Nigerian organisations experienced 4,388 attacks per week in the first quarter of 2025, the Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has said.

Fagbemi disclosed this at the Annual Cybercrimes Awareness Campaign and the second National Consultation on the Cybercrimes Legal Framework in Nigeria in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the awareness campaign was titled `Towards a Coordinated and Informed National Response to Cybercrime.

He said the cyberattacks represents a 47 per cent increase, ranking Nigeria fifth globally in cybercrime and costing about 500 million dollars each year.

“The same networks that empower our lives now serve as battlefields, with criminals using artificial intelligence and sophisticated tactics to deceive and disrupt.

“It defines the new frontier of justice in our time and underscores why we gather today to strengthen our resolve, refine our strategies, and chart a united, informed national response.

“Our theme is not just a slogan; it is a national imperative as the digital domain has become the new battlefield of economic survival, public trust, and national security’’.

The minister reiterated that Nigeria must not stand as a passive observer in this war without borders.

“We must be strategic, coordinated, and relentless since the scale of cybercrime is now a trillion-dollar threat to the global economy.

“INTERPOL’s 2023 Africa Cybercrime Assessment ranked Nigeria among the top ten countries targeted by business email compromise, online fraud, and sextortion.

“These crimes erode public confidence, deter investment, and weaken the digital foundations upon which our future prosperity depends.

“For a nation positioning itself as Africa’s digital hub, this is not merely a criminal justice issue; it is an existential development challenge,’’ he added.

He noted that Nigeria has been deliberate and evolving in its response to the issues of cyberattacks and promised not to relent.

“Through national consultations, we are shaping twin bills: one focused on cybercrime as a criminal justice instrument, and another on cybersecurity governance and critical infrastructure protection.

“Together, they will establish a robust, modern legal architecture that reflects global best practices.

“These practices must align with the Budapest Convention and the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime (2024), and ensures that Nigeria’s digital sovereignty is protected under the rule of law’’.

He therefore called for institutional coordination and partnerships, adding that tackling cybercrime is not a challenge that can be outsourced or postponed.

He promised that the ministry will continue to drive reform, coordination, and accountability across the justice sector, ensuring that our legal tools match the complexity of the digital age.

“Let us move from awareness to action, from consultation to implementation, and from fragmented effort to national coherence,’’ he advised.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Beatrice Jeddy-Agba during her welcome address admonished all stakeholders to build momentum in the fight against Cybercrime.

“This implies that all of us, across different institutions and sectors, must work hand in hand, our strategies guided by data, knowledge, and best practices.

“As Nigeria becomes more digitally connected, cybercriminals have unfortunately become more sophisticated.

“We have seen a surge in online fraud, identity theft, hacking incidents, and other cyber-enabled crimes that threaten individuals, businesses, and even national security.

“It is our shared duty as leaders and stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria’s cyberspace remains a space of opportunity, trust, and growth, not one of fear or exploitation’’.

Present at the event were representatives from the National Assembly, Law Enforcement Agencies, Regulators, the Judiciary and UNODC.

Others were the Private Tech Actors, the Academia, the EU, and Civil Society and the diplomatic corps.

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has renewed its call to the Federal Government to reinstate five doctors sacked by the management of Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja (FTHL).

Addressing newsmen, Lokoja, NARD President, Dr Muhammed Suleiman, said the association is saying “enough is enough” as the sacked doctors have been out of work for over a year.

The sacked doctors were allegedly dismissed in October 2024, May and August 2025 by FTHL management led by former Chief Medical Director, Dr Olatunde Alabi, for their involvement in unionism activities against the hospital management.

Suleiman recalled that NARD during its recent 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM), gave the Federal Government a 30-day deadline to meet a series of outstanding welfare and policy demands affecting its members.

“Today is the 18th day of the 30-day ultimatum that NARD gave to the Federal Government to implement our demands, among which is the reinstatement of five doctors sacked at FTH Lokoja.

“NARD’s demands include the reinstatement of the sacked doctors, payment of unpaid promotion and salary arrears dating back to five years, unpaid 25 per cent and 35 per cent increment and entitlements,” he said.

Nigeria, he said, is facing a crisis in the health sector, with a ratio of one doctor servicing over 9,000 Nigerians, compared to the standard ratio of one doctor to 600 people.

Suleiman stressed that the federal government must be holistic in its approach to addressing the issues in the health sector.

He urged President Bola Tinubu to take urgent action, warning that if the situation is not addressed, it might lead to a national disaster.

Suleiman expressed NARD’s readiness to engage in dialogue with the federal government to resolve the issue.

