Three West African countries Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon are ranked among the top countries in the world where cyber-crime is most prevalent according to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) of Nigeria, Mrs. Farida Waziri. The world loses $557 million annually to cyber-crime, report by Adetayo Adelaja and Shamsydeen Badmus.

Nigeria, by far, leads the African group with eight per cent rate of the crime, followed by Ghana and Cameroun with 0.7 and 0.6 per cent, respectively, Ghana’s Daily Graphic reported.

The United States tops the world with 65 per cent, followed by the United Kingdom, 9.9 per cent, and Nigeria’s eight per cent.
Others are Canada, 2.2 per cent; Malaysia, seven per cent; Ghana 0.7 per cent; South Africa, 0.7 per cent; Spain, 0.7 per cent, and Cameroon, 0.6 per cent.
“Although we contribute an insignificant portion to cyber-crime, that is unjustifiable because any level of criminality cannot be accepted,” the EFCC Chairman stated.
Mrs Waziri was speaking at the opening ceremony of the first West African Cyber Crime Summit (WACCS) which is currently going on in Abuja, Nigeria.
More than 300 delegates, mainly law enforcement personnel, from 10 West African countries are attending the three-day workshop which is on the theme, “The Fight against Cyber Crime: Towards Innovative and Sustainable Economic Development.”
The objectives of WACCS are to position the fight against cyber-crime as a national priority to help the economic development of the region, provide a platform to develop capacity building with scalable and sustainable solutions and strengthen trust by developing partnerships among various stakeholders at the national and international level.

The summit is also expected to showcase best practices and case studies of partner organizations in combating cyber-crime.

The event is being hosted by the EFCC, in collaboration with Microsoft, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with the participation of the Council of Europe, the International Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA).

Mrs. Waziri pointed out that the $557 million was the recorded figure from reported cases, adding that the figure could run into billions of dollars if most victims reported cyber-crimes.

She explained that most victims shied away from reporting their losses to the authorities for fear of being branded greedy, gullible or stupid.

She said the goal of West African governments should be to ensure that their countries dropped out of the top 10.

She also hinted that there was a gradual movement of cyber criminals from Nigeria to neighboring West African States.

Mrs. Waziri, therefore, urged political leadership across West Africa to adopt common measures and strategies for combating cyber-crime, which was gradually creeping into other West African countries.

The Vice-President of Nigeria, Dr Mohammed Namadi Sambo, in a speech read on his behalf, stated that as a follow-up to the summit, the Nigerian government would collaborate with stakeholders in the sub-region with a view to anticipating and pro-actively outlining policy initiatives to fight cyber-crime.

For his part, the General Manager of Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mr Emmanuel Onyeje, urged banks, schools, health care institutions, among others, to find innovative ways of fighting cyber-crime, since it affected people from all walks of life.

Representatives from the UNODC, the Ministry of Justice, the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-corruption, ECOWAS, among others, pledged their readiness to help fight cyber-crime.

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Adetayo Adelaja

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that nearly 8,000 Ethiopians of Jewish descent will be allowed to move to the country within the next four years. The Israeli cabinet had approved the scheme for members of the Falash Mura community at its weekly meeting. The Falash Mura is Ethiopia’s last remaining Jewish community, but its members are not eligible to emigrate under Israel’s Law of Return as their ancestors were forced to convert to Christianity in the 19th century. Many Falash Mura live in poor conditions in transitions camps in northern Ethiopia, according sources Mr Netanyahu said they would start arriving in Israel in 2011.

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Tayo Adelaja

Liberia welcomed the decision on Thursday, September 16, by the Paris Club of government creditors to cancel the West African country’s 1.26 billion US dollar debt. The figure represents the club’s share of a loan from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for a poverty reduction programme in Liberia. The Paris Club is made up of creditor governments from 19 countries. It also vowed to cancel a further 107 million US dollars of Liberian debt thanks to bilateral commitments made by its creditors. Liberal’s total public external debt amounted to 4.4 billion US dollars in June 2007, according to the club.

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Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwean President

Zimbabwean Diamonds on Sale

By Tayo Adelaja

The first public sale of diamonds from Zimbabwe’s controversial Marange fields was held on Wednesday at Harare airport. The body that regulates the global diamond trade, the Kimberley Process, said that approximately 900,000 carats of rough diamonds were valued at around 72 million US dollars during the auction. Zimbabwe lost its license to sell diamonds last November over alleged human rights abuses committed by army troops that run the Marange fields, but in July the Kimberley Process allowed it to resume limited exports.  Our source in Harare disclosed that members of Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Zanu-PF parties have been rowing over how the revenue from the auction should be used.

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Ugandan Parliamentarian Accuses Army of Killing Civilians

By Tayo Adelaja

A Ugandan member of parliament has accused government troops of torturing and killing civilians during a disarmament campaign in the north-eastern Karamoja region. Francis Adamson Kiyonga, who is also a human rights campaigner, told journalists on Monday that at least 15 people have been killed since April, most of them shot. Kiyonga told reporters that the special forces unit in the area is commanded by President Yoweri Museveni’s son, Keinerugaba Muhoozi. Karamoja is the most underdeveloped and volatile region in the country, according to the sources. Kiyonga claimed soldiers tortured civilians to force confessions regarding the possession of guns. Military spokesman Felix Kulaigye denied that there were systematic abuses by the army in the region, but conceded that three soldiers were under detention for misconduct in Karamoja.

