Kayode Ajulo, a constitutional lawyer, says hacking computer server of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is as an act of terrorism.
Mr Ajulo told the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Abuja that the provisions of cybercrime act 2015 recognised INEC sever as one of the Critical National Information Infrastructure, CNII.
He added that such act of unlawful access to INEC sever amounted to a crime if tampered with in any way without authorisation
According to him, based on the provision of the law, INEC server contains sensitive information about the elections which comes within the definition of CNII.
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Mr Ajulo noted that hacking or employing any person to hack into the server of an election umpire with the aimed of interfering with the electronically transmitted data to INEC Server comes within the definition of “acts of terrorism”.
He stated that such act was a calculated attempt to destroy the fundamental political, constitutional, economic and social structures of a country.
“Unauthorised access of data in any country has a lot of implications and if allowed to go unchecked may herald a regime of lawlessness within the internet community.
“The activities of this group of people and the damage they may cause cannot be quantified.
“It is in recognition of the incalculable nature of the havoc which they may wreak on this nation that the cybercrime Act 2015 recommend life imprisonment as penalty for tampering with CNII of the country.”
He stated that this was because the vital information might be used to misinform as well as incite the populace against the state.
Mr Ajulo said that the exigency of modern innovations in the field of computer networking has made the need for data protection.
He added that this has been the paramount concern of every country seeking to curb the inroads of persons with sinister motives into the field.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has petitioned the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, and the State Security Service, SSS, accusing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of illegally accessing the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
In the petition dated March 25, and addressed to the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of SSS, Festus Keyamo, spokesman of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, urged the security agencies to question the leadership of the PDP on their claims relating to the INEC server.
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Although he was not specific on the identities of the PDP leaders he wants investigated, Mr Keyamo made reference to the fact that the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has filed an election petition against the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and has made a claim of having access to INEC server.
He claimed that upon the postponement of the Feb. 16, presidential/National Assembly elections, already prepared presidential election results surfaced on the Internet.
Mr Keyamo accused the PDP of hacking into the INEC server and inputting false figures.
He, therefore, called on the security agencies to respond to the petition with “alacrity”.
Responding, the national chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, alleged that the APC was panicking because of the case instituted before the tribunal by the party and Atiku.
He said this was why the ruling party was writing petitions to the SSS and the police.
NAN
