The United States Government has certified Nigeria in the campaign against illicit drug trafficking and abuses for the U.S. fiscal year of 2009. This is the eighth successive times that the country is receiving a satisfactory report from the U.S. government on her anti-narcotic crusade.

President George Bush commended the country over what he described as effective cooperation and advancement in the battle against drug trafficking. According to Bush, "we fully support the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency's (NDLEA) recent cooperation in regional search and seizure operations."

The U.S. President added that Nigeria, one of the twenty countries classified as major production/transit countries for illicit drugs destined for the United States has continuously made significant progress in curtailing narcotics transaction and has cooperated effectively with the United States on drug-related money laundering cases.

In his words, "we are encouraged that Nigeria's use of U.S. donated body scanners at its four major international airports has resulted in the arrest of numerous traffickers," Bush stressed.

Reacting to the favourable report on the country's anti-narcotics efforts, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, thanked stakeholders for their support and cooperation. Giade stated that, "this candid assessment by the U.S. is a true reflection of the sincerity and commitment of all stakeholders in this worthy partnership against illicit drugs. This acclamation of our efforts is like a catalyst that will further spur us to greater heights as no drug baron will be spared, no matter the odds". The NDLEA boss, while expressing appreciation to Nigerians and foreign collaborators for their contribution, vowed to intensify the war against illicit drugs.

Bush further explained that in line with section 481 (e) (2) and (5) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA), "a country's presence on the majors list is not necessarily an adverse reflection of its government counter narcotics efforts or level of cooperation with the United States; rather it is due to the combination of geographic, commercial and economic factors that allow drugs to transit or be produced despite the concerned government's most assiduous enforcement measures."

Nigeria has been classified under the Majors list alongside Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala and Haiti. Others are India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela. Out of the 20 countries identified by Bush Bolivia, Burma and Venezuela as nations that "failed demonstrably" in the last twelve months to make sufficient or meaningful efforts to adhere to the obligations they have undertaken under international counter narcotics agreements.

The U.S. also identified West African countries as transit hubs for Andean cocaine, which is trafficked through Venezuela and Brazil to European markets. It added that the presence of Latin American drug traffickers and large quantity of cocaine trafficked openly in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea requires concerted efforts to overcome. To this end, the U.S. Government expressed its support for international donors and organisations working to assist governments of West Africa in counter narcotic efforts to preserve stability and positive growth in the region.

The relationship between Nigeria and the United States, particularly on drug control, has been very cordial. Since 1990, when NDLEA began operations, it has enjoyed good working relationship with the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (USDEA). This longstanding association is visible in the areas of exchange of information and intelligence, training as well as joint operations.

Both countries also initiated the establishment of West Africa Joint Operations (WAJO) in 2001 after the many positive results of the Joint Task Force (JTF) unit of the Agency where both countries have worked closely for years.

Last February, the United States Government donated four body-scanning machines to the country. The scanners, which were launched by the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Robin Renee Sanders, have turned the four international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt snares for drug traffickers many of whom have been arrested and prosecuted including a doctorate degree holder, a 72 year old grandfather among many others.

The National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) was also reviewed in the first quarter of 2008 while the Agency held its Second Commands Officers' Summit at Yankari Games Reserve, Bauchi State, on how to re-strategise against drug barons. Within the year, the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, convicted a notorious drug baron, Akindele Ikumoluyi, also known as Ile-Eru that masterminded several cases of drug trafficking to Europe.

On May 29, 2008, the Oyo State Command recorded the single largest seizure of Cannabis ever in history of the Agency where 80.53 metric tons was recovered in one single operation. A bullion van, a truck and a 504-saloon car used by the syndicate in cannabis shipment were equally impounded. Two sizeable warehouses situated in a residential area of Ibadan were found to house these illicit substances.

In February, Ekiti State Command also identified and seized about 53.7 metric tons of Cannabis stored in a storey building at Ise-Ekiti. In Maiduguri, Borno State, officers of the Agency equally intercepted 2.3 metric tons of cannabis meant for export through the land border.

