The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday ordered the expansion of the activities of the Nigeria Police Force, National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), to the existing Force Criminal Investigations Department Annex offices to facilitate the efficient handling of matters related to the Cybercrimes Prohibition, Prevention Amendment Act 2024.

A statement by Force Spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said, the NPF-NCCC will now have operational offices at the FCID Annex offices in Lagos, Kaduna, Gombe, and Enugu States.

This, he said, will help in professionally coordinating and monitoring smooth investigations of cyber-related infractions reported to the police.

“Following the recent upsurge in the creation and circulation of misinformative and dis-informative materials and other cyber-related crimes, capable of causing a breakdown of law and order and attempting to discredit the country, using the various social media platforms, it has become expedient to take proactive and strategic steps to nip this trend in the bud in order to prevent damage to the peaceful coexistence of well-meaning citizens and residents of our great country,” he said.

The police boss said the expansion of the Centre will significantly enhance the NPF’s ability to combat cybercrime, enabling prompt and coordinated responses to cyber threats across the nation. Egbetokun also reassured the public of the NPF’s steadfast commitment to securing digital spaces and ensuring the safety and security of all Nigerians.

Also the Director General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, seeks collaboration with Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), to further protect NIMC’s data and digital infrastructure, combat cybercrime, and enhance national security.

Welcoming the NIMC team to his office in Abuja, the Director of NPF-NCCC and Head of INTERPOL Africa Cybercrime Units, CP Uche Ifeanyi Henry, emphasised the importance of collaboration.

According to him, though NIMC’s protection is strong, we seek to provide an additional layer of security, which is the responsibility of the Nigeria Police Force to protect lives and properties, including our digital information infrastructure and that of the Federal Government and NIMC.

He also highlighted the Centre’s core responsibilities and success stories.

Addressing recent concerns about the security of NIMC’s database, the Director of NPF-NCCC reassured that “we swiftly conducted profiling and analysis upon hearing concerns about the security of NIMC’s database. Our forensic analysis confirmed that the database is indeed secure”.

The visit, he said underscored the importance of stakeholder engagement in creating a more secure digital landscape.