Anyone convicted of cyber crimes risks being jailed for seven years if the bill currently being considered by the Senate eventually gets passed into law.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Adegbenga Kaka, is seeking to ensure cyber security and prevent online fraud.
Senators who debated the bill on Tuesday passed it through second reading
After a long debate entitled: “Bill for an Act to Provide for the Prohibition, Prevention, Detection, Response, Investigation and Prosecution of Cybercrimes and Other Related Matters 2014,” the bill is seeking to punish interception of data, system interference and misuse of devices. It is also seeking to provide punishment for all kinds of computer-related fraud, computer-related forgery, offences relating to pornography, cyber-stalking and cyber-squatting.
When the bill scales the final reading, it will be an offence for anyone to commit fraud using a computer system or network with the intention of obtaining computer data, securing access to any programme, commercial or industrial secrets or classified information. Anyone so convicted for such offence will be sentenced to seven years jail term or a fine of N7 million or both.
The bill also provided that anyone found guilty of possessing a manipulative device, unauthorised Automated Teller Machine card, damaging a computer with the intention to defraud, trafficking in any password to defraud customers or financial institutions will be sentenced to seven years imprisonment or a N7 million fine.
It further indicated that any person or organisation who intentionally traffics in any password or similar information through a computer unlawfully with the intention to defraud public and private interests within or outside Nigeria would be liable upon conviction to a fine of N7 million or three years imprisonment.
It specifies a three-year jail term or N2 million fine for anyone who is aware of a crime in his premises or cyber cafe and fails to report same to authorities within seven days.
The bill provides for compulsory registration of all cybercafes as business concerns with Computer Professionals’ Registration Council and the Corporate Affairs Commission, while also specifying three years jail term or a fine of N1million for anyone convicted for electronic fraud through a cybercafe.
A 10-year-jail term without option of fine was prescribed for anyone who commits any offence relating to violation if critical national information infrastructure.
In the same vein, a 15-year-jail term was prescribed for any person who commits similar crime if it results in bodily harm, while life imprisonment was recommended for anyone who commits offences leading to death of another person.
