The Police Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Command, DSP Olusola Ayanlade, has warned that cyberstalking and cyberbullying are now serious offences under Nigerian law.
Ayanlade gave the warning while delivering a lecture on the Yemiefash Family online platform on Tuesday.
He said the amended Cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention) Act 2024 has widened the scope of punishable online offences and imposed stricter obligations on citizens.
According to him, “Cyberstalking is the repeated use of electronic communication technologies such as emails, social media or text messages to harass, threaten, monitor or intimidate another person.”
He also described cyberbullying as the deliberate use of digital platforms to humiliate, threaten or cause psychological harm, especially to children and young people.
“Cyberbullying also falls under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act and the Child Rights Act,” he said.
The police spokesman explained that under the amended law, citizens and organisations must report cyberattacks, intrusions or network disruptions within 72 hours. Failure to comply, he added, attracts fines of up to ₦2 million.
He further noted that identity theft, phishing, child pornography, sending unsolicited indecent images, and promoting terrorism online are also punishable offences.
“It is also a crime to incite the public against government or state institutions through false online messages,” Ayanlade stated.
Concluding, the Ondo PPRO urged Nigerians to be cautious in their online engagements and to see cyber safety as part of their civic duty.
“Policing is not the work of the police alone. Citizens must rise to their responsibility, speak up against crime and support lawful authority to build a safer society,” he said.