The Nation Newspaper

Tag: combat

  • How to combat cybercrimes

    The world is going digital, with everyting becoming connected. Trends, such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) and others, are taking the centre stage. The risks of cyber breaches become intense. There are, however, measures to avert breaches, reports LUCAS AJANAKU.

    In the digital world, cybercrime is growing rapidly and cyber criminals always appear to be a step ahead. There are technologies that can help protect an organisation’s data against attack, but there is also the need to create awareness among workers for fail-safe solution, Information Commmunication Technology (ICT) Manager at Sebata Municipal Solutions Gerrit Deyzel, says.

    According to him, this is particularly true for the public sector.”Municipalities are entrusted with citizens’ personal information and, with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) due to come into force by the end of the year, the organisation needs to change the way it thinks about data security and data protection. There’s a need to educate staff members around the importance of ensuring that the data at their disposal is not exploited, or ‘hijacked’, but handled with the strictest confidentiality,” he was quoted to have said by iTWeb.

     Awareness campaign

    Deyzel says having the proper technology safeguards in place are a first step, but aren’t sufficient protection on their own. “Despite 2017 being marred by devastating global ransomware attacks, the security solutions that we’ve implemented for most clients have held fast. This is a testimony to the importance of educating staff about cyberattacks, and not just relying on technology, even if it does have state-of-the-art security, to defend the organisation.

    “Creating awareness among management, teams and staff members is primary, as is adopting a proactive mindset. They need to understand what cybercrime is; that they mustn’t open attachments; which e-mails are okay to open; what ransomware attacks are; and how they work. If the end-user is educated around cybercrime, you’ve won 70 per cent of the battle against it.”

    Awareness campaigns can take the form of workshops, mailers, posters in public spaces within the business. They need to be accompanied by regular security assessments to identify where breaches could occur.

    Deyzel says: “An organisation is often quick to blame its technology supplier if there’s a cyber-attack; they don’t realise it’s actually caused by user behaviour within the organisation.”

    Deyzel advises that various divisions get together and have discussions around ransomware and explain how it works and how to avoid it. He says: “Users need to know what to look out for in e-mails, such as spelling errors or slightly different e-mail addresses, or no signature at the bottom. These are just a few small things that can be used to identify a suspicious e-mail although this is just one of the attack methods used by cyber criminals.”

    Something that compounds the issue is people who work from home or who use USB sticks to copy items to and from their computers; they could just as easily be transferring a virus or other malware at the same time.

    Backup data

    Having a decent backup solution is extremely important, he continues. “Ransomware is becoming so advanced that it’s outpacing the patches being issued, so without a backup, there’s an excellent chance that you could lose all of your business data.”

    Cyber crime’s biggest risk and cost comes from the loss of business continuity. Ransomware is one of the most common forms of cyber-attack at the moment, and if an organisation’s data is being held ransom, service delivery will be impacted. Much of the time the organisation is required to pay a ransom to get its data back, but there are no guarantees this will happen. From a business continuity point of view, there’s no difference between the theft of company devices that contain data, or the organisation’s data being locked down by ransomware. It’s the same end result.

    Deyzel says: “The best line of defence is to have a backup solution that is able to get the organisation up and running again.”

    The backup solution must encrypt the data, a copy should be kept offsite and the backup must be kept separate from the original data, he says. It’s also important to regularly test backups. “You need to ask yourself, how quickly can you restore your data and how current is the data stored in your backup? POPIA is going to play a big role here, as the regulator won’t accept poor backup policies as an excuse for data loss.”

    Incident response plan

    The organisation needs to be able to respond to and report on security breaches swiftly and effectively. Again, POPIA has a role to play here, as it requires organisations to do this. “There are three steps that any organisation should follow in the event of a data breach.

    “Firstly, you need to be able to respond quickly and report equally quickly on what happened. Then you need to get your environment up and running as quickly as possible. Finally, you need to make sure that a breach like that won’t happen again,” Deyzel says.

    All of the above steps must be covered in the organisation’s incident response plan. He adds: “Once POPIA comes into force, there may be legal implications if you’re unable to report on how the breach happened.”

