To strengthen the efficiency of law enforcement agencies in the country in the fight against crimes and criminality, President Bola Tinubu has commissioned the ultramodern and digitalized National Cybercrime Centre.
In a message to the ceremony, President Tinubu stated that the government is committed to investing in Nigeria’s police force through the procurement of sufficient arms, weapons, and other equipment, as well as recruitment and continuous training to boost the number, quality, and preparedness of the police personnel.
Represented by the Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani at the cybercrime center in Abuja, the President said the emerging development of technology, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the advent of 5G technology have all contributed to widening the scope and diversity of cyberspace threats.
He 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.
“This administration remains resolute in the fight against all forms of criminality. As emerging and rapid categories of offenses, cybercrimes 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.”
“Since 2020, Nigeria has witnessed an unprecedented surge in the use of social media to spread inflammatory messages and incite violence and unrest,” Tinubu noted.
He further said the present administration is committed to enhancing the social security of Nigerians and tackling the economic and security challenges facing the country by providing a platform that will improve the nation’s credibility as a safe designation for foreign investment in the digital world.
President Tinubu charged the Inspector General of Police to effectively utilize the facility to protect Nigeria’s cyberspace which will enhance the national development and economic progress of the country.
“It is my hope the center 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 collaborative efforts to stem the complex security threats posed by organized state actors and the elimination of interagency rivalry.
Also in his message, the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam, represented by the Director of Police Services Department, Ibrahim Muhammad, noted that the highest form of criminality today takes place in cyberspace, especially among younger ones, causing a lot of harm and havoc in society.
Gaidam revealed that there is an ongoing project entitled “National Criminal Data Fusion Centre” at the NPF Headquarters aimed at digitalizing crime data records and sharing crime information among the various security agencies in the country. 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 center.
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 offenses.
“This center represents a new frontier in law enforcement where we are leveraging cutting-edge tools, expertise, and partnership to protect, investigate, and combat cybercrime.”
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