The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) has accused the #EndSARS protesters of using the social media to spread subversive contents that escalated the tension and looting that followed the protest by Nigerian youths, which is widely adjudged peaceful.
The NSA disclosed this when he spoke at the Multi-Stakeholders workshop for the Validation of the Draft National Cybersecurity Strategy 2020, in Abuja.
He said: “We are witnesses to the use of social media to disseminate subversive content to incite violence and heightened tension, causing unrest and sparking widespread looting and destruction across the country.”
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The national security chief also revealed that the Federal Government plans to unveil the National Cyber security Policy and Strategy (NCPS) 2020 to check digital threats and enhance national security and economic growth for the over 200 million population.
In his keynote address, the NSA said the government has been proactive to develop policies that will check threats from the use of cyberspace.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Services in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Aliyu Ganda Mohammed, the retired General recalled that his Office inaugurated a multi stakeholders committee on September 10, 2020 to review the NCPS 2014.
He noted that the review is aimed at strengthening the existing cyber policy, which is meant to be reviewed every five years, as stipulated.
Monguno further stated that: “There is no gainsaying that cyberspace has become an engine for the enhancement of Nigeria national security, economic transformation and national development.”
While he admitted that the sophistication of cyberspace comes with inherent challenges, the NSA said: “The threats posed by cyber terrorists, and the use of the internet has brought social media circulation of hate speech and seditious messages. It is almost impossible to overstate the challenges.”
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The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami who was represented by the Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Inuwa Abdullahi, said never before has cybersecurity become more critical than it is today and that it was due to convergence between offline and online lives.
“Anybody that uses any device that connects to the internet needs to understand and protect himself and have to join the cyber security campaign.”
He said the agencies under the ministry are leveraging on this to protect people. “We can collaborate to do it together,” he urged the participants.
Also speaking at the Multi-Stakeholders workshop, the Chairman of the NCPS 2014 Review Committee, Mr Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola, warned that a non-regulated cyberspace, as exemplified in recent times with fake news in the social media, could result in civic unrest.
“The current draft document is a result of multi stakeholder efforts with due cognizant of a whole of society approach while leveraging technology for the well-being of Nigeria and for Nigerians.
“I assure our commitment and resolve to delivering an implementable policy for Nigeria”, Ajijola stated.
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Senate Committee, ICT and Cybercrime Chairman, Hassan Ibrahim Hadejia, who also spoke at the event expressed excitement that Nigeria is taking the issue of cybercrime very seriously.
“In ICT, if you are reactive, you are finished, you always have to make sure that you are one step ahead”, he said.
in order to effect change in the sector, he proposed that both government agencies and the private sector collaborate.
