An inter-agency team, the Joint Case Team on Cybercrimes, says that stronger collaboration among institutions is key to Nigeria’s response to cybercrime.

The head of JCTC, Jamila Akaaga-Ade, said this during the JCTC Capacity Building and Handbook Drafting Workshop in Lagos.

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

Ms Akaaga-Ade explained that the JCTC was created to foster inter-agency cooperation, noting that the fight against cybercrime could not be won in silos.

“The JCTC brings 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.

Ms Akaaga-Ade said the workshop was focused on producing a handbook that would serve as a guide for the investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes.

Similarly, Robinson Sibe, a technical expert in cybercrime investigation and digital forensics, stated that the handbook would serve as a central reference point to enhance coordination, efficiency, and information sharing across agencies.

“Nigeria already has capable experts in the field of cyber investigations, but the number of forensic laboratories and access to modern tools remains low compared to the country’s population of over 200 million.

“Government’s efforts alone will not be sufficient. The private sector must step in to provide financial and technical support if Nigeria hopes to keep pace with global standards in cybercrime prosecution,” Mr Sibe noted.

Additionally, Fatima Waziri-Azi, a professor of Public Law representing 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.

Ms Waziri-Azi stressed that the document would help harmonise investigation methods and ensure that prosecutors worked more closely with investigators.

She added that this would strengthen the country’s ability to secure convictions and protect vulnerable groups.

Matthias Esene, ICMPD’s Trafficking in Persons and Violence Against Persons project manager, stated that the project was designed to provide Nigeria with 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 attorney general 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 and the Nigeria Police Force, as well as the National Cybercrime Centre.

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

The JCTC also works closely with development partners, including ICMPD, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

(NAN)