Olanipekun Olukoyede, EFCC chairman
Consequent upon the rising cybercrime in Nigeria, the government has underlined the need to guard privacy of citizens. The measure was stressed at a multi-sectoral stakeholders’ meeting on cybercrime, organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja.
Solicitor-General of the Federation (SGF) and Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Beatrice Jeddy-Agba, alongside Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, regretted that new technology had made it easier and smarter for cyber criminals to explore vulnerabilities on digital platforms to perfect their nefarious acts.
They stressed that as technology rapidly evolves, the complexity and scale of cyber threats increase, hence the need to tackle the dangers that come with the negative impacts of the Internet.
The SGF, in a welcome address, noted that the digital transformation, which has redefined life in the post-COVID era, was, regrettably too, promoting cyber misdeeds.
In his goodwill message the EFCC chairman revealed that as an agency charged to sanitise the financial system, “we have successfully investigated and prosecuted several cases of cybercrime, and so far recorded 395 convictions in advance fee fraud and 1,084 cybercrime convictions in 2023.”
Also, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, said the development was posing a serious threat to the socio-economic life of Nigerians. He, therefore, urged agencies of government to collaborate against the menace.
Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber security, Afolabi Salisu, observed that the Cybercrime Act 2015 needed to be reviewed to tackle the problem. The lawmaker expressed the willingness of his lawmakers to come to the exercise in earnest.