduation ceremony of the Pioneer graduands of
the Ignatus Ajuru University of Education held at Rumuolumeni in Rivers state. He said

"Remember, when I became governor, I fought militancy. Right there where you built a new house used to be a hole where they pass into the river nd escape. The security report
reached me and I came here and chased the militants away. I asked them to fence the school premises and block the hole. I have to protect you because it is my responsibility.

Some of the militants went to Lagos, Ivory Coast, Ghana etc. Today, they are back because the wife of the President bought them back to protest against me."

I refused to give them money in Abuja because if I do that, I won't be able to carry out any developmental projects or finish the road from Rumuolumeni to Rumuepirikom.

The quarel between me and the wife of the Preseident is because she said I should bring your money, Rivers peoples money and share with her"

Governor Amaechi alleges
Governor Amaechi is also quoted to have told the graduands that should they vote for President pJonathan back into power in next year's general elections, rivers state's economy would crumble

"Now that you are graduates, you are eligible voters that can use your voters card to change society. Ask yourself this question that I have always asked Rivers people. What have we (Rivers people) done to President Jonathan that he has refused to bring any project to Rivers state. We had to fight them before they
could do the East-West road. I had to abuse the federal government and they abused me back before they could do the work you now see on that road. Our President, from the South-South, has taken oil wells from Soku in Rivers state to Bayelsa state. What about the
41 oil wells in Etche that was given to Abia state? Is the President or his wife from Abia? Why do they want us to suffer? If President Jonathan comes back to power in 2015, Rivers
state economy will crash" he said

Source: LIB, AIT

Jonathan arrives in Jerusalem for pilgrimage

President Goodluck Jonathan arrived in
Jerusalem on Saturday for a two-day pilgrimage to Israel.

According to the president’s itinerary, he will observe the Sabbath Day on Saturday at the Wailing Wall, where he will pray privately before going to Mount Tabor and Mount Carmel.

Jonathan will also visit some other Christian holy sites during the pilgrimage.

12 babies born HIV-free from positive mothers in Awka

A total of 12 HIV negative babies have
been born to 12 HIV positive women attending antenatal health care at Saint Faith Hospital and Maternity, Awka, Anambra. Chisom Ezulike, Matron of the hospital, disclosed this to Journalists Alliance for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV in Nigeria
(JAPiN), Anambra state chapter, in Awka on Friday.

Ezulike said that the PMTCT programme in the hospital was being sponsored by the Family Health International.

“What we meant by enrol is not that we are not getting positive pregnant mothers, but to push them to start taking Antiretroviral drugs because
some of them even deny being positive.

“After testing and you are sure they are positive, they deny their status, so we have many of them, but those who agreed to come and access the
care are only 12,’’ she said.
- NAN

She said that the 100 per cent success was recorded by the hospital under its Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) programme.

According to her, out of the 12 HIV positive pregnant mothers that enrolled in the hospital under PMTCT programme, none of their babies
tested positive.

Ezulike, who attributed the success to voluntary acceptance of the mothers, appealed to other mothers to access the programme for the safety
of their babies.

She, however, said that out of the 621 pregnant women tested for HIV by the hospital, about 50 of them were positive.

The matron said that the PMTCT programme was activated in the hospital in April 2013, adding that
it had recorded 60 per cent response.

Abducted former NBA President freed

The immediate past President of the
Nigerian Bar Association [NBA], Okey Wali, who was abducted by unknown gunmen has regained his freedom, Premium Times reports.

Wali was said to have been released at about 11pm on Thursday, October 23 by his abductors after keeping him for about 12 days.

Baby Born In Ibadan Clutching Holy Qur’an

A baby boy has been born in
Oyo state clutching a pocket-size Qur’an and reported by the Nigerian Tribune .

This is not the first time news like this has been reported, but this has its own peculiarity because it’s happened right in Ibadan, the baby was given birth in a “church” Yes! you read that.

An Islamic scholar and renowned preacher, Amoo told the publication that the midwife, who delivered Jelilah of the baby found an object in the baby’s hand. She threw it away thinking it was one of those drugs, the mother applied, in an
attempt to terminate the baby.

The baby however, became restless, only for them to later find out the object was a pocket size Qur’an which contained all the 114 chapters in
the holy book.

Parent of the baby appears to be an atheist, but the later development is a sign to return to Allah, he said.

Boko Haram Releases Kidnapped Women, Girls

Members of the terrorists group, Boko Haram have reportedly released the over 50 women and girls that were recently kidnapped from Waga Mangoro and Madagali, villages between
Adamawa and Borno states.

Vanguard reports that this was made known in a telephone interview with villagers from their alleged hid-outs. The villagers, who said the exact number of the released captives, could not
be ascertained hinted that about 45 girls were still being held by the sect members.

Nigeria Supports Ebola-Ravaged Countries, Sends Experts

250 Nigerian experts are set to be deployed to the Ebola-ravaged countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone to help in building local capacity of the health workers in the fight against the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

President Goodluck Jonathan has already given approval for the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control to support the West African countries which have been hit by Ebola.

The Supervising Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan who disclosed this during a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja said there are already 506 Nigerian volunteers and the first set
of 250 experts will be deployed as soon as possible after having concluded all necessary logistics under the watch of World Health Organisation.

Nigeria 'ceasefire' with Boko Haram in doubt after fresh unrest

A deadly bombing in northern Nigeria and new details about kidnappings at the weekend blamed on Boko Haram cast further doubt Thursday on the government's claim that the
militants have agreed to a truce.
As reports emerged that extremists seized dozens more women and girls from the remote northeast
leaving a few dollars behind as a so-called 'bride price' fresh violence rocked the town of Azare in Bauchi state.

A police spokesman for the state, Mohammed Haruna, said a bomb blast at a bus station in Azare killed five people, with their bodies "burnt
beyond recognition," and injured 12 others.

No-one claimed responsibility, but Bauchi has been attacked repeatedly throughout Boko Haram's brutal five-year uprising, which has left
more than 10,000 people dead.
Also read: Doubts surrounding Boko Haram deal Azare resident Musa Babale said the explosion on Wednesday "shook buildings" and sent locals rushing for shelter.

"The whole place was a mess," he told AFP after visiting the site.
Several witnesses said they believed the bomb had been planted in a parked car, but police did not give details on the nature of the device.

Bus station bombings have become something of a hallmark for the insurgent group after twin
attacks at a terminal on the outskirts of the capital Abuja earlier this year killed nearly 100 people.

The station in Azare, a town roughly 200
kilometres (125 miles) from the state capital Bauchi city, is a widely used transit point for travellers coming from Nigeria's embattled northeast, which has been under a state of emergency since May last year.

$9' per hostage
Reports of fresh kidnappings by the extremists first emerged Saturday near the town of Chibok, where more than 200 schoolgirls were seized in
April in an attack that sparked outrage worldwide.

Details of unrest in the remote region with a poor telephone network often take days to emerge.
Residents of the town of Wagga told AFP
Thursday that 40 females were kidnapped by suspected Islamist gunmen who went door-to-
door, specifically looking for young women and girls.

"They left 1,500 naira ($9, seven euros) and some kola nuts in each home where they seized a woman, apparently as a bride price," said Lazarus
Baushe, an elder of the Wagga community.

Enoch Mark, a priest from Chibok who previously worked in Wagga and has close ties there, told AFP an estimated 40 people were taken, in an
account supported by several others.
Witnesses in the nearby town of Gwarta
separately reported a kidnapping at the weekend involving another 20 female victims, but details were not immediately clear.

Dubious ceasefire
Confirmation that the Bauchi bombing or the latest abductions were tied to Boko Haram would further undermine the government's claim to have negotiated a ceasefire with the extremist group.

The surprise truce was announced Friday by Nigeria's top military officer, Air Marshall Alex Badeh.

A senior aide to President Goodluck Jonathan said Boko Haram had agreed to release the 219 schoolgirls held hostage since they were abducted
on April 14 in Chibok.

But evidence is mounting that both pacts were hollow.
Violence raged throughout the weekend and the credibility of the so-called Boko Haram negotiator has been widely questioned.

There has been no comment so far from Boko Haram's purported leader Abubakar Shekau and hopes voiced by the presidency that the girls would be released by Tuesday came to nothing.

Nigerian negotiators were reportedly set tonresume talks with Boko Haram envoys in neighbouring Chad next week, but further questions will likely be asked about the identities of the purported rebel negotiators

Boko Haram, which wants to create an Islamic state in mainly Muslim northern Nigeria, is a fractured group with different commanders controlling rival cells in various regions.

Analysts doubt that the individuals in talks with Nigeria have the influence to enforce a blanket
ceasefire.
- AFP