    Restricting access

    It’s also important to defend the organisation against deliberate, internal breaches by ensuring each person only has access to the data that is relevant to their role within the organisation. Data should be siloed and protected by passwords and other security measures to keep it secure. This is a topic that should also be raised in the awareness campaigns, says Deyzel.

    An organisation needs to carry out security assessments to determine what data its users need to access in order to perform their specific function in the business. The rest of the organisation’s data should be off limits. By limiting access to data and systems, you reduce the likelihood of your data being breached. You also need to ensure that people who leave the organisation have their access revoked.

    Less data, fewer problems

    Finally, the organisation must only use the quantity of data that’s required for a defined purpose and use an archiving solution to store old or unused data. This will result in the organisation having less data on the active system to backup and recover should a breach occur.

    POPIA says only the minimum amount of personal information should be collected or processed. If you aren’t using the data, store it somewhere and keep it safe.

  • How to combat cybercrimes

    The world is going digital with everyting becoming connected. Trends such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) and others are taking centre stage. As things get connected, the risk of cyber breaches becpme intense. There are however measures that could be put in place to avert breaches, reports LUCAS AJANAKU.

    In the digital world, cybercrime is growing rapidly and the cyber criminals always appear to be a step ahead. While there’s plenty of good technologies out there that can help protect the organisation’s data against attack, there is also need to create awareness among workers around cybercrime if you want to have a fail-safe solution, ICT Manager at Sebata Municipal Solutions Gerrit Deyzel, says.

    According to him, this is particularly true for the public sector. “Municipalities are entrusted with citizens’ personal information and, with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) due to come into force by the end of 2018, the organisation needs to change the way it thinks about data security and data protection. There’s a need to educate staff members around the importance of ensuring that the data at their disposal is not exploited, or ‘hijacked’, but handled with the strictest confidentiality,” he told iTWeb.

     Awareness campaign

    Deyzel says having the proper technology safeguards in place are a first step, but aren’t sufficient protection on their own. “Despite 2017 being marred by devastating global ransomware attacks, the security solutions that we’ve implemented for most clients have held fast. This is testimony to the importance of educating staff about cyberattacks, and not just relying on technology, even if it does have state-of-the-art security, to defend the organisation.

    “Creating awareness among management, teams and staff members is primary, as is adopting a proactive mindset. They need to understand what cybercrime is; that they mustn’t open attachments; which e-mails are okay to open; what ransomware attacks are; and how they work. If the end-user is educated around cybercrime, you’ve won 70 per cent of the battle against it.”

    According to iTWeb, awareness campaigns can take the form of workshops, mailers, posters in public spaces within the business. They need to be accompanied by regular security assessments to identify where breaches could occur.

    Deyzel says: “An organisation is often quick to blame its technology supplier if there’s a cyber-attack; they don’t realise it’s actually caused by user behaviour within the organisation.”

    Deyzel advises that various divisions get together and have discussions around ransomware and explain how it works and how to avoid it. He says: “Users need to know what to look out for in e-mails, such as spelling errors or slightly different e-mail addresses, or no signature at the bottom. These are just a few small things that can be used to identify a suspicious e-mail although this is just one of the attack methods used by cyber criminals.”

    Something that compounds the issue is people who work from home or who use USB sticks to copy items to and from their computers; they could just as easily be transferring a virus or other malware at the same time.

    Backup data

    Having a decent backup solution is extremely important, he continues. “Ransomware is becoming so advanced that it’s outpacing the patches being issued, so without a backup, there’s an excellent chance that you could lose all of your business data.”

    Cyber crime’s biggest risk and cost comes from the loss of business continuity. Ransomware is one of the most common forms of cyber-attack at the moment, and if an organisation’s data is being held ransom, service delivery will be impacted. Much of the time the organisation is required to pay a ransom to get its data back, but there are no guarantees this will happen. From a business continuity point of view, there’s no difference between the theft of company devices that contain data, or the organisation’s data being locked down by ransomware. It’s the same end result.

    Deyzel says: “The best line of defence is to have a backup solution that is able to get the organisation up and running again.”

