By Emmanuel Elebeke
With the increasing concern and efforts to curtail the spread of Cyber crime in Nigeria, an IT expert and head, corporate communications, NigcomSat limited, Sonny Aragba-Akpore has cited the growing internet usage and patronage as the reason responsible for the spread of the scourge in the country.

Aragba stated this at the 1st West African Cybercrime summit (waccs) recently hosted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

In a paper entitled “Challenges of Reporting Cyber crime in Nigerian Media”, Aragba saiduntil recently, very little was known about cybercrime in Nigeria, beyond semblances of advanced fee fraud “419” in the Nigerian criminal code. But with the advent of the EFCC , he said some of the hidden, often sublime crimes not only against the economy but also against humanity that is entangled and struggling for survival opened up.

The crime in Nigeria, according to him experienced a boom following the coming of internet into the country and may still be around for a while because there are no laws to curtail the scourge.

He explained that the evolution of telecommunications, especially after 2001 Digital Mobile Licensing (DMC) carried out by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) opened up the sector.

A period he said  access to telephone became more profound and soon commercial  internet flagged off  that saw several Internet Service Providers (ISPs) realized the need  to open up for businesses.

Besides the ISPs, he further explained that several fixed wireless operators also joined in the fray and began to offer internet services, coupled with the GSM operators who are now in high competition with the ISPs for a pie of internet users.

With these development, he said scammers do not need to visit cybercafés for their businesses but from the cozy comfort of their homes, their  business thrive.

While admitting the existence of a correlation between cybercrime and other forms of terrorism, espionage and foreign intelligence services without adequate legislation, Aragba  posited that it will be difficult for journalists to report adequately on the subject, especially in a country where there is a terrifying poverty, and nearly 64 percent of the populace lives under $1 per day, as indicated by the  United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

He also cited the low level of computer literacy in the country among public service officials as one of the major factors driving the spread of the scourge and advised that the federal, state and local government to make a deliberate policy to empower officials through ICT training.

This to him will help the public not to see computer as a piece of furniture but as a tool for knowledge.Another advise he offered  was that government should make e-government a way of life and take internet to all the nooks and crannies of the country.
Despite the hues and cries, he stated that cyber crime is not yet a big problem in Nigeria, and other African nations, but admitted that some pockets of Cyber crime related 419 cases in the region could truly pass as security threats.

He however, noted that threats via GSM networks could be real and for this reason, called on the government to expedite action in carrying out the much talked about SIM card registration, so that at any given time, Call Detail Records (CDR)of any terrorist act via GSM can be traced.

“Government should advise network operators not to activate any new line without adequate data on the owner, because since the internet is not yet a veritable tool for all, the GSM may well be a ready tool ,” he counseled.

While many countries like Estonia, Finland and Spain have declared internet as a right of its citizenry, the NigcomSat head of corporate communication regretted that Nigeria does not have the kind of law that could checkmate Cybercrime.

On the way forward, he advocated that government must realize the need to grow the economy from a mere consumer-based to knowledge-based economy that can withstand and check any threat whether cyber, terrorist or financial.

For him, laws should be made to deal with both predator and victim, since 419 is a two-way traffic, pointing out that  it will be a herculean task to legislate on a crime that little is known about , let alone controlling it .

He called for the speedy passage of the bill on Cyber crime, presently with the national Assembly charging the Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) in Africa  among other relevant agencies to rise up to their duties.