Cybercrime is a fast-growing area of crime. More and more criminals are exploiting the speed, convenience and anonymity of the Internet to commit a diverse range of criminal activities that know no borders, either physical or virtual.
Cybercrime uses the unique features of the Net – sending of e-mail in seconds, speedy publication/dissemination of information through the web to anyone on the planet. Computer attacks can be generated by criminals from anywhere in the world, and executed in other areas, irrespective of geographic location. And often these criminal activities can be faster, easier and more damaging with the use of the Internet.
Since the loss suffered by consumers and investors creates serious credibility and image problems, many countries develop strategies for preventing, detecting and containing the threats associated with cybercrime.
Nigeria is not left out in the drive to protect its citizens from attacks from cyber criminals, hence the passage of the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention Act recently by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The Cybercrime Act signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan on May 15, 2015, lists offences and penalties for cybercrimes including unlawful access to computers; unlawful operation of cybercafés; system interference; intercepting electronic messages, emails; e-money transfer; tampering with critical infrastructure; computer-related forgery; theft of electronic devices; electronic signature; child pornography and related offences, racism and xenophobic offences.
The objectives of this Act are to provide an effective and unified legal, regulatory and institutional framework for the prohibition, prevention, detection, prosecution and punishment of cybercrimes in Nigeria by ensuring the protection of critical national information infrastructure and promoting cyber security and the protection of computer systems and networks’ electronic communications, data and computer programs’ intellectual property and privacy rights.
The director of public affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Tony Ojobo, who three more light on the Act listed its other objectives, saying the president may, on the recommendation of the National Security Adviser, by order published in the federal gazette, designate certain computer systems or networks, whether physical or virtual, the computer programs, computer data or traffic data vital to this country that incapacity or destruction of or interference with such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national or economic security, national public health and safety or any combination of those matters as constituting critical national information infrastructure.
Listing punishable offences under the Act and subsequent penalties, Ojobo said a person who, with intent commits any offence punishable under this Act against any critical national information infrastructure designated under section 3 of the Act, would be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not more than 10 years without option of fine.
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