THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has directed the expansion of the activities of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC) to the existing Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) annex offices.
The expansion is to enable the efficient handling of matters related to Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act 2024.
This was disclosed by the spokesperson of the NPF, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Tuesday, July 2.
According to the NPF, the development followed the recent increase in the creation and circulation of misinformation and disinformative materials and other cyber-related crimes, capable of causing a breakdown of law and order.
In addition, it is an attempt to tackle attempts to discredit the country through various social media platforms.
The IGP said it had become reasonable to take bold and strategic steps to nip the habit in the bud to prevent damage to the peaceful coexistence of well-meaning citizens and residents of the country.
“Consequently, the NCCC will now have operational offices at the FCID annex offices in Lagos, Kaduna, Gombe, and Enugu States. This will help in professionally coordinating and monitoring smooth investigations of cyber-related infractions reported to the police.
“The Inspector-General of Police therefore reiterates that the expansion of the Centre will significantly enhance the NPF’s ability to combat cybercrime, enabling prompt and coordinated responses to cyber threats across the nation”.
He reassured the public of the NPF’s steadfast commitment to securing digital spaces and ensuring the safety and security of all Nigerians.
Egbetokun reiterated that the Centre’s expansion would significantly enhance the NPF’s ability to combat cybercrime, enabling prompt and coordinated responses to cyber threats.
The ICIR reported that following the IGP’s order, departments previously investigating cybercrimes now operate under the Force National Cybercrime Centre.
The Centre is domiciled in the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) at the national headquarters in Abuja.
The ICIR reports that the Centre has been used to hound and harrass journalists, despite the constitutional mandate given to the media practitioners to hold the government and its agencies to account.
In May, the Centre invited The ICIR management and one of its reporters, Nurudeen Akewushola, over an investigation that exposed the corrupt acts of two former Inspectors-General of Police, Solomon Arase and Ibrahim Idris and other top officers of the Force.
On Wednesday, May 1, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) Daniel Ojukwu was abducted by officials of the Nigerian Police and detained at the NPF-NCCC for ten days.
Before his abduction, former editor of First News Segun Olatunji was also abducted and detained for nearly two weeks by operatives of the Nigerian military before being released.
A foremost lawyer, Femi Falana, declared that arresting journalists based on cyberstalking and criminal intimidation charges is unlawful.
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