Third Parties and Cyber-Crime Policing in Nigeria: Some Reflections
Philip N. Ndubueze, Emmanuel U.M. Igbo · Policing A Journal of Policy and Practice · 2013
Third parties are integral part of the crime cycle. Third parties and crime have a long history of association. A critical examination of the dynamics of a typical crime scene through ages and across societies will reveal the involvement of a kind of third party, albeit, covert or overt. The successful administration of criminal justice is largely predicated on the nature of cooperation received from crime third parties, since the police and the court rely heavily on their testimonies at the pre-trial and trial stages to dispense justice. This article examines the nexus between third parties and cyber crime in Nigeria and concludes that third parties can play an important role in the prevention and control of cyber crime in Nigeria. It calls on law enforcement authorities to strengthen the promising elements of third-party policing through more strategic partnership with cyber-cafe mangers and internet service providers.