Nigeria’s top security officials have stated the urgent need for law enforcement agencies to adopt sophisticated digital investigation techniques, warning that criminals now operate at the “speed of light” while traditional enforcement moves at the “speed of law.” The assessment came during a five-day interagency training organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Undercover Operations in the nation’s capital. Experts highlighted how cybercriminals are exploiting the gap between technological advancement and legal adaptation to outpace law enforcement efforts.
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Digital Transformation of Criminal Networks
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, represented by the Director of the National Cyber Training Institute, Professor Muhammad Ya’u, painted a concerning picture of modern criminal operations that transcend traditional boundaries and enforcement capabilities.
“As physical and cyberspace continue to converge, so too do our challenges,” Ribadu observed. “Criminals have adapted quickly, using technology to move faster, hide deeper, and reach farther than ever before. The truth is, while crime moves at the speed of light, we too often move at the speed of the law, and in that gap lies our greatest challenge.”
The training brought together representatives from Nigeria’s premier law enforcement agencies to address the evolving threat landscape.
West Africa’s Changing Security Paradigm
UNODC Country Representative Cheikh Touré described a fundamental reshaping of West Africa’s security environment, where traditional concepts of localised, physical threats have given way to digital, transnational networks that operate with unprecedented coordination.
“The threats that we once understood as physical and localised are now digital, transnational and insidiously connected,” Touré explained. “The criminal networks we seek to dismantle no longer operate solely in the shadows of the physical world; they thrive in the boundless, anonymous expanse of cyberspace.”
The regional perspective reflects broader concerns about how criminal organisations have leveraged digital infrastructure to enhance their operational capabilities across borders, creating challenges that individual nations struggle to address in isolation.
Hybrid Threats Demand Hybrid Responses
According to UNODC officials, the convergence of terrorism and organised crime in digital spaces has created what they term “hybrid threats” that require equally sophisticated responses from law enforcement agencies.
Touré noted that cybercriminals now exploit digital platforms not only to finance their operations but also to spread violent propaganda that radicalises individuals across borders and coordinate activities with a speed and precision that often outpaces traditional law enforcement methods.
“The nexus between terrorism and organised crime has found a powerful accelerator in the digital domain, creating a hybrid threat that demands a hybrid response,” he insisted, advocating for the integration of OSINT capabilities into standard undercover operations.
Digital Footprints as Evidence
National Coordinator of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre (NCCC), Sa’ad Ahmed, represented by Sheriff Salary, offered a more optimistic perspective on the digital migration of criminal activity, suggesting that online operations create new opportunities for law enforcement.
“Crime is rapidly migrating into the digital domain, and as they shift their operations online, they inevitably generate digital footprints: trails of evidence that can be traced, analysed, and exploited,” Ahmed noted, highlighting how OSINT techniques can turn criminals’ digital presence into investigative assets.
While digital crime presents new challenges, it also creates unprecedented opportunities for evidence gathering and criminal network analysis.
Multi-Agency Collaboration
The training drew participants from Nigeria’s key law enforcement and regulatory agencies, including the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ahmed acknowledged the crucial role of international partners, particularly UNODC and the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (USINL), in strengthening collective capabilities against transnational and cyber-enabled crimes.
Long-term Partnership Strategy
NSA Ribadu reiterated that sustained partnerships among key stakeholders remain central to effectively tackling cybercrime challenges across Nigeria, Africa, and globally. The emphasis on long-term collaboration suggests recognition that cybercrime evolution requires continuous adaptation of law enforcement capabilities.
Officials stressed that the rapidly evolving nature of cybercrime and criminals’ adaptability to technological changes make it critical for law enforcement agencies to continuously update their investigative methodologies and embrace digital surveillance techniques.
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