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NCC set to combat e-fraud, standardise regional roaming tariffs

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Nasiru Yusuf

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other telecoms regulators under the auspices of West African Telecoms Regulators Assembly (WATRA) are set to develop technical and regulatory modalities aimed at combating rising wave of electronic frauds, and standardising regional roaming tariffs in the sub-region.

KANO FOCUS reports that this was the crux of a two-day meeting organised by WATRA in collaboration with the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), which started on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at Rockview Hotel in Abuja.

The meeting, which was attended by representatives of telecoms regulators from countries across West Africa, provided a platform for key participants and stakeholders to deliberate on building a unified market in telecommunications services in West Africa, to combat roaming and cyber-related frauds, and achieve the standardisation of roaming tariffs among ECOWAS member-states.

Addressing stakeholders at the meeting, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Umar Garba Danbatta, who is also the Chairman of WATRA, underscored the centrality of the meeting by emphasising that, as businesses move online, the fraudsters are also going digital.

Danbatta, who was represented by NCC’s Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Bako Wakil, said, based on this fact and in order to give West African citizens and businesses the confidence to fully take advantage of the enormous benefits of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), there was a need for regulators to tame and outpace the fraudsters.

“About 75 per cent of trade within ECOWAS is informal, and thus poorly recorded. Therefore, digitising this trade through employing many forms of electronic payments is a significant step towards formalising, governing and boosting intra-ECOWAS trade activities.

“Our ambitions are to formalise informal trade, including agricultural commodities as well as boosting intra-regional trade and this requires us to improve collaboration on combating electronic fraud,” Danbatta said.

Danbatta informed the delegates to the forum that electronic fraud is not just an African or a West African issue but a global phenomenon. He cited studies that revealed 54 per cent of consumers in the European Union said they are most likely to come across misleading/deceptive or fraudulent advertisements or offers on the Internet.

On the regional roaming service, the WATRA Chairman said the Assembly has the vision of a ‘Digital ECOWAS’ where improved sub-regional roaming regulation can help to facilitate an economic integration in the region.

“Our citizens, traders and companies will trade better when they can use their telephones to call contacts in other ECOWAS countries and when they can use their data subscriptions at no extra cost while travelling or doing business within the region. So, reducing and eventually eliminating the cost of roaming will also be a very significant contribution towards boosting trade within the region,” Danbatta said.

The EVC expressed satisfaction at the level of collaboration among national regulatory authorities in the sub-region on the one hand; and between WATRA and ECOWAS, to achieve a common goal, on the other hand, describing such synergy as a great indicator of progress and internalisation of best global practices.

“I am very pleased to see the excellent collaboration and the sharing of workload between the telecommunications body and personnel within ECOWAS and WATRA. Their roles have become complementary and mutually reinforcing-policies legislative frameworks that have been designed at the ECOWAS level, while WATRA does the follow-up work of information-sharing, dialogue and learning dispersal amongst regulatory authorities. It is indeed becoming a well-articulated symphony,” he added.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of WATRA, Aliyu Aboki, emphasised the value of a trusted digital economy to any nation. He cited a study by Accenture, which concludes that “a trusted digital economy would stimulate 2.8 per cent additional growth for major firms, with the new transactions generated totaling $5.2 trillion of value creation in the economy,” hence, the establishment and operationalisation of national and regional anti-fraud committee.

Aboki commended ECOWAS for “allowing this regional sharing of the enormous task of building Digital ECOWAS to work very well through WATRA, which is a regional manifestation of this collaborative structure”. The WATRA Chief restated that WATRA, as a mechanism for regional regulatory collaboration, will work in unison and ensure its vision is speedily executed by making sure that no nation in the region is left behind.

Speaking at the forum, the Acting Director, Digital Economy and Post, ECOWAS, Raphael Koffi, noted that while e-fraud in the provision of communication services has always been an issue being collectively tackled, variance in termination rates agreed in commercial roaming agreements has also constituted an obstacle to harmonization of roaming tariffs which, he said, collaboration between WATRA and ECOWAS is set to achieve.

Participants at the event were updated on the status of the implementation of the Removal of Surcharges on International Traffic (SIIT) on ECOWAS countries;  establishment of a uniform tariff cap for roaming call termination in the ECOWAS region, among others.

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EndBadGovernance protest: Kwankwaso slams police over arraignment of minors

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

Former Governor of Kano state, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has condemned the recent arraignment of 67 minors by the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja for allegedly participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest.

KANO FOCUS reports that Kwankwaso voiced out his concern in a statement shared on his X handle on Friday

Expressing shock at the development, the NNPP leader voiced grave concern over the treatment of the children.

Kwankwaso highlighted their malnourished condition and urgent need for medical care.

“These children, who are clearly malnourished and in need of medical attention, have been subjected to a cruel experience when they should be in school.

