TECH DIGEST – A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory FCT has ordered substituted service of the court process on a former military apologist, Mr Terrence Kuanum over libellous publications made against the publisher of PRNigeria, Mallam Yushau Shuaib.

Justice Suleman Bolaji Belgore issued the order for the substituted service following complaints by a lawyer to the plaintiff, Barrister Yunus Abdulsalam that the military apologist has been evading service of the court process.

The lawyer had informed Justice Belgore in an application that the defendant could not be reached since the matter against him was filed in June 2020. He, therefore, sought the court order that the court process and the hearing notice be served on the defendant by pasting at his last known address or vie his WhatsApp Number or email address.

After listening to the counsel, the Judge granted the requests and ordered that the defendant be served with the originating summon and the hearing notice.

Justice Belgore subsequently fixed July 14, 2021, as the return date for the report of service on the defendant.

The publisher of PRNigeria, Mallam Yushau Shuaib had last year slammed a whopping N500 million libel suit against a military apologist Mr Terrence Kuanum, over libellous publications made against him.

Yushau, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) presidential award winner and award-winning PR practitioner, is claiming the N500 million from the defendant as general and exemplary damages for defamation of his character through publications in several online media on February 1, 2020.

In the libel suit, Shuaib applied for an order of the court compelling the defendant to tender a public apology in at least two national dailies with wide circulation in Nigeria and to retract the alleged libellous and offending publications against him. The Plaintiff in the suit complained to the court that the defendant published libellous publications against him by calling him an empathizer and spy proxy for the dreaded Boko Haram terrorist group as well as Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP).

In the writ of summons with reference number CV/1705/2020 dated June 3, 2020, and issued against the defendant, the plaintiff claimed that the libellous words against his reputation and public image were contained in a rejoinder entitled: “A Rejoinder to An Impenitent Boko Haram Empathizer, Yushau Shuaib Spleen in Memo to President Buhari on Service Chiefs” published on many online media.

The plaintiff claimed that on January 28, 2020, he wrote a widely published article entitled: “Memo to President Buhari on Service Chiefs.” In the said article Shuaib claimed that he had argued for the present Service Chiefs to be let go when the ovation is still audible and after giving the best of their skills to the nation while also allowing a smooth progression in service through promotion of other competent military officers, adding that his position was anchored on the necessity of enabling a new cadre of officers to come through in the national security architecture if the war on terror must be won. However, the plaintiff further claimed that to his surprise, a few days after, he came across several online publications where he found the offending article targeted at him by Terrence.

He said that the publications damaged his professional reputation and caused him considerable distress, embarrassment and also exposed him to hatred, odium, contempt, scorn and isolation by colleagues and associates. He said that his name was directly mentioned and described as terrorist empathizer and terrorist spy proxy, adding that the information in the defendants’ publications was false, malicious and defamation with the sole aim of maligning and destroying his hard-earned reputation, goodwill and good standing in the Nigerian media community. Besides, the plaintiff averred that he has suffered irreparable personal and economic injury in his business because the defendant maliciously referred to him as “Shuaib is only a quack reporter.”

The plaintiff asked the court to grant him all his reliefs and against the defendant as he pleaded several documents including the printout of the offending publications to be relied upon during the hearing of the case.

By PRNigeria

The post Libellous Publication: Court Orders Substituted Service on former Military Apologist, Terrence Kuanum appeared first on Tech Digest News.

A Nigerian Robotic Engineer, Dr. Olusola Ayoola has developed a Carbon Emission Tracker (CET) Drone for aerial surveillance in detecting hideouts of criminals within caves and forest areas.

in an exclusive interview with the TechDigest.ng, Dr. Ayoola who is the founder of Robotic and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN), an indigenous Artificial Intelligence firm based in Ibadan, Oyo State revealed that criminal elements hiding in caves and forested areas cannot escape the innovative capability of drone surveillance offered by the Carbon Emission Tracker Drone (CETD).

