Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has directed the expansion of the operations of the National Cybercrime Centre to select Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) annex offices.

These offices are located in Lagos, Kaduna, Gombe, and Enugu states.

Previously, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) National Cybercrime Centre was solely based in Abuja, necessitating that individuals suspected of violating the Cybercrimes Act be transported to the capital for questioning.

This expansion aims to decentralize the centre’s operations, thereby improving efficiency and accessibility.

Muyiwa Adejobi, the Force spokesperson, detailed the directive in a statement on Monday, emphasizing that the expansion will “help in professionally coordinating and monitoring smooth investigations of cyber-related infractions reported to the police.”

Adejobi highlighted the urgency of this move, noting a “recent upsurge in the creation and circulation of misinformative and dis-informative materials and other cyber-related crimes” that have the potential to disrupt law and order and discredit the country using social media platforms.

The statement underscored the importance of proactive and strategic steps to address these threats and maintain peaceful coexistence among citizens.

“To this end, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has ordered the expansion of the activities of the NPF National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC) to the existing Force Criminal Investigations Department Annex offices to facilitate the efficient handling of matters related to the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act 2024,” the statement reads.

However, some analysts have raised concerns, accusing the police of potentially using the Cybercrimes Act as a pretext to clamp down on journalists and activists.