Prolonged Battle against Cybercrime

Cybercrime is an image nightmare for Nigeria.  Cybercrime is any illegal activity that uses a computer as its primary means and also includes any illegal activity that uses a computer for the storage of evidence.

Cybercrimes include crimes that have been made possible by computers, such as network intrusions and the dissemination of computer viruses, as well as computer-based variations of existing crimes, such as identity theft, stalking, bullying and terrorism.

But in Nigeria, the most common ones are: identity theft, desktop counterfeiting, cyber harassment and fraudulent electronic mails.

There are also Automated Teller Machine spoofing, pornography, piracy, hacking, phishing and spamming all conspiring to the notoriety of Nigeria as sanctuary for internet fraudsters.

The exceptional outbreak of cybercrimes in Nigeria is alarming, and the impact on the country’s socio-economy is damning.

That is why, the recently passed cybercrime bill by the Senate, which is now awaiting presidential endorsement is a welcome development.

It is victory of 10 years of efforts for a framework to safeguard the nation’s presence in cyberspace while ensuring protection of critical national information infrastructure.

The cybercrime bill, which was sponsored by Senator Adegbenga Kaka, representing Ogun East Senatorial Zone, among other things, stipulates a seven-year jail term for all kinds of computer-related frauds, computer-related forgery, offences relating to pornography, cyber-stalking and cyber-squatting.

The seven-year jail term was contained in a bill for an Act to provide for the prohibition, prevention, detection, response, investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes and for other related matters 2014.

The bill also seeks to punish interception of data, system interference and misuse of devices, and to promote cyber security, protection of computer systems and networks, electronic communications, data and computer programmes, intellectual property and privacy rights.

Also, anyone found guilty of possessing a manipulative device, unauthorised ATM card, damaging a computer with the intention to defraud, trafficking in any password to defraud customers or financial institutions would be sentenced to seven years imprisonment or a N7 million fine.

When the bill is signed into law, government must create lines of duty to avoid supremacy disagreements among law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies.

Also knowledgeable and committed champions who must stay ahead of criminals should be put in charge of cybercrime administration.

For the law succeed, there is also need for the enactment of substantive laws to criminalize malevolent activities on the internet; capacity building; cooperation between actors (Private or Public); establishment of Institutional framework for coordinating cybersecurity efforts; enactment of related Bills to strengthen the cybersecurity framework.