Nigerian Universities Research Topics: CRITICAL EVALUATION OF CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF CYBER CRIME IN KADUNA STATE (A CASE STUDY OF KADUNA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

CERTIFICATION

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE/INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY ……………………………..

1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM…………………….

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS …………………………….

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY………………………………………

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY………………………………….

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS ……………………………………….

1.7 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS……………………………………….

CHAPTER TWO/LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAME WORK

2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW ..........................................................

2.2 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE………………………………………

CHAPTER THREE/ RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………….

3.2 STUDY LOCATION: A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ……………………

3.3 POPULATION…………………………………………….

3.4 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE ……………………………………….

3.5 DATA COLLECTION METHOD …………………………..

3.6 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS……………………………..

CHAPTER FOUR/DATA PRESENTATION AND ANAYSIS

4.1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………

4.1 INTRODUCTION ………………………………………..

4.2 DATA PRESENTATION…………………………………….

CHAPTER FIVE/SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 SUMMARY………………………………………………………..

5.2 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………

5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS.………………………………………….

REFERENCES

APPENDIX

ABSTRACT

In Nigeria today, numerous internet assisted crimes are committed daily in various forms such as identity theft, desktop counterfeiting, internet chat room, cyber harassment, fraudulent electronic mails,Automated Teller Machine spoofing, pornography, piracy, hacking, phishing and spamming. Usually these crimes are committed in forms like sending of fraudulent and bogus financial proposals from cyber criminals to innocent internet users. The increasing rates of cybercrime in the society have become a strong threat to Nigeria’s e-commerce growth and has led to ill- reputation intentionally and consequently denied some innocent Nigerians certain opportunities abroad. Therefore, innocent internet users should inculcate the habit of continuously updating their knowledge about the ever changing nature of ICTs, through this, they can not only be well informed about the current trends in cybercrimes, but they will also have the knowledge about different forms of the said crimes and how the cyber criminals carry out their heinous activities. Thus, they can devise means of protecting their information from cyber criminals. Internet users should be security conscious. On the whole, this paper examines the causes and consequences of cybercrime in Kaduna north local government area, Kaduna State.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Technology has integrated nations and the world has become a global village. The economy of most nations in the world is accessible through the aid of electronics via the internet. Since the electronic market is opened to everybody (which also includes eavesdroppers and criminals), false pretence finds a fertile ground in this situation. However, information technology revolution associated with the internet has brought about two edge functions: that is on one hand, it has contributed positive values to the world. While on the other hand, it has produced so many maladies that threaten the order of the society and also producing a new wave of crime to the world known as cybercrime.

The internet online business services, which ordinarily suppose to be a blessing as it exposes one to a lot of opportunities in various field of life is fast becoming a source of discomfort and worry due to the atrocities being perpetrated through it. Shinder (2002), define cyber crime as any criminal offenses committed using the internet or another computer network as a component of the crime. Cyber crimes are offences that are committed against individual or group of individuals with a criminal motive to internationally harm the reputation of the victim or cause physical or mental harm to the victim directly or indirectly using modern telecommunication networks such as internet and mobile phones. Such crimes may threaten nation’s security and financial health (Akogwu, 2012).

There is no gainsaying that Nigeria, the self-acclaimed giant of Africa is enmeshed in an emulating syndrome called cyber crime. Its manifestation is pandemic and difficult to eradicate. The task of re-stigmatizing cyber crime and re-dignifying honesty are not as easy as that of institutionalizing a deterrence mechanism like code of conduct bureau, Independent Corrupt Practice Commission (ICPC), Economic and financial crime commission (EFCC) and many more. This is after many years at the bottom of the ladder of the corrupt nations of the world, which is based on some index set by the Transparency International (TI), an anti corruption crusader group.

Corruption the father of cyber crime take many forms in Nigeria from the policeman that receives favor from government, students that buy gift for lectures or pay school staff to pass examination or receive certificate, teachers/lecturers that organize special centers during public examinations, to parents that give token to their children before they can help out with an assignment, with the inclusion of advanced fee fraud popularly called “419” as the most pervasive. Although all these can be perceived as negative factors that gave birth to cyber crime, this anomaly popularly called ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ is an off shoot of advanced fee fraud which became popular in the early 90’s, and has now produced its first offspring with mostly young fellows and the unemployed as its major practitioners. But the question on the lips of social scientists and historians is, how did a society that value hard work, cooperation and contentment become deeply rotten by corruption?

