A newly released report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has ranked Lagos as the world’s most dangerous city.
The report, named Safe Cities Index, ranked 60 cities across the world based on digital security, health, infrastructure and personal security.
Tokyo, Japan’s capital city, was ranked the world’s safest city.
Singapore, Osaka, Amsterdam and Sydney occupy the second to fifth spots on the ranking.
“Urban management will play a fundamental role in defining the quality of life of most human beings in the coming years. A key element of this will be the ability of cities to provide security for their residents, businesses and visitors,” the report read.
“A look at the top five cities in each pillar—digital, health, infrastructure and personal security—yields a similar message. In each area, leading cities got the basics right, be it easy access to high-quality healthcare, dedicated cyber-security teams, community-based police patrolling or disaster continuity planning.”
Lagos occupied the 56th spot on the digital security ranking and placed 58th on the infrastructure security ranking.
Nigeria’s most populous city ranked the least on the health and personal security tables.
Some of the items which cities were ranked on are:
Digital security: Privacy policy, citizen awareness of digital threats, public-private partnerships, level of technology employed, dedicated cyber-security teams, percentage of computers infected, percentage with internet access.
Infrastructure security: Enforcement of transport safety, pedestrian friendliness, disaster management/business continuity plan, road network, power network, rail network, the percentage living in slums, air transport facilities.
Health security: Environmental policies, access to healthcare, number of beds per 1,000 population, number of doctors per 1,000 population, access to safe and quality food, quality of health services, air quality, water quality, emergency services in the city.
Personal security: Level of police engagement, community-based patrolling, available street-level crime data, use of data-driven techniques for crime, the prevalence of petty crime, gender safety (female homicide), level of corruption, rate of drug use.
The cities who did not factor in disaster risk in their city-level urban plan were listed as Cairo, Riyadh, Lagos, Bogota, Caracas, Baku.
The report also estimated that more than half of Lagos’ population live in slums; a development that Alioune Badiane, president of the Urban-Think Tank Africa (TUTTA), says is due to poor or insufficient planning.
“The main driver of insecurity is the extent of informal settlements. This arises not from a growing population per se, he adds, but poor or insufficient planning. It is not acceptable,” he said.
“We have a lot to do, but the number one priority is improved urban planning and better city management.”
This is the first time Lagos is featuring on the index.
-THECABLE
An accident, which occurred in the early hours of Friday in Ogun State claimed the lives of six persons, while 24 others sustained various degrees of injuries, DAILY POST reports.
The Federal Road Safety Corps in Ogun State said the road crash occurred along the Lagos-Ibadan Highway, around Isara area of Ogun.
According to the Ogun FRSC, the traffic crash involved two commercial buses having a head-on collision.
A total of 30 persons, made up of 19 male adults, nine female adults, one male child and one female child were involved in the accident.
The crash reportedly led to the death of six people, made up of three male adults and three female adults.
A statement signed by Ogun FRSC Public Education Officer, Florence Okpe, said a white Toyota Bus with registration number ABC932XJ collided with a white passenger Mazda bus with registration number FST820XD.
The fatal crash, Okpe said, “was caused by excessive speed and wrongful overtaking when the Mazda bus travelling from Lagos left its lane while overtaking dangereouly and collided with the Toyota bus coming from Abuja which was travelling on the opposite direction of the expressway.”
The injured victims, it was learnt, have been rescued to the nearest hospitals in the area, while the remains of the dead victims have been deposited in the mogue.
“11 injured victims were rescued to Victory Hospital Ogere, six other victims were rescued to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OSUTH) Sagamu. The seven other victims were rescued to Idera Hospital Sagamu for medical attention.
“The corpses of the six passengers killed in the crash were deposited at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital ( OSUTH), Sagamu Mortuary and FOS Ipara Mogue.
“The FRSC Ogun State Sector Commander, Clement Oladele has commiserated with the families of the deceased victims and wished those injured quick recovery.
“He has also informed members of the public to contact the FRSC Commands in either Ogere or Ogunmakin for details of the crash. They may also contact the aforementioned medical facilities for details of the incident,” Okpe explained.
- DAILY POST
Twitter co-founder and chief executive Jack Dorsey’s account was hacked on Friday, and used to post a series of erratic and offensive messages.
A group referring to itself as the Chuckling Squad said it was behind the breach of Jack Dorsey’s account.
A spokeswoman for Twitter told the BBC that the site was urgently investigating.
The news comes with Dorsey and Twitter moving aggressively to clean up offensive and inappropriate content as part of a focus on “safety.”
The account, which has more than four million followers, tweeted out a flurry of highly offensive and racist remarks for about 15 minutes.
The messages – some posted directly by the @jack account, and others retweeted from other accounts – used the n-word and made anti-Semitic comments referencing the Holocaust.
A chat channel on Discord, a separate website, was apparently set up by the group to discuss and joke about the attack – but was quickly shut down.
The Chuckling Squad has taken credit for a number of attacks on high-profile Twitter accounts recently, including @Etika, an account belonging to YouTube personality Desmond Amofah, who died earlier this year in an apparent suicide.
