Before you post, pause. Before you forward, verify. Ignorance of the Cybercrime Act is no defence.
By Law Mefor
Unknown to most people, one post can ruin a life. Yes, a casual share can land somebody in jail. Let me explain.
In the early hours of every day, a Nigerian wakes up, picks up his phone, and commits a crime without knowing it by fabricating a story that defames an individual or institution or by forwarding a damaging post without first verifying it.
He forwards a shocking video he has not verified. She creates a parody account with a president’s or governor’s picture to catch a cruise. He lends his cousin his bank account to “receive small money”. She shares her ex-lover’s nude pictures to get revenge.
None of them think they are committing a crime. But under Nigerian law, they are. There are at least seven major online offences hidden in the casual things we do on social media, and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended, does not treat them as a joke.
I have watched with worry as fake news circulates daily, goes viral and gains traction. The undiscerning public consumes it as truth and forms negative perceptions of the persons and government that are defamed. In many cases, the fabricators are not even driven by politics or malice, but by monetisation – they criminally manufacture falsehoods to drive traffic to their handles and get paid.
That hustle can land them in prison. What’s more, criminal fabrication is not criticism. The latter is welcome in a democracy while the former destroys democracy.
The Seven Traps
For the avoidance of doubt, these acts are crimes, and here is what the law says:
I. Spreading False Information: Knowingly circulating false information capable of causing panic, endangering lives or breaching public peace. This is what most people call "fake news".II. Online Impersonation: Creating fake accounts using another person’s name or photograph.
III. Cyberbullying and Threats: Sending threatening, harassing or stalking messages.
IV. Unauthorised Access: Opening, hacking, or secretly accessing another person’s phone, WhatsApp, email or social media account.
V. Non-Consensual Intimate Images: Sharing another person’s nude or private photographs and videos without consent. Offences involving children are treated as particularly grave.
VI. Financial Fraud Aids: Lending your bank account or SIM card to receive suspicious money, circulating fake payment alerts and receipts, or trading in other people’s BVN, NIN and card details. This amounts to fraud and forgery.
VII. Aiding and Abetting: Knowingly aiding, encouraging or conspiring with cybercriminals.
Ignorance will not save you. The law says if you aided it, you are liable.
Think Before You Click. This is why the recent National Cybercrime sensitisation programme by the Nigeria Police Force, themed “Towards a Resilient Cyberspace: Think Before You Click,” is timely.
Many Nigerians do not wake up to commit cybercrime. They stumble into it through small, casual acts. They forward before verifying. They lend before thinking.
Citizens must exercise caution, verify information before sharing, and never lend bank accounts or SIM cards for transactions whose source they do not understand. Accounts used to facilitate fraud will expose their holders to investigation and prosecution.
Beyond Arrest: Building a Resilient Cyberspace
Like the police said at their recent conference referenced, this goes beyond individual conduct. Nigeria’s digital environment is now central to national security, economic activity, public services and everyday life. It has exposed citizens, businesses and institutions to fraud, identity theft, data breaches, extortion and cyber-enabled financial crimes.
Protecting Nigeria must therefore extend beyond physical spaces to the networks, platforms and systems on which society depends. That requires a shift from incident response to threat anticipation, from reactive investigation to proactive disruption – from analysing yesterday’s attacks to preparing for tomorrow’s.
Effective cybersecurity requires intelligence-led policing, threat analysis, open-source intelligence, digital forensics and timely information sharing. It requires banks, fintechs, payment service providers and telcos to strengthen internal controls and address insider threats, compromised credentials and abuse of privileged access.
It must be guided by reliable intelligence, human oversight, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights. Technology alone cannot guarantee cybersecurity without skilled personnel, sound procedures, accountability and public trust.
A Word to Our Youth
To our youth: shun cybercrime. Your digital skills can build a nation if channelled into legitimate careers in cybersecurity, software development and technology entrepreneurship.
Do not let pressure for quick wealth mortgage your future. Cybercrime can cost your freedom, reputation and peace of mind. Choose creativity over criminality and integrity over shortcuts. Parents and educators must make online safety an essential life skill. Businesses must treat cybersecurity as a leadership responsibility, not just an IT issue.
And if you are a victim of fraud, cyberbullying, sextortion or recruitment into cybercrime, report it. Seek help and press charges. Building a resilient cyberspace is a shared responsibility – government, law enforcement, regulators, financial institutions, technology providers, educators, civil society, the media and every citizen who holds a phone.
The penalties are real: imprisonment and heavy fines. One post can build a life or ruin one. Before you post, pause. Before you forward, verify. Before you lend, think.
Dr Law Mefor is Commissioner for Information & Value Reformation, Anambra State
