The Director, NPF-NCCC and Chairman, INTERPOL Africa Working Group on Cybercrime, CP Uche Ifeanyi Henry Calls for Collaborative Efforts to Secure Nigeria's Cyberspace.
On May 25, 2024 , CP Uche Ifeanyi Henry, Director of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC) and Chairman, INTERPOL Africa Working Group on Cybercrime, has called on all cybersecurity stakeholders to work together to protect Nigeria's cyberspace. This appeal was made during the 2024 conference of the Committee of Chief Information Security Officers of Nigerian Financial Institutions (CCISONFI), held in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State. The conference, themed "Driving Cyber Resilience in the Age of Emerging Technologies," brought together key players in the cybersecurity sector to discuss current challenges and strategies.
In his address, CP Uche emphasized the critical need for a unified approach to combating cybercrime. He expressed disappointment over the non-compliance of financial institutions with court orders, highlighting instances where some account officers of some banking institutions facilitated the transfer of fraudulent funds for cyber criminals before adhering to the required Post No Debit (PND) directives which is very instrumental to our investigation.
CP Uche further stated that "Collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center by cybersecurity experts will significantly reduce cybercriminal activities in our country,". He underscored the alarming level of coordination among cybercriminals globally, stressing that cybercrime is a transborder issue that demands a coordinated and robust collaboration between all relevant stakeholders.
Despite these challenges, CP Uche proudly shared some successes achieved by the NPF-NCCC over the past six months. These accomplishments include the recovery and repatriation of thousands of dollars, the retrieval of over one billion naira, and the conviction of more than twelve cybercriminals.
He concluded by reiterating the importance of continued collaboration and information sharing among stakeholders. "We can not do it alone, The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center cannot do it alone , hence the need for maximum cooperation, transparency and seamless collaboration.
We need all the support and valuable information we can get from all stakeholders to aid our investigations and combat cybercrime effectively in Nigeria.
