Cybercrime: Salami urges proactive action

The Director-General of the Department for State Security Services, Mr. Ask Salami, has urged Nigerians to use proactive intelligence in the fight against cyber crimes in the country, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Salami made the call in a lecture entitled “Joining the global cyber crime and counter terrorism network: the way forward’’ which he delivered at a two-day Cyber crimes and Terrorism Nigeria congress, in Abuja, last weekend.

The lecture was organised by the Anti-Money Laundering and Security Coalition of the National Assembly.
Salami said that the country could not fight cyber crimes and terrorism unless proactive intelligence measures were put in place by the three arms of government, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

"Without proactive intelligence to fight against cyber crimes, we cannot achieve anything. Intelligence is important, if we must reduce crime to its minimum in the country," he said.

The DG also called for good governance, saying that it would help to win the minds and hearts of Nigerians away from crime.

"If our people have good governance they will be comfortable and will not think of committing cyber crimes," Salami said.

Other measures to fight cyber crimes, according to him, are sensitisation on the crime, provision of fund and adequate and modern equipment for security agencies.

Salami, however, called on Nigerians in Diaspora to always monitor the activities of Nigerian students so as to prevent them from being inducted into terrorism acts.

He called on the law makers to re-double their efforts in passing relevant bills and to make laws that would enhance the efforts of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission and other crime fighting institutions.

A discussant, Mr. Bala Sanga, said job creation and the use of appropriate measures on persons caught in cyber crimes and terrorism were important in combating cyber crimes.

On her part, President, African Women and Youth Organisation Against Violence and Segregation, an NGO, Princess Glory Okeke, called for a town hall meeting to disseminate information on cyber crimes to members of the public.
Also NAN reports that the seminar was attended by lawmakers, judiciary officers, NGOs, security agencies, government agencies, financial institutions and stakeholders within and outside the country.

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