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Nigerian Military’s Surveillance of Social Media Alarming- Paradigm Initiative

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The report that the Nigerian military has commenced monitoring social media activity of Nigerians has been in the news in the past few days.

This development might not be unconnected to the recent pronouncement by the Vice-President that hate speech will soon be considered an act of terrorism.

President Muhammadu Buhari also spoke along this line saying when he spoke concerning some distressing comments he encountered on Nigerian social media during his long medical vacation in London.

John Enenche, director of Defence Information, Major General while speaking recently during an Interview session on Channels television, stated that “The activities of Nigerians on the social media are now being monitored for hate speech, anti-government and anti-security information by the military”.

He went further to state, “What are we doing? In the military, we are now taking on it more seriously than ever. We have our strategic media centres that monitor the social media to be able to sieve out and react to all the ones that will be anti-government, be anti-military, (and) be anti-security. We tackle them appropriately with appropriate responses.

“Ahead of that, we are also proactive. We have measures in place, scientific measures to be able to sieve this information and also to get the public and let them know that some of this information they are getting is not genuine are not true and their objective is an anti-corporate existence of this country.”

These sentiments expressed by the Defence spokesman was echoed by the Twitter handle @DefenseMonitor, which was widely assumed to be a communications outlet for the Defence headquarters.

Thankfully, the Presidential Office for Digital Communications through their Twitter handle @DigiCommsNG has come out to denounce the @DefenseMonitor handle as fake.

As we wait for more facts to emerge, we at Paradigm Initiative are justifiably alarmed at this development and call on all other defenders of digital rights of Nigerians to join us in calling for caution. We contend that all measures taken to safeguard the security of Nigerians must also by default protect their digital rights such as privacy and freedom of expression online.

In response to these developments, ‘Gbenga Sesan, the executive director of Paradigm Initiative, said, “The statement made by the Director of Defence Information during the Channels television interview is worrisome. More troubling is the inability of the Defence Headquarters in following the Presidential Office for Digital Engagement in denouncing the tweets by @DefenseMonitor – tweets which essentially echo the sentiments of the Director of Defence Information. Merely disowning the twitter handle is not enough, the military must assure us by its words and actions that it does not share the sentiment expressed by the suspended twitter handle”

Speaking further on this, Tope Ogundipe, the director of Programmes of Paradigm Initiative, stated, “We urge for caution in light of this new development. While we await more information, the words of the Director of Defence Information and the sentiments echoed by the now denounced Twitter handle @DefenseMonitor are consistent with the experience of numerous Nigerians who have been arrested for exercising their right to freedom of expression online. We maintain that the digital rights of Nigerians must be respected irrespective of any security measure implemented by the government”.

Lending his voice to the debate, Boye Adegoke, the program manager for Magoyi, Paradigm Initiative’s digital rights advocacy programme, added, “This new development follows a noticeable trend in Nigeria, where policies and legislation like the Cybercrime Law have been made by the ruling class to silence the voices of ordinary Nigerians. In response to this, over the years Paradigm Initiative has organized workshops and roundtables to sensitive the public and policy makers on digital rights. We are also working alongside our partners to pass the Digital Rights and Freedom Bill, which seeks to safeguard the human rights of Nigerians online, into law”.

Although Paradigm Initiative very much supports any effort taken to safeguard the security of Nigerians, we contend that they must have a basis in the rule of law and must have the appropriate legislative oversight. Paradigm Initiative, therefore, calls on the Defence Headquarters to join the Presidential Office for Digital Engagement in denouncing the viewpoints expressed on the @DefenseMonitor Twitter handle.

Paradigm Initiative will continue to work to defend the digital rights of Nigerians. Digital rights like privacy and freedom of expression are important components of modern societies and must not be sacrificed on the altar of national security.

 


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Court orders Binance to release data of Nigerian Users to EFCC

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Binance Holdings Limited has been ordered by Justice Emeka Nwite of a federal high court sitting in Abuja to provide the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission with the comprehensive data or information of all persons from Nigeria trading on its platform.

The order was granted following an ex-parte motion moved by the EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho. In the motion deposed to by Hamma Bello, an operative of the EFCC attached to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the commission domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), he stated that they “received an intelligence stating the nefarious activities (money laundering and terrorism financing) on Binance, a crypto currency exchange platform.”

He added; “That on receipt of the Intelligence, the team began investigation by conducting surveillance of the activities of the platform.

“That the team uncovered users who have been using the platform for price discovery, confirmation and market manipulation which has caused tremendous distortions in the market, resulting in the Naira losing its values against other currencies.

“That the damage the platform has caused was clearly explained to the operators of the platform and they were requested to delist the Naira and avail the ONSA on the activities of the Nigerians on their platform.

“That from the information afforded to the team by Binance shows that the total trading volume from Nigeria in 2023 alone stood at $21.6 (twenty one billion, six hundred million dollars).

“Attached and marked as Exhibit EFCC 1 is a copy of the document from Binance to the ONSA stating this fact amongst others. That the commission will ensure that investigation is conducted within such reasonable time.”