“We need those sacked doctors back to reduce workloads in hospital. We inform Nigerians about Doctors’ plight.

“NARD is ready to discuss with federal government to reinstate sacked doctors,” he said.

Suleiman stressed the need for the continuation of the current ongoing collective bargain between the federal government and Nigerian doctors as well as other health workers without further delay.

“This is the only way to curb brain drain. “NARD is saying enough is enough,” he emphasised.

Suleiman commended the new Acting CMD of FTHL, Dr Ebune Ojochide, for his efforts and appealed to him to partner with NARD in their struggle for justice for the sacked doctors.

Illegal exploitation of mineral resources in Africa has been identified as a grave threat to regional peace, stability, and development.

To stem the tide, Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu on Tuesday called on African leaders to unite, join forces and push for the recognition of mineral resources theft from the continent as an international crime on the global stage.

He stressed that his call became imperative because such acts have become grave threats to regional peace, stability and development, adding that illegal mining and mineral smuggling are obvious international crimes.

The President stated this at the Secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Asokoro, Abuja when he declared open the Annual General Meeting of the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA).

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Tinubu explained that such designation and proclamation would help affected countries to take drastic actions against the culprits.

Stakeholders in the security sector have attributed growing security challenges across the country with illegal mining activities going on, particularly in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and some states in the Northeast.

The President’s call came amid rising concerns about illegal mining and mineral smuggling across West Africa, particularly in gold-rich countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali.

Reports released by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) had shown that billions of dollars worth of minerals leave the region each year through unregulated channels, depriving governments of crucial revenue.

Speaking during the general meeting, the President lamented that despite decades of independence, the region’s economic and political progress continued to be undermined by corruption and the looting of mineral resources.

According to him, the proceeds of such thefts do not only deprive citizens of development and benefits but also fund insecurity, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, banditry and kidnapping across the region.

The President said, “West Africa’s post-independence economic and political trajectory is blighted by corruption, manifest in the theft and stashing of our commonwealth abroad by corrupt officials.

“Even now, illicit outflows remain an odious miasma. Stealing of mineral resources is on the rise in the region, fuelling proliferation of small arms and light weapons, and other violent crimes such as kidnapping and banditry.

“I believe that the time has come for us to designate resource theft, mining and stealing of minerals in the region as an international crime that threatens the stability of the region and galvanise the world against threats from stolen minerals from West Africa.”

He also urged NACIWA delegates to critically examine the extractive sector, financial intelligence sharing and anti-money laundering frameworks to strengthen accountability across West Africa.

“I urge you all, in your deliberations, to examine critically the regional anti-money laundering frameworks, financial intelligence sharing mechanism, and accountability in the extractive sector across the region for a more prosperous and secure future,” Tinubu added.

He further noted that no single country could win the battle against illicit financial flows, stressing that the challenge required a multi-state and multi-stakeholder platform to harmonise regional efforts against corruption and its manifestations.

Speaking on Nigeria’s anti-corruption strategy under his watch, Tinubu said his administration had prioritised tracing and recovery of stolen assets, introducing new legal frameworks for asset recovery and management.

He also commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) led by Ola Olukoyede for what he described as “its prolific” record in asset recovery, urging member countries to share lessons from such efforts.

The President maintained that his government was committed to using recovered funds as “instruments of social inclusion.”

He revealed that N100 billion recovered from crime proceeds had been injected into the Student Loan Scheme and Consumer Credit Scheme, describing both as legacy programmes aimed at improving access to education and easing financial pressure on citizens.

The President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to ECOWAS and regional anti-corruption cooperation, stressing that a united approach was essential to ending illicit financial flows and advancing good governance.

Also speaking, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, urged West African nations to domesticate the ECOWAS Protocol on Corruption, saying this would ensure that corrupt officials find no safe haven within the subregion.

Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said, “Let us domesticate the ECOWAS Protocol on Corruption so that thieves find no hiding place. The child who says his mother will not sleep will also not sleep, so the corrupt who disturb the peace of nations must not find rest across borders.”

The minister proposed the establishment of an ECOWAS Regional Task Force on Asset Recovery, to be supported by NACIWA, to coordinate investigations and intelligence sharing among member states.

Fagbemi also stressed the need to guarantee the independence and adequate funding of anti-corruption institutions, warning that underfunded agencies were vulnerable to compromise.

“The goat eats where it is tied. If we starve our institutions, they will be unable to resist corruption.”

Earlier, the Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, who also serves as President of NACIWA, said the fight against corruption in West Africa must be viewed within the broader context of political stability and social justice.

