The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onu and Prof Peter Olayiwola, President, Computer Forensic Institute (CFI), have expressed their backing for a Bill seeking to establish a Chartered Institute of Computer Forensics of Nigeria (CICFN).
The two personalities stated their position at a public hearing to seek legislative backing for the institute, on Tuesday, in Abuja
The minister, who was represented by Mr. Adebayo Adeyemi, Deputy Director, Information and Communication Technology department, said the ministry adopted the draft and was supporting the ongoing process to pass the Bill
He added that it was necessary to expedite action on the Bill, because it would be in the best interest of Nigeria as highlighted in the benefits section of the memorandum.
One of the benefits, according to him, was the enhancement of public safety and national security, through improved and speedy investigation through our observer crime status and to improve delivery by the criminal justice and administration.
“It will particularly improve local and indigenous capacity enhancement, so that we do not have to import cyber crime or forensics experts to Nigeria,” he said.
He also stated that it would aid research into indigenous development and production of locally developed digital equipment, so that the country’s could save its hard earned foreign exchange.
To him, it would reduce foreign importation of this equipment, while urging the lawmakers to consider the bill as it would be of immense benefit to the country.
Olayiwola, on his part, argued that the Bill was imperative, considering the ongoing blackmail on social media and other platforms using video, whereby someone just wakes up to make allegations against perceived enemies.
“This is one of the reasons we need the CICF in Nigeria, because the only facility available to seek redress is through the institute of computer forensic
“When we pass the video through scientific method or digital forensic, we will know whether it is genuine or fake,” he stated.
He said that a lot of people had lost jobs, because people blackmailed them through video and people believed whatever they see; adding that computer forensic was a methodology that would allow experts to proof such a case
“We have many situations like murder or homicide, where it was near impossible to pin somebody to the crime, computer forensic expert can get the phone or laptop of anyone to get result,” he said. (NAN)