Bello also said that it is utmost urgent public interest, that the data be provided to enable the commission accomplish its investigation activities. He said refusal of the request woulf largely hamper the commission’s investigation.

Granting the application, Justice Nwite said; “The applicant’s application dated and filed 29th February, 2024, is hereby granted as prayed. That an order of this honourable court is hereby made directing the operators of Binance to provide the commission with comprehensive data/information relating to all persons from Nigeria trading on its platform.”


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Moove Unveils ‘N500M Moove Cares Program’ for All Customers in Nigeria

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Moove, the world’s first mobility fintech platform, has announced the launch of its ‘Moove Cares’ program, introducing a substantial support package aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of ongoing inflationary prices in Nigeria.

Recognising the challenges posed by rising fuel prices for its customers managing their businesses and the additional burden of inflationary food prices on household budgets, Moove is providing support both at work and at home. This program includes fuel subsidies to assist with business operations and a comprehensive care package to support households during these difficult times.

This program underscores Moove’s dedication to ensuring its positive impact in the lives of its customers, especially against the backdrop of Nigeria’s challenging and chronic economic landscape.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, is grappling with an acute cost of living crisis and food prices, exacerbated by a confluence of factors including severe inflation, currency fluctuations, and logistical disruptions. This crisis has pushed essential food items beyond the reach of many, with the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics reporting a staggering 35.41% food inflation rate in January 2024 alone.

In the wake of the removal of the fuel subsidy in May, fuel prices in Nigeria have soared to an all-time high, reaching N610 per litre, marking a significant increase from the previously subsidised price of N264 per litre in March 2023.

This sharp increase of fuel costs by 131% has had a ripple effect across various sectors, notably leading to increased transportation fares and a substantial hike in the prices of food and other essential goods.

Recognising the urgency of the situation, Moove has committed to distributing free-of-charge ‘Moove Cares’ packages worth over N150,000 to each of its customers. Starting next week, the program aims to mitigate the impact of high fuel prices and escalating food prices, particularly during the critical periods of Easter and Ramadan celebrations.

‘Moove Cares’ is a testament to Moove’s proactive approach towards corporate social responsibility and customer focused support in these challenging times for the country.

Taiwo Ajibola, Moove’s Regional Managing Director for Nigeria, elaborated on the program objectives, “As a listening organisation, we understand from our customers’ feedback the pressing need for support amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis affecting both fuel and food prices.

“Our Moove Cares program is our small way of providing some much needed support to our customers amidst this extremely challenging economic  environment.”

Since its inception in 2020, Moove has been at the forefront of democratising access to financial services for mobility entrepreneurs. With a presence in 9 markets globally, Moove’s innovative platform has facilitated over 30 million trips, significantly impacting the lives of 80,000 of its customers and their dependents.

As Nigeria navigates through these turbulent economic times, the ‘Moove Cares’ campaign stands as a vital lifeline for Moove’s customers, further solidifying the Company’s position as a socially responsible leader in the mobility fintech sector.

Through this comprehensive support package, Moove reaffirms its dedication to fostering a resilient and thriving community, capable of overcoming the current economic challenges.

 


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Nigeria’s inflation rate rises to 31.7 %

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A report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that the headline inflation in the country increased to 31.7 per cent in February 2024 from 29.9 per cent recorded in January 2024.

The recent figure is the highest level of inflation recorded in the country for 28 years. In the Consumer Price Index report for February 2024, it was also stated that food inflation increased to 37.92 per cent in February from 35.41 per cent in January 2024.

It read; “In February 2024, the headline inflation rate increased to 31.70% relative to the January 2024 headline inflation rate, which was 29.9%. Looking at the movement, the February 2024 headline inflation rate showed an increase of 1.8 % points when compared to the January 2024
headline inflation rate.

“On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the headline inflation rate was 9.79% points higher compared to the rate recorded in February 2023, which was 21.91%.

“This shows that the headline inflation rate (YoY basis) increased in the month of February 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., February 2023).

“Furthermore, on a month-on-month (MoM) basis, the headline inflation rate in February 2024 was 3.12%, which was 0.48% higher than the rate recorded in January 2024 (2.64%).

“This means that in February 2024, the rate of increase in the average price level is more than the rate of increase in the average price level in January 2024.

“The food inflation rate in February 2024 was 37.92% on a YoY basis, which was 13.57% points higher compared to the rate recorded in February 2023 (24.35%).

“The rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in the prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yam and other tubers, fish, oil and fat, meat, fruit, coffee, tea, and cocoa.

“On a MoM basis, the food inflation in February 2024 was 3.79%; this was 0.58% higher compared to the rate recorded in January 2024 (3.21%).

“In February 2024, food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Kogi (46.32%), Rivers (44.34%), and Kwara (43.5%), while Bauchi (31.46%), Plateau (32.56%), and Taraba (33.23%) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on a year-on-year basis.

“On a MoM basis, however, February 2024 food inflation was highest in Adamawa (5.61%), Yobe (5.60%), and Borno (5.60%), while Cross River (2.08%), Niger (2.56%), and Abuja (2.60%) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation on a MoM basis.”


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