“Distinguished colleagues, we must acknowledge the evolving landscape in which our institutions operate. Political transitions, security concerns, and governance challenges across several member states underscore that our fight against corruption can not be divorced from broader considerations of political stability, institutional integrity, and social justice,” he said.

The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the 2025 Batch B, Stream II National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members deployed to the State, to use the NYSC skill acquisition training programme to build capacity.

Governor Fubara gave the charge today when he declared closed, the 2025 Batch B Stream II orientation exercise in the State.

Represented by the newly sworn-in Secretary to the State Government and Chairman NYSC State Governing Board, Hon. Benibo Anabraba, Governor Fubara enjoined the Corps members to embrace skill acquisition wholeheartedly in order to elevate themselves as wealth creators and employers of labour.

“Take Rivers State as your home. Be assured of the warmth, hospitality, and accommodating disposition of the good of our people at all times.

“Take the skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development post camp training very seriously and equip yourselves with the capacity to compete favourably in the nation’s huge economic space,” he stressed.

The Governor called on the Corps members to see their mobilization into the NYSC Scheme as a fundamental way to provide humanitarian services.

“Remember that you owe it to yourself, family, and the nation, the responsibility to serve selflessly and honourably,” he admonished.

In his farewell address, the State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr. Moses Oleghe appealed to the Corps members to use the opportunity of the service year to discover their true purpose.

He further encouraged them to embody selfless service and empathy in serving the people.

The colourful ceremony witnessed a vibrant parade.

Nigeria’s First Lady and National Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on farmers in Rivers State to take full advantage of the agricultural empowerment support programme by growing their seedlings, nurturing livestock, and producing high yields to help build a food-secured Nigeria.

Represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, Senator Tinubu made the call during the distribution of agricultural support materials to 800 pre-selected farmers at the Government House Field in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

RHI pre-selected 400 farmers drawn from across the three senatorial districts, including members of the Female Farmers’ Association, the Young Farmers’ Club, and non-indigenes. While Rivers State Government, under Governor Siminalayi Fubara, complemented the initiative with additional support for 400 farmers, which include 100 young and 300 older farmers, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 800.

The event was organised by the Renewed Hope Initiative in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Rivers State Government, and the Young Farmers’ Club of Nigeria.

Delivering the First Lady’s message, Lady Valerie Fubara urged beneficiaries to take responsibility for their farms and contribute to national food production.

“Grow these seedlings, nurture these livestock, and turn them into good yields,” she said. “As you do that, you will also reawaken the entrepreneurial spirit that we are known for.”

Lady Valerie Fubara described the initiative as a practical effort to revive Nigeria’s agricultural potential, drawing lessons from past government programmes such as Operation Feed the Nation and the Green Revolution.

She noted that with the commitment to empowering Nigerians, the initiative reflects genuine love and dedication to the nation’s progress.

“This support programme is not just assistance, it is an investment that will lead to food surplus and help combat scarcity,” she added.

She also emphasised that the Rivers State Government, under Governor Siminalayi Fubara, is complementing the initiative with additional support for 400 farmers, which include 100 young and 300 older farmers, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 800.

“The First Lady of Nigeria is trusting you to make the best use of this opportunity,” Lady Valerie Fubara said. “The Rivers State Government believes in your ability, do not let us down,” she added.

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, praised the programme as a platform that promotes inclusivity and bridges socio-economic gaps.

“This initiative embodies the Federal Government’s commitment to improving lives through sustainable and inclusive development,” she said.

She also commended Lady Valerie Fubara for her leadership and passion in localising the Renewed Hope Initiative in the state.

“Beyond the immediate benefits,” she added, “this programme lays the foundation for a more prosperous and self-reliant Rivers State,” she said.

The Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr. Inyingi Brown, described the programme as timely and impactful. She urged the beneficiaries to become catalysts for sustaining the initiative, and appealed for future inclusion of civil servants.

“You are the first set of beneficiaries, please, show example so that the programme will be replicated. Let it not die in your hands,” she said.

The Supervising Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr. Victor Kii, commended the First Lady’s vision, describing the initiative as a key step toward food security, job creation, and inclusive economic growth.

He praised Lady Valerie Fubara for her role in ensuring the programme’s success in Rivers State, noting that it “uplifts women, creates jobs, and secures a sustainable economic future.”

In her welcome remarks, Rivers State Coordinator of RHI, Mrs. Tonye Briggs Oniyide, said that RHI pre-selected 400 farmers drawn from across the three senatorial districts, including members of the Female Farmers’ Association, the Young Farmers’ Club, and non-indigenes.

The beneficiaries received farm implements, seedlings, fingerlings, livestock, and starter packs, all aimed at boosting food production and encouraging youth participation in agriculture.