The answer to the above can be linked to the materialistic value of the country. Nigerians now worship those that have plenty material resources without making inquiry about the source of such material property. But, some people will be eager to point out that why has the materialistic value of other societies not made them enmesh in corruption? I want to point out here that, the answer to such argument can be found in the circumstances that led to this new social reality, circumstances like; high rate of poverty, lack of parental guidance, lack of substantial value system adopted by Nigerian’s, idleness, weak laws against crime, lack of security awareness etc.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The contribution of internet to the development of the nation has been marred by the evolution of new waves of crime. The internet has also become an environment where the most lucrative and safest crime thrives. Cybercrime has become a global threat from Europe to America, Africa to Asia. Cybercrime has come as a surprise and a strange phenomenon that for now lives with us in Nigeria. With each passing day, we witness more and more alarming cases of cybercrimes in Nigeria, with each new case more shocking than the one before. It has become a stubborn mouth sore which causes us a lot of pain and shame because criminally minded individuals in the country are stealing and committing atrocities through the aid of the internet online business transactions.

The youths in every society are of great importance and concern to that society because they are looked upon as the leaders of tomorrow. Olaide and Adewole (2004), observed that a sizeable number of criminals in Nigeria fall within the youthful age (17- 40). The youths at present have discovered different ways of using the internet in doing different types of criminal activities and these age brackets are usually found among the unemployed in Nigeria. Although Nigeria is not the only nation where cybercrimes are being perpetrated but the incidence can rightly be said to be on the increase in the country due to lack of security awareness and under reportage respectively.

Although some people’s level of knowledge of the net is observably just for chatting with their friends and may be get information there from, most of them may not be in the position to protect their data or information and computer from malicious programmers (Akogwu, 2012).

In Kaduna state, various form of crimes are being witnessed ranging from corruption, examination malpractices, drug abuse, falsification of certificates, rape, robbery and stealing, sexual abuse, assault, cultism, terrorism amongst others (Okeshola and Adeta 2013). But in recent times cybercrime a new form of crime now exists in our contemporary society which is denting and drilling holes in the economy of the nation. it is also leading to the erosion of confidence in genuine Nigerian commercial credibility and today many western countries with France taking the lead have moved to deny Nigerian businessmen and women who are legitimate the rewards of e-commerce. France today requires web camera verification for most online business transactions from Nigeria (Okeshola and Adeta 2013).

Studies that focuses on cybercrime largely concentrates on situations in the western world forgetting that the nature of cybercrime is such that geographical and political boundaries are being rendered irrelevant. A person who has access to computer and connected to the internet might be participating, attempting or planning a criminal act anywhere in the world (Kumar, 2003). Awe (2009), confirmed that computer attacks can be generated by criminals from anywhere in the world, and executed in other areas, irrespective of geographical location. And often these criminal activities can be faster, easier and more damaging with the use of the internet.

The above statement shows that it is a global issue and as such, has become an image nightmare for the Nigerian government to identify the remote causes and devastating consequences in order to proffer solutions. In Nigeria, perpetrators of this crime who are usually referred to as “yahoo yahoo boys” are taking advantage of e-commerce systems available on the internet to defraud victims in thousands and sometimes millions of naira and even dollars. They fraudulently represent themselves as having particular goods to sell or that they are involved in a loan scheme project. They may pose to have financial institution where money can be loaned out to prospective investors. In this regard, so many persons have been duped or fallen victims, as a result of these techniques used by cyber criminals.

Attempts to address cybercrime by various governments and international organizations have not been successful owing to the fact that the identities remain inadequate. A study by Zero Tolerance (2006) indicates that cyber criminals are usually within the age of 18 and 30 years and they indulge in the crime in order to survive and have a taste of good life. Noting these observations, there is need to identify more attributes these cyber criminals possess and identify other motivating factors alongside the acknowledgement of a good taste of life as a motivating factor.

