An Assessment of the Impact of Municipal Laws on the Policing of Cybercrimes in Nigeria
[Article]
Dr. Rasul Oriyomi Olukolu
Leiden
Brill | Nijhoff
Internet crime can be defined as unlawful acts using the computer as either a tool or a target or both. Internet networks are used positively to conduct businesses, manage industrial and governmental activities, engage in personal communications, and conduct research. Also, certain confidential information is stored or passed through the medium of the internet. Credit cards containing information of users are used as the major means of buying and selling on the internet. Information infrastructure has become a critical part of the backbone of global economies; therefore, it is imperative that the general public be able to rely on the availability of such informational services with confidence that their communications and data are safe from unauthorized access or modification. It then becomes important for these and other information to be more secured. However, the speed of the internet, its affordability, and its elimination of distance make the internet the hotbed of crimes globally. Cybercrime growth has skyrocketed in recent times, especially in Nigeria; hence, the need for immediate action by law makers to stem the tide. This research, therefore, examines the adequacy or otherwise of the Nigerian legal framework in checking crimes being perpetrated using the internet as a platform with a view to making useful suggestions.