The Federal High Court siting in Abuja has refused to grant bail to the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. The court, however, ordered accelerated hearing of the case involved in the embattled IPOB leader over his terrorism-related charges. Kanu, who was brought to the court on Tuesday, has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his arrest in June 2021.

  Russian President, Vladimir Putin, says a direct conflict between Russia and NATO would mean that the planet is one step away from World War Three, according to Reuters. The comments came as Putin claimed a landslide victory in Russia’s presidential election with 87.8 per cent of the votes. The US, Germany, the UK, and other nations have said the election was neither free nor fair due to the imprisonment of political opponents and censorship. During his post-election briefing, Putin said, “It is clear to everyone that this will be one step away from a full-scale World War Three. I think hardly anyone is interested in this.” French President Emmanuel Macron previously stated that he could not rule out the possibility of deploying ground troops in Ukraine. Responding to questions about Macron’s statements and the risks and possibility of conflict between Russia and NATO, Putin said, “Everything is possible in the modern world.” Putin added that NATO servicemen were already in Ukraine. Earlier, Putin stated that Russia was technically ready for nuclear war. He said if the United States sent troops to Ukraine, it would be seen as a significant escalation of the conflict. In response, French President Macron stated that Putin should not make threats when his country possesses nuclear weapons. According to the French president, he has not spoken with Putin for several months. Such dialogue was held “when necessary.” In the United States, in response to Putin’s statements, it was noted that they do not see any plans by Russia to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine.

  The House of Representatives have ordered for an investigation into the abandonment of the Orlu-Mgbe-Umuchima- Akokwa road, barely one year after Former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit (RITC) to help Imo State Government and Oil companies operating in the State to Execute the Road which after flagoff have been abandoned by the Imo State Government leading to destruction and death in Umuchima Mgbe axis of the road. The House of Representatives resolved today that the Committee on Public Petition will be probing into the role of Oil Companies and the Imo State government in the abandoned road project which have made living in Ideato difficult. This followed a petition from Ideato Elders and Leaders of Thought which was presented today on the floor of the House of Representatives by the Member Representing Ideato North and South Federal Constituency, Imo State Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu unbehalf of the Forum demanding for an inquiry into why work on the road never commenced and the project abandoned altogether. It should be noted that in October 2017, former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the RITC scheme which was designed to secure private sector involvement in the provision of road infrastructure across Nigeria. According to the petition, among the more than 44 roads that were contemplated within the scheme for repairs and reconstruction, is the 22km Orlu-Mgbe-Akokwa federal road that runs through Ideato North and Ideato South Federal Constituency. The petition further noted that under the scheme, the Imo State government and oil companies entered into a partnership agreement for the repair and rehabilitation of the said road in exchange for billions of tax money the Federal govt waived for them. The community leaders regretted that after a year of the flag-off of the project, there have no work carried out on the road so far and the people of Ideato are suffering a total cut-off from other parts of the state and country as a result of the poor state of the road. The situation has further led to the enlargement of the rampaging erosion in the area resulting in the washing away of homes, landed properties and forcing locals to flee their homes for fear of their lives. Following the submission of the petition, the House has resolved to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged abandonment of the road inspite of the approval of the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit by the former President and ensure recovery of any tax revenue that must have been withheld over the road which was never constructed.

