Nigerian President Pledges to Equip Police.

President Bola Tinubu has vowed to empower the Nigeria Police Force with more weapons, training, and personnel to boost its capacity to fight crimes.

The pledge was made by the president on Wednesday in Abuja at the inauguration of the Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC) and the Nigeria Police Force Resource Centre.

Tinubu, represented by the person of Dr Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy said the pledge would boost the number, quality, and preparedness of personnel of the Nigeria Police. He said the building and inauguration of the NPF-NCCC were to increase national security in line with the policy objectives of reforming the Nigeria Police Force.

Tinubu said Nigeria has witnessed a rise in threats posed by cybercriminals, online financial fraudsters, and cyber terrorists who use the internet to coordinate and carry out their destabilizing and nefarious activities.

He has also noted that the rapid emergence of technologies, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the advent of 5G technology have all contributed to widening the scope and diversity of cyber-based threats.

The president emphasized the fact that the country had, since 2020, witnessed an unprecedented surge in the use of social media to spread subversive messages and incite violence and unrest. He added that the Federal Government was taking major policy decisions to review the National Cybercrime strategies to mitigate the multifaceted threats posed by cybercrimes.

According to him, the objective is to usher in a bright future, driven by prosperous cyberspace and digital economy in the country. He said the Federal Government was committed to prioritizing the security of Nigeria’s cyberspace and enhancing the social security of Nigerians.

Tinubu explained that the idea was to tackle the economic and security challenges facing the country and also, provide a platform to improve the credibility of Nigeria as a safe destination for foreign investment.

The president encouraged the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Olukayode Egbetokun to effectively utilize the facilities at the NPF-NCCC to protect Nigeria’s cyberspace and enhance national development and economic progress.

“It is my hope that this center will complement the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in the protection of the country’s national infrastructures by enabling a greater level of screening of online activities.

“The security situation in the country is a complex blend of threats posed by well-organized non-state actors

“Addressing it requires a concerted approach by all stakeholders within the security architecture

“I, therefore, called for the elimination of interagency rivalries and urge the law enforcement agencies to embrace a coordinated collaborative approach,” he said.

In his remark, the I-G said the inauguration of the center would serve as a nerve center to revolutionize the act of policing in Nigeria in the fight against cyber threats. He said the NPF-NCCC was part of a commitment by the Nigeria Police to harness technology, innovation, and collaboration to address the growing challenges posed by cybercrimes.

Egbetokun emphasized that the center is a new frontier where law enforcement personnel leverage forensic tools, expertise, and partnerships to detect, investigate, and combat cybercrimes in all forms.