The Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, tasked the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to prioritise the security of the nation’s cyberspace, as his administration is committed to enhance the social security of Nigerians and tackle the economic and security challenges facing the country while also providing the country with a platform to improve its credibility as a safe destination for foreign direct investment in the digital world.
He also noted that since 2020, Nigeria has witnessed an unprecedented surge in the use of social media to spread subversive messages and incite violence and unrest.
Tinubu, who gave this directive, while commissioning the ultramodern and digitalised national cybercrime centre and Nigeria police resource centre, in Abuja, also called for the elimination of inter-agency rivalries and urge the law enforcement agencies to embrace a coordinated, and collaborative approach.
Represented by Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, the president, also disclosed that the federal government has taken a number of major policy decisions, including the review of the National Cybercrime Strategy, which will work towards mitigating multifaceted threats posed by cybercrimes.
President Tinubu also urged the Inspector General of Police to effectively utilise the facility to protect Nigeria’s cyberspace and ensure that it is used for the enhancement of national development and economic progress.
He said: “It is my hope that this centre will complement the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA), in the protection of our critical national infrastructures by enabling a greater level of scrutiny of the online activities of those who seek to cause damage to our national interests. The security situation in the country is a complex blend of threats posed by well-organised non-state actors”.
He noted that addressing this threat requires a concerted approach by all stakeholders within the security architecture. President Tinubu expressed hope that the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre will surpass the projected expectation of the Nigerian people and the international community and serve to help rid the nation of the effects of cyber-enabled crime.
He noted that the Nigerian Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre, is built to strengthen the operational efficiency of law enforcement agencies, to improve national security, in line with his policy objective of reforming the Nigerian Police Force.
He expressed commitment to invest further in the Nigerian Police Force, through procurement of sufficient arms, weapons, and other critical equipment, as well as recruitment and continuous training to boost the number, quality, and preparedness of police personnel.
Nigeria, he said, is witnessing a rise in threats posed by cyber criminals, online financial fraudsters, and cyber Terrorists who use the Internet to coordinate and carry out their destabilising and nefarious activities.
“Our objective is to usher Nigeria into a bright future driven by prosperous cyberspace and digital economy,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun said the centre will serve as the nerve centre of revolutionising the art of policing in Nigeria and indeed the entire Sub-Saharan Africa in the fight against cyber threats.
He said the Nigerian Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre embodies the nation’s commitment to harnessing technology, innovation, and collaboration to address the growing challenges posed by cyber crime and its predicate offenses.
“By prioritising our national security, we have developed the capacity and expertise in digital forensic as a provocative step to safeguarding our critical national information infrastructure, protecting our citizens, and upholding the rule of law in the digital realm,” Egbetokun said.
Ikechukwu Aleke
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