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Tag: Phones

  • Pastor allegedly absconds with 52 phones, money after crusade in Ibadan

    Pastor allegedly absconds with 52 phones, money after crusade in Ibadan

    Residents of Aponrin in Agbowo area of Ibadan are now on the trail of pastor who allegedly absconded with 52 android and iphones, money and other valuables after a three-day crusade.

    The pastor was said to have told his victims that he was led by God to come to Ibadan from Gambia for the crusade.

    It was learnt that the cleric, on the last day of the crusade, claimed that Holy Spirit directed him to tell those in attendance to submit their phones, money and other valuables.

    He was, however, said to have absconded with those items.

    The victims said that the pastor, who lured them into three days of fasting and prayer, was nowhere to be found on the last day of the crusade, as all efforts to locate his whereabouts proved abortive.

    A victim, Mrs Grace Akintola, said that many widows had gone to the crusade because the pastor promised to give each of them a bag of rice and money.

    Akintola, who is a widow, said that the ‘man of God’ also promised to empower students who attended the crusade with scholarship awards.

    “The pastor approached an Igbo lady in our area to assist him to gather widows and students and that he wanted to help us.

    “Someone in my area invited me for the crusade. The crusader put on priest’s regalia. He even said he would buy a fully-furnished house for one of us.

    “The pastor equally promised some of those who attended the crusade money, the kind of money that even politicians could not give.

    “The last day of the crusade, he (pastor) sold a bottle of water for us at the rate of N4,800; he said that the water had been mixed with perfume and many people paid for it,” she said.

    Another victim, a student of University of Ibadan, who pleaded anonymity, said that the pastor ordered them to fast for three days.

    He said that he collected their phones so as to keep them away from them and allow them focus on prayers, unknown to them that it was a trick to get rid of their belongings.

    “He said no phone should ring during the programme and that was why he collected all of them.

    “In fact, he snapped at a lady who stood up and wanted to take his photograph and seized the phone from her,” he said..

    He further stated that on the last day of the crusade, the pastor said he wanted to go and rest at the hotel where he had lodged.

    “He (pastor) later said he wanted to go and eat inside the University of Ibadan after which we didn’t know how he escaped with our belongings.

    “As a man of God that he claimed to be, we respected him a lot. We didn’t know that he wanted to use the name of God to dupe us,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the pastor has been declared wanted by residents of the area, as posters bearing his name and pictures have been circulated within the area to track him.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the incident.

    Osifeso said that investigation had commenced on the matter and that updates would be provided.

    NAN

  • UK to ban TikTok on govt. phones

    UK to ban TikTok on govt. phones

    Britain said on Thursday it would ban TikTok on government phones with immediate effect, a move to follow other Western countries who have barred the Chinese-owned video app over security concerns.

    TikTok has come under increasing scrutiny due to fears that user data from the app owned by Beijing-based company ByteDance could end up in the hands of the Chinese government, undermining Western security interests.

    Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre has been reviewing whether TikTok should be barred from government phones, while the United States, Canada, Belgium and the European Commission have already banned the app.

    Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden told parliament that government devices would only be able to access third-party apps from a pre-approved list.

    “We are also going to ban the use of TikTok on government devices, we will do so with immediate effect,” he said.

    The ban does not include personal devices and there would be limited exemptions where TikTok is required on government devices for operational reasons, Dowden added.

    “This is a proportionate move based on specific risk with government devices.”

    Earlier, when the prospect of such a ban was reported, TikTok said it would be disappointed by such a ban.

  • Man drags police officer’s firearm over seizure of his phone (Video)

    Man drags police officer’s firearm over seizure of his phone (Video)

    A young man has engaged police officers in a heated argument while dragging their firearm for confiscating his phone at a checkpoint.

    A video making rounds on social media captured the moment two individuals battled with police officers over their property.

    One of the police officers had taken possession of one of the individuals’ phones with the intention of sniffing information from it.

    The young man whose smartphone was taken held tightly to the officer’s gun while insisting on having his phone back at all cost.

    Recall that the Nigerian Police had warned its personnel to stop checking people’s phone arbitrarily on road because they have no right to do so.

    Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Chief Superintend of Police (CSP) Muyiwa Adejobi, restated this early this month while appearing on Channels Television Sunrise Daily.

    He said: “Stop checking phones on the road. You can’t check somebody’s phone. It is his personal property. You cannot do it.”

    The Force PRO commented on the activities of the police and recent disciplinary actions taken against some policemen for assaulting Nigerians, among other issues.

    Asked if the police are taking steps to prevent more policemen from violating the rights of Nigerians, he said efforts were in place, stressing that in every organisation and society there will be deviants.

    “In the Police, we have those who are deviants. There is no policeman who doesn’t know that you must not dress improperly, you must not smoke while on duty, you must not slap the Nigerian, you must not use cutlass to flog.

    “There is no Nigerian police personnel who will tell me today that they are not aware because, in the training school, it’s part of our manual; they must have taught you all these things,”Adejobi said.

    Stressing that the police force operates based on laws, the he said the Force will continue
    to take necessary disciplinary actions against errant
    officers.

