Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa has stated that intelligence- driven investigations are crucial to tackling internet- related offences.
He stated this on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, at a Regional Workshop on Cybersecurity and Digitalization, organized by the African Center of Excellence on Technology Enhanced Learning, ACETEL, in Abuja.
According to him, digital technologies are quite effective and reliable in cracking cyber offences. He explained that most internet- related crimes are facilitated by poor cybersecurity or the lack of it. “It is pertinent to state that most of these offences were either perpetrated because of absence of use of technology or absence of proper cybersecurity”, he said.
He said EFCC remains one of the few government establishments that conducts intelligence and science-based investigations and prosecution of economic and financial crimes. “Interestingly, the Commission has leveraged on the advantages and opportunities that digital technologies provide in securing convictions and recoveries through the use of electronic and forensic investigation tools”, he said.
Bawa, who spoke through DCE Mohammed Bello of the Information and Communication Technology Department, expressed optimism that the “workshop with the theme: ‘Harnessing Cybersecurity Strategies for Accelerating Digitalization in West Africa,’ will change the narrative for a better and prosperous digital West African sub region.”
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isah Ali Pantami, who spoke through Professor Sahalu Junaidu, emphasized the need to secure Africa’s cyberspace and its citizens. “I would like to reiterate the importance of ensuring that Africa’s cyberspace is safe and secure for citizens”, he said. To achieve this, he said, “capacity building and collaboration are some of the areas that should be prioritized.”
Vice Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, Professor Olufemi Peters urged participants to come up with ways that can securely transform the cyberspace. “Let us continue to interrogate our systems and peculiar circumstances and come up with ways through which we can securely transform the digital space of our society”, he said.
In his own submissions, Director ACETEL, Professor Grace Jokthan, called on the participants to utilize the opportunity to learn the work and business skills of the future for better work efficiency, safety and growth.
The workshop was organised by ACETEL in collaboration with the EFCC, National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, African Center of Excellence in Mathematical Sciences, Computer Science and Application, CEA-SMIA, and the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
29 March, 2022
