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AI-powered cyber threats put healthcare systems at risk

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Healthcare systems worldwide are facing a surge in cyberattacks supercharged by artificial intelligence, a new report has revealed.

According to data from the report, Nigeria’s private healthcare sector is now one of the most targeted on the African continent, with attacks increasing at an alarming rate.

As reported by The Papers, an online news platform on Wednesday, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a multinational cybersecurity firm, released a data-rich report highlighting these regional trends and their impact ahead of World Patient Safety Day 2025.

According to the report, the Country Manager for West Africa at Check Point Software Technologies, Kingsley Oseghale, said, “On World Patient Safety Day 2025, the focus must extend beyond clinical errors to the hidden risks of cyberattacks on healthcare.

“Healthcare in Nigeria is under increasing pressure from sophisticated cyber threats. These attacks no longer simply steal data; they disrupt surgeries, force emergency diversions, and alter patient treatment plans, putting lives at risk.”

According to the World Health Organisation, World Patient Safety Day 2025, themed “Safe care for every newborn and every child,” highlights the unique risks children face in healthcare.

The initiative calls for urgent global action to eliminate preventable harm in paediatric and newborn care by mobilising governments, healthcare providers, and communities to implement sustainable safety strategies.

In similar research, according to an April 2025 report by Itedgenews, Nigerian healthcare organisations suffered an average of 4,388 cyberattacks per week in 2025, a 47% year-on-year jump. Angola recorded 4,727 weekly attacks (+32%), Kenya 4,004 (+14%), while South Africa experienced the sharpest rise, with weekly attacks up 69% to 1,884.

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“This surge stems from rapid digitisation, mixed legacy systems, and a shortage of cyber security staff, creating a perfect storm for attackers seeking high-value patient data and disruption leverage,” Oseghale added.

AI has become both a weapon and a shield in this battle. Criminals use AI to generate realistic phishing scams, deepfake impersonations, and advanced malware, making intrusions faster and harder to detect.

The threat also extends to connected medical devices like infusion pumps and smart monitors, which expand the attack surface and heighten risks of direct patient harm. Medical identity theft adds another layer of danger, draining trust and burdening healthcare providers with costly remediation.

Experts stress that protecting patients now requires cybersecurity to be integrated into overall care quality. Key measures include regular staff training, zero-trust policies, comprehensive asset visibility, prevention-first AI security, and consolidated protection platforms.

“Cybersecurity in healthcare is no longer just about protecting data; it’s about protecting lives. As connected devices, AI-driven apps, and vast patient datasets converge, the attack surface for harm grows exponentially.

“By embedding prevention-first, AI-powered security into every layer, from device design to app governance to data protection, we can ensure that innovation in healthcare translates into safer, more resilient care for every patient,” Oseghale stated.”

As Nigeria and other African nations digitise their healthcare systems, the rise in AI-driven cyberattacks serves as a warning that more efforts are needed to safeguard the most vulnerable, newborns and children, and demands that cybersecurity be treated as an essential pillar of safe care.

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IGP Disu meets NAPTIP DG, pledges stronger action against human trafficking

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The Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has pledged stronger collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, in efforts to tackle human trafficking and organised crime.

The development was disclosed in a statement shared on April 22, 2026 on the official page of the Nigeria Police Force.

According to the statement, the commitment was made when the Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, paid a courtesy visit to the Force Headquarters in Abuja on April 21.

Discussions during the meeting focused on improving cooperation between both agencies, particularly in the areas of intelligence sharing, joint operations and capacity building.

The NAPTIP boss sought increased technical support and operational collaboration to strengthen the agency’s ability to address human trafficking and related crimes.

In his response, Disu assured that the police would support NAPTIP through intelligence-led strategies and coordinated operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks.

“The Force will deploy its operational and intelligence capabilities to support NAPTIP’s mandate,” the statement said.

Disu noted that specialised units, including the Intelligence Response Team and the police cybercrime unit, would provide technical assistance, while training programmes would also be expanded for NAPTIP personnel.

The two agencies agreed to sustain regular engagements to monitor progress and strengthen efforts against trafficking and organised crime across the country.

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I’m proud of my achievements as Finance Minister – Wale Edun opens up after sack

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Former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has expressed satisfaction with his tenure, stating that he is proud of the progress by the Nigerian economy recorded while in office.

Edun spoke a day after President Bola Tinubu announced his removal and appointed Taiwo Oyedele as his successor.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Edun thanked the President for the opportunity to serve in multiple roles since the administration began in May 2023, including as head of the Presidential Transition Committee, Special Adviser on Monetary Policy, and later Finance Minister.

“It has been an honour to contribute to the implementation of the administration’s economic agenda at a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s journey,” he said.

Reflecting on the state of the economy at the outset, Edun acknowledged that the government inherited significant challenges but noted that reforms undertaken during his tenure had begun to deliver results.

He cited improvements in economic growth from about 2 percent to over 4 percent and a decline in inflation from 35 percent to 15 percent, attributing the gains to efforts aimed at stabilising the macroeconomic environment and boosting investor confidence.

Edun said the progress recorded was a collective effort involving members of the Federal Executive Council, state governors, and stakeholders across the public and private sectors.

“I am proud of what we achieved alongside colleagues and the many dedicated professionals whose work continues to support the nation’s economic transformation,” he added.

While acknowledging that challenges remain, the former minister expressed optimism about Nigeria’s economic trajectory, describing reform as a continuous process. He also extended goodwill to his successor and reaffirmed his commitment to national service.

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PHOTOS: Ogun govt shuts down Ijebu-Imushin market over dirty environment, indiscriminate dumping of refuse

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The Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) has shut down the Ijebu- Imushin market in the Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state over indiscriminate waste disposal.

Special Adviser to the Governor on OGWAMA, Farook Akintunde, said the closure of the market became necessary after several warnings to the market leaders and traders on the need to operate in a clean environment and stop the indiscriminate dumping of waste in the market surroundings.

He lamented that despite the agency’s mechanical evacuation of their heaps of waste and provision of a Roll On Roll Off Bin, the marketers returned to dumping the waste.

He said, “To make their behaviour unacceptable, they refuse to patronise the PSP assigned to them for proper evacuation of their waste and prefer to dump their waste indiscriminately in the market.

“Despite this, OGWAMA decided to clean the market through mechanical evacuation of their heaps of waste and thereafter provided a Roll On Roll Off Bin for them to deposit their waste for easy evacuation, but they refused to make use of the bin and decided to still dump their waste indiscriminately in the market.

“The state government, through OGWAMA, will not fold its hand and watch a few traders put the health and well-being of a flourishing town into jeopardy by operating in such a filthy environment,” Akintunde added.

He called on the traders and their leaders to clean the whole market and inculcate the habit of using the bin instead of dumping them indiscriminately in the market surroundings, adding that it attracts flies and contaminates wares sold to the public, thereby spreading avoidable diseases.

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Akintunde insisted that until these are done, the market will remain shut in the overriding public interest.

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