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Panic as Another Toxic Waste Scare Hits Koko

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Fresh toxic waste scare has hit Koko town in Warri North Local Government of Delta State, 30 years after 8,000 drums of toxic wastes were dumped in the ancient Itsekiri community by some unscrupulous Italian businessmen, according to the Nation.

The dumping of a yet unknown quantity of industrial wastes from the facilities of an oil multinational is causing panic in the community.

Sources in the town told The Nation that the materials started arriving in the community by vessels several months ago, but the panic was sparked by reports that laboratory tests have confirmed the waste to be toxic.

“Our initial reports have confirmed our fears; the materials are toxic. The tests were carried out in several facilities, including some belonging to a government agency.

“We have all the results ready now and are preparing to take the reports to the Minister of Environment before the end of this week,” a source said.

Despite the concern, more consignments of the alleged harmful materials were still being shipped to the town, last Tuesday evening.

There are fears that many children may have drunk from water sources that are likely to have been contaminated by the waste as a primary school water source is located directly near the site.

“People around the area first noticed the material sometime last year.  They are being brought in by barges and trucks picked them up to the site, where they are now burying them,” a source, who asked not to be named because of ongoing investigations, told our reporter.

Nevertheless, an official of Ebenco Services, the company behind the materials, said contrary to the allegation, they are not toxic but sludge, which are being recycled.

The official, simply identified as Ebenezer, told our reporter on telephone on Tuesday night: “This is sludge and it is not toxic; it is wealth to us because we are recycling them.”

Our reporter’s request for independent verification of the recycling claim was turned down because he “needed management’s approval”.

Follow-up calls and text messages to the official on Wednesday afternoon were unanswered.

The materials were brought in from an international oil company, which runs a Joint Venture (JV) with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Mr Amorighoye Mene, Secretary of the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILOT), in a telephone chat with our reporter, differed with Ebenezer, stressing: ” These substances, from test reports, are toxic and dangerous to schools and residential buildings around there.

“It must be stopped and proper remediation must be done to cure the land and environment around there.”

It was gathered that the materials were brought in by several vessels and transported by truck to a populated area of the city by a local contractor.

Expectedly, the incident is causing anxiety in Koko, which attracted global attention in 1987, following the deposition of 3,500 tonnes of some of the world’s most hazardous waste comprising polychlorinated biphenyl sulphate (PCBS) and methyl melamine, among others from Italy.

Although the 1987 waste was returned to Italy in two vessels – Karin B and Deepsea Carrier – after prolonged negotiation between the Federal and Italian governments, Koko has never been the same again.

The incident coincided with the collapse of economic and social activities in the then bustling port city, which is now a ghost of itself.

Ebenco Services seems to be enjoying the support of some prominent indigenes of the community.

Shortly after our reporter contacted the company on Tuesday night, a high-ranking official of the Koko Community Executive Council called our reporter to “appeal for soft handling of the report”.

The official, who apparently did not see anything wrong in the matter, said.

“I do not know why this is coming up now; we have been on this and the man has been doing his business since without any problem. Please lets find a way to help him (contractor).”


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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Ghana Tasks Africa On Increased Cyber security Investments

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Ghana has urged other African countries to boost investment in cyber security tools and capacity building.

Samuel Nartey George, minister for communication, digital technology, and innovation, made the call while delivering a lecture on Cyber security – Ghana’s Policy and Readiness at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College as part of the ongoing Defence Management Course 25.

In his presentation, he urged other African countries to establish cyber security resilience while acknowledging the financial and political trade-offs, but emphasised the long-term value of digital security in defending national sovereignty.

The Ghana minister’s call for increased investments comes as analysts argue that cyber security should not be considered as an afterthought, a compliance checkbox, or a last-minute technical fix.

They believe that politicians, technology leaders, and businesses must collaborate to develop governance frameworks that address Artificial Intelligence (AI)-specific threats, invest in secure-by-design solutions, and build local cyber security skills on a scale.

In the case of George, he gave a data-driven presentation on Ghana’s digital transformation agenda and cyber security readiness, stating that cyber security was the new frontier of national security and defence.

‎According to him, all traditional defence mechanisms today rely on secure digital infrastructure.

‎The minister’s presentation covered key thematic areas: the emergence of the digital economy; threats to the digital landscape, ‎Ghana’s journey toward a secure and resilient digital future and a national roadmap for further advancement.

He also demonstrated how government digitisation efforts—such as e-parliament, e-justice, e-passport, e-procurement, e-immigration and smart workplace platforms—are reshaping governance, judicial processes, and public service delivery.

‎Additionally, George disclosed recent successes in cyber-intelligence operations involving collaboration with international partners like the FBI and INTERPOL, which led to arrests and asset recovery tied to transnational cyber-crime syndicates.

‎“Cyber fraud is real, and Ghana has made significant strides in arresting cyber-criminals through advanced digital forensics, AI tools, and coordinated intelligence sharing,” he said.

‎George also revealed ongoing work on updating Ghana’s cyber security laws to address emerging threats including AI abuse, terrorism financing, deepfakes, and online child exploitation.

‎To fellow African states, he cautioned: ‎“Cyber security doesn’t win elections, but its absence can cost lives and state stability. We must prioritise it.”

