The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, has ordered that the cybercrime unit in the Nigeria Police Force be reorganised as a number of units were merged to make up the new cybercrime unit of the force.

This was revealed in a statement by the NPF posted on its Twitter handle on Friday evening and signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

According to the statement, the reorganisation was done to create a more formidable front against cybercrime-related offences.

“The immediate reorganisation of the cybercrime units in the Nigeria Police Force is to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and a formidable front against cybercrime-related offences provided for in the Cybercrime Prevention Act, 2015.

“The reorganisation means that all the various units under investigative departments, hitherto investigating cybercrimes, will be merged under the Nigeria Police Force National Cyber-crime Centre domiciled in the Force Criminal Investigations Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja,” the statement read in part.

It was also revealed that a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Henry Ifeanyi, has been appointed by the IGP to head the unit.

Ifeanyi, who holds a Master’s Degree in Security and Strategic Studies from the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, is currently pursuing a PhD in Cybersecurity at the University of Glasgow.

“He is a certified Ethical Hacker and a Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator, having attended several local and international courses on cyber security. He is equally a member of INTERPOL Cybercrime Advisory Body, Association of Cybercrime Specialists, amongst other professional associations,” the statement added.