President Bola Tinubu has pledged to empower the Nigeria Police Force with more weapons, training and personnel to boost its capacity to fight crimes.
The President pledged 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 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 had witnessed a rise in threats posed by cyber criminals, online financial fraudsters and cyber terrorists who use the internet to coordinate and carry out their destabilising and nefarious activities.
According to him, 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 stressed that the country had, since 2020, witnessed an unprecedented surge in the use of social media to spread inflammatory 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 into the country.
He said the Federal Government was committed to prioritising the security of Nigeria’s cyberspace and enhancing the social security of Nigerians.
