FG, international agencies intensify fight against cybercrime

The Joint Case Team on Cybercrimes (JCTC), a federal government inter-agency team, has said stronger collaboration among local and international agencies is key to Nigeria’s fight against cybercrime. The Head of JCTC, Mrs. Jamila Akaaga-Ade who spoke during the JCTC Capacity Building and Handbook Drafting Workshop in Lagos, said the fight against cybercrime could not […]

The Joint Case Team on Cybercrimes (JCTC), a federal government inter-agency team, has said stronger collaboration among local and international agencies is key to Nigeria’s fight against cybercrime.

The Head of JCTC, Mrs. Jamila Akaaga-Ade who spoke during the JCTC Capacity Building and Handbook Drafting Workshop in Lagos, said the fight against cybercrime could not be won in silos.

The event was organised by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and funded by the Ministry of Asylum and Migration of the Netherlands.

Akaaga-Ade also explained that the JCTC was created to foster inter-agency cooperation, noting 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 in Nigeria.

Similarly,  Dr Robinson Sibe, a Technical Expert on Cybercrimes Investigation and Digital Forensics 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.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Chaired by the Federal Ministry of Justice, the JCTC is a multi-stakeholder team comprising 25 members drawn from key institutions including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and Nigerian Police Force,  National Cybercrime Centre (NPF – NCC).

 

 

 

Other members are Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).