    The backup solution must encrypt the data, a copy should be kept offsite and the backup must be kept separate from the original data, he says. It’s also important to regularly test backups. “You need to ask yourself, how quickly can you restore your data and how current is the data stored in your backup? POPIA is going to play a big role here, as the regulator won’t accept poor backup policies as an excuse for data loss.”

    Incident response plan

    The organisation needs to be able to respond to and report on security breaches swiftly and effectively. Again, POPIA has a role to play here, as it requires organisations to do this. “There are three steps that any organisation should follow in the event of a data breach.

    “Firstly, you need to be able to respond quickly and report equally quickly on what happened. Then you need to get your environment up and running as quickly as possible. Finally, you need to make sure that a breach like that won’t happen again,” Deyzel says.

    All of the above steps must be covered in the organisation’s incident response plan. He adds: “Once POPIA comes into force, there may be legal implications if you’re unable to report on how the breach happened.”

    Restricting access

    It’s also important to defend the organisation against deliberate, internal breaches by ensuring each person only has access to the data that is relevant to their role within the organisation. Data should be siloed and protected by passwords and other security measures to keep it secure. This is a topic that should also be raised in the awareness campaigns, says Deyzel.

    An organisation needs to carry out security assessments to determine what data its users need to access to perform their specific function in the business. The rest of the organisation’s data should be off limits. By limiting access to data and systems, you reduce the likelihood of your data being breached. You also need to ensure that people who leave the organisation have their access revoked.

    Less data, fewer problems

    Finally, the organisation must only use the quantity of data that’s required for a defined purpose and use an archiving solution to store old or unused data. This will result in the organisation having less data on the active system to backup and recover should a breach occur.

    POPIA says only the minimum amount of personal information should be collected or processed. If you aren’t using the data, store it somewhere and keep it safe.

  • Again, 9 Brigade wins Army combat competition

    For the second year running, the Nine Brigade of the Nigerian Army (NA) in Ikeja Cantonment has won the divisional combat proficiency competition.

    The Brigade beat three other units under the 81 Division in the four-day competition that featured obstacle crossing, map reading, night navigation, combat swimming, weapon stripping, assembling and shooting.

    Praising the winning unit, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Maj.-Gen. Peter Dauke said their performance showed that NA personnel were fit and combat-ready for security challenges.

    He noted that continuous training had prepared the personnel to perform their statutory responsibilities which include the defence of Nigeria’s territorial integrity and aiding the police in internal security.

    According to Dauke, training was the best thing anyone could give a soldier, adding that the personnel have acquired new skills from the interface with their colleagues.

    Also at the ceremony was the Commander, Nine Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Elias Attu.

  • Niger spends N39m to combat meningitis outbreak

    Niger Government says it has spent N39 million to combat the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in the state.

    The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Mustapha Jibril, told newsmen on Friday in Mina that the state recorded 33 deaths out of its 123 CSM cases.

    Jubril said that a total of 4,100 tablets of Ciprofloxacin were distributed to contacts of suspected cases in the affected areas, including health workers. According to the commissioner, represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr Muhammed Usman, 12 local government areas were affected by the epidemic. “Magama LGA had 70 cases and recorded 31 deaths; in Rijau, 17 cases were recorded with one death; Kontagora had a record of 19 cases with one death.

    “The remaining nine LGAs are Suleja with six cases; Agwara, two cases; Paikoro, one case; Mashegu one case; Tafa, one case; Mariga, one case; Lapai one; Beji, one; and Bosso Local Government, one case without any death.

    “Thirty-three lives were lost in three of the affected local governments,’’ the commissioner said. Jibril said that Outbreak Response Centres had been activated to help curtail the spread of the disease.

  • How to combat threats, by Alaafin

    Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Adeyemi has urged security operatives to brainstorm to ensure enhanced intelligence-gathering and management towards effective combat of emerging security threats.

    The monarch said this yesterday when the Assistant Commandant-General of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for Zone A, comprising Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo,  and Ekiti states, Abdul-Waheed Bamidele Popoola visited him.

    Alaafin said: “We should not allow western education destroy our native intelligence. There must be holistic synergies among our security agencies on intelligence gathering.