    “So, if a policeman has done something wrong, every offence — disciplinary offence or criminal offence — has its punishment. If it is reduction in rank, we give it to you; if it is dismissal, we give to you; if it is severe reprimand, we give to you…

    “But it is clear, how can a policeman stand on the road and be collecting money? It is not a disciplinary offence, it is a criminal offence. Corruption is a criminal offence. If you flog somebody, you assault somebody, it is a criminal offence,” he said.

    Watch video below:

  • NCC warns Nigerians on dangers of sharing SIM cards, phones

    NCC warns Nigerians on dangers of sharing SIM cards, phones

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Thursday warned Nigerians against sharing their phones, National Identity Number (NIN) and SIM cards with others because of the risks involved.

    The Commission maintained that anybody caught in the act would be held liable for any crime committed with such sensitive information.

    Its Director of Consumer Affairs Bureau, Mr. Efeosa Edehen, sounded the warnings at Garki International Market, Abuja, during a consumer conversation event organised by the NCC.

    The event aimed at sensitising telecom consumers had the theme, “Know your rights and obligations as a telecom consumer”.

    Edehen warned that Nigerians must be extremely careful with their devices so they don’t fall into the hands of wrong people who would use them to commit crime and later it would be traced to the owner of the device through the NIN or SIM card.

    He said: “Do not help other people to link their SIM cards with your NIN. Handle your phone with care, be careful how you give your phones to other people to make calls, send texts, or use social media.

    “Your phone carries your identity and therefore should be protected and always be with you.

    “Note that you will be responsible for whatever wrong/offence someone else committed while using your SIM card(s). So, be very vigilant.”

    “As a citizen, it is very important and necessary to register for National Identity Number (NIN) and to ensure your NIN is linked to your SIM cards,” Edehen added.

    He said: “Consumers have the right to receive clear and complete terms and conditions for service agreement and disclosures of price for goods and services, and to affirmatively accept all terms and conditions before being charged for services. They have the right to be protected against fraudulent, misleading and deceitful information or advertisement or labelling.”

  • Why LG is shutting down its mobile phone business

    Why LG is shutting down its mobile phone business

    The South Korean electronics manufacturer, LG is closing its loss-making mobile phone business.

    The board of directors approved the move on Monday, LG Electronics said in a statement released in Seoul.

    The shutdown of LG’s mobile phone sector is expected to be completed by the end of July.

    “LG’s strategic decision to exit the incredibly competitive mobile phone sector will enable the company to focus resources in growth areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics and artificial intelligence.

    “It will also focus on business-to-business solutions as well as platforms and services,’’ the statement added.

    LG wants to “continue to leverage its mobile expertise and develop mobility-related technologies such as 6G to help further strengthen competitiveness in other business areas’’.

    Core technologies developed during the two decades of LG’s mobile business operations are to be retained and applied to existing and future products, the company said.

    LG’s withdrawal from the smartphone business had been on the horizon for some time.

    The division has shown an operating loss for years.

  • Trader bags 1 year jail term for stealing 2 phones

    Trader bags 1 year jail term for stealing 2 phones

    An Upper Area Court sitting in Kasuwan Nama in Jos, on Friday, sentenced a 19-year- old trader , Abdulbasi Mohammed to one year imprisonment for stealing two cell phones.

    Delivering judgment, the judge, Daniel Damulak, gave the convict an option to pay a fine of N30,000 after he pleaded guilty to the offence.

    The judge said that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to those who would want to indulge in such criminal acts.

    Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Gokwat told the court that the case was reported at the Divisional Police Head quarters Laranto on Dec. 8, 2020 by the complainants, Adam Idris and Abdullahi Ibrahim.

    He said that the convict collected a techno phone worth N36,000 and a Nokia phone from the complainants to make a call and he ran away with the two phones.

    The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 272 of the Penal Code Law (NAN).

     

  • Uganda Presidential Candidate, Bobi Wine, wife’s phones allegedly blocked

    Uganda Presidential Candidate, Bobi Wine, wife’s phones allegedly blocked

    Uganda presidential hopeful, Bobi Wine, has alleged that his phone line and that of his wife were ‘blocked’ and they were unable to receive or make calls.

    Wine disclosed this in a tweet on Thursday evening.

    “Like my wife’s, my phone has been blocked and I am unable to recieve or make regular calls. I know this is to stop me from communicating to our agents and coordinators. I encourage you comrades to be vigilant as I try to devise ways of reaching out to you. #WeAreRemovingADictator,” he tweeted.‬

    Polls have closed and vote counting is under way in Uganda’s tense presidential election that pits longtime President Yoweri Museveni against Wine, a pop star-turned-opposition leader.

    The run-up to Thursday’s vote was plagued by the worst political violence in years, with more than 50 people killed by security forces amid crackdowns on opposition rallies, as well as the repeated intimidation and arrest of opposition figures. Police say their actions are necessary to ensure compliance with COVID-19 restrictions.

    Internet access has been cut off, and there are fears of unrest as security forces try to stop supporters of Wine from monitoring polling stations.

