The Federal Government of Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK) on Tuesday signed a multilateral Memorandum of Understanding to jointly fight cybercrimes in both countries .
Nigeria Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, signed the document for Nigeria while Minister of State, Home Affairs, Lord David Hanson signed for the UK.
Speaking at the launch of the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime (JCTC), the AGF said is in response for a coordinated and robust approach to fighting cybercrimes as contemplated in the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended.
According to him, the launch of the JCTC is the birth of a vision built on a collaborative approach to combatting the menace of cybercrime as well as a vision that finds its foundation in the principles of synergy, coordination and mutual respect among institutions committed to justice.
He said while there is the need for a national legal framework for combatting cybercrime, it is important to note that, laws alone cannot win battles, stressing the need to equip, unite and empower the people who interpret, enforce and apply the laws to act swiftly, cohesively and effectively.
He said an effective criminal justice response requires seamless cooperation between relevant actors – the investigators and prosecutors, noting that cybercriminals may exploit lack of coordination.
He said members of the JCTC are drawn from, the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrimes Centre (NPFNCCC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (NgCert), Office of the National Security Adviser, Federal Ministry of Justice and the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
Fagbemi said that JCTC is not meant to usurp statutory powers of individual team members, but a model rooted in respect for institutional mandates, promoting inter-agency relationship and intelligence sharing.
“It envisions a justice system not stifled by bureaucratic bottlenecks but driven by the common goal of achieving efficiency; where investigators and prosecutors work side by side, from the very onset of a case—aligning strategies, harnessing resources, harmonizing efforts, building capacity and ultimately collectively achieving desired results,” he said.
On his part, the Minister of State, Home Affairs of the UK, Lord David Hanson said the MoU entered into between UK and the Nigerian government will tackle the issue of cybercrime and crack down cyber criminals in Nigeria.
He added that the agreement will help develop the economy of Nigeria and that of the United Kingdom.
He assured of the commitment of the United Kingdom to support Nigeria in the fight against cybercrimes and to bring cyber criminals to justice.