    “Obtained raw data or information must be evaluated to provide the best possible answers to questions initially asked. The processed information must be passed on to the authority, which should apply them purposefully to national ends.”

    Popoola said he was in the palace to appreciate the monarch’s contributions towards the Corps’ effective operations.

     

  • Council okays $40m to combat wildlife crime

    With the value of illegal wildlife trade estimated at between $10 billion and $23 billion per year, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council has approved an additional $40 million for the Global Wildlife Programme (GWP).

    This fund will further expand the GEF’s support in the fight against illegal wildlife trafficking to 19 countries in Africa and Asia.  The GWP is a global partnership established to address the growing poaching crisis and an international call to action. Wildlife crime is said to be the fourth most lucrative illegal business after narcotics, human trafficking and weapons.

    “Poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking are reaching unprecedented levels, robbing the livelihoods of local communities and eroding the global commons,” said Naoko Ishii, GEF CEO and Chairperson, explaining that the project is not only about stopping the slaughter of animals in the forests and savannas of Africa, but also aims at reducing the demand in Asia.

    Combating the illegal trade in wildlife is a high priority for the GEF. Last month, at the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, GEF joined other partners to support the launch of the Wild for Life campaign. This new UN-led campaign urges politicians, celebrities and business leaders to help bring global attention to the fight against the illegal wildlife trade.

    The GEF agencies contributing to the partnership include the Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Bank Group (WBG) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

    Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator, said “Wildlife poaching and the illicit trade of wildlife and forest products are abhorrent. This multi-billion dollar worldwide trade is a security issue, an environmental issue, and a development issue. It is pushing vulnerable and endangered species toward extinction. The illicit trade is also fuelling corruption and conflict, destroying lives, and deepening poverty and inequality. If not addressed decisively, illicit poaching and wildlife trade will have significant national economic impacts. UNDP is thus proud to be a key partner of the new Global Wildlife Programme, spearheaded and financed by the GEF, in partnership with other organisations, including the World Bank. At UNDP, through these joint efforts, we are committed to helping to stop the illegal trade.”

    For Nessim Ahmad, Deputy Director-General, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department at the Asian Development Bank, “Wildlife crime is a serious crime and threatens progress towards sustainable development. It destroys biodiversity, denies governments billions of dollars in revenue, prevents communities from obtaining sustainable livelihoods, and undermines law enforcement and national security.”

    Last June, the GEF approved 10 national projects in Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Mozambique, Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia. Now, with the additional $40 million to the council’s purse, nine additional countries – Afghanistan, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

    UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner said: “The victims of wildlife crime are not only the animals and ecosystems that are devastated by poaching and trafficking, they are people as well. The human cost of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife is measured in lives lost to the criminal networks involved and livelihoods destroyed by the erosion of a natural economic foundation. Ending the illegal trade in wildlife requires a concerted and cooperative effort between all sectors. These new projects will further these efforts and help bring us closer to ending wildlife crime once and for all.”

  • Combat skin infections with herbs, good nutrition 

    Combat skin infections with herbs, good nutrition 

    The human skin serves as the outer coverings for the body. It also shields the delicate internal organs. It is the largest organ of the body and it reflects what goes inside. Natural medicine practitioners therefore attach great importance to the health (state) of the skin.

    Among many other functions of the skin, it’s role as an organ of elimination is of interest to natural health care providers. Some individuals are of the opinion that the skin could be treated solely from the external and they end up buying and stockpiling soap, ointments and creams for their skin problems all to no avail.

    I am a Naturopath. Naturopathic medicine is a distinct primary health care profession, emphasising prevention, treatment, and optimal health through the use of therapeutic methods and substances that encourage individuals’ inherent self-healing process. In naturopathy, we look at various ways to promote skin health by supplying the skin with what it needs. Most importantly, we help it play its major role which is eliminating toxins as it should be. When conditions such as skin irritations, boils and rashes etc begin to manifest periodically and consistently too, a diligent practitioner would immediately commence detoxification programme for his clients.

