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Marital Records Manually Archived @ Ikoyi Registry

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Mr. Abba Moro, minister of Interior
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In a world of vast technological advancement, records of marriages conducted in Nigeria’s premier civil marriage registry located in Ikoyi, Lagos are manually documented, a situation expert say could lead to loss of much treasured records, Nigeria Communicationsweek can report.

The Civil marriage is protected under the Marriage Act, Chapter 218 of Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 (An Act to make provisions for the celebration of marriages).

There are two  types of marriage registries in Nigeria: the Ikoyi Marriage Registry is a federal institution under the Federal Ministry of Interior and covers all those resident in Lagos, South-South, South East and South West. All States have various Registries at the State and Local Government levels.

People exchange marital vows daily and it is shocking to know that the government is not taking full advantage of opportunities the smart office presents. Sadly, they do not even have a functional web portal.

A staff of the registry who does not want to be named told Nigeria Communicationsweek last week that: “We don’t have computers. Just look around our office, this typewriter we have here is archaic. It was left by the colonial masters. The colonial masters established this registry, they managed it and when they left, they left it to Nigerians.”

With advancement in technology, there are better ways the government could better the lot of the ministry after 52 years of the colonial masters’ exit from the shores of the country.

“In instances when people need to get something from their records, we search through our records, one after the other and this is tedious. The search may take a whole week, two weeks or four weeks,” said a worker at the registry who pleaded for anonymity.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that several letters have been written to the federal government for actions to upgrade its archival infrastructure without response.

Oyedokun Oyewole, president of Records and Information Management Awareness Foundation (RIMA), a not-for-profit organization sensitizing the public on the benefits of proper records management with IT applications, said under the prevailing circumstance, valuable documents could get lost.

“If they do not have proper document control and management platform it could lead to loss of time, hence retrieving of documents will be cumbersome. There is also the tendency of loss of records and documents.

“In addition, there will be a waste of manpower. Due to the volume of work they generate most of the workers will be most times engaged on sorting out one document or the other, thereby reducing productivity, because lesser time will be given to other issues,” said Oyewole.

He stated that to address the situation, the registry need to have ICT infrastructure in place. The management would also need to carry out a research on current activities; capture the current manual processing which can be transferred to electronic process.

“They can even develop a wed portal which has multiple advantages. First, it will reduce the crowed that come for verifications; hence people can at different places check position of their papers or applications. By so doing the Registry would have enhanced its revenue base, because people need to buy scratch cards to log on the portal,” Oyewole enthused.      


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JAMB Accuses Student of Securing Admission through Identity Fraud

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Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has accused a 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate of manipulating his identity and engaging in online blackmail.

JAMB Accuses Student of Securing Admission through Identity Fraud

Fabian Benjamin, head of public affairs, JAMB, issued a statement on the matter on Thursday.

He said one Chinedu Okeke, currently a 400-level Medicine and Surgery student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), gained admission in 2021 while claiming to be from Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos state.

JAMB said Okeke’s national identification number (NIN) records from 2021 confirm his Lagos origin.

The board stated it does not alter candidate information provided through NIN.

The board, however, said the 400-level student, who is facing potential challenges for incorrect credentials, is now claiming that it retrieved the wrong details for him from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in 2021.

“[This] is unequivocally false, aimed at fabricating a defence for his case,” Benjamin said.

“The evidence suggests that Chinedu altered his records as filled in 2021 before registering for the 2025 UTME, a fact confirmed by even his advocates.”

The board questioned why a 400-level medical student would seek to study mechanical engineering in 2025, especially with “inconsistencies in his claims.”

JAMB alleged that Okeke “took advantage” of Lagos state’s quota in 2021, thereby obstructing the admission opportunities for other deserving candidates from the state.

It added that he then “attempted to manipulate his details with the NIMC” to unjustly claim representation from Anambra state in 2025.

The board criticised “online advocates” for “actively reaching out to Chinedu’s parents to extract emotional narratives rather than factual clarifications, neglecting to seek information directly from the university.”

JAMB affirmed its commitment to maintaining accurate records and preventing candidates from exploiting loopholes.

