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Judiciary key to protecting Nigeria’s digital economy, NCC Says
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that the judiciary plays a critical role in protecting Nigeria’s digital economy, telecommunications infrastructure, and online ecosystem from growing cyber and security threats.
KANO FOCUS The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, stated this on Thursday at the 2026 Workshop for Judges on Legal Issues in Telecommunications held in Lagos.
Maida, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Ms. Rimini Makama, said Nigeria’s increasing dependence on digital connectivity underscored the need for stronger legal and institutional protection of the telecommunications sector.
According to him, Nigerians consumed more than 1.42 million terabytes of data in March 2026, compared to 995,000 terabytes recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.
He noted that the development reflected the country’s growing reliance on digital platforms and online services, driven by increased digital payments, e-commerce activities, startups, and technology-driven literacy programmes.
Maida added that daily data usage had risen to approximately 15 million hours of high-definition video streaming, up from 10.7 million hours recorded a year earlier.
He further disclosed that broadband penetration increased from 47.7 per cent in 2025 to 54.3 per cent in 2026, expanding access to faster and more reliable internet services across the country.
The NCC boss also revealed that telecommunications operators invested more than one billion dollars in network expansion projects in 2025, adding thousands of new telecommunications sites to improve coverage, service quality, and digital access, especially in underserved communities.
Despite the progress, Maida warned that vandalism, fibre cuts, theft, and sabotage continued to threaten telecommunications infrastructure, thereby endangering service reliability, national security, and public confidence in the digital economy.
He recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had designated telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure, stressing that such assets require stronger protection from government institutions, security agencies, operators, and citizens because of their strategic national importance.
According to him, the NCC is collaborating with security agencies and telecommunications operators through a nationwide initiative involving asset mapping, advocacy, mediation, and enforcement to safeguard critical infrastructure.
He said the commission’s partnership with the Office of the National Security Adviser had already disrupted criminal syndicates involved in the theft, vandalism, and illegal resale of telecommunications infrastructure and network equipment across the country.
Maida also disclosed that the NCC had introduced the Telecommunications Identity Risk Management System to tackle SIM-related fraud, cybercrime, identity theft, and financial scams associated with telecommunications services.
He added that the commission had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Central Bank of Nigeria to address electronic fraud and telecom-related financial crimes affecting consumers and financial institutions.
The NCC, he said, would further strengthen collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the National Identity Management Commission, and other relevant agencies to combat cybercrime and protect legitimate telecom subscribers and digital consumers nationwide.
He identified misinformation, hate speech, child exploitation, data privacy breaches, and cybersecurity threats as major concerns associated with increasing internet penetration and the widespread adoption of digital communication platforms.
Maida said the commission had reviewed the Internet Code of Practice to promote responsible internet governance while balancing innovation, investment opportunities, and the protection of vulnerable citizens from online harms.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the NCC Governing Board, Idris Olorunnimbe, said digital technologies had transformed governance, commerce, security systems, and social interactions globally.
Olorunnimbe noted that issues relating to cybersecurity, online harms, infrastructure protection, artificial intelligence, and consumer rights required stronger institutional collaboration and improved judicial understanding of Nigeria’s evolving digital and telecommunications regulatory environment.
He expressed confidence that the workshop would enhance the capacity of judges to effectively adjudicate telecommunications-related disputes while supporting innovation, protecting citizens, and safeguarding Nigeria’s critical digital infrastructure and broader digital economy.
Ibrahim Khalil
The Kano State Police Command has arrested eight suspects in separate operations targeting drug peddling and thuggery in Panshekara and Kunchi/Ghari Local Government Area.
KANO FOCUS reports that the command disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori.
According to the statement, the operations, conducted on September 9, 2026, were part of the command’s intelligence-driven efforts to tackle drug abuse, thuggery and violent crimes across the state.
It said operatives of the Surveillance Team attached to Panshekara Police Division, acting on credible intelligence at about 2:30 p.m., intercepted eight suspects, including a 21-year-old man identified as Samson Yakubu of Samegu Quarters, at a suspected criminal hotspot.
