The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Tuesday denied the allegations on social media that it was bribed by politicians to leak Peter Obi’s telephone calls. The clarification by the NCC followed the allegation that a telephone conversation between Obi and the General Overseer of the Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, was recently leaked.
In a statement issued Tuesday and signed by its Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Reuben Muoka, it denied the social media report that politicians had bribed the commission to track telephone conversation of Peter Obi.
According to the statement, the NCC had been inundated with enquiries by the media on allegations of telephone ‘tracking’ and ‘leakage’ made against the commission by some individuals and groups in the social and alternative media.
Part of the statement read: “The commission denies the allegations in their entirety. By the provisions of the Nigerian Communication Act (NCA) 2003 and other extant Laws of the federation, the commission does not and cannot “track” nor “leak” telephone conversations of anyone.
“The commission has reported the allegations, which we take seriously, to relevant security agencies for proper investigation and necessary action.”
The NCC in the statement, restated its commitment to discharge its responsibilities to the Nigerian people in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; the NCA 2003; and other extant Laws of the Federation; and global best practices.
It therefore advised the public to disregard the allegation.
In another development, the Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) has recommended that users of WhatsApp should set up Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to avoid falling victim to account takeover by hackers.
In an advisory issued on Tuesday, NCC-CSIRT noted that WhatsApp, which is a Meta-owned service, is increasingly becoming a prime target for hackers and scammers who are always looking for ways to gain unauthorised access to users’ accounts.
The CSIRT described two-factor authentication (2FA) as an identity and access management security method that requires two forms of identification to access resources and data.
According to the advisory, “In the world of messaging apps, one of the most popular and recognizable platform is WhatsApp. WhatsApp is 100 per cent free to use, has a great mobile app, and supports audio and video calls. Whether you rely on WhatsApp for all your messaging needs or just use it from time to time, it is recommended to set it up with two-factor authentication (2FA). With this enabled, you will need to enter a custom PIN every time you log in to WhatsApp from a new device, adding an extra layer of security to your account.”
The team said: “2FA gives businesses or people the ability to monitor and help safeguard their most vulnerable information and networks. The 2FA is important because it prevents cybercriminals from stealing, destroying, or accessing your internal data records for their own use.”
It further stated: “WhatsApp provides two-factor authentication so you can further secure your account using a PIN. It is an optional feature that adds more security to your WhatsApp account, so it is recommended that everyone installs 2FA.”
The CSIRT listed ten steps for enabling 2FA on WhatsApp, which included: “Open WhatsApp, Tap Settings, Tap Account, Tap Two-Step Verification, Tap Enable, Enter the Six-Digit PIN you wish to use, Tap Next, then enter it a second time to confirm it, Tap Next, Add an email address for extra security (this step is optional but it is an extra way to retrieve your account if you forget your Pin) and then Tap Next.”
DSS Has Deviated from Its Mandate, Says Frank
Frank has alleged that the DSS had since deviated from its core mandate in the last 10 years by becoming a willing tool to the government in power.
Frank in a statement on Tuesday, alleged that the secret police had metamorphosed into an intelligence arm of the ruling party.
He noted that while the DSS has the right to intercept unlawful communication, it was not permitted under the law to leak private conversations of individuals.
Frank, therefore, called for the total overhaul of the secret police immediately, saying there was a need for the agency to wake up and restore the lost confidence Nigerians have in its leadership.
He further accused the agency of monitoring and then leaking telephone conversations of some political leaders–opposition leaders in order to embarrass them and to impress the APC elements.
Frank added: “How does someone explain the fact that the DSS has continued to tap the telephone lines and release phone recordings of opposition politicians and influential Nigerians critical of the government.”
He added: “The latest misadventure was a leaked telephone conversation between Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and revered cleric, Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, and presiding Bishop of the Faith Tabernacle in Ota, Ogun State.
“On the eve of the Presidential election, Obi and Bishop Oyedepo had a private telephone conversation. There was no terror plot and the conversation in itself was not about the use of violence. Obi simply asked Bishop Oyedepo to help him convince his congregation in the southwest to vote for him.”
Frank stressed that the main responsibilities of the DSS as stated in its enabling Act include counter-intelligence, internal security, counter-terrorism, and surveillance as well as investigating some other types of serious crimes against the state.
He said: “The Department of State Services or the State Security Service needs a complete and total overhaul. The agency which was established by Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, was supposed to be patterned after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States of America or the MI5 Security Service in the United Kingdom.”
“But the DSS has since deviated from its core mandate in the last 10 years by becoming a willing tool to the government in power. In recent times, the DSS has focused more on regime protection and fostering the interest of politicians in the ruling party and their allies.
“The DSS and the APC have become one and the same and it is almost difficult to differentiate a statement written by the DSS and the APC.”
He expressed worry that the most sophisticated security agency in the country descended into the arena of politics in order to favour the ruling party.
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