The Nigeria Police authorities have issued a cautionary advisory to the public, particularly the youth, urging vigilance when using dating apps. The Director of the National Cybercrime Centre, Uche Henry, made the announcement during an event addressing cyber-facilitated sexual and gender-based violence (CFSGBV). The event, organized by the Sustainable Gender Action Initiative (SGAI) in collaboration with the Voice of Women Empowerment Foundation, marked the commencement of the 16 days of activism in Abuja.
Director Uche Henry revealed that the police have received numerous reports of cybercrime victims, prompting the need for increased caution among app users. He emphasized that the police have implemented strategies to combat cybercrime and sextortion, leading to several successful arrests and prosecutions.
“We started having lots of victims from Nigeria coming to report about being victims of cybercrime and sextortion. So, we channeled our attention on how to curb this menace, which we are actually doing a lot and recorded a lot of successes,” Henry stated.
He further highlighted the potential dangers associated with dating apps, cautioning users against individuals who may pretend to be someone else and, upon gaining trust, engage in extortion and solicitation of explicit content.
“When you are visiting dating apps one needs to be very careful because some of them pretend to be ladies and girls, and when they gain your confidence, they start extorting, asking for your nude pictures. Once the scammers start to preach love and a sense of urgency, within one, two weeks, demand for money is like a red flag,” Henry warned.
Mufuliat Fijabi, the Executive Director of SGAI, explained that the event aimed to educate youths on issues related to cyber-facilitated sexual and gender-based violence. Fijabi emphasized the importance of raising awareness about acts of violence within cyberspace and advocated for increased advocacy against such occurrences, which can lead to mental health issues, withdrawal, and impact career trajectories.