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following are the formulated research questions for this research study:

I. To what extent does cybercrime occur in Kaduna north local government area?

II. What are the socio-economic factors that lead people into engaging in cyber crime?

III. What are the consequences of cyber crime to the society at large?

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

I. To assess the frequency of cyber crime occurrence in Kaduna north local government area.

II. To discover the socio-economic factors responsible for people’s involvement in cyber crime.

III. To identify and examine the negative impacts the menace poses to the society.

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The importance of this study cannot be overemphasized. This is because, the study will be of benefit to every user of the internet. The study is aimed at analyzing the inherent causes, implications and occurrences associated with cyber crimes in Kaduna north local government area. The government and policy makers will find this work very handy in their attempt to find a solution to this problem. Similarly, this work will assist law enforcement agencies in their bid to curb e-crimes in Nigeria. This study will also help sociology researchers and even those in related discipline in their further research.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

There is no doubt that cyber crime is a universal problem and any discourse or study in this area has to go round the globe. That notwithstanding, this research work will try as much as possible to focus on the causes and consequences of cybercrime as it relates to Nigeria, Kaduna state to be precise. The scope of this work includes but is not limited to; an overview of cyber crimes in Nigeria, and an attempt will be made to analyze the frequency of its occurrence, but due to financial inadequacy to embark on some data collection methods, inability to access confidential and vital records of information and time constraints the project shall be restricted to Kaduna North Local Government Area.

1.7 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

Cyber: The term Cyber according to Encarta dictionaries it is a prefix used to describe an idea as part of the computer and information age or a prefix used to form words relating to the internet or cyberspace or computers more generally.

Crime: This can be defined as any activity that contravenes legal procedure mostly preferred by individuals with a criminal motive and such an activity is usually deemed injurious to the public welfare. Crime can also be viewed as an act committed in violation of law where the consequences of conviction by a court is punishment, especially where the punishment is a serious one such as imprisonment.

Cybercrime: Computer crime or cybercrime as referred to by Wikipedia is any crime that involves a computer and a network. DrDebaratiHalder and Dr K Jaishankar (2011) defines cybercrime as offences that are committed against individuals with a criminal motive to intentionally harm the reputation of the victim, cause physical or mental harm or loss to the victim directly or indirectly, using modern telecommunication networks such as internet (chatrooms, emails, notice boards and groups) and mobile phones (SMS/MMS).

Cause: There are various definitions of the word cause but in this context we consider it as what makes something happen, a person or thing that makes something occur or exist and is either responsible or is the reason for something happening. Oxford Advanced learners dictionary defines cause as the reason why something, especially something bad happens.

Consequence: This is a logical conclusion reached through deductive reasoning and plausible investigation. It could also be defined as a relationship between cause and effect. A Cambridge dictionary refers to consequence as a result of a particular action or situation, often one that is bad or not convenient.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

2.1INTRODUCTION

This chapter deals with literature review and theoretical framework.

2.2 LITERATURE REVIEW

Crime we are told is today a salient tact, an integral part of the risks we face in everyday life. In both scholarly and public opinion, crime is associated with harm and violence. However, we lack agreement on the most basic question "what is crime". The term crime does not in modern criminal law have any simple and universally accepted definition, though statutory definitions have been provided for certain purposes. The most popular view is that crime is a gateway created by law that is, something is a crime if applicable Law says it is. One proposed definition is that a crime, also called an offence or a criminal offence is an act harmful not only to some individuals, but also to the community or the state (public wrong). For most people the acceptable definition of a Crime is that "Crime is an act that the law makes punishable”. This is because any act which has not been condemned by any law or recognized by any act as wrong cannot be seen or called a crime.

Borrowing a leaf from the foregoing therefore, Cybercrime has been defined by various writers. This would be discussed having understood the split meaning of "Cyber" and "Crime". Cyber crime has been defined as “a criminal offence on the web, a criminal offence regarding the internet, a violation of law on the internet, an illegality committed with regard to the internet etc”.

According to Summer (1997), there is no generally acceptable or generally agreed definition of Cybercrime and this lack directly impacts assessments of extent. The Council of Europe Cybercrime Convention also known as the Treaty of Budapest covers in Articles 2-6 as “substantive offences”, “illegal access”, and “misuse of devices”, “system interference”, “data interference”, and “illegal interception”. It adds as Computer-related offences, “computer-related forgery”, and “computer-related fraud”. Cyber crime has also been defined as including “unauthorized acts with the intent to impair, or with recklessness as to impairing, operation of computer, etc”. This definition is acceptable only within the jurisdiction in which the law was made.

