The Head of the Joint Case Team on Cybercrimes (JCTC), Jamila Akaaga-Ade, has disclosed that strong collaboration among institutions is extremely important in addressing cybercrime.
Speaking during the JCTC Capacity Building and Handbook Drafting Workshop in Lagos recently, she disclosed that the JCTC was created to foster inter-agency cooperation, noting that the fight against cybercrime could not be won in silos.
She noted that the team brought together investigators, prosecutors, and experts in areas such as digital forensics, terrorism, maritime crime, and financial fraud to work as a united front.She said the workshop was focused on producing a handbook that would serve as a guide for the investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes.
Similarly, a Technical Expert on Cybercrimes Investigation and Digital Forensics, Robinson Sibe, said the handbook would provide a central reference point to improve coordination, efficiency, and information-sharing across agencies.
He explained that Nigeria already had capable experts in the field of cyber investigations, but the number of forensic laboratories and access to modern tools remained low compared to the country’s population of over 200 million.
According to him, government efforts alone would not be sufficient, adding that the private sector must step in to provide financial and technical support if Nigeria hopes to keep pace with global standards in cybercrime prosecution.
Also, a professor of public law, Fatima Waziri-Azi, of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), described the handbook as timely, citing the rise in cybercrime cases such as sextortion, phishing, and financial scams.She stressed that the victims of these crimes were mostly young people and women, noting that the lack of proper collaboration often left many cases unresolved.
Waziri-Azi added that the document would help harmonise investigation methods and ensure that prosecutors worked more closely with investigators.
She insisted this would strengthen the country’s ability to secure convictions and protect vulnerable groups.
ICMPD’s Trafficking in Persons and Violence Against Persons (TIPVAP) Matthias Esene added the project was designed to give Nigeria a stronger coordination platform in line with international standards. He noted that ICMPD’s role was to support Nigeria in building sustainable structures by embedding cooperation into national institutions.
According to him, the handbook will not only serve domestic needs but also strengthen cross-border cooperation, as many cybercrimes involve networks beyond national boundaries.
The JCTC was established by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, in 2023 and formally launched in 2025 to foster stronger collaboration between investigators and prosecutors and to improve the judiciary’s ability to manage complex cybercrime cases.