  A circular issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to its verification service agents has exposed the private data of over 100 million to unlicensed entities and profiteers, TheCable can report. The whistle was first blown in a report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) which said XpressVerify, an unregistered verification agent, had unrestricted access to the national identification numbers (NINs) and personal details of every Nigerian registered in the nation’s identity database managed by NIMC. XpressVerify monetises access to NINs and the personal information of Nigerians on the database. But in her reaction, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the director-general and CEO of NIMC, said the commission only offers NIN verification and other services through licensed partners. She ordered a comprehensive investigation “to find out if any of the Commission’s Tokenisation verification agents has in any way breached the licensing agreement either directly or through any of their sub-licensees”. However, her response was a smokescreen, according to insiders at the commission. TheCable can report that a recent directive by the NIMC reinstating the NIN verification service (NVS) opened the door to unlicensed and unauthorised parties to gain unfettered access to the database of all Nigerians captured on NIN. There are suggestions that the profiteering entities have links to some NIMC staff members. THE GENESIS In 2012, the NIMC developed the NVS to grant verification agents access to the information stored on the database as may be demanded by Nigerians. But following an audit by the World Bank in 2017, it was discovered that there were several vulnerabilities in the NVS and there was a need for stricter audit controls, transparency and protection of personal information. It was discovered that a licensed agent could create its own application programming interface (API) calls and provide services to “sub agent” — unknown to NIMC. The sub agent could use the API by the licensed agent to pull information from the NVS — also unknown to NIMC which would only see its licensed agent’s credentials making the request, whereas the data would end up elsewhere. Licensed agents charged the sub agents for the service without remitting proceeds to NIMC under the pretext that the business was not viable — but at the same time asking clients to pay between N50 and N500 and claiming the money was meant for the NIMC. The sub agent, realising how lucrative the business is, would also create its own API and grant access to a “sub sub agent”. It is now thought that XpressVerify is a “sub sub agent”. As a result of these vulnerabilities, the NVS was shut down by NIMC in 2017. THE REVERSAL In 2023, President Bola Tinubu appointed Coker-Odusote as the new DG of the NIMC, following which some officials of the commission persuaded her to reopen the old, vulnerable NVS. She was allegedly told that it only required “a more robust hardware upgrade” but that all was well with the service. On February 26, 2024, Carolyn Folami, a director and head, business development and commercial services, issued a circular to its verification service agents to restore the NVS. “Kindly be informed that the NIMC, in a renewed commitment towards enlarging the use of the NIN for verification services across all industry, has reopened the NVS for your organizations’ use for verification services,” she wrote, in a document seen by TheCable. “Also note that NIMC is working on an upgrade and further improvements on the NIN Pseudonymization verification services as well, which will be duly communicated. “Please contact the Business Development and Commercial Services department of the NIMC for renewed credentials and further support services. In addition, do provide the contact email and phone number of your organization’s team lead for the exercise. “The foregoing is for your information and necessary action.” An official of the commission who declined to be named for fear of victimisation said this was the root cause of the data breach. “That memo and the directive contained in it effectively reversed all the security measures put in place in creating the NVS. It is like opening the bank vault for the public to have a free run on the cash,” the official said. “With the roll-back to the NVS, it means anyone who has a verification licence and a NIN can query data with or without consent. “All the reports listed about data vulnerabilities are a cover-up. It will be wise to conclude that the current CEO has no clue what she’s doing as she’s listening to folks only interested in their pockets. “Otherwise, such a memo would never have been issued. Bottom line is NIMC does not permit any raw NIN verification. The tokenisation is user consent management. Without the ID holder providing their explicit consent, you can’t get the data. And you have to ask first and be given a virtual NIN (vNIN) which is the consent token. “I can assure you that there are very minimal controls in place. The staff at the NIMC are the developers of the NVS solution and some created a few backdoors for themselves as there is no visibility beyond what they wish for anyone to see.” BUT THERE’S A QUICK FIX… TheCable was told that there is a quick fix if the government is ready to act to protect the private data of Nigerians, which is a legal right and not a privilege. The first action, it is suggested, is the immediate shutdown of the NVS. “Thereafter, all licensed agents should be made to sign a declaration of conformity: that they have purged all their databases of any and all personal information of NIN holders and BVN holders); that they will implement very strong data privacy initiatives, which will include but not be limited to the implementation of transparent data encryption at rest and in transit; that they will subject themselves to random external audits of their systems and agree to pay a fine where they may have been found to be in breach of the Nigerian Data

  The Rivers State Police Command said its men have arrested a notorious cultist allegedly involved in a series of killings and armed robbery within the Diobu axis of Port Harcourt and other parts of the state. The police said the cultist identified as Samuel Nwokoma, aged 25, with his gang, was behind the killing of two youths in the Diobu axis of Mile 1 in Port Harcourt during attacks between March 14 and 17, 2024. The spokesperson for the command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. Iringe-Koko said the gang shot dead one Ede Sunday, 32 at Nanka Street by Lomumba, Dioubu, Port Harcourt on March 14 and also shot 28-year-old George Johnson, in the chest at Ojoto Street by Emenike, Mile 1 in Port Harcourt two days after. I Pay My Fees, Send Money Home From Tricycle Driving – Female University Student | Punch0.00 / 0.00 AK-47 and other ammunition recovered from cult hideout in Rivers AK-47 and other ammunition recovered from cult hideout in Rivers She said the notorious cultist was apprehended, following credible intelligence by operatives of the C4i Strike Force of the command, in conjunction with a local vigilante, leading to a raid on the camp of the ‘Blood Star’ cult gang and the recovery of a cache of arms and ammunition. The statement read, “On the 17th of March, 2024, at approximately 0700hrs, based on credible intelligence, Operatives of the C4i Strike Force, in conjunction with the Diobu Vigilante, apprehended one Samuel Nwokoma, a 25-year-old male and a member of the notorious Blood Star Cult group. Explosive devices recovered from cult camp in Rivers Explosive devices recovered from cult camp in Rivers “Nwokoma has been identified as being involved in a series of cult-related killings within the Diobu axis of Port Harcourt. During the subsequent interrogation, Samuel Nwokoma confessed to his involvement in two specific incidents. “On the 14th of March, 2024, at approximately 2030hrs, he and his gang attacked and fatally shot Ede Sunday, a 32-year-old male, at Nanka Street by Lomumba, Dioubu, Port Harcourt. “On the 16th of March, 2024, at approximately 2035hrs, they also shot George Johnson, a 28-year-old male, in the chest at Ojoto Street by Emenike, Diobu, Port Harcourt. “Despite receiving immediate medical attention at New Mile One Clinic Diobu, George Johnson tragically succumbed to his injuries.” The statement added, “In a significant breakthrough, Samuel Nwokoma led police operatives to the gang’s hideout at Ogwu Waterside in Diobu, Port Harcourt. “However, upon the arrival of the police, the remaining gang members fled the scene and attempted to evade arrest by jumping into the river. Intensive efforts are underway to apprehend and bring the fleeing suspects to justice. “The search conducted at the hideout yielded substantial evidence in the form of recovered arms and ammunition. “The recovered items include three AK-47 rifles, one assault rifle, six AK-47 magazines, one Beretta pistol, 274 rounds of 7.6mm live ammunition, 105 rounds of 6.55 live ammunition, nine rounds of .9mm ammunition, seven packets of Improvised Explosive Devices, one long detonating wire, and various types of charms. “The recovery of these dangerous weapons and explosives is of utmost importance, as it not only neutralises an immediate threat to public safety but also highlights the commitment of the Rivers State Police Command in combating violent crimes within our communities. “We assure the public that all necessary measures will be taken to ensure the apprehension of all individuals involved in these criminal activities.”

