CYBERCRIME IN NIGERIA: THE WAY OUT

CYBERCRIME IN NIGERIA: THE WAY OUT
Cybercrime can be defined as a crime committed on a computer network especially the internet (www.dictionary.com). But on an advanced note, cybercrime is described by wordnet as the crime committed using a computer and the internet to steal a person’s identity or sell contraband or stalk victims or disrupt operations with malevolent programs. Computer crimes began as far back as the 1970’s but it didn’t begin in Nigeria until the early part of the new millennium just after information technology was brought into the country by the federal government. Thereafter, cybercrime has become a source of unrest for Nigerian government as it has ensured the blacklisting of Nigeria as one of the topmost countries involved in the crime. As at now Nigeria is rated 70th in the world of cybercrime.
This lingering issue has gone a long way to tarnish the image of Nigeria and Nigerians all around the Diaspora, hence it has become a very sensitive issue that needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. But firstly we need to understand the vices used in perpetrating this act in Nigeria. These vices include:
• Hacking of people’s credit cards in order to purchase goods or contraband, smuggle it into the country via courier services and thereafter re-sell these goods at cheaper rates that are just financially benefiting for the hacker in question. At times, these goods are even sold at the country of purchase by a friend or an agent (who is a resident) who in turn takes his/her own share and sends the rest of the money to the hacker.
• Setting up an illegitimate and fake business deal with a foreigner who perhaps out of his/her gullible or greedy nature is willing to invest in a business that would supposedly bring him/her more fortune. The swindler even goes to the length produces fake documents (with picture displays) in the name of a company, bank or even federal government as evidence of a legitimate transaction. After, the swindling is done, the victim cries foul play to the government who after series of investigation would discover that the whole deal was fake in the first place. By then the swindler would have disappeared into thin air. This kind of vice had been used to defraud individuals and companies in the past.
• The third and most active vice is the use of dating sites as a means of extracting money from a foreigner. The foreigner who may have faced a lot of heartbreaks would unknowingly play into hands of a ghost cyber date. For ladies, mere sweet messages and empty marriage promises would make them easy preys particularly the aged working class ladies, single mothers and divorcees. For the men, they fall prey to beautiful pictures of models used as profile pictures of their so-called dates. Most at times, they are being dealt with by the popular ‘YAHOO BOYS’ who even pay ladies to regularly converse with their ‘magas’ so as to make all seem right. The victims actually send money continuously in order to show their undying love for their date who in return would use the foreign currency obtained to live large in the Nigeria.
The causes of such criminal acts are as follows;
• The poverty rate and the unemployment rate particularly of graduates in the country.
• Inability to secure admission into tertiary institutions and also the expensive rate of schooling in the country.
• Other factors include greed, peer pressure and youthful exuberance.
After all said and done, the federal government, corporate bodies and Nigerians in general should join hands together to find a lasting solution to the crime that threatens to spoil our image in the globe. These are the ways I personally devised to help solve this heinous crime. They include;
• Passing a bill in the senate that allows for a more strict punitive measures for not only cybercrimes but also fraud-related crimes
• Creation of a corrupt-free and extremely viable body that would be responsible for tracking the activities of fraudsters and cybercriminals. This body should collaborate effectively with foreign internet service providers like Microsoft, Yahoo, Google etc in order to enable them work efficiently.
• Massive creation of sustainable jobs and creation of youth empowerment programs in form of sports competitions, Music and dance contests(like Malta Guinness street dance, Sprite triple slam, Project fame, West African idol and so on ),I.T-oriented contests. All these helps to enable those with immense skills to be more productive for the country rather than waste away their talents on cybercrimes and fraud.
• Provision of an absolutely free education by the federal government and enhancing an easier means of securing admission into tertiary institutions.
• Finally, in line with the federal government’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), they should provide loans for graduates and other enterprising citizens that are interested in self-employment through small and medium scale enterprises (S.M.E’s).
All these initiatives and ideas if adhered to, I believe will go a long way to reduce cybercrime rate, fraudulent acts and other crime related offences in the country. Maga no need pay o!!!