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Tag: cyberstalking

  • Cyberstalking, cyberbullying are serious crimes, police warn Nigerians

    Cyberstalking, cyberbullying are serious crimes, police warn Nigerians

    The Nigeria Police Force has reaffirmed that cyberstalking and cyberbullying are grave offences punishable under the country’s laws.

    Speaking at a sensitisation programme in Akure on Wednesday, Ondo State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Olusola Ayanlade, condemned the rising misuse of social media platforms.

    He noted that the amended Cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention) Act 2024 has expanded the scope of online offences while imposing stricter obligations on citizens.

    “Cyberstalking is the repeated use of electronic communication technologies such as emails, social media, or text messages to harass, threaten, monitor or intimidate another person,” he said.

    He added that cyberbullying, defined as the deliberate use of digital platforms to humiliate, threaten or cause psychological harm – particularly to children and young people – also falls under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act and the Child Rights Act.

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    The police spokesperson noted that under the amended law, individuals and organisations are required to report cyberattacks, intrusions, or network disruptions within 72 hours, warning that failure to comply attracts fines of up to N2 million.

    Other punishable offences, he said, include identity theft, phishing, child pornography, sending unsolicited indecent images, and promoting terrorism online.

    “It is also a crime to incite the public against government or state institutions through false online messages,” Ayanlade added.

    He urged Nigerians to exercise caution in their online engagements and to view cyber safety as part of their civic responsibility.

    “Policing is not the work of the police alone. Citizens must rise to their responsibility, speak up against crime, and support lawful authority to build a safer society,” he said.

  • Cyberstalking: Why old video of lawmaker resurfaced – Aide

    Cyberstalking: Why old video of lawmaker resurfaced – Aide

    A Member of the House of Representatives, Tunji Akinosi has reacted to a trending video where he had an altercation with a woman.

    According to a statement by Akinosi’s media aide, Joel Okeodebija, the individuals sharing the video are mischievous and unfamiliar with the details of the incident.

    In the said video, a woman had accused the lawmaker of assaulting a sachet water hawker.

    The video was widely circulated on various social media platforms on Thursday.

    Responding,  Okeodebija said the incident was not recent as those behind it were “Reviving an old issue from last year, long before the Honorable was sworn in.” According to Okeodebija, the incident happened in  May 2023, before Akinosi was sworn-in.

    Read Also: Court remands four over fake publications, cyberstalking of GTCO GCEO

    He stated that the lawmaker was alleged to have been involved in a confrontation following a minor accident with a street hawker.

    In addressing the rumors, Akinosi explained that while he would typically ignore such posts, he felt compelled to clarify the situation.

    He recounted, “There was traffic along the Onikan route due to the May Day celebration, causing hawkers to crowd the area. One of them accidentally damaged my car’s side mirror. As my driver stopped to assess the damage, the hawker fell to the ground, claiming to have a broken leg, likely anticipating compensation.

    “Before I knew it, a crowd surrounded my car, demanding I admit to injuring the hawker. I explained that my driver was already handling the matter. Suddenly, a woman appeared, shouting that she recognized me.

    “As the situation escalated, I proposed two options: we could either go to the police station to file a formal complaint and then to the General Hospital in Onikan, ready to pay for any medical expenses if the hawker was indeed injured, or he would need to cover the cost of repairing my side mirror if no injury was found. Upon hearing this, the hawker quickly begged to be allowed to return to his work, claiming that others had urged him to feign injury.”

    The lawmaker urged the public to remain calm and reasonable in the face of incidents, rather than fostering a mob mentality.

    However, Akinosi’s aide further emphasized that those currently spreading misinformation about the Federal lawmaker are misinformed and unfamiliar with the facts.

    He warned that their actions could be classified as cyberstalking with possible legal consequences.

  • Court remands four over fake publications, cyberstalking of GTCO GCEO

    Court remands four over fake publications, cyberstalking of GTCO GCEO

    A federal High Court sitting in Lagos presided over by Justice Ayokule has remanded four persons over alleged cyberstalking and spreading of false information aimed at insulting the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Guaranty Trust Holding PLC, Mr. Segun Agbaje.