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By Tayo Adelaja

A report released today claims sub-Saharan nations in Africa and conflict-ridden countries such as Afghanistan are most at risk from food shortages. Recent natural disasters, including heatwaves in Russia and devastating floods in Pakistan which have destroyed crops, have caused a spike in commodity prices. The report suggests such sharp price rises will affect the world’s poorest countries most, such as those in sub-Saharan Africa. Long-term factors that have a serious effect on food shortages include failing transport networks, conflict and climate change, according to the report. The food security index, carried out by risk management consultancy Maplecroft, assessed 163 countries. Afghanistan tops the list followed by Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Eritrea, Sudan and Ethiopia. African nations make up 36 of the 50 top countries.

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By Tayo Adelaja

Zanzibar’s Electoral Commission announced on Sunday that 66.4 per cent of voters in the semi-autonomous territory support the formation of a unity government with mainland Tanzania. The results of Saturday’s referendum will see a coalition government formed after the October 31 election. An amended constitution will form two vice-president positions to be split between the two runner-up parties. The winning party will get the presidency post. Although part of the United Republic of Tanzania, Zanzibar has had its own president, constitution, flag and national anthem since declaring independence in 1964. The move to form a unity government was supported by both the ruling CCM and the opposition CUF parties to avoid electoral violence that killed dozens of people in Zanzibar in previous polls.

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Tayo Adelaja/Lagos

New and existing customers on Etisalat network are set to enjoy enhanced service as the innovative telecommunications company is now live on the submarine fibre optic cable system provided by Main One. Etisalat is the first telecommunications company to switch on its network on the strength of the cutting-edge technology recently launched in the country.

According to Steven Evans, Etisalat Chief Executive Officer (CEO), “with the latest technology, customers on Etisalat network will have the benefit of increased broadband and enhanced data services.” He added that Main One’s submarine fibre optic cable will enhance Etisalat’s broadband capacity thus leading to improved data services to the benefit of customers. The subscription to the new technology, according to Mr. Evans,  is a demonstration of Etisalat’s commitment to delivery of superior service, which the company is known for globally. Mr. Evans maintained that customers remain the core of their business hence they are always keen to deploy the best technology available for their advantage.

L-R : fola deola , Babatunde Raji Fashola , Bashir Gwandu, Onari Duke , liyel imoke , funke opeke, Former Governor of Cross River State, donald duke

L-R : bashir gwandu . Funke opeke , raji fashola , fola adeola ( @the main one product launch event demo )

Etisalat has been consistent in raising the stake in quality service delivery since the launch of its commercial operations in the country in October 2008. Though a late entrant into the dynamic Nigerian telecommunications market, Etisalat has scored many firsts in its less than two years of operations. The deal with Main One is another first for Etisalat Nigeria.

Main One is wholly African-owned with a vision to expand the much needed capacity on the African continent and reduce costs of broadband communications across the Continent. With landing stations in Nigeria and Ghana and branching units in Morocco, Canary Islands, Senegal and Ivory Coast, the cable will deliver unprecedented broadband capacity to West Africa, more than ten times what is currently available. With its cable system now turned on, Main One is poised to champion communication revolution in Africa impacting businesses, governments and individuals by providing higher bandwidth and exceptional speeds at a lower cost.

Mrs. Opeke exchanging greetings with Gov Imoke of Cross River State

About Etisalat

Etisalat is the largest provider of telecommunications services in Africa, Middle East and Asia serving an ever increasing subscriber base of 100 million people. The innovative GSM provider currently has unique products such as Easy Starter, Easy Cliq, Elite World and Easy Net in the Nigerian market. All offer a wide array of creative and exciting features designed to satisfy all communications needs of its subscribers. It recently re-launched the flagship product, Easy Starter and repackaged with new features such as “You & Me” and Bonus on Incoming Calls.

ENQUIRIES

Main One Cable Company: 3B, Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

Tel: +234-1-2801340 Fax: +234-1-2801349 E-mail: info@mainonecable.com

URL: www.mainonecable.com

Jumoke Akande: +234 1 4489500

Bernard Logan: +44 1245 256 376

ABOUT MAIN ONE

Main One Cable Company Limited („Main One‟) is the first submarine cable company offering open access, wholesale broadband capacity in West Africa. This vision has been realized in a 1.92 Tbps and 7000km submarine cable system placed in service in July2010 with initial landing stations in Nigeria, Ghana and Portugal – connecting West Africa to the rest of the world via Portugal and the United Kingdom.

The services are backed by a strong management and technical team to ensure system reliability and constant availability backed by Service Level Agreements. The network is monitored 24 x 7 x 365 – every hour, every day, all year round to guarantee minimum down time in service availability.

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By Tayo Adelaja

An international human rights group said on Wednesday that widespread sexual violence in Kenyan slums prevents women from using communal toilets, putting them at risk of deadly diseases. A new report by Amnesty International (AI) claims that the constant threat of sexual violence and a lack of police presence in slums leave women and girls in Nairobi too scared to leave their houses at night time. They are forced to use plastic bags to dispose of human waste. Known as “flying toilets”, the bags are thrown on pathways, increasing the risk communicable diseases such as cholera and dysentery, according to the report. AI called on the Kenyan government to improve security and enforce obligations to construct toilets and bathrooms in slums.

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By Tayo Adelaja

Members of Ivory Coast’s parliament loyal to President Laurent Gbagbo have proposed an investigation into corruption in the country’s cocoa export sector and the involvement of government officials and rebel groups in diamond smuggling. News agency Reuters reported on Wednesday that the president of the parliament’s commission for graft cases, Kobenen Adjoumani, also vowed to look into alleged embezzlement of public funds by Interior Minister Desire Tagro. A separate inquiry is already being carried out into other corruption claims against Tagro. Ivory Coast is the world’s top cocoa grower and supplies around 40 per cent of the global market. Diamond exports have reportedly flourished in the country, especially in areas dominated by rebel groups.

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