George asked that they enhance their investment in cyber security.


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Microsoft to Cut About 4% of Jobs Amid Hefty AI Bets

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Microsoft, will lay off nearly 4% of its workforce, the company said on Wednesday, in the latest job cuts as the tech giant looks to rein in costs amid hefty investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The company, which had about 228,000 employees worldwide as of June 2024, had announced layoffs in May, affecting around 6,000 workers. It was planning to cut thousands of jobs, particularly in sales, Bloomberg News reported last month.

The Windows maker had pledged $80 billion in capital spending for its fiscal year 2025. However, the soaring cost of scaling its AI infrastructure has weighed on its margins, with its June quarter cloud margin expected to shrink from last year.

Microsoft said on Wednesday it planned to reduce organizational layers with fewer managers and streamline its products, procedures and roles.

The Seattle Times first reported on the layoffs earlier on Wednesday. Separately, Bloomberg News reported Microsoft’s Barcelona-based King division, which makes the Candy Crush video game, is cutting 10% of its staff, or about 200 jobs.

Microsoft confirmed to Reuters that its gaming division was impacted by the layoffs, although not the majority of the unit, but did not provide further details.

Big Tech peers, which are investing heavily in artificial intelligence, have also announced job cuts.

Facebook parent Meta, earlier this year said it would trim about 5% of its “lowest performers”, while Alphabet’s, Google has also laid off hundreds of employees in the past year.

Amazon, has also cut jobs across its business segments, most recently in its books division. The company had earlier laid off employees in its devices and services unit, and communications staff.

Economic uncertainties and rising costs have triggered layoffs across sectors in Corporate America, as companies rush to streamline operations and hedge against further cost pressures.

 


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Kaspersky Explains how to Protect Smart Home Devices

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It is expected that by 2028, more than 33% of households worldwide will be equipped with smart home systems. Voice assistants, kitchen robots, smart lights and many other intelligent devices have become an integral part of our everyday life, transforming the way we interact with our living space.

However, with the rise of smart technology comes the need for robust protection against potential vulnerabilities. Kaspersky shares useful tips on how to look after smart home devices’ security on a daily basis, to make your home not only comfortable, but also secure.

Why do we call it “smart”?

Smart home systems integrate various devices, creating a “living” environment, enabling seamless interaction between gadgets and users. Usually, it has a central hub or controller, which acts as the brain of the smart home.

Smart home systems can include a wide variety of devices and appliances such as cameras, sensors, actuators and multiple household gadgets such as fridges, toasters, washing machines and vacuum cleaners. These devices connect with each other and other systems via the Internet.

Users can choose between different options when interacting with their smart home:

  • Mobile apps that allow users to control devices, set schedules, and receive notifications even outside the house
  • Voice assistants, which enable voice commands to control devices
  • Web Portals and online dashboards that provide access to device settings and monitoring afterloggingin to the user’s

Comfort and ease of use are the main advantages of a smart home system. Users can set specific times for devices to perform actions, for example, turning on lights at sunset. Devices can also be programmed to respond to specific events, such as turning on the thermostat when the user arrives home.

Even TVs with built-in AI technology, which can help you to discover dishes in shows as they appear on screen, find the recipe, and then compare the products needed for its preparation with those that are in your fridge and make a shopping list doesn’t sound like a fantasy anymore.

Despite the advantages that a smart home system offers, its Achilles’ heel is the Internet connection. Connectivity of all devices to a local Wi-Fi network as well as the need to log into personal accounts makes intelligent gadgets potentially vulnerable to hacking.

There are already examples when attackers gained unauthorised access to Ecovacs robot vacuums to spy on their owners and disturb them by making loud noises and uncontrolled moves. Even an Internet-connected mattress system in theory can be hacked, making the gadget potentially unsafe to use.

The vacuum cleaner is watching you

The idea that the regular household items surrounding you every day might be sharing personal data, overhearing, or even watching you, sounds terrifying. However, there is no need to stop using your favourite gadgets. Though examples of smart home device attacks are still rare, basic security rules are essential to safely enjoy the benefits of smart technology, preventing hackers from using them against you.

  1. Secure your Wi-Fi network. It’s highly recommended to change the system password that many Wi-Fi routers have by default to a more complex and secure one. Here are some tips on how to create stronger passwords.
  2. Monitor your network regularly. Look out for any suspicious activity on your local network or even consider using specific monitoring tools like Kaspersky Wi-Fi Security Check, which alerts you if Wi-Fi security settings are weak or if there are open ports that could allow unauthorised access to your Wi-Fi or smart home devices and Smart Home Monitor, which notifies you when a new device joins your Wi-Fi network so you can disconnect it.
  3. Track your device’s activity. Any device’s unusual behaviour might be a signal that somebody has access to it. If you notice suspicious activity it’s recommended to change your account password (if you are logged in on the device) and check your local network traffic.
  4. Review the settings regularly. Less is more. Disable any unnecessary features or services on your device that could pose a risk to your privacy or security. For example, you can disable access to a device’s camera and microphone if you are not currently using these functions.
  5. Make rational choices. The prospect of using as many smart devices as possible seems very tempting, but remember that every new gadget increases the potential risk to your security, so choose carefully and opt for responsible manufacturers.

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