Cyber crime encompasses any criminal activity or act dealing with computers and networks (called hacking). Additionally, it also includes traditional crimes conducted through the internet for example; hate crimes, internet fraud, identity theft, credit card account thefts etc.

Okwunma (2011) opines that Cyber crime should not be attributed to just the use of computers to commit crime,cyber crime is a cloud crime. Most of the cyber crimes are being committed with the aid of the internet and therefore, cybercrime should be defined as illegal activities committed through the use of computer and internet.

Dictionary.com defines Cyber crime as criminal activity or a crime that involves the internet, a computer system or computer technology; identity theft, phishing and other kinds of Cyber crime. Cyber crime is a term for any illegal activity that uses a computer as its primary means of commission. These broad definitions offer little insight into the nature of the conduct that falls within the umbrella term. The issue is further complicated by the fact that cyber crime is a social label and not an established term within criminal law.

There has been confusion on the criteria used to determine the term Cyber crimes or computer crimes. Some argued that, it is any crime that involves the use of computer, while some others argued that it is a crime in the presence of a computer. However, some have criticized the categorization of cyber crime.

Gotternbarn (1999) argued that, there is nothing special on the crimes that happen to involve computers. Is it possible for a crime being categorized in accordance to a tool, equipment, mechanism or means through which it was committed? If that’s so, how many categories of crime would there be? How about the crime committed through using a television, automobiles, scalpels, scissors and other tools, can we categorize each of them as individual crimes? Gotternbarn (1999) concludes that crimes involving computers are not necessarily issues in computer ethics.

In arguing against Gotternbarn, it is true that we may not categorize other crimes in accordance to tools, equipment, mechanism or means through which they were committed. However, due to the nature and features of cyber crimes which differentiates the traditional universe and the cyber universe, it made the traditional universe tremble like an earthquake and makes crimes difficult to control than they were before. This initiates the concept of these crimes being necessary to be categorized as cyber crimes.

Forester and Morrison (1994) argued that cyber crime is a criminal act in which a computer is used as a principal tool. In that matter, the theft of computer hardware device, would not qualify as a computer crime. Is it true that by using a computer as the principal to commit a crime, it will amount to cyber crime? For instance in taxable transactions, in the case of data entry, can’t a person commit fraud just by filling the wrong data into hardcopy version of tax forms which are the same available in electronic forms? Therefore, their Argument holds no water as it is fallacious.

Girasa (2002) argued that Cyber crime is a generic term covering the multiplicity of crimes found in penal codes or in legislations having use of computers as a centre component. To him, Cyber crime is a crime as long as the penal codes and any other legislation clearly stipulate it as involving not only the use of computers but the use of computers as the centre component.

At the Tenth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders, in a workshop devoted to the issues of crimes related to computer networks, cyber crime was broken into two categories and defined thus:

1. Cyber crime in a narrow sense: Any illegal behaviour directed by means of electronic operations that targets the security of computer systems and the data processed by them.

2. Cyber crime in a broader sense (computer-related crime): Any illegal behaviour committed by means of, or in relation to a computer system or network, including such crimes as illegal possession and offering or distributing information by means of a computer system or network.

Even though this definition is not completely definitive, however, it gives us a good starting point, for determining just what cyber crime means, by incorporating computer crime and computer-related crime. Computer crime has two elements, “Computer” and “Crime”. Therefore, it involves a crime in a relationship with a computer. However, the relationship can also be indirect, the criminal cannot only use a computer to commit his crime but can also use someone to make changes in a computer system by manipulating a key computer user. Thus, one being the exploitation of weakness in the technical IT infrastructure, and the other being exploitation of trust in social fabric of IT users within the organization.

According to Vladimir (2005) internet is a global network which unites millions of computers located in different countries and open broad opportunities to obtain and exchange information but it is now been used for criminal purposes due to the economic factors. Nigeria a third world country is faced with so many economic challenges such as poverty, corruption, unemployment amongst others, thereby, making this crime thrive. However, it will be inconclusive to base it only on economic challenge as the cause of cyber crime in Nigeria; as there might be other causes too.