It is as yet unclear how the attackers gained access, though it appears a vulnerability in a third party app could potentially have been to blame.
It is an embarrassing incident for Mr Dorsey, with many security experts questioning whether he, of all people, should have had the appropriate protections to stop such an attack being possible.
- PM NEWS
Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has admitted that Alexis Sanchez’s exit, has left his squad a striker short.
Solskjaer sanctioned Sanchez’s loan switch to Inter Milan, because he was not part of his first-team plans.
United considered a number of forwards, including Juventus pair Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic and Solskjaer claims they did not find any attractive propositions.
“As I said on the way back from tour, we were still looking for one replacement for Romelu if he went.
“We are one down to be fair, but we didn’t just find the right one. We didn’t find the answer that we wanted.
“I’m still happy. We might be one down in the attacking line-up but we just didn’t get the right answers we wanted,” Solskjaer told reporters on Friday.
- DAILY POST
At least five persons have been shot dead and many houses burnt in an attack in Kaura local government area of Kaduna state.
Bege Katuka, interim management committee chairman of the local government, confirmed the incident in Kafanchan on Friday.
Katuka said the attackers stormed the village around 4pm on Thursday.
“Five persons were killed, while two others are still missing. A number of houses, including the new police outpost, were vandalised and burnt,” he said.
“We have urged the people to remain calm and have confidence in the security agents that have already secured the area, while investigation is ongoing.”
Yakubu Sabo, police public relations officer (PPRO) in the state, who also confirmed the incident, said it occurred at Kiri village bordering Plateau.
“One Daniel Monday who initially sustained injury later died while four other corpses were discovered,” Sabo said.
“No police station was burnt although a few houses were touched.”
Sabo further said the police area commander in Kafanchan led a team of policemen to the affected area.
He said: “On sighting them, the hoodlums fled to a hilltop near Ryom local government in Plateau state. Preliminary investigation revealed that they came through Plateau state, but investigation is ongoing.”
Editor’s note: This picture was used for illustrative purposes
- THECABLE
The federal government has directed officials of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to ensure issuance of international passports to genuine and qualified applicants within 48 hours.
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said this on Friday in Lagos while flagging off the NIS Management retreat.
He also asked the NIS to scale up its facilitation at the airport to reduce long queues for arriving passengers.
Aregbesola said: “From information available to me, it is possible with the right technology in place for Nigeria Immigration Service to issue international passports to applicants who have paid the official fees after forty eight hours. If there is any delay, the officials should communicate to the affected applicants .
“One of the ways to achieve this is to deploy the right technology and eliminate human contact in the passport issuance process. This way, we eliminate sharp practices and racketerring built around the process. This is the way to go and all officials should shun all forms of corruption in the discharge of their duties.
“The primary role of the Immigration Service is the Security of the border and migration management. No unwanted , suspicious and criminal person must be allowed entry into our nation just as we are to prevent the exit from Nigeria of all known domestic real felons and or domestic potential felons from leaving Nigeria to tarnish our image abroad .
“All officers of the Service must as a matter of urgency, embrace the digital tradition and be technology/computer compliant, particularly at the senior and management level. Our officers must shun all forms of corruption through openness and transparency in the discharge of their duties.
“Should there be justifiable delay in delivering on this commitment, there must be a mechanism to communicate, such reasons (s) within a period as agreed in the retreat to such applicant for the passport which must not be later than 72 hours, after discovering such reason.
“With technology, it is possible to process and obtain the passport within 48 hours, if the application does not have any issues. Nigerian passport should be available within 48 hours maximum after application and at the official fee, the same goes for entry visa, resident permit, seamen license, as well as application and processing of other services.”
- DAILY POST
The US embassy says for now, the additional cost for visa application still applies to Nigerians.
On Tuesday, the embassy announced an increase in the cost of applications for Nigerian citizens seeking visas to the US.
It explained that the additional cost US citizens incurred when seeking visa to Nigeria, necessitated the action.
The US had said effective from August 29, 2019, Nigerians applying for tourism, student and business visas will not only pay the $160 fee but will have to pay an extra $110 after the visa had been issued to them.
Less than 24 hours after the action of the US, the federal government announced a slash in the visa fee for US citizens.
But in a statement on Friday, the US embassy said it had not received an official communication from the Nigerian government on the issue.
“The US Embassy looks forward to receiving official diplomatic communication regarding a new fee schedule for Americans seeking Nigerian visas,” the statement read.
“Until such time, and confirmation of implementation, the reciprocity fees for approved visas to the United States will remain in place.”
- THECABLE
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt Zonal Office, have arrested 19 staff of a fake investment company allegedly floating a Ponzi Scheme, with which they have defrauded members of the public N2,000,000,000.
It was learnt that the suspected company called Bluekey Investment Club, operating from Sonia Mall, 42 Woji Road, YKC Junction, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission( CAC) as a Software Development and General Contracting Firm, but allegedly veered into an interest-yielding Ponzi Scheme with ten percent (10%) weekly returns on investment over (6) Months.
It was also gathered that the Scheme promised total returns of invested capital after six months.
The anti-graft spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.