Since January 2008, the Agency has intensified its counter narcotics campaign with the public burning of about 167 metric tons of illicit drugs in six States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The States are Anambra, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Plateau and Niger. The U.S. certification was coming at the heels of these achievements is seen as a good omen for the country.

On the other hand, de-certification by the United States government can lead to sanctions. Such a strained relationship may result in the discontinuation of humanitarian and counter narcotics assistance by the U.S. government to affected countries.

Nigeria ranks third among the cyber crime committing countries in the world. According to a 2007 Internet crime report released by the Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3), which puts the country alongside the U.S, U.K. and Romania among the top ten countries where Internet crimes are perpetrated.

According to the report, in the U.S. alone, "Nigerian letter fraud" (e-mail scams emanating from Nigeria) constituted 1.1 per cent of the 2007 top IC3 complaint categories received. The report also revealed that the amount lost by individuals reporting fraud-type monetary loss in 2007 puts Nigerian Letter Fraud at 6.4 percent, amounting to US$1,9 million.

IC3 noted that although Nigeria is in the top ten countries where Internet crime is perpetrated, the country is, ironically, not among the first ten nations that complain to the IC3.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in its banking sector supervision report revealed that the banking sector lost N7.2 billion to Internet fraud. However, the Chief Executive Officer of Global Network for Cyber Solution, Mr. Segun Olugbile, believes the amount is in the region of N10billion.

On the international scene, Robert L. Mallet, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, said that the U.S. was giving more to Nigeria, yet losing more to Nigerians due to cyber crimes.

"U.S. citizens lose approximately US$2 billion ($2,000 million) a year to Nigerian fraud, be it credit card fraud, insurance fraud, or 419 scam letters, or counterfeiting," he complained. This amount, according to observers, totals about two-and-a-half times the value of total U.S. exports to Nigeria.

Investigations by Daily Independent reveal that Lagos, which is regarded as the "hot spot" of the menace, is yet to show any downward trend in the perpetration of the crime, despite efforts by the law enforcement agencies at tracking and arresting the teeming cyber fraudsters in the state.

It was also learnt that overnight browsing of Internet in Lagos still booms despite EFCC's ban and that the law is ironically relaxed against the trend.

But sources said that the commission had carried out over 28 raids on cyber cafÈs since the new anti-graft agency's boss, Mrs. Farida Waziri, assumed duty, with 136 suspects arrested, explaining, "We arrested 60 suspects in the Southwest, 39 in the Southeast, 26 from the South-South and 11 in the North."

While efforts are geared towards curbing cyber crimes, the perpetrators are fashioning out new ways of outwitting the law enforcement agents to sap their victims of their hard-earned cash, sufficiently shielded from the law.

Investigations in Lagos have revealed that the yahoo yahoo boys, as they are called, have crafted new tactics, enabling them to take advantage of Internet services provided by Fixed Telephone Companies to perpetrate the crime right in the comfort of their sitting rooms, away from the prying eyes of the EFCC.

However, according to Femi Babafemi, the EFCC, in partnership with some experts, is developing software that could be used to monitor Internet usage in the country with the particular aim of tracking and arresting fraudsters.

A recent stakeholders conference on cyber crime and cyber security issued a communiquÈ calling for a legislation on cyber crime, the establishment of Cyber Crime Reporting and Response Centre, Cyber Security Training Centre, Cyber Police and Forensic Commission and National Institute of Cyber Space Infrastructure Protection for Nigeria to battle the cyber menace.

Experts have argued that fighting cyber crime without any relevant legislation would not lead to desired result, arguing further that most anti-crime laws do not accommodate cyber crime, thereby making the crime difficult to be curtailed by the existing laws.

Against this background, some members of the House of Representatives, under the banner of the Certified Anti Money Laundry Specialists (CAMLSC), recently organised an interactive dialogue on Innovative Strategies to Combat Money Laundry and Cyber Crimes in the country.

Speaking at the dialogue, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, decried that recent anti corruption crusade had been focusing on individuals, neglecting the channels in which the corruption was taking place. He restated the legislators' commitment to fighting all forms of corruption, including cyber crimes.

Stakeholders in the Banking and Information and Technology sector also held that unless concerted efforts are made, Nigeria would remain a leading nation in cyber crime.