MINISTER SEEKS CYBERCRIME SPECIALISTS TO SHAPE NIGERIA'S POLICING POLICY

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Two authors, Dr. Tombari Sibe and Prof. Christian Kaunert, have been invited to join the Federal Government’s Committee on National Policing Policy by Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of State for Police Affairs.

The book “Cybercrime, Digital Forensic Readiness, and Financial Crime Investigation in Nigeria” was just released by Sibe and Kaunert.

Kaunert is a professor of international security at Dublin City University’s School of Law and Government in Ireland, while Sibe, a lecturer in the Department of Computer Engineering at Rivers State University, is an expert in cybersecurity and digital forensics with more than 20 years of experience in information technology consulting.

The minister maintained that the committee needed specialists like Sibe and Kaunert, claiming that it was under formation.

He stated that the authors would contribute to the Nigeria Police Force’s cybersecurity guidelines.

During the book launch, the minister, who was accompanied by Mike Imafidor, his Senior Technical Adviser on Policy and Strategy, stated that the ministry was committed to advancing police reforms by using cutting-edge technologies.

The minister said, “Another significant element is the development of a national policing policy, with the committee currently being formed.

“We will extend an invitation to Dr. Sibe and Professor Kaunert to join the committee, particularly in the section focusing on cybersecurity and technology adoption within the NPF.

“The aim is to establish a framework for technology integration, avoiding isolated systems that are difficult to connect and ensuring smooth interoperability. The goal is to create a policy that guarantees the sustainability of these technological efforts.”

Sibe, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday and sent to newsmen, confirmed the development, saying the book addressed the country’s unique challenges and presented a comprehensive plan for forensic readiness to fill a gap in the country’s cybersecurity infrastructure.

He said, “Most often, we look at human forensic capabilities only from a budgetary perspective—how much do we have in the budget? How much can we plan for building this registry? But we often don’t take a long-term view in terms of building financial readiness, operational readiness, or any other kind of readiness we need.

“A key outcome of this study is to establish a clear, articulated roadmap for building forensic readiness. Another important contribution is identifying knowledge, skill gaps, and training needs.”

“We spoke to some of the top cybercrime investigators in this country, and special thanks go to the agencies that contributed. This allowed us to pinpoint the specific gaps that need to be filled.”

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He said that the book further discussed cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and blockchain and highlighted the challenges and opportunities of such technologies.

Providing more insights on why they authored the book, Sibe added, “Nigeria has witnessed a surge in cybercrime incidents, and this has been quite disturbing.

“Apart from the financial loss suffered by victims of cybercrime, Nigeria as a nation also suffers from reputational damage.”