It warned that if UNN confirms any inconsistencies, it would notify the Medical and Dental Council to consider delisting Okeke.

“When a nation trivialises illegalities, it breeds a future fraught with potential criminality,” Benjamin’s statement concluded.


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Check Point Report Finds Africa as Top Target for Cyber-attacks

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Africa has become the most targeted region globally for cyber-attacks in the first quarter of 2025, according to new research from Check Point Software Technologies. The company’s Q1 2025 Global Cyber Attack Report reveals a steep rise in malicious activity as the continent continues to accelerate its Digital transformation.

Ethiopia emerged as the most targeted country in Africa during the reporting period. FakeUpdates ranked as the most common malware, while 80% of malicious files across the continent were delivered via e-mail. In contrast, 62% of threats in SA were distributed via the web.

On average, organisations in Africa faced 3 325 cyber-attacks per week – a staggering 72% above the global average of 1 938 attacks per organisation.

Check Point Software unpacked the findings at a media roundtable in Johannesburg. Eli Smadja, global research group manager at Check Point, provided a detailed overview of Africa’s evolving cyber threat landscape, which he said is increasingly defined by AI-powered threats, ransomware, infostealers, edge device vulnerabilities and cloud-based risks.

Among the most concerning developments was the discovery of a previously undocumented multi-stage backdoor, dubbed Stealth Soldier, currently being deployed in cyber operations targeting North African government entities. The malware forms part of a broader command-and-control infrastructure used in spear-phishing campaigns.

Smadja noted a growing trend in malware designed to bypass AI detection systems.

“These aren’t aimed at advanced large language models (LLMs), but rather at lower-level ones,” he said. “It’s about LLM evasion – fooling the AI and manipulating prompts.”

Despite the increasing use of AI in cyber security, Smadja cautioned against over-reliance on AI-driven defence systems. “AI still requires human prompting.”

Check Point is advocating for a zero trust model and a holistic, automated and consolidated approach to cyber security. This includes centralised threat visibility and simplified controls to protect against ransomware, phishing, data theft and vulnerabilities at the edge.

“Just having something at the perimeter isn’t enough,” Smadja said. “Cyber-attacks are not just targeting PCs or servers anymore. For instance, we’ve seen state-sponsored attacks aimed at fuel pumps to disrupt national supply chains.”

He highlighted the importance of understanding external risk – threats originating outside the organisation – especially as AI-driven ransomware and attacks on third-party service providers continue to rise.

“Printers, for example, are a major attack vector,” he added. “They’re often network-connected, and threat actors can exploit them to gain broader access.”

Credentials, Smadja noted, are also a lucrative commodity on the dark web, often selling for around $500.

 


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FG Appeals to U.S. Over Single-Entry Visa Rule for Nigerian Travelers

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Federal Government has urged the United States to reconsider its revised visa reciprocity policy, which now limits Nigerian non-immigrant visas to single-entry, three-month validity.

In a statement released today by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the Federal government expressed concern over the U.S. decision amidst partnership, cooperation and shared global responsibilities by both countries.

“The attention of the government has been drawn to the recent decision by the U.S. to revise its visa reciprocity schedule for Nigerian citizens, limiting the validity of non-immigrant visas, including B1/B2, F and J categories, to three months with a single entry.

Government views this development with concern and keen interest, particularly given the longstanding cordial relations and strong people-to-people ties between our two countries.

The decision appears misaligned with the principles of reciprocity, equity and mutual respect that should guide bilateral engagements between friendly nations.

Nigeria notes this restriction places a disproportionate burden on Nigerian travellers, students seeking academic opportunities, professionals engaging in legitimate business, families visiting loved ones, and individuals contributing to cultural and educational exchanges.

Nigeria respectfully urges the U.S. to reconsider this decision in the spirit of partnership, cooperation and shared global responsibilities, while acknowledging the sovereign right of every country to determine its immigration policies,” the government said.

The government said diplomatic engagements are ongoing and that the ministry would remain committed to pursuing a resolution that reflects fairness and upholds the values of mutual interest.

The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria had on Tuesday, July 8, announced the new policy. The embassy however mentioned that all U.S. non-immigrant visas issued before July 8, 2025, will retain their original status and validity.


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