By Festus Fifen

Sextortion has pushed some victims to take their own lives, the head of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre has said, urging Nigerians to report online blackmail early and without shame.

Speaking at the 2026 Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign in Abuja, AIG Akaninyene Ezima called sextortion a nagging issue, saying that in some instances it has led victims to suicide.

The Cybersecurity chief said there should be no shame in reporting fraud or online exploitation, noting that early reporting, can help preserve digital evidence, support investigations and prevent further victimisation.

AIG Ezima also warned that an unverified message, image or sensational claim can damage reputations, deepen social divisions and, in some cases, threaten public safety.

He added that many Nigerians are unaware of Section 24(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2024, which criminalises sending messages known to be false in order to cause a breakdown of law and order or threaten life. Offenders face fines, jail terms or both.

Cybercriminals are becoming “more brazen and sophisticated,” Ezima said, exploiting public trust, human emotions and artificial intelligence to deceive victims through deepfakes, synthetic identities, automated scams and convincing impersonation.

Police are turning to AI in response, he said, to analyse large volumes of digital evidence, spot suspicious patterns and detect emerging fraud trends. But the technology “must support professional police judgment, not replace it,” and must operate within the law, with human oversight and respect for human rights.

This Year’s campaign, themed “Towards a Resilient Cyberspace: Think Before You Click,” aims to turn cybersecurity from a technical concern into a national habit. Ezima said the Force is shifting from reactive to preventive and predictive policing, built on intelligence, data analytics and modern investigative techniques.

He urged financial institutions, telecom companies and tech firms to share intelligence and report incidents in a coordinated way, noting that cybercriminals “do not respect institutional boundaries or national borders.”

Ezima advised Nigerians to verify suspicious messages, never share passwords, PINs or one-time passwords, use strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication, avoid unfamiliar links, and confirm money requests through trusted channels.

AIG Ezima used the medium to address young Nigerians, he urged them to resist “the promise of quick money, online pressure or criminal recruitment” and to channel their digital skills into cybersecurity, ethical technology and entrepreneurship.

He also thanked Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Rilwan Disu for supporting the renewal of licences, tools and solutions the Centre had struggled with for some time, and for bringing in development partners.

The campaign’s popular messages for this year is “Think before you click. Verify before you share. Report before others become victims.”