    In nature cure, the three basic principles of maintaining or preserving health include Detoxification (the elimination of morbid matter); improve micro circulation; and balancing the body system. These three principles will enable the body dispose toxins that are hindering the body’s sound health. That allows the body to rejuvenate and heal itself without drugs.

    Skin diseases are many and varied, from fungal infection such as eczema and athletes foot to parasitic, bacterial and viral skin conditions, such as scabies, impetigo and mouth sores respectively.

    What most naturopaths do when confronted by serious skin conditions in their clients can be summarised as follow:

    •Exhaustive health evaluation

    •Colon cleansing protocols could immediately be undertaken. One is as healthy as his colon.

    •The patient is asked to consume a specific quantity of water daily depending on his age, weight, nature of his activity and (suspected) diseases. This ensures adequate body fluid for the elimination/flushing process.

    •Alteration of the client’s diet. His food will largely be composed of fruits and vegetables .This could last for few days or weeks, during which acid-forming foods must be avoided or drastically curtailed.

    •Blood purification herbs/foods such as Vernonia amygdalina (bitterleaf), Garcinia kola (Bitterkola), Fluerya aestuans (local stinging nettle), Gongronema latifolium (Utazi , Igbo) and Picralima nitida (Abere, Yoruba) may be administered.

    •In some non-open skin wound conditions, the use of Epsom salt for skin brushing and bathing would help in promoting peripheral blood circulation in the skin area and eliminate toxins trapped in the subcutaneous skin.

    •Antimicrobial herbs such as Garlic, tumeric, Aloe vera, cloves, Xylopia aethiopica (Uda, Igbo, Eru, Yoruba) and Alchornea cordifolia (Ipa In Yoruba) may be recommended.

    • Nutritional supplements, such as Vitamin A, C, B-complex, Pantothenic acid (B5), E and Omega 3 fatty acids are usually recommended as specific to individuals.

    •Only when the above conditions are fulfilled can we begin to think of topical applications of soap, ointments or creams. Remedies that are efficacious when the holistic treatment has been done on any skin problem include Coconut oil, Aloe vera gel and Shea butter.

  • US, Nigeria partner to combat bird flu

    US, Nigeria partner to combat bird flu

    In response to the bird flu (avian influenza) outbreak in Nigeria, the United States (US) Agency for International Development (USAID) supported a workshop for poultry industry officials.

    Over 160 participants from the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Health and the poultry sector participated in the training in Ibadan on how to control avian influenza.

    Last week, a similar workshop took place in Kano for northern-based authorities in the sector.

    Speaking during the opening session of the workshop, the U.S Consul General in Lagos, Jeffery J. Hawkins said: “The United States is bringing supplies and training as part of our contribution to fight bird flu; but we cannot do it alone.

    “The ability of Nigeria to quickly detect and respond to avian influenza will be enhanced by the partnerships, platforms, and knowledge built over the past decade.”

    In addition to the training, USAID/Nigeria will contribute personal protective equipment, surveillance gear and disinfectants to relevant authorities.

    Bird flu is a viral disease that largely infects birds but rarely infects man.  In 2007, there was one human case in Nigeria.  However, there are no known human cases in Nigeria so far in the current outbreak.  Globally, the majority of human cases of infection are associated with contact with infected live or dead poultry. Controlling the disease in poultry is the first step in decreasing risks to humans.

    Since 2006, the U.S government, through USAID, the U.S Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S Department of Agriculture, has contributed approximately $1,750,000 in response to the bird flu outbreak in Nigeria. USAID contributes $473 million a year to improve health and education, create jobs and improve public administration in Nigeria. USAID also has humanitarian programmes providing emergency response in Nigeria’s northeast.

  • How to combat airports security threats, by experts

    To strengthen security at airports, the Federal Government must provide the operational equipment, experts  have said.

    It is by so doing that safety of passengers, aircraft and installations can be guaranteed, they said.

    At a lecture organised by the Aviation Security Department of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Ikeja, Lagos, they said the required equipment include state-of-the-art screening facilities, scanners, operational vehicles, communication gadgets, and close circuit television (CCTv). These equipment, they said, would enable airports security personnel respond to civil aviation threats.