  Tuesday 19 March 2024 Soldiers’ killing: Army, Delta community differ over reprisal as troops arrest 20 PH refinery: Marketers eye fuel price reduction, ready to load Tension in Ogun as transport unions clash over ticket sales Withheld salaries: SSANU, NASU strike grounds varsities Troops Rescue 16 Abductees In Kajuru, Kaduna Voice, Data Services Restored After Undersea Cable Cuts – NCC Politics Is Over, Support Tinubu, Governor Sule Appeals To Obi ‘I’m With You,’ Tinubu Presents APC Flag To Edo Gov Candidate Okpebholo Delta Motorcyclists Protest Colleagues’ Alleged Killing By Task Force Again, Gunmen Abduct 87 In Kajuru Village, As CDS Arrives Kaduna Tinubu Appoints New Almajiri Education Commission Leadership Team Tragic Fire Incident Kills Two Young Girls In Bauchi Call Off Warning Strike, FG Appeals To SSANU/NASU Nigeria doomed without new constitution — Anyaoku, Adebanjo, Nwachukwu, Attah, Sanwo-Olu Money laundering: Court orders Binance to disclose names of users to EFCC Edo 2024: Ogie emerges as Ighodalo’s running mate 5 to die by hanging for murder of Rivers vigilante leader National Convention: Labour Party Blasts Reps Caucus, Threatens Sanction Kidnapped Bauchi Traditional Ruler Found Dead Aregbesola: Nigeria Can’t Survive Presidential System FirstNews editor’s where abouts unknown Soldiers’ murder: Tension spreads to Bayelsa Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  THE Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, said the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs, obtained a credit facility totalling N273.34 billion to purchase 414,000 meters for distribution. In its report obtained by Vanguard, covering a detailed assessment of the N10.3 trillion developmental finance between 2015 and 2022, CBN, disclosed that the meters purchased included maximum demand meters, Smart meters, and Single-Phase meters. The loan, disbursed under the Nigerian Electricity Market Stabilization Facility intervention project aimed at increasing electricity capacity from 3,400 megawatts, MW to approximately 4,900MW. According to the breakdown, the Ikeja Disco received N40.74 billion from the intervention programme while the Eko Disco received N34.85 billion. Also, Abuja Distribution Company got N34.69 billion, Ibadan Disco borrowed N27.73 billion, Enugu DISCO borrowed N27.84 billion, while Kaduna Disco borrowed N24.36 billion. The report also highlighted key issues identified in the program, including an inefficient market characterized by market liquidity challenges, foreign exchange scarcity, and inadequate electricity distribution infrastructure.

  The village head of Riruwai in Lame District of Bauchi Emirate in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Alhaji Garba Badamasi, has been murdered. Daily Trust gathered that the village head was earlier kidnapped by gunmen who invaded his domain on Friday, 15th March, 2024. A source who did not want to be named said the gunmen went straight into the palace of the deceased from where they abducted him. The deceased was said to have spent one day in captivity before he was murdered and his corpse dumped around the village. The body was later recovered by those who had embarked on search and rescue mission.. His corpse was brought to the palace on Sunday, where funeral prayers and subsequent burial held. One of the traditional title holders of the village confirmed the development to our correspondent. All efforts made to get the confirmation from the State Police Command proved abortive as the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ahmed Wakili, neither picked up the phone nor respond to the text and WhatsApp messages sent to his mobile line at press time.