Don asks FG to develop single national database for crime prevention
Ini Billie, Uyo
The Federal Government has been urged to develop a single national database for cybercrime and train the police on cybercrime prevention.
Cybercrime expert, Dr Abasiama Akpan, Department of Computer Science, Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi said the creation of the database was necessary to track and check the spread of cybercrime in the country.
Speaking on a paper titled: “Cyber Crime and Cyber Security: A Painted Scenario of a New Type of War during a capacity building training for Information purveyors, journalists information officers and social media influencers on Monday in Uyo, Dr Akpan said Nigeria ranked third highest in the world with 5.9 per cent in cybercrime after United States and United Kingdom.
He mentioned cyber stalking, cyber defamation, threats, salami attack, 419 and seller frauds as cybercrime threats, saying if allowed unchecked, the devastation of cybercrime would be worse than the second world war.
“There is an urgent need to develop a single national database to gather and compile cybercrime data. There is a need for consistent training of the Nigerian Police in cybercrime prevention,” he said.
Explaining that cyber security entails industry and government defence strategies adopted to curb cyber criminality in cyberspace, and the protection of Internet-connected systems, both hardware and software from cyber-attacks, Akpan encouraged organisations to create cybercrime units to combat the threat.
While speaking, Mr Clifford Thoman, Executive Director of Foundation for Civic Education Human Rights and Development Advancement (FOCEHRADA) urged journalists to be conscious of their actions when using the internet saying, the abuse of computers and the internet super highway, has attracted regulations and rules that criminalize any abusive tendencies.
Thomas encouraged them to work within the confines of the law and the ethics of the profession while on the cyberspace saying journalists were been targeted by the ‘high and mighty’ when they falter.
“There are growing and stiff regulations these days. Lots of people are not aware of the consequences of some actions of theirs.
“Our eyes should be opened to the fact now that we are in the age of computers, the internet, cyber security, cyber offences and cybercrimes, and that Information purveyors are particularly targeted by the high and mighty in society.
“We must guard the God-given rights to Freedom of Information without destroying the rights of others. Our actions as journalists, information officers, social media influencers, publicists, information managers, etc, must be within the confines of the laws and ethics.
“As Mass Communicators, our strategies must be to build the society and her institutions,” he stated.
