President Bola Tinubu has commissioned the ultramodern and digitalized National Cybercrime Centre to strengthen the efficiency of law enforcement agencies in the country.
The president, who was represented by the minister of communication, innovation, and digital economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, said that the government was committed to investing in Nigeria Police Force through the procurement of sufficient arms, weapons, and other equipment as well as recruitment and continuous training to boast the number, quality, and preparedness of the police personnel.
In his words, “This administration remains resolute in the fight against all forms of criminality. As emerging and rapid categories of offenses, cyber crimes are a new frontier in the battle. We are witnessing a rise in the threat posed by cybercriminals, online financial fraudsters, and cyber terrorists who use the internet to coordinate and carry out destabilizing and nefarious activities.”
He said the emerging development of technology, COVID-19 pandemic, and the advent of 5G technology have all contributed to widening the scope and diversity of cyberspace threats.
Tinubu stated that the federal government has set up several major policy decisions, including the review of the cybercrime plan, which would work toward mitigating multiple crimes posed by cybercriminals.
In his goodwill message, the minister of police affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, represented by the director of police services department, Mr. Ibrahim Muhammad, said the highest form of criminality today takes place in cyberspace and has continued to spread like wildfire, especially among the younger ones, causing a lot of harm and havoc to the society.
He commended the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force for their swift and proactive measures in curtailing this cyber menace in the society by building the Cyber Crime Center.
Earlier, the inspector general of police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, said that the modern digital technology facility will serve as a nerve centre of revolutionising the art of policing in Nigeria and indeed entire sub-Saharan Africa in the fight against cyber threats.
According to him, “The NPF National Cybercrime centre emboldens our commitment to harnessing technology innovation and collaboration to address the growing challenges posed by cybercrimes and its related offenses. This centre represents a new frontier in law enforcement where we are leveraging cutting edge tools, expertise, and partnership to protect, investigate and combat cybercrimes.”