    The Director of Aviation Security, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN),  Wendel Ogunedo, said security personnel would continue to protect the airports from unauthorised persons.

    The security arm, he said, would perform optimally if the government could recruit at least 1,500 additional personnel to complement the existing ones.

    The step, he said, has become imperative in view of the expansion of more airport terminals which  require more personnel to man them .

    Securing the airports, Ogunedo said, has become more challenging in view of the latest threats to civil aviation.

    He said though the government was responding to the needs of aviation security personnel, a lot still needed to be done.

    Ogunedo specifically canvassed for the installation of CCTV cameras at airports, stressing that their deployment would reduce the burden of airports’ security personnel .

    He advised the government to provide security patrol vehicles at airports, arguing that it would assist aviation security personnel to monitor all land and airside areas of the airports .

    ”There are new threats to aviation and airport security at airports nationwide. Aviation security personnel in FAAN are ready to respond to such threats .

    “But their readiness is hampered by a lot of factors, which have posed   challenges for us. We need close circuit television cameras at all airports to monitor activities around the airports  both on the land and air side .

    “But at the Lagos Airport, there are not enough cameras to monitor the movement of passengers, airport workers and those moving around the airport. If there were enough cameras, it would go a long way to reduce the burden aviation security personnel  go through,” he said.

    He acknowledged the presence of some cameras on the airport road, but was uncertain about how functional they are.

    ”Another challenge the airport security personnel face is inadequate patrol vehicles for monitoring the land and airside areas,” he said, adding that, in 1999,  there were about 14 patrol vehicles at the Lagos Airport.

    He lamented that  only three vehicles are left, which he noted are not enough to carry out effective monitoring of the entire airport. “We think, this is a key area where the government has to intervene,” he stressed.

    There is also the problem of inadequate communication gadgets, such as walkie-talkie, which would enable aviation security personnel communicate across the lines around the airport.

    Ogunedo also canvassed the option of airport security personnel being allowed to carry fire arms at the airport. He said athough the National Assembly has  approved the decision, but it is yet to see the light of day due to the influence of those who do not believe in the capacity of security personnel to deliver.

    “It is for this reasons that we are calling on the Federal Government to recruit at least over 1,500 additional aviation security personnel to make up for the gap in personnel in that area.

    “We need more aviation security personnel, who will be adequately trained to cope with the rate of expansion of airport terminals nationwide,” he said.

    Head of Aviation Security, at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Ademola Oladele, who also spoke at the event, said security personnel at the airport could only tackle the new threats to civil aviation if they are adequately equipped with the right intelligence and technology.

    The regulatory body, he said, has designed new measures to tackle emerging security trends with new regulations, which require that passengers, airlines, crew members, service users and providers comply with the procedures at the airport.

    To achieve enhanced security at the airports, according to him, the NCAA expects all stakeholders to comply with the National Aviation Security Plan.  He said the new measure has already been subscribed to by all operators at the airports.

    Passengers and airlines, he said, are now expected to submit to full-body checks at the airport in response to the latest threats to civil aviation, adding that new conditions have been set at airports for the issuance of On-Duty cards as part of measures to control access into sensitive areas.

    He said all operations at the airport must comply with the standard operating procedures prescribed by global aviation bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO) and the domesticated aviation security plan.

    He said : ”As a result to new threats to civil aviation, all security procedures at airports have been overhauled. There is high level collaboration between the relevant agencies for timely sharing of security intelligence and information,” he said.

    Airlines, ground handling companies, aviation security companies have to be trained regularly to acqaint them with the latest trends and technologies in global aviation.

    He recalled that there was an agitation by FAAN security to carry arms, saying that NCAA was not opposed to that. “For us at the NCAA , it is purely an operational issue, which we do not dabble into. But, our concern is on issues bordering on arrest and prosecution of offenders, which we think should be the duty of the police and not aviation security.

    “We are looking forward to the office of the National Security Adviser to resolve this . But, we are convinced that with the right technology in place and operational facilities manned by highly trained aviation security personnel, there’s no threat to civil aviation that cannot be contained .”

