Tinubu unveils National Cybercrime Centre

• Tinubu calls for collaboration to address complex security threats.
• Inspector general of police hails cybercrime centre as new frontier.

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a modern and technologically advanced National Cybercrime Centre, aimed at boosting the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies nationwide.

The Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, presented the president’s address at the launch event in Abuja.

The government has pledged to enhance the capabilities of Nigeria’s police force by providing adequate resources, including modern arms, weapons, and equipment, as well as implementing recruitment drives and ongoing training programs to increase the quantity, quality, and readiness of police officers.

His words: “This administration remains resolute in the fight against all forms of criminality. As emerging and rapid categories of offences, 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 destabilising 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.

“Since 2020, Nigeria has witnessed an unprecedented surge in the use of social media to spread inflammatory messages and incite violence and unrest,” the president noted.

Tinubu stated that the Federal Government has set up several major policy decisions, including the review of the cybercrime plan, which would work towards mitigating multiple crimes posed by cybercriminals.

He added that the present administration is committed to enhancing the social security of Nigerians and tackling the economic and security challenges facing the country while also providing a platform to improve the nation’s credibility as a safe designation for foreign investment in the digital world.

The president urged the Inspector General of Police to effectively utilise the facility to protect Nigeria’s cyberspace and ensure that it is used to enhance the national development and economic progress of the country.

“It is my hope the centre will complement the ONSA in the protection of critical national infrastructure and the scrutiny of online activities of those who seek to cause damage to our national interests,” he said.

The president calls for the elimination of interagency rivalry and embraces collaborative efforts to stem the complex security threats posed by organised state actors.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam, represented by the Director of Police Services Department, Ibrahim Muhammad, pointed out that the highest form of criminality today takes place in cyberspace and has continued to spread like wildfire, especially among younger ones, causing a lot of harm and havoc in society.

He commended the efforts of the Nigeria Police Force for its swift and proactive measures in curtailing this cyber menace in our society by building the cybercrime centre.

Gaidam revealed that there is an ongoing project entitled “National Criminal Data Fusion Centre” at the NPF Headquarters that is aimed at digitalizing crime data records and sharing crime information among the various security agencies in the country. The project, he said, “will be ready for commissioning as soon as the expected fund is released for its completion.”

Earlier, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said: “The NPF National Cybercrime Centre emboldens our commitment to harnessing technology innovation and collaboration to address the growing challenges posed by cybercrimes and their related offences.

“This centre represents a new frontier in law enforcement where we are leveraging cutting-edge tools, expertise, and partnership to protect, investigate and combat cybercrime.”