The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has warned Nigerians against unlawfully accessing other people’s phones and social media accounts, sharing private sexual images, creating fake accounts and engaging in other cybercrime-related offences.
Disu warned that individuals involved in such activities could face prosecution under applicable cybercrime laws, stressing that ignorance of the law would not excuse offenders.
The police chief gave the warning while declaring open the 2026 Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign organised by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) in Abuja on Thursday.
According to a statement on the event, Disu also cautioned Nigerians against cyberstalking, cyberbullying, online impersonation, sending threatening messages and knowingly spreading false information capable of causing panic or endangering lives.
He specifically warned against the unauthorised circulation of other people’s nude photographs and private videos, including for revenge or entertainment, noting that offences involving children were particularly serious.
The IGP, who was represented by a senior police officer at the event, said Nigeria’s increasing reliance on digital technology had exposed individuals, businesses and public institutions to fraud, identity theft, data breaches, extortion and other cyber-enabled financial crimes.
He called for a shift from responding to cyberattacks after they occur to identifying threats and disrupting criminal activities before they cause harm.
“We must move from incident response to threat anticipation, from reactive investigation to proactive disruption, and from analysing yesterday’s attack to preparing for tomorrow’s attack,” Disu said.
The police chief also warned Nigerians against lending their bank accounts or SIM cards to people who could use them to receive proceeds of fraud, stressing that account holders could face investigation if their accounts were linked to suspicious transactions.
“Don’t lend anybody your bank account. If fraud passes through it, you may answer as an accomplice,” he said.
He further condemned the falsification of payment alerts and receipts, as well as the unlawful sale or distribution of other people’s Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), National Identification Numbers (NINs) and bank card details.
Disu urged financial institutions, fintech companies, payment service providers and telecommunications operators to strengthen internal controls, employee screening, transaction monitoring and independent audits to prevent insider involvement in cybercrime.
He said weak supervision, compromised login credentials, abuse of access privileges and malicious conduct by insiders could expose financial institutions and their customers to cyber-enabled fraud.
The IGP advised Nigerians to avoid suspicious links, protect their passwords and one-time passwords, activate multi-factor authentication and independently verify payment instructions before transferring money.
“Think before you click. If you don’t know the person who sent you the message, you can ignore it. If you click, anything could happen. You can get a virus, and your account can be wiped out,” he warned.
He also cautioned against using easily guessed passwords, such as dates of birth and children’s names, urging citizens to report suspicious online activities and seek assistance if they become victims of fraud, cyberbullying or sextortion.
Addressing young Nigerians, Disu urged them to channel their digital skills into legitimate ventures, including cybersecurity, software development and technology entrepreneurship, rather than pursuing quick wealth through criminal activities.
“Cybercrime can cost you your freedom, your reputation and peace of mind. Choose creativity over criminality and integrity over shortcuts,” he said.
The campaign, held under the theme “Towards a Resilient Cyberspace: Think Before You Click,” brought attention to the need for stronger cybersecurity awareness, improved digital investigations and cooperation among law enforcement agencies, regulators, technology companies, financial institutions and the public.
Disu said building a safer digital environment required collective responsibility, adding that cybersecurity should be treated as a national security priority rather than solely a technical concern.