Excerpts:
TechDigest: Can you give us your brief profile?
Dr. Ayoola: I studied in Nigeria at the University of Ibadan, gained a first-class in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. I was granted a scholarship by the Nigerian Government to the UK where I achieved a distinction in my Master’s degree. I also gained another scholarship by the UK government to bag a doctorate degree in Robotics for Extreme Environments at the University of Manchester. I returned to Nigeria after working with a Robotics firm to address some of UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning challenges. My mission was to set up the first-of-a-kind robotics and artificial intelligence facility in Nigeria that provides structured learning, certifications, research, and product development for various sectors. And we are doing just that. The facility has grown very well with private funding. A lot more can be achieved if supported. But with what we have put on the ground, we are fast-breaking barriers.

TechDigest: Give us details about the Carbon Emission Tracker Drone you have invented?
Dr. Ayoola: The carbon emission tracker drone is a trailblazer in the sense that it beats several challenges faced in the concept of drone surveillance. First of all, we must agree that there is a great challenge of security in our part of the world. This insecurity has been narrowed down to the difficulty in detecting or accessing hideouts of criminal elements. With the use of drone-based aerial surveillance, one could attempt to obtain video feeds from the skies which help track the movement or activities of criminals in game reserves. How about when these footpaths lead into a cave, or a forested canopy, or an underground tunnel? What can a military-grade drone-based camera see? There goes the challenge of geospatial intelligence gathering. Also, note the challenge of military-grade cameras. They take ages to import. They weigh a lot on the drone and subsequently tell on the flight time. After being challenged by the Minister of Youths and Sports who visited RAIN in 2020, researchers began to look into how to beat these limitations. We discovered the Carbon Emission Detection Based Aerial Surveillance which allows a drone to sniff out hideouts through the carbon their activities emit. As long as human life exists in a forested location, there must be carbon emission, be it under a cave, under a canopy or inside a bunker.

TechDigest: Have you or your firm participated in Innovation Challenges?
Dr. Ayoola: We are a very focused research organization solving real problems. We do not seek to compete just for the sake of showcasing capabilities, gaining medals, and financial prizes. However, we will not discourage our trainees from doing so. Yes, some have participated and won severally in their individual capacity. We have methods we adopt to validating our solutions prior to patenting. So we have to be very careful in this regard.

TechDigest: What are the unique/major features of your invention – Carbon Emission Detection Tracker Drone? How long can it stay in the air? What’s the battery lifespan?
Dr Ayoola: Unfortunately, I will not be able to divulge technical details of the capability of the solution we have developed. As you will agree, security is a major challenge here and all the advantage we can render to the architecture we will, including the confidentiality of Technical Intelligence (Techint). Once we begin to disclose, this becomes a weakness. However, the assurance I can give is that whatever solution we provide will be complementary to the existing capacity of any end-user.

TechDigest: How will the Carbon Emission Tracker Drone benefit Nigerians, especially the security agencies?
Dr. Ayoola: The benefit is huge. Take for example the issue of kidnappings. There has to be a solution in sight. This novel solution comes with a barrage of many other possibilities and insights into how we can bring back security to our dear nation and other countries in Africa. We cannot overemphasize the role of geospatial intelligence. I have always maintained that wherever government cannot be physically present, the government’s intelligence must always be. We have huge game reserves all scattered across the nation. Even Sambisa forest used to be one. With this new technology, we can quickly scan the entirety of our game reserves to generate a real map of which spots of these hitherto assumed uninhabited forests have suddenly spiked up in human activities. If this is an indication of a criminal enclave rapidly developing across the country, then it helps us nip the growth in the bud before it becomes another combative force.

TechDigest: Has your Carbon Emission Tracker Drone been assessed by any Nigeria by regulatory agencies, particularly NITDA?
Dr. Ayoola: There hasn’t been any contact from NITDA regarding this solution. However, the awareness of this solution has been passed across to all relevant national agencies. Some have made enquiries and are studying this technology already.

TechDigest: Have you made efforts to reach out to any security agency for testing and deployment or are you having any difficulty?
Dr. Ayoola: I do not think there is any difficulty in that regard. To the best of my knowledge, the current crop of leaders at the helm of affairs of our national security agencies have put all cards on the table and are open to all possible solutions.

TechDigest: Please explain the kind of support you need from the federal government?
Dr. Ayoola: I will need the federal government to weigh in on the capability of RAIN, I mean Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria. We need to expand physically, financially and technically. We do not have all the resources which our counterparts in the USA and China have. If the government decide to fund RAIN I do not see how Nigeria won’t overtake many countries. Sometimes all you need is willing followership, for good leaders to thrive. At RAIN we have the best crop of youths who have dedicated themselves and their talents to finding solutions to national problems.

TechDigest: Can you mention some of your inventions?
Dr. Ayoola: We have invented solutions for the management of the energy sector. We have developed a modular traffic light system, that meaning that for the first time in our country, we can have traffic lights for road users that are manageable and can work. We have invented artificial vision for the blind. We have also developed for personal security, a wireless perimeter fencing for private homes and for soldiers at the war front to save them from ambush. These are to mention a few of what RAIN brings to the table. The least we expect from government is direct funding through grants, not loans. It is possible. We can get there if we reach the right office.

TechDigest: Some people are saying that partnerships with indigenous technology firms would be beneficial. What do you think about that suggestion?
Dr. Ayoola: Partnerships are always great. But collaboration is greater. There is a thin line between the two and we must be fully aware of the distinction. Away from the semantics, for RAIN, considering the many sectors we provide solutions for, we are better poised to interface with other indigenous firms that have a focus on each of these areas. This we can achieve through collaboration.

Source: Techdigest.ng

The post We Developed CET Drone to Detect Kidnappers, Terrorists’ Hide-Outs- Nigerian Robotic Engineer appeared first on Tech Digest News.

PRESS RELEASE

TECH DIGEST – We are in receipt of credible intelligence that the same forces who have been championing a well-coordinated and richly funded campaign against the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, are now unto the next stage of their diabolic project.

This time around, the forces of evil are shopping for willing partners as well as their usual avenues, to release doctored videos purporting to show the Honourable Minister in an alleged compromising condition, as a way of creating injury on his image.

We are least surprised by this recent move which is a clear intensification of their desperation, having failed in their assault on the personality of the Honourable Minister, despite their previous efforts.

After concocting lies and half-truths linking the Honourable Minister with terrorism, despite his well-documented stance against Boko Haram and similar groups, these adversaries went to the extent of doctoring a document with a capacity to endanger national security. It was a relief for peace-loving Nigerians that the gimmick also failed to strike that sensitive chord.

This notice, therefore, is to alert the public to the latest ungodly plan and to warn the perpetrators about the consequences of such action. The Honourable Minister will not sit idly to see his hard-earned reputation as a respected community leader, Islamic Scholar and public servant being muddled in the mud by paid agents with no adherence to truth and fear of God.

Uwa Suleiman

Spokesperson to the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy

The post EXPOSED : Anti-Pantami Campaign To Release Doctored Videos appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECH DIGEST – The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has denied reports alleging that the United States had placed him on their ‘watch list’ over alleged ties with the Boko Haram founder, Late Mohammed Yusuf.
On Monday, social media platform, Twitter, was awash with comments over the report published by some news platforms. While some critics of the minister dragged him over the unconfirmed reports and allegations, his supporters took to his defence.

Taking to his Twitter handle, the minister said he had been preaching against Boko Haram for 15 years. He said: “My lectures against the doctrines and all other evil people have been available for over 15 years, including debates that endangered my life against many criminals in Nigeria. “If you can’t understand Hausa, get an objective Hausa speaker to translate for you objectively.”

The minister, therefore, advised Nigerians disregard the allegation, saying that the sponsors of these publications are enemies of Nigeria.
According to him, no amount of intimation would stop him from implementing the good policies of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He added: “On the issue of NIN-SIM verification to fight insecurity, there is no going back.

Our priority as government based on the provision of our constitution 1999 (as amended) Section 14(2)b is security, not just economy.

“[It is] for sure, no going back at all. Let’s the sponsors continue.

“ No amount of intimation will stop Dr. IsaPantami from implementing d good policies of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR on security.

The post I’ve Been Fighting Against Boko Haram For 15 years – Pantami appeared first on Tech Digest News.