Kayode Ajulo Says Hacking INEC Server An Act Of Terrorism | Nairalaw

Kayode Ajulo, a constitutional lawyer, says hacking computer
server of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is
as an act of terrorism.

Mr Ajulo told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja that
the provisions of cybercrime act 2015 recognised INEC sever as one
of the Critical National Information Infrastructure, CNII.

He added that such act of unlawful access to INEC sever amounted
to a crime if tampered with in any way without authorisation

According to him, based on the provision of the law, INEC server
contains sensitive information about the elections which comes
within the definition of CNII.

Mr Ajulo noted that hacking or employing any person to hack into
the server of an election umpire with the aimed of interfering with
the electronically transmitted data to INEC Server comes within the
definition of “acts of terrorism”.

He stated that such act was a calculated attempt to destroy the
fundamental political, constitutional, economic and social
structures of a country.

“Unauthorised access of data in any country has a lot of
implications and if allowed to go unchecked may herald a regime of
lawlessness within the internet community.

“The activities of this group of people and the damage they may
cause cannot be quantified.

“It is in recognition of the incalculable nature of the havoc
which they may wreak on this nation that the cybercrime Act 2015
recommend life imprisonment as penalty for tampering with CNII of
the country.”

He stated that this was because the vital information might be
used to misinform as well as incite the populace against the
state.

Mr Ajulo said that the exigency of modern innovations in the
field of computer networking has made the need for data
protection.

He added that this has been the paramount concern of every
country seeking to curb the inroads of persons with sinister
motives into the field.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the All Progressives
Congress, APC, has petitioned the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, and
the State Security Service, SSS, accusing the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, of illegally accessing the server of the Independent
National Electoral Commission, INEC.

In the petition dated March 25, and addressed to the Inspector
General of Police and the Director General of SSS, Festus Keyamo,
spokesman of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, urged the
security agencies to question the leadership of the PDP on their
claims relating to the INEC server.

Although he was not specific on the identities of the PDP
leaders he wants investigated, Mr Keyamo made reference to the fact
that the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has filed
an election petition against the victory of President Muhammadu
Buhari and has made a claim of having access to INEC server.

He claimed that upon the postponement of the Feb. 16,
presidential/National Assembly elections, already prepared
presidential election results surfaced on the Internet.

Mr Keyamo accused the PDP of hacking into the INEC server and
inputting false figures.

He, therefore, called on the security agencies to respond to the
petition with “alacrity”.

Responding, the national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus,
alleged that the APC was panicking because of the case instituted
before the tribunal by the party and Atiku.

He said this was why the ruling party was writing petitions to
the SSS and the police.

NAN

Minister Seeks Improved Budgetary Allocation for
Environment Sector

The Minister of Environment,
Suleiman Hassan Zarma, has appealed for improved budgetary
allocation to the environmental sector, so as to facilitate the
execution of more intervention programs and projects for diverse
ecological habitats across the country.

He noted that additional
budgetary funds will also enable the ministry carry out some of its
core mandate effectively, saying “sufficient allocation of funds to
the Ministry will help us raise the level of environmental
consciousness in the mind of Nigerians, while implementing best
global practices to address environmental issues.”

The Minister made the call while
defending the Ministry’s 2019 budget budget estimate before the
House of Representatives Committee on Environment and Habitat, in
Abuja.

Zarma stressed that inadequate
budgetary provision is hindering the successful implementation of
key projects and ecology-preservation initiatives conceptualized by
the Ministry.

“The remediation of Hydrocarbon
impacted sites in Ogoniland, and the fixed income security issued
to finance projects that will impact the environment positively,
and also help tackle climate change, among others, have been poorly
implemented due to inadequate funds.. One can only imagine what
will happen if we get additional budgetary funds,” he
noted.

He explained that the problems of
desertification, erosion, and pollution, among others, will
continue to ravage Nigeria’s vast environment if adequate funds are
not provided to the Ministry and its agencies.

Presenting the 2019 Budget
estimate to the Committee, Suleiman Zarma, explained that the
environment pillar was hinged on three basic policy objectives that
include National Environment Management, Pollution Control, Waste
to Wealth, Industrial Oil Management and Climate Change
adaptation.

In this connection, he said, “the
2019 Budget Estimate that is before the National Assembly consists
of programmes and projects that are in line with the ERGP goals. As
a matter of fact, the Ministry is among the six line Ministries,
and its projects, which are spread across the country, are critical
to the life of the citizenry.”

He added that the Ministry’s
“2019 Budget of Economic Recovery and Growth”, if properly funded
and executed, will reposition the environment, strengthen
regulatory environment, create decent jobs and livelihoods,
increase forest cover, promote renewable energy initiatives and
above all, support the Ogoniland cleanup exercise.

Zarma, also appealed to the
Committee to passionately look at the disturbing issue of
inadequate office accommodation affecting the workings of the
ministry and its agencies, saying “almost all of us are working in
either borrowed or rented buildings”.

Responding,
the House Committee on Environment’s Chairman, Hon. Obinna Chidoka,
supported the call for the Ministry to be given better allocation
in the 2019 budget.

”The envelope
of the Ministry is too lean to enable it meaningful impact on our
environment that is highly ravaged and devastated. We must look for
ways to increase the funding of this all important sector,” he
emphasized.

Chidoka
disclosed that some experts within the sector are doing great works
to address severe problems affecting the environment, hence they
should be supported and appreciated by both Government and relevant
stakeholders.

Earlier, the Heads of Agencies
and Parastatals under the Federal Ministry, while making their
presentations bemoaned the lean budgets they got in the past,
soliciting the lawmakers’ intervention to remedy the ugly
situation. (END)

(Signed)

Saghir el
Mohammed

Director Press

Federal Ministry of
Environment