A search of the suspects reportedly led to the recovery of 15 Pregabalin capsules, five Diazepam tablets, 10 Exol tablets and some quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
The police said the suspects were in custody and undergoing interrogation, while investigations were ongoing to establish the source of the suspected illicit drugs and identify other members of the alleged syndicate.
In a related operation conducted between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. the same day, operatives of the Kunchi/Ghari Division carried out a coordinated market patrol and raid at Matanfada Market.
The command said the area had been identified as a place where youths allegedly intimidate traders and residents during market sessions.
Five suspects were arrested during the operation. They were identified as Abdullahi Isah of Dustin; Haruna Isah of Daqarawa Village; Habu Badamasi of Dan Taimu Village; Gambo Ya’u of Kura Village; and Abubakar Dahiru of Farau Village.
The police said investigation was ongoing to identify and arrest other suspected accomplices, while exhibits recovered during the operation had been taken into custody as evidence.
CP Bakori commended the operatives for what he described as their professionalism and swift response, assuring residents that the command would sustain its operations against drug abuse, thuggery and other violent crimes.
“In line with the IGP’s policing vision and our mandate to ensure a safe and secure Kano, we will continue to be proactive,” the commissioner said.
“We are sending a clear message to criminal elements that Kano State will not be a breeding ground for their activities.”
The command also appreciated members of the public, community leaders and vigilante groups for providing information that aided the operations.
It urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station.
The command said all suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The funeral prayer for the late Shehu Kabir Bayero, Barde Kerarriya of Kano and District Head of Dorayi, was held on Thursday evening at Kofar Kudu, Kano Emir’s Palace.
KANO FOCUS reports that the prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Khamsus Salawati Mosque, Kofar Kudu, Malam Bello, and attended by hundreds of people from different parts of Kano State.
Among those who attended were the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Alhaji Umar Faruk; representative of the Emir of Kano, Matawallen Kano, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Matawalle; Chief of Staff to the Kano State Government House, Dr Sani Wali; as well as district heads and members of the Muslim community.
Shehu Kabir Bayero died in a hospital in Egypt following a period of illness. He is survived by his wives, children and other relatives.
Until his death, the late Bayero served as Commissioner of Police in Gombe and Osun states before retiring from the Nigeria Police Force.
Following his retirement, the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, appointed him as the Barde Kerarriya of Kano and District Head of Takai Local Government Area after the death of his father, the late Kabir Bayero, an elder brother of the former emir.
He later served as District Head of Gwarzo.
Due to his wealth of experience in security matters, the current Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, subsequently reassigned him as District Head of Dorayi, where he was expected to contribute to the sustenance of peace and security in the area.
The late district head was remembered for his service to the state and his experience in security and traditional administration.
May Allah forgive his shortcomings, have mercy on his soul and grant him Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Ministry of Education, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has held a planning meeting on the implementation and effective utilisation of the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the meeting brought together relevant stakeholders from various ministries, agencies and development partners working in the education sector.
According to Malam Naziru Sirajo, deputy director EMIS and statistics in the Ministry of Education, the meeting was aimed at reviewing the current status of the Nigeria Learning Passport in Kano and developing a coordinated plan to strengthen its implementation, content utilisation, course completion, monitoring of learners’ progress and certification.
The Nigeria Learning Passport is a digital learning platform designed to provide Nigerian children and young people with access to curriculum-aligned educational content, including lessons, learning materials and assessments.
The platform is also designed to support learning continuity, including for learners facing limited or intermittent internet connectivity, while providing teachers and education stakeholders with digital resources to complement classroom instruction.
In Kano, the initiative is expected to strengthen awareness and utilisation of digital learning, while building the capacity of master trainers and technical teams to support schools, teachers and learners in using the platform effectively.
The effective utilisation of the Nigeria Learning Passport is expected to expand access to quality digital learning resources, promote independent learning, strengthen digital literacy and support improved learning outcomes and greater equity in access to educational opportunities.
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