“The arraignment of such a large number of minors in their states is highly unusual and undermines every tenet of human rights and dignity,” he added.

He stressed that it is the government’s responsibility to protect vulnerable groups from harm.

He stated, “As leaders, it is our duty to protect the most vulnerable among us, particularly children, women, the elderly, and the needy. The
government should not be at the forefront of this violation.”

Speaking on the stringent bail conditions set for the minors, he said, “It is absurd that a teenager is required to find ₦10 million and a Grade 15 civil servant as bail surety.”

Citing the Child Rights Act of 2003, he noted, “Section 11 protects the dignity of every child and shields them from any physical, mental, or emotional injury, abuse, neglect, or maltreatment.”

Calling for immediate action, he urged authorities to reconsider the charges.

“I request that the relevant authorities immediately review these charges so that the minors can return to their families and become responsible citizens,” he urged.

He also called on the Federal Government “to address the challenges of banditry, kidnapping, Boko Haram, lack of stable electricity, and harsh economic policies rather than incarcerating children.”

Earlier, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, some minors arraigned over the #EndBadGovernance protest collapsed in the courtroom, many appearing visibly malnourished after three months of incarceration.

Following their arraignment, Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail to the #EndBadGovernance protesters, setting each bail at ₦10 million, totalling ₦760 million.

Each defendant is required to have two sureties. The judge specified that one surety must be a Level 15 civil servant, and the other must be the defendant’s parent.

The sureties are also required to submit letters of last promotion, letters of appointment, and valid identification to the court.

They must provide verified addresses, passport photographs, international passports, and swear an affidavit of means.

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Amnesty International demands release of detained #EndBadGovernance protesters

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

The human rights group Amnesty International has condemned the continued detention of 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters, who were arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja Friday.

KANO FOCUS reports that the Nigeria Police arrested over a thousand protesters nationwide in August, following protests held between the 1st and the 10th of August 2024, demanding an end to the hardships and hunger caused by the policies of the Tinubu administration.

Among the 76 protesters arraigned were some minors, who appeared visibly malnourished after spending months in detention. One of the minors collapsed in court before being provided with biscuits and water.

Amnesty International stated that the attempt to charge the minors with treason demonstrated “the government’s utter disregard for the rule of law,” while also calling for their immediate and unconditional release.

“Amnesty International condemns President Bola Tinubu’s government for the continued detention of minors who participated in the August #EndBadGovernance protests. The attempts to subject these minors to a sham trial over alleged ‘treason’ demonstrate the government’s utter disregard for the rule of law. Authorities must release them immediately and unconditionally,” they stated.

The group also highlighted cases of unlawful arrests involving 12 minors in Katsina during the protests, as well as 43 others facing charges of treason at the Federal High Court in Abuja. They warned that the Nigerian authorities were escalating their efforts to deprive people of their right to peaceful protest through unlawful detentions and sham trials.

It stated, “In Katsina, at least 12 children under 16 years old were detained merely for being on the streets during the #EndBadGovernance protests. These children, with their entire lives ahead of them, are now at risk of being tried on fabricated charges.

“The unlawful detention of these minors, subjecting them to traumatic experiences for exercising their right to peaceful protest, is unacceptable. The government must release all of them immediately and unconditionally.”

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Sunusi Bature Aims to Eradicate Sickle Cell Births in Kano by 2034

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Mukhtar Yahya Usman

In a determined push to eliminate sickle cell disease in Kano State, Malam Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, spokesperson for the Kano State Governor, has set an ambitious target: no child born with sickle cell by 2034.

Announcing this commitment during the foundation-laying of the Sadiq Maddibo Memorial Quranic Centre in Dawakin Tofa, Bature outlined the state’s focused approach to tackling the disease.

He revealed his collaboration with the sickle cell community to launch a comprehensive advocacy program aimed at eliminating sickle cell births across Kano.

“With careful planning and a unified strategy, we can make sickle cell births a thing of the past in Kano State, insha’Allah,” Bature said.

Central to this vision is the Kano Pre-Marital Law, which mandates genetic screening for couples, ensuring that marriages between carriers are avoided.

This law, supported by local religious leaders, aims to curb the genetic transmission of sickle cell disease.

Bature, who lost a son to sickle cell complications and has another child currently battling the condition, highlighted the devastating effects of the disease.

“Sickle cell is more dangerous than HIV,” he stated.

“It is our collective responsibility as citizens, advocates, and leaders to spread awareness and prevent high-risk marriages.”

Reflecting on his late son Sadiq’s lifelong struggle with sickle cell, marked by thousands of hospital visits and treatments, Bature stressed the critical role of pre-marital genetic testing in safeguarding future generations.

“This is a preventable tragedy,” he urged, calling on all residents to comply with the state’s mandatory testing to create a brighter, healthier future for Kano’s children.

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