He added, “Nineteen members of staff of the company were rounded up on Friday, August 30, 2019 in Port Harcourt.
“Among them are five Principal Officers: Princess Tsaroigbara( Public Relations Officer) ; Onwusa Frances Chineze( Accountant); Naabe Gunugu( Payment Confirmation Staff), Tambari Success( Customer Service) and Anorue Maureen( Receptionist). The Chairman of the company: Neenwi Swanu was at large as at the time of arrest”.
EFCC said Princess Tsaroigbara, Public Relations Officer ( PRO) of the Company told interrogators that her company was into “Digital Financial and other Technological Services” and was not sure if the company was fully registered with the Security and Exchange Commission, SEC, and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
Further, EFCC disclosed that scores of alleged defrauded customers thronged the premises of the Company seeking the intervention of the Commission.
Items recovered from the company are computer units and a sum of N459, 300.
Uwujaren affirmed that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
- DAILY POST
By Fredrick Nwabufo
A scathing detraction to professionalism in Nigeria is the customisation of public offices. Institutions are built around personalities rather than on principles and service.
The corrugation of Nigeria’s public offices and institutions has a long history. But of significance is the brazen privatisation and deployment of public office to insular ends by Michael Aondooakaa, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) under Umaru Musa Yar’adua, in 2009.
Aondooakaa was AGF and in the same breath, counsel to George Akume, then Benue state governor, who was being investigated by the EFCC for alleged corruption to the tune of N2 billion.
Being Nigeria’s chief law officer, Aondooakaa, who naturally should have recused himself from the case, went to work undermining and frustrating the EFCC. In fact, prior to his appointment he had filed a suit at the supreme court seeking the dissolution of the anti-graft agency. And he refused to withdraw this case or his representation in the matter even after his appointment until the apex court dismissed it.
That was the standard-bearer of Nigeria’s law begriming the constitution. Earlier, in 2007, he attempted to retard the arrest of James Ibori in the UK – an action which led to a diplomatic scuffle with the country. Nuhu Ribadu’s unbending stance in this case, led to his mortifying discharge weeks after.
There are analogous cases in the Buhari administration – one of which is the ‘’cleansing and empowerment’’ of Abulrasheed Maina, former pension chief, who was declared wanted by the EFCC for corruption, by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation.
I believe the office of attorney-general of the federation has been one of the most abused of all offices in the country.
In the same vein, the tagging of top staff of the EFCC as ‘Magu boys’ by the agency accents the execrable customisation of public office in the country. It is the reason the institutions function with human frailties; that is, if the head of an institution is incompetent or corrupt, the entire body necrotises.
This is the lamentable piece of hagiography the agency footnoted in a photo on social media.
‘’#Photo Magu Boys, led by EFCC’s Lagos Head of Operations, Mohammed Rabo, on the move as they continue to tame the corruption monster from the Lagos axis of the battlefield. With the acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, giving orders and directing affairs, the war is winnable.”
The reluctance of public officers to distinguish themselves from their offices is the reason abuse of office is rife here. There is Ibrahim Magu and there is the EFCC. Two separate entities. Personal foibles and interest must be detached from public office.
If Magu leaves as EFCC chairman, will those agents still be ‘Magu boys’? Will they be working for him or the agency? Whose interest are they serving, Magu or Nigerians? And do they work for Magu or for Nigerians?
It is a downing reality how individuals expropriate public offices, design them in their own image and build a temple in them for everyone to worship.
A few days ago, after the inauguration of ministers, a herd of staff members of the ministry of finance abandoned duty and stayed out in the rain to welcome Zainab Ahmed. They formed a doughnut around the minister and chanted, ‘’mama oyoyo’’ as she sauntered into the premises with an insufferable gait. She soaked in all the praise and sycophancy.
But did the minister not realise that it was wrong of them, the jamboree being during work hours? And is there no regard for professionalism?
Also, the privatisation of institutions like the police and the DSS, which are sometimes deployed in witch-hunt, is the reason their performance is underwhelming. Until public institutions truly become public; they cannot serve Nigerians.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested 12 suspected Internet fraudsters in Lagos, probably still learning the ropes as apprentices.
The suspects—Oluwaseun Ogunbunmi, Haruna Yusuf , Olubori Hassan, Wasiu Idowu, Basit Adeniran, Aina Olajuwon, Okafor Joseph, David Ado, Olamide Ogunseye, Opeyemi Ahmed , Monsuru Amao, Taiwo Rasak- were arrested on Thursday, August 29, 2019 in a rented three-bedroom apartment in the Ikotun area of Lagos, which they used as a Yahoo Yahoo school.
The arrest followed intelligence reports received from concerned members of the public about their alleged criminal activities.
During the operation, some of the suspects attempted to flee by hiding on the roof of their apartment.
Items recovered from the suspects include laptops and mobile phones.
The suspect will soon be charged to court.
As part of efforts to curb the menace of computer-based frauds, the EFCC is calling on members of the public to report any suspicious activities of internet fraudsters in their neighbourhood through Info@efccnigeria.com or +23499044752
- PM NEWS
