Online fraudsters to bag 7 years in prison
By Ezrel Tabiowo
Abuja
The Senate yesterday launched an offensive against online fraudsters and criminals when it passed a bill which prescribes a seven-year jail term for anyone found guilty of the offence.
The passage of the bill came following consideration of a report by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
The bill titled: “A Bill for an Act to Provide for the Prohibition, Prevention, Detection, Response, Investigation and Prosecution of Cybercrimes and for Other Related Matters 2014,” seeks to punish interception of data, system interference and misuse of devices; and punish all kinds of computer-related fraud, computer-related forgery, and offences relating to pornography, cyber-stalking and cyber-squatting.
Leading debate on the bill, its sponsor, Senator Adegbenga Kaka (Ogun East), said anyone who commits 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 will upon conviction be sentenced to seven years jail term or a fine of N7million or both.
He said anyone found guilty of possessing a manipulative device, unauthorised automatic teller machine (ATM) 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.
The bill also spells out a three-year jail term or N2 million fines for anyone who knows that a crime has been committed in his premises or cyber-cafe and fails to report to relevant authorities within seven days.
Under the instance where said fraud is found to have been perpetrated in connivance with the owner(s) of the cyber-cafe, such owners shall be liable to a fine of N2 million or three-year-jail term.
The bill also provides for punishment of 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine against anyone who commits any offences in relation to critical national information infrastructure and 15 years imprisonment for any person who commits such a crime resulting in bodily harm and life imprisonment for such crime if it results in death of another person.
