Page 3 - THENIGERIAPOLICEFORCE AND CYBERPOLICINGASYNOPSIS

Cybercrime

The term “cybercrime” has been defined in a variety of ways. For example, Casey (2004:8)

opined that cybercrime means “any crime that involves computer and networks, including
crimes that do not rely heavily on computer”. For Brenner (2007), cybercrime refers to the

use of computer technology to commit crime; to engage in activity that threatens a society’s
ability to maintain internal order. However, not all crimes involving the use of computer can

be seen as cybercrime. Thus, Wall (2011) maintained that since cybercrimes are products of

networked computers, they must be defined in terms of informational, networked and
globalized transformation of deviant or criminal behavior by networked technologies.

Similarly Ndubueze (2013) argued that to be termed as cybercrime, thus, the crime must be

perpetrated via or on the internet. This means that the internet architecture must directly or
indirectly aid its commission. Luekfeldt and Yar (2016) argued that cybercrime is a catch-all

term that covers many forms of offences committed or facilitated via the internet. It is worthy
of note that when a cyber-attack is politically or ideologically motivated, it can no longer be

regarded as cybercrime and can be best considered as cyber terrorism (Ndubueze, 2017c). In
Nigeria, cybercrime is commonly referred to as Yahoo-Yahoo (Adeta, 2014; Edward &

Charles, 2017; Jaishankar, 2011; Ndubueze, 2013; Olumoye, 2013).

Some Forms of Cybercrimes Prevalent in Nigeria

Several studies and documents have enumerated various crimes that are perpetrated in the

internet. For the purpose of this study, cybercrimes prominent in Nigeria are identified. The
following are not exhaustive but selected among several others.

Online Advance Fee Fraud

One of the controversial issues that earns Nigeria unenviable reputation amongst the comity
of nations is advance fee fraud [otherwise known as 419] (Adogame, 2007). In Chawki’s

(2009) analysis, Nigeria advance fee fraud on the internet is seen as the most prominent form
of cybercrime that has been facilitated by the global revolution in information and

communications technologies (ICTs). Longe, Ngwa, Wada, and Mbarika (2009) defined

advance fee fraud as a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to pay certain amount
of money, usually scanty, in the hope to earn larger gain. Historically, before 2000s, the 419

3