FG taking steps to strengthen Cyber Justice Ecosystem

2026-02-26 - 16:57

The Federal Government is taking deliberate steps to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Nigerian cyber justice ecosystem, moving beyond conversation to concrete, technology-driven actions. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, made this known at the National Cascade Train The Trainer Leadership Retreat for the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime (JCTC) on Thursday in Abuja. Mrs Leticia Ayoola-Daniels, the Director of Administration for Criminal Justice Reforms at the Ministry of Justice, represented the minister. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that JCTC and its supporting partners, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, organised the retreat. The AGF said the programme was established to build a network of experts from Africa and the Caribbean to encourage cooperation, policy development and capacity building across the two regions. He said that it is no longer news that cybercrime is a global threat, increasingly complex, and costing trillions of dollars annually. “It is imperative to note at this point that enforcement alone cannot address the challenge; prevention must be structured, messaging must stay consistent, and capacity must be deliberately multiplied. Ransomware attacks have increased exponentially in recent years; online fraud schemes are evolving with alarming sophistication; and young people are being drawn into digital criminality at earlier ages, with low barriers to entry. “Also, sextortion, identity theft, cryptocurrency-enabled laundering, etc., have continued to test our enforcement architecture. “ Therefore, this training marks a mindset shift, forging trust, and moving from silos to shared mission in the fight against cybercrimes within the criminal justice sector and related stakeholders.’’ The minister commended the organisers for the depth of expertise in leadership facilitation and performance-based training, helping to translate vision into structured delivery and long-term impact. In her remarks, Mrs Jamila Ade, the head of JCTC and Commonwealth Africa Cyber Fellow, said the work being done through the Cyber Fellowship is invaluable as the exchange within the network has recorded some wins. She said the training reflects a deliberate decision to pause from the urgency of case files, court schedules, intelligence reports, and inter-agency coordination, to strengthen the very foundation upon which all of that work rests: leadership, mindset, and cohesion. She warned that cybercrime does not respect institutional boundaries nor wait for bureaucratic alignment but evolves rapidly, crosses jurisdictions seamlessly, and exploits every gap in coordination. “Our response, therefore, cannot be fragmented. It must be structured, disciplined, and united.’’ Dr Nkechi Amobi, the Senior Research Officer for the Commonwealth’s Cyber Capability programme, commended Nigeria and participating agencies for their continued commitment to strengthening the country’s response to cybercrime and protecting citizens in an increasingly digital society. Other speakers at the retreat included Mr Akeem Lawal, Director, ICT, NAPTIP; Deputy Director, NPF NCCC; Olufemi Akinola; and Dr Muhammad Jiya, COO of NIFU, among others. Vanguard News