  • Exam malpractices: Ibadan Poly burns phones seized from students

    To restate its commitment to fighting examination malpractices to the barest level and enforcing discipline, the management of The Polytechnic Ibadan has ordered that mobile phones, worth millions of naira, which were confiscated from the students during examinations be set on fire.
    The Deputy Rector of the institution, Bayo Oyeleke, addressing journalists on Wednesday, at the Ibadan campus of the institution said the authorities have resolved to ensuring that the examinations of the Polytechnic are sacred.
    According to Oyeleke, the phones worth millions of naira were recovered from the students during examination in the school and that the school has decided to burn the phones to restate its commitment to fight examination malpractices to the barest level.
    “We are here to take further action on our resolved to ensure that the crop of students and product being produced by the school are students with exemplary character and are those who really work and worth the certificate of the institution.” He said.
    He further said there are rules guiding the school examination and that any student that goes against any of the rules will be made to dance to the music.
    “There are rules guiding the principles of our examinations and one of it is that no student under whatever guise should come into the examination hall with cell phones but you know that some students are very recalcitrant
    “We have resolved to confiscate them because it has been expressly stated on their examination paper that any phone found on any students during examination shall be confiscated and in order not to allow any of the phones to filter out, the school has resolved that such phones shall be burnt,” he said.

  • Blue light from smartphones could accelerate blindness – Study

    Blue light from smartphones could accelerate blindness – Study

    The blue light from digital devices like smartphones could accelerate
    blindness, researchers found.

    According to a research by the University of Toledo in the U.S., exposure to blue light continuously might
    cause poisonous molecules to be generated in the eye’s light-sensitive cells and lead to macular
    degeneration.

    Reaserachers said as one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S., macular degeneration does not lead
    to total blindness, but can make daily activities difficult.

    “It’s no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye’s retina.

    “Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration,
    such as a new kind of eye drop,” said Dr Ajith Karunarathne, an assistant professor in the university’s
    department of chemistry and biochemistry.

    Macular degeneration is caused by the death of photoreceptors, a kind of light-sensitive cells.

    Photoreceptor cells need molecules called retinal to sense light and trigger signalling to the brain,
    enabling us to see.

    “If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signalling molecule on
    the membrane dissolves,” said Kasun Ratnayake, a PhD student at the University of Toledo who was
    involved in the study.

    “Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they’re dead, they’re dead for good,”
    Ratnayake added.

    To protect eyes from blue light, researchers advise people to wear sunglasses which filter both UV and
    blue light outside and avoid using smartphones or tablets in the dark

  • Meet man disgraced for stealing phones while Nigerians prayed at The Experience concert

    For 19-year-old, Lateef Nurudeen, The Experience concert of 2017, which recently held at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos was not a time for praising God, rather it was his opportunity to steal from thousands of Nigerians who were devoted to singing and praising God at the gospel concert organised by the convener of House on the Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin.

    According to the police, Nurudeen, who pretended to be a worshipper, was arrested with seven mobile phones belonging to some participants at the event.

    The 19-year-old, who was said to be in company with six other persons, was arrested by men of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command with a bag where the stolen phones were found.

    He was also said to be in possession of charms.

    The police on Tuesday said the suspect, who lived on Obadina Street, Lagos Island, was arrested around 12.45am at the venue of the concert.

    “The suspect, on interception by the officers posted to the venue of the concert, said he was a barber. After further scrutiny, he claimed that he saw the bag underneath a flower bed.

    “Found inside the bag were seven different mobile phones, charms and a purse. The purse contained an identity card and an ATM card belonging to one Chris Chinedu.

    “The suspect also confessed to be the owner of the charms in the bag,” a source in the RRS said.

    The police said four of the phone owners had shown up at the RRS headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja.

    The owners, identified as Ukwajiba Felix, Ekhorelen Ruth, Kpanou Estelle and Kemi Ahmed, were said to have been alerted after operatives of the RRS called some of the contacts on the phones.

    “The owners, who had been looking for their mobile phones before leaving the venue of the programme, said they didn’t know when their phones were removed from their bags and pockets.

    “One of them, Ukwajiuba (Felix), said immediately he realised that his phone had been stolen, he reported the theft at the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos,” the police said.

    Nurudeen, whom the police alleged was an ex-convict, reportedly said in his statement that the charms in the bag were for his protection.

    He said he was at the concert to pray and found the bag on a flower bed.

    His statement read in part, “I pray a lot. The charms are for my personal protection. They have been with me for ages. They were specially prepared for my protection against evil. I went to the crusade to pray.

    “My friends who took to their heels when police started questioning me are troublemakers. They were at the programme to cause commotion. That is what they do and how they make a living.

    “I am a troublemaker too, but I went to that programme to pray and not to steal. My friends ran because they knew I would be arrested. I pray a lot and that was why I was at the programme.”

    The police said efforts were ongoing to track the suspect’s accomplices, adding that they had abandoned their hideouts.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, was said to have directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, while efforts should be intensified to arrest the accomplices.

    He also ordered that the stolen phones should be released to their owners after providing evidence of ownership.