The Lagos State Judiciary on Tuesday convened a webinar through the Lagos State Remote Court as part of its efforts to address the menace of cybercrime in Nigeria.
The webinar, titled “Cyber Offences in the Digital Stratosphere: Civil and Criminal Implications Tackling the Menace,” attracted distinguished guests and members of the Lagos State Judiciary, including Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, JSC (CFR) rtd; Lawal Pedro (SAN), Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice Lagos State; Justice Mosediq Adeniji Kazeem, SAN, and other esteemed individuals, who participated in the event following the new legal year ceremony on September 23, 2024.
During the event, as one of the speakers, focusing on the criminal aspect of the theme, Justice Elfrieda Oluwayemisi Williams-Dawodu, addressed the implications of cybercrime in Nigeria by highlighting the country’s reputation as a hub for cybercrime. This has resulted in restrictions from international platforms such as PayPal and Visa, which either limit or refuse transactions from Nigeria.
To combat the menace of cybercrime, Williams-Dawodu underscored the importance of collaboration among various sectors, including government, international entities, individuals, and industries.
“There is need to strengthen the legal framework by continuously reviewing and updating laws to reflect the evolving nature of cyber threats. The Cybercrime Prohibitions Act is a great start but laws must adopt as technology advances,” Williams-Dawodu said.
On government’s part, she stressed the need for the government to strengthen the existing legal framework to effectively address cyber offenses.
“There is need to strengthen the legal framework by continuously reviewing and updating laws to reflect the evolving nature of cyber threats. The Cybercrime Prohibitions Act is a great start but laws must adopt as technology advances,” Williams-Dawodu said.
She emphasized the importance of empowering law enforcement agencies with the necessary financial and technical resources to effectively combat cyber threats, including the establishment of specialized cybercrime units.
Williams-Dawodu highlighted the critical need for continuous training for law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and prosecutors to enhance their capabilities in addressing cybercrime.
She stressed the significance of digital forensics and evidence preservation as essential areas of expertise to secure convictions and deter potential criminals.
Williams-Dawodu commended the government’s efforts in the right direction, particularly with the implementation of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Executive Order of 2024, which integrates AI into Nigeria’s security framework.
Furthermore, she underscored the importance of international collaboration in tackling cybercrime, emphasizing the need for Nigeria to engage in treaties and collaborative efforts such as the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime to harmonize cyber laws across jurisdictions.
In addition, Williams-Dawodu said it is necessity to promote public campaigns to raise awareness about cybersecurity among individuals and businesses. According to her, the importance of educating people on the dangers of cybercrime and best practices for protecting themselves, particularly as many individuals and small businesses remain vulnerable to attacks like phishing and ransomware due to a lack of awareness.
Cybercrime: Origin of cyber offences
Regarding the origin of cyber offenses, Williams-Dawodu revealed that cybercrime began to emerge in the 1970s and 1980s, with hackers experimenting on early computer systems. She cited the first major attack, the infamous “Morris Worm” in 1988, where a graduate student named Robert Tappan Morris at Cornell University released a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that infected 6,000 of computers (10% of the internet at the time), causing significant damages, estimated between $100,000 to $1 million.
However, she pointed out that not all hacking is considered an offence, as some are conducted legally for beneficial purposes.
What is cybercrime?
Cybercrime is a form of criminal activity that targets or utilizes a computer, computer network, or networked device. The majority of cybercrime is carried out by cybercriminals or hackers with the primary goal of financial gain. However, there are instances where cybercrime is motivated by political or personal reasons, leading to the intentional damage of computers or networks.
Cybercrime can be perpetrated by individuals or organised groups, ranging from highly skilled experts to novice hackers. The various types of cybercrime include email and internet fraud, identity theft, financial data theft, corporate data theft, cyberextortion, ransomware attacks, cryptojacking, cyberespionage, network compromise, copyright infringement, illegal gambling, and the sale of illegal items online.
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