Agba (2002), is of the view that internet is the most technologically advanced medium of interaction. It is the information revolution that has turned the world into a global village. As a result of this value, it is assumed that internet usage in Nigeria is growing due to increasing availability of broadband connections and by observation, a decrease in subscription fee. This observed increase of internet users in Nigeria has made the internet a popular medium of communication and interaction as well as forum for online enterprises, such as, internet service provision (ISP), cyber cafes and cyber crime which was described by Ayantokun (2006) as all unlawful activities involving computer and internet.

The internet services has reduced the world into a global village which makes it look as if everybody is in the same place at a particular point in time, aside from the fact that the internet has made communication to be easier and faster. A lot of other transactions are consummated at the speed of lightening. Oyewole and Obeta (2002), stated that the internet is the inter connection of computer across the world thereby creating unlimited opportunities for mankind. According to Ehimen and Bola (2009), the internet has created a geometric growth and accelerated windows of opportunities for businesses and the removal of economic barriers hitherto faced by nations of the world. Considering these limitless advantages of the internet, one can easily subscribe to the fact that it is an important tool for national development in a developing country like Nigeria.

McConnel (2000), argued that cyber crimes differ from most terrestrial crimes in four ways which are: They are easy to learn; they require few resources relative to the potential damage caused; they can be committed in a jurisdiction without being physically present and they are often not clearly illegal. As such, cyber crime has become one of the major security issues for law enforcement agencies and the world in general.

According to a publication by Economic and Other Financial Crime Commission in Nigeria named Zero Tolerance (2006), stated that a retired civil servant with two (2) other accomplices defrauded a German citizen name Klaus Wagner a sum of USD 1, 714,080 through the internet. A 2007 internet crime report listed Nigeria third in terms of online crime activity and the prevalence of cyber crime among a sizeable number of young Nigerians (Sesan 2010).

Ribadu (2007), stated that the prominent forms of cyber crime in Nigeria are cloning of websites, false representations, internet purchase and other e – commerce kinds of fraud. Olugbodi (2010), states that the most prevalent forms of cyber crime are website cloning, financial fraud, identity theft, credit card theft, cyber theft, cyber harassment, fraudulent electronic mails, cyber laundering and virus/ worms/ Trojans. The internet creates unlimited opportunities for commercial, social and educational activities. However, it has introduced its own peculiar risk that poses danger to the economy. The danger could affect many sectors of the society and put the development of the country into peril. Some of these possible adverse effects could include the destruction of the country’s image both at home and abroad, insecurity of both life and properties, fear of doing business with Nigerian citizens, economic loss of spending substantial amount of money on the prevention and control of cyber crime amongst others.

2.1 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE

In any sociological analysis, theories are indispensable. They form an integral part of sociological research as it is a general principle that explains or predict facts, observation or events. The theory of differential association was adopted for this study. This theory was propounded by Edwin Sutherland an American Sociologist. Differential association theory proposed that through interaction with others, individuals learn the values, attitudes, techniques and motives for criminal behaviour. According to this theory, the environment plays a major role in deciding which norms people learn to violate (Sutherland, 1939).

The principle of differential association asserts that a person becomes a delinquent because of an “excess” of definitions favourable to violation of law over definitions unfavourable to violation of law. What this means is that an individual will become a criminal because they are exposed to more favourable criminal behaviour. That is when one is exposed to more criminal influences rather than more favourable legal influences. In other words, criminal behaviour emerges when one is exposed to more social messages favouring misconduct than pro – social messages. This can be seen in environments with poor socio-economic conditions which may encourage negative views towards the law and authority.

According to Sutherland (1939), criminal behaviour is learned in interaction with other persons in a process of communication. This would mean an individual is influenced to participate in criminal behaviour through watching and interacting with other individuals who are engaging in the criminal behaviour. The principal part of the learning of criminal behaviour occurs within intimate personal groups. When criminal behaviour is learned, the learning includes techniques of committing the crime, which are sometimes very complicated, sometimes simple and they learn the specific direction of motives, drives, rationalizations and attitudes for committing a crime. This means that an individual will be influenced into believing that the behaviour which they may have previously believed was wrong, into believing that it is right through rationalization of their action.

Furthermore, an individual will be pushed into deviant behaviour depending on their view of the legal code as being favourable or unfavