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High Demand For Seafood Globally Responsible For Illegal

High Demand For Seafood Globally Responsible For Illegal, Unregulated Fishing – U.S.

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High Demand For Seafood Globally Responsible For Illegal, Unregulated Fishing – U.S.—-The United States says the global high demand for seafood is responsible for illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing.

Jennifer Littlejohn, U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES), said this during a digital news conference.

She was speaking on efforts by the U.S.  to curb environmental challenges in Africa, on Tuesday in Accra, Ghana, ahead of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) slated for Nairobi, Kenya.

Fielding questions from the online participants, including the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), she explained that illegal, unregulated, unreported fishing (IUU), has had the greatest impact on marine biodiversity in the past 50 years. 

According to her, the global surge in fish demand has also increased pressure on fish stocks from fleets globally, both on the high seas and in areas under national jurisdiction, with negative environmental consequences.

She said: “As it (demand) continues to grow, there are more and bigger fishing vessels than ever before working to feed this market.  And of course, we know that the lucrative but competitive global fisheries market also spurs vessels to try to avoid the operational costs associated with sustainable fisheries management by engaging again in IUU fishing.  

“The 2019 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity Ecosystem Services – report on global biodiversity concluded that fishing has had the greatest impact on marine biodiversity in the past 50 years, which is exacerbated by IUU fishing. 

“So IUU fishing can result in overfishing, which damages ocean biodiversity, and additionally, the use of prohibited gear can result in bycatch of non-target species, causing yet even greater harm to biodiversity.”

She said that IUU fishing may also degrade marine ecosystems, such as corals and sea mounds with negative consequences for the marine species that depend on these habitats. 

Littlejohn said IUU fishing costs the world tens of billions of dollars annually, with a recent UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report indicating that this may represent 26 million tons of fish caught annually. 

The diplomat said the U.S. seafood imports alone was worth about two and a half billion US dollars a year, with nearly 11 per cent of the U.S. market derived from IUU fishing. 

“Now, as both a major harvester and a top market for fishing products, the United States has, I would say, long emphasized working with other countries to improve fisheries governance and enforcement to prevent IUU-sourced fish and fish products from entering our markets, and I know that that is the same for markets around the globe.  

“So speaking from the U.S. perspective, the United States is a leader in promoting sustainable fisheries internationally through effective, science-based fisheries management and cooperative tools to combat IUU fishing, including strong monitoring, control, and surveillance measures.  

“Now, the United States promotes the implementation of the Port State Measures Agreement, a groundbreaking treaty designed to ensure catches from IUU fishing vessels cannot be offloaded in ports and then, of course, enter the global market,” she said.

Littlejohn said that the U.S. also helped launch, through the FAO, the Global Record of Fishing Vessels – it’s Refrigerated Transport Vessels and Supply Vessels, as part of the measures to curb the menace of illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing. 

“This innovative, publicly accessible record of the world’s fishing vessels increases transparency in international fisheries and enhances the ability of countries and markets to verify fishing’s identity,” she added.

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SHOCKING !! Oluyin Of Iyin-Ekiti In DSS Net Over Alleged Suspicious Demand for Governor’s Used Chair

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SHOCKING !! Oluyin Of Iyin-Ekiti In DSS Net Over Alleged Suspicious Demand for Governor’s Used Chair

 

The Department of State Services (DSS) has invited the Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Adeniyi Adeola Ajakaiye, for questioning after he made a quiet but suspicious demand for the chair used by Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji during a thanksgiving service at Babamuboni Memorial Anglican Church, Iyin-Ekiti.

According to leaked correspondences exchanged between Babamuboni Anglican Church and Oluyin’s Palace, Governor Oyebanji had attended an event on May 31, 2026 at the invitation of Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, an indigene of Iyin-Ekiti few days to the state’s gubernatorial election.

How Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti Strangely Demanded Governor’s Seat

It was gathered that after the church program, the Oluyin of Iyin Ekiti, Oba Ajakaiye quietly and specifically requested for the chair which the Governor sat on during the church program.

The church’s Vicar who suspected a mischief by the Oluyin’s palace politely declined the estranged and bizzare request.

According to the church, the decline made Oba Oluyin furious who immediately influenced the untimely transfer of the church’s vicar, Ven. Dr. Samuel Sunday Agunbiade from the church.

The Palace, in a letter addressed to the church , insisted that the governor’s seat be surrendered for “royal custody and appropriate traditional rites.”

In the said letter from the Oluyin-in-Council to the church, they strangely said that “the replacement chair to be commissioned henceforth shall be placed under strict and adequate guard at all times, to avert any future desecration or recurrence of such grave oversight against the sanctity of the stool.”

Meanwhile, the request which has been described as barbaric and bizarre in Nigeria’s political and religious history, immediately raised suspicion and outrage within the community.

The Position of the Anglican Church

The Anglican Church, in its formal reply, rejected the demand, stressing that church property is held in trust under ecclesiastical governance. It further explained that the chair no longer existed, having already been dismantled and incorporated into the altar furnishing.

According to the church, “Consequently, the Church is not at liberty to surrender, transfer, or remove dedicated Church property for external purposes outside the procedures prescribed by ecclesiastical authority.

“As custodians of these properties, we are duty-bound to preserve and administer them in accordance with the doctrine, discipline, and governance of the Church.”

REQUEST FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE CHURCH CHAIR TO THE PALACE nnnnn_040357

Despite the stance of the church to strictly adhere to its ecclesiastical responsibilities and constitutional obligations, the palace persisted.

Outrage in Iyin-Ekiti as Residents React

Residents of Iyin-Ekiti alleged that the monarch’s insistence was not cultural but sinister with claims that the chair might be for ritual manipulation against the governor whom at the time was preparing for his re-election.

They noted that the DSS invitation to the Oluyin underscores how seriously the security agency views the matter stressing that there are sinister motive behind the estranged act.

It was equally gathered that the fallout extended to the church leadership. Ven. Dr. Agunbiade, the vicar who stood firm against the palace’s demand, was transferred under circumstances widely perceived as punitive.

Residents noted that while governors, presidents, and dignitaries have attended church services across Nigeria and Ekiti State in particular for decades, never has a demand been made for their chairs to undergo “traditional rites.”

They described the incident as mischievous while calling for a thorough investigation by the DSS to unravel the mystery and sinister motives behind the bizzare request of the monarch.

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Global Wave of Cyber Intrusions Spares No Sector, but Nigeria’s Banking System Stands Resilient

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Global Wave of Cyber Intrusions Spares No Sector, but Nigeria’s Banking System Stands Resilient

 

By Adesegun Adeshi Gbenga

 

Nigerian banks have moved swiftly to contain the effects of a sophisticated global cyber campaign sweeping across sectors and continents, with industry sources assuring the public that the nation’s financial system remains strong, resilient and secure.

 

The campaign, described by analysts as one of the most coordinated waves of attacks in years, is neither peculiar to Nigeria nor limited to finance. Organisations in telecommunications, healthcare, government, energy, technology and corporate registries across Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa have been targeted by the same wave of intrusions, underscoring the borderless nature of modern cybercrime.

 

The data is stark: CheckPoint, a leading international cybersecurity firm, reports a 115 per cent surge in attacks on the global financial sector last year, with organisations worldwide facing thousands of attempted intrusions weekly. The current campaign has been linked to threat actors that have struck more than 35 organisations across several countries and sectors.

 

Despite the onslaught, banking services and digital channels across Nigeria remain fully operational and customer deposits safe. Banks activated their incident response protocols as soon as reports emerged, working closely with regulators, law enforcement and international cybersecurity partners to investigate and strengthen their defences. Nigerian banks operate some of the most advanced cybersecurity infrastructure on the continent, backed by years of sustained investment in protecting customer information and assets. Experts note that resilience in an era of global cyber warfare lies not in immunity from attack, which no organisation can claim, but in the speed and rigour of response, and on that measure the industry has acted decisively and in full compliance with regulatory requirements.

 

The banking public is, however, urged to remain vigilant. Fraudsters often exploit moments of heightened attention with fake calls, text messages and emails. Customers should never divulge personal or banking information, including passwords, PINs, One-Time Passwords (OTPs), card details or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), to anyone over the telephone, however convincing the caller sounds; no bank will ever ask for these details.

 

They should also avoid opening suspicious emails, clicking unfamiliar links or downloading attachments from unknown senders. Anyone who suspects foul play or unusual account activity should contact their bank immediately, and only through its dedicated official channels: verified customer care lines, official websites, mobile applications or branches.

 

 

As governments and corporations worldwide race to shore up their digital defences, the message from the Nigerian banking industry is one of calm and confidence: the system is safe, deposits are secure, and the institutions entrusted with the nation’s savings remain watchful and prepared.

 

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