A criminologist, Prof. Adedeji Oyunuga, has called for increased investment in security, national unity and improved intelligence sharing to adequately address insecurity in Nigeria.

Oyenuga is a Professor of Criminology and Security Studies at the Lagos State University (LASU). He is also the Coordinator of the Master’s Programme in Criminology and Security Studies at the university.

He made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.

He said that insecurity in the country had become more complex and required both short-term and long-term strategies to effectively tackle it.

“Security requires a lot of investment. While government is investing in security, criminals are investing in insecurity; so, it becomes a battle of strategies,” he said.

According to him, insecurity should remain a top priority in Nigeria’s budget because of its implications for national development and citizens’ safety.

The professor noted that insurgency and other forms of organised insecurity became more pronounced after Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

Oyunuga stressed the need for Nigerians to promote national unity above ethnic divisions.

“We are supposed to promote Nigerianism. Internally, we must work on reducing divisions caused by ethnicity and focus more on national identity,” he said.

He said that the citizens had important roles to play in supporting security agencies through intelligence gathering and information sharing.

“Everybody expects government to protect them, but citizens also have responsibilities. If you know criminal activities happening around you, report them.

“We need to work more closely with law enforcement agencies for security to improve,” he said.

On digital forensic investigation, Oyunuga described forensic science as the application of scientific theories, technology and technical expertise in tackling crimes.

He explained that digital forensics emerged from the increasing relevance of the internet, databases and technology in criminal investigations.

Oyunuga said he had partnered with Mr Robert Fried, the Vice President of the Society of Professional Investigators, to distribute 100 copies of security books to students across eight Nigerian universities.

He added that Fried, who was the author of the book with the title ‘Forensic Data Collection 2.0’, also e-trained students on digital forensic investigations.

He listed the participating institutions as Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State;  Osun State University, Thomas Adewunmi University, Oko, Kwara State; and University of Ilorin, among others.

He said he had also selected some participants online to give  copies of the book free.

According to him, databases such as Bank Verification Number and National Identification Number have become important investigative tools.

“In advanced countries, once investigators have fingerprints or facial recognition data, they can quickly identify suspects through digital databases. In Nigeria, access to such databases is still limited, making investigations slower,” he said.

Speaking with NAN virtually, Fried identified rapid technological advancement and increasing data volume as major challenges confronting digital forensic investigations globally.

Fried described digital forensics as the process of preserving, collecting and analysing electronic data from devices such as computers, mobile phones and storage systems for use in court proceedings.

According to him, digital forensic collection ensures that electronic evidence is preserved without alteration, thereby maintaining the integrity of the information for investigative and legal purposes.

“Digital forensic collection is about taking data from different sources such as computers, laptops and phones, and preserving it so the integrity of the data is not impacted. The end goal is to allow this data to be used in court proceedings,” he said.

Fried, who said he had spent 24 years in the industry, noted that investigators could now deal with a broader range of evidence sources, including cloud systems, surveillance cameras, vehicle recordings and external storage devices.

“One of the challenges is that there are things you do see and things you do not see. You may walk into an office and see a computer and printer, but you may not see hidden storage devices, cloud connections or Wi-Fi networks that are relevant to investigations,” he said.

He added that the increasing complexity and volume of digital information had made investigations more demanding, requiring investigators to collect data from multiple sources.

Fried also identified limited collaboration between private and public sector investigators as a challenge, noting that differences in procedures and workflows often affected  information sharing.

According to him, investigators must ensure fairness, especially in criminal cases involving digital evidence.

“If somebody is being tried for a crime, you want to be able to look at the evidence the same way law enforcement is looking at it to give that individual a fair opportunity,” he said.

(NAN)