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NCS Adopts new ICT Software for Destination Inspection

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Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it is ready to take over destination inspection services and has gone ahead to adopt new Information Communication Technology (ICT) software.

Mr. Wale Adeniyi, the Public Relations Officer of the service, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that taking over destination inspection would ensure greater service delivery to customers.

He said that destination inspection, as a procedure would enforce synergy between the service and other government agencies to guarantee fast release of goods at the ports.

Adeniyi explained that currently the NCS was using Risk Assessment Report (RAR) to clear goods at the port.

According to him, the report is a document that guides the NCS on the level of intervention in the clearance of goods.

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Adeniyi said that customs had also developed a new software called Pre-Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR).

He said the software would replace Risk Assessment Report (RAR) as it takes over the destination inspection from service providers in July 2013.

He further said that the software had a risk management system to be shared by relevant government agencies for better services to Nigeria.

Adeniyi said that the software had a number of advantages over the current method due to its features that made it better.

According to him, the software has an integrated risk management platform that will be shared by the regulatory agencies, including NCS, NAFDAC, NESREA, Nigerian Agriculture Quarantine Service (NAQS) and SON.

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Adeniyi said that the software also had a web-based system that utilised recent technologies to ensure faster and accurate service.

He said that the application had both online and offline features for contingency planning and a dynamic environment, where outcome of the reports were continuously fed back into the system for efficient profiling of emerging risks.

“Presently it takes service providers about five working days to produce the current method but under the planned software, it will take just about six hours.

“One of the greatest advantage it has over current practice is that it has a two way communication feature, its highly interactive because it has an SMS notification within.

“So that at any point in time in the processing of the software, the importer can be notified by SMS of what is happening.’’

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Adeniyi said that the application used FIRS Tax Identifier Number (TIN) that would help the service to guide against unwanted access, “providing a standard format for classification of goods.’’

He said that the application allowed custom to grant incentives to traders that were compliant.

He also said that it had a trade information platform for anyone who wished to do import or export business in Nigeria.

Adeniyi, however, said that presently the greatest problem of NCS was the problem of compliance management, adding that the software would help the service to promote honesty, diligence in declaration of goods.

“We believe that it will help revenue generation, the quicker the service provided in importation of business, the more revenue that will be collected by customs.

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“Now we are using ICT application to bring all the agencies together to have a shared risk management platform, so the software is going to reduce time and cost of doing business.’’

Adeniyi said that the software represented a positive development in the business, adding that the use of ICT would help customs get better service.

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Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

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Chinonso Akujobi, former staff of Access Bank in Lagos, has been remanded in Ikoyi prison after she was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on stealing to the tune of N294.5m.

Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

Akujobi who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was arraigned before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

EFCC alleged that Akujobi stole the money between January and December 2025 while under the employment of Access Bank Plc.

As stated in one the charges, the defendant stole the money through unauthorized payments from the general ledger of Access Bank to her account number 0036668871 with the name Chinonso A., Uchechi A. and Florence A., thereby committing an offence of stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

‎The defendant pleaded “not guilty“ to the charges when they were read to her.

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‎In view of this, S.M.Yabo, prosecution counsel, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed for the remand of the defendant in a Correctional centre.

Justice Ijelu, thereafter, adjourned the case till October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of trial.

The Judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional Centre.

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NSIB Faults Runway Identification, Reveals Cockpit Disagreement in Asaba Jet Incident

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The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says the flight captain of the VMO Aero aircraft that landed on a roadway near Asaba Airport in Delta State told investigators that the observer pilot mistakenly identified the paved road as the runway before touchdown.

The bureau disclosed this in a preliminary report released on Thursday on the June 10 incident, which prompted the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ground the private jet.

The aircraft had seven people on board, including the pilot-in-command (PIC), second-in-command (SIC), an observer pilot, a cabin crew member and three passengers.

According to the report, the aircraft was cleared by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to approach Runway 11 at Asaba Airport after the crew requested a right orbit.

The crew initially discontinued the approach, executed a missed approach and repositioned for a second landing attempt.

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NSIB said the crew reported that the aircraft’s navigation systems indicated it was correctly established on the published RNAV Runway 11 approach.

“The PIC and SIC reported that the observer pilot identified the paved surface ahead as the runway,” the report stated.

However, the observer pilot gave investigators a different version of events.

According to NSIB, he said the aircraft remained inside cloud until late in the approach and that the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) repeatedly issued “TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP” alerts.

He also said he observed a telecommunications mast directly ahead and instructed the flight captain to abandon the approach and climb immediately.

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The bureau further disclosed that a cabin crew member reported that one of the passengers became concerned after overhearing discussions among the pilots and asked whether one of them was undergoing training. The passenger was reportedly reassured that all three pilots on board were experienced captains.

NSIB said no abnormal events were reported in the cabin before touchdown.

The aircraft eventually landed at about 8:57 a.m. on an under-construction paved roadway near Asaba Airport instead of the designated runway.

The bureau said its investigation into the incident is ongoing, while the preliminary report highlights conflicting accounts among the cockpit crew over the circumstances that led to the erroneous landing.

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EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

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European Union has warned Meta Platforms Inc. that it could face a significant financial penalty unless it changes what regulators describe as the “addictive design” features of Facebook and Instagram.

EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

The European Commission issued the warning in preliminary findings released on Friday, saying Meta had failed to sufficiently address risks posed by its platforms, particularly to children and vulnerable users.

The Commission said features such as infinite scrolling, personalised content recommendations and automatic video playback were designed in ways that encouraged excessive engagement with the platforms.

EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said protecting the physical and mental well-being of European citizens should be a priority for social media companies.

The Commission said Meta should consider introducing design changes, including disabling autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, providing effective screen-time reminders and adjusting recommendation systems to reduce the focus on maximising user engagement.

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The findings were issued under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets obligations for major online platforms to address risks associated with their services.

Meta, however, rejected the Commission’s conclusions, saying it disagreed with the findings but would continue engaging with European regulators.

The company said it had already implemented measures aimed at protecting younger users, including Teen Accounts that allow parents to manage screen time limits and restrict access during night hours.

The EU said its investigation, which began in 2024, found that existing time-management tools on Facebook and Instagram could easily be bypassed, while parental controls required technical knowledge that limited their effectiveness.

Regulators also expressed concerns over children’s nighttime use of the platforms and the possibility that features such as Reels and Stories could encourage compulsive behaviour.

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If the Commission’s preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face a fine of up to six per cent of its annual global revenue under the DSA.

The warning comes as the EU steps up efforts to strengthen online safety measures for children, with an expert panel established by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected to present recommendations on protecting minors online.

Several EU member states, including France, have also supported discussions on restricting social media access for children, following Australia’s decision to ban users under 16 from accessing social media platforms.

Meanwhile, the Commission is continuing a separate investigation into whether Meta’s recommendation algorithms create “rabbit hole” effects by directing users towards increasingly extreme content.

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