    In his contribution, the Head of Aviation security and Chief  Security Officer of the Lagos International Airport, Col. Carl Onalo ( rtd ), said  government is committed to strengthening security at airports by stepping up efforts to improve safety and security .

    He urged all security agencies to collaborate in their bid to contain all threats to civil aviation at airports, stressing that there is need to reinforce the foundation of aviation security professionals in the fast changing industry.

    ”Today we are set to reinforce the foundation of aviation security. This is because the industry is fast changing. It is, therefore, important that  we step up our game, doing all things necessary to stay ahead of the enemy and ensuring the safety and security of the aircraft, passengers, aviation facilities and installations,” he said.

  • Customs deploys over 90 officers to combat smuggling at Yuletide

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ has deployed over 90 officers to comb most of the unapproved routes in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states as the Muslim Eid-l-Kabir festival is fast approaching, The Nation has learnt.

    Its Area Controller, Turaki Usman Adamu, it was gathered, took the step to reduce the smuggling of rice and other prohibited items during the yuletide.

    Adamu, it was learnt, had also directed that any vehicle intercepted by his officers would no longer be on detention list, but be forfeited to the Federal Government.

    Sources close to the command said the aim was to discourage the influx of vehicles, which may be used for smuggling before, during and after festivals.

    Officers of the zone, a source said, had been positioned in strategic locations to deal with smugglers who might attempt to bring into the country all prohibited items.

    Turaki is employing measures to make smuggling unattractive and un-lucrative for those engaged in the illegal business, it was learnt.

    Officers of the zone, findings revealed, had stepped up their anti- smuggling efforts to boost the nation’s revenue.

    The zone seized over 700 prohibited goods.

    The seizures, investigation revealed, included rice, frozen poultry products, vegetable oil, used tyres, fridges, spaghetti/noodles and other goods with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N936 million.

    FOU officers, it learnt, also apprehended more than 100 suspects.

    A senior official of the command, who craved anonymity, said the area controller had vowed to make the remaining days to the Eid-l-Kabir Festival tough for smugglers.

    “Over 90 officers and men of the zone have been directed go the extra mile in dealing with the smugglers in view of the fast approaching Muslim festival and the adverse effects of their illegal activities on the security and economy of the country.

    “The unit will continue to justify the confidenc which the Federal Government reposed on us. The remaining part of the year will witness a serious boost in our anti-smuggling crusade.

    “The area controller has assured compliant importers that they will always receive the support of the unit while those who specialized in illegal trade and smuggling will have bad stories to tell before, during and after the festival.

    “The Federal Operations Unit Zone ‘A’ Ikeja-Lagos is the hub and flagship Command of anti-smuggling in the Nigeria Customs Service. The Unit among other responsibilities is vested with the task of suppressing smuggling, facilitation of legitimate trade and monitoring compliance with the fiscal policies of the Federal Government in terms of trade.

    “Our areas of coverage remain the states in the Southwest namely: Lagos, Ogun, Oyo/Osun, Ondo and Ekiti. Some of these states have wide landscape in terms of geographical latitude and as such the task of policing them effectively requires resilience, commitment, dedication and strategic planning.

    “It is, therefore, in view of these critical roles that the unit continues to evolve action plans which were tailored towards ensuring that our effort in actualising our core mandate is not jeopardised by some unpatriotic elements in the country whose stock in trade is to circumvent the laws guiding import and export.

    “In realisation of the need to deal with such scenario, we have put appropriate operational measures in place to deal decisively with the antics of smugglers during the yuletide and beyond,” the official said.

    The Zone Public Relations Officer Uche Ejesieme confirmed that the Area Controller had directed all officers and men of the unit to be at alert as the Muslim festival draw near.

    “The truth is that our officers are combat ready to arrest anybody who may attempt to do illegal business in our ports or border stations.

    “Our officers are everywhere within the zone to suppress smuggling activities and deal with smugglers. From Lagos to Ekiti, our officers are there patrolling 24 hours to prevent smuggling of rice, tokunbo vehicle and other prohibited items through the porous borders.

    Although Ejesieme refused to disclose the number of their officers on patrol, he confirmed that his boss has deployed his officers to man all routes.