    Justice Faji remanded the four accused persons, Precious Eze, male (38); Olawale Rotimi, male (47); Rowland Olonishu and Seun Odunlami, in the Ikoyi facility of the Nigerian  Correctional Service Centre, after they were arraigned before the court on a two count charge, of cyberstalking and spreading false information, by men of the Police Special Fraud Unit, Milverton, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    The Police had in the amended charge dated 26th day of September, 2024 alleged among others , that the four defendants, sometimes in August 2024 in Lagos did conspire amongst themselves to commit a felony to wit: cyberstalking, and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 as amended in 2024.

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    The four defendants were also alleged to have knowingly sent false messages or publications in social media, through a computer or network to the general public as follows  ‘EFCC, FIRS storm GTBanks over Segun Agbaje’s N1 trillion scam’   and ‘Whistle Blowers Expose Segun Agbaje Nepotism, Power Play, Enrich Himself and Sister, Kofo Dosekunn,’ among other publications, for the purpose of  insulting the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje or for the purpose of causing criminal intimidation, annoyance ill will, needless anxiety, injury or hatred to him and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes ( Prohibition/Prevention, etc) Act,2015 , as amended in 2024.

    When the matter came up for trial, police prosecutor from Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Mr. Emmanuel Jackson leading Mr Justine Enang, told the court that the prosecution had a two-count amended charge and prayed the court to allow the charge to be read so that the defendants could take their plea

    Following the reading of the charge and the defendants pleaded not guilty to same, the prosecutor, Emmanuel Jackson asked the court for a trial date and the remand of the defendants in the facility of the Nigeria Correctional Service Centre pending trial

    However, counsel to the defendants, Mr. O.A Afolabi  told the court that why he was not objecting to a trial date as submitted by the prosecution, he added that he had a motion for bail on behalf of two of the defendants and was ready to move the same.

  • Five cyberstalking laws in Nigeria you need to know

    Five cyberstalking laws in Nigeria you need to know

    Cyberstalking, a term denoting the utilisation of the internet and various technologies to harass or stalk individuals online, is potentially a criminal offense in Nigeria.

    This form of online harassment, akin to cyberbullying and traditional stalking, this acts may takes through various forms such as emails, text messages and social media posts.

    It’s usually done in a planned, purposeful, and ongoing way, and it can be really dangerous for the people being targeted.

    Here are five laws against cyberstalking in Nigeria under the cybercrime acts 2015

    Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 criminalizes cyberstalking as it relates to the following acts:

    1. Knowingly or Intentionally sending a message that is offensive or obscene or menacing character or causing any such message or matter to be so sent. Such offender shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N7,000,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of not more than 3 years or to both such fine and imprisonment.

    2. Knowingly or Intentionally sending a message that one knows to be false for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another or causing such a message to be sent. Such offender shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N7,000,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of not more than 3 years or to both such fine and imprisonment.

    Read Also: Police arrest three over conspiracy, cyberstalking, threat to life

    3. Knowingly or intentionally transmitting or causing the transmission of any communication through a computer system or network to bully, threaten or harass another person where such communication places another person in fear of death, violence or bodily harm or to another person[5]. Such an offender will be liable to imprisonment for a term of 10 years and/or a minimum fine of N25,000,000.00.

    4. Knowingly or intentionally transmitting or causing the transmission of any communication through a computer system or network containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to harm the person of another, any demand or request for a ransom for the release of any kidnapped person, to extort from any person, firm, association or corporation, any money or other thing of value[7]. Such offender will be liable to imprisonment for a term of 10 years and/or a minimum fine of N25,000,000.00.

    5. Knowingly or intentionally transmitting or causing the transmission of any communication through a computer system or network containing any threat to harm the property or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime, to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value. Such offender shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of 5 years and/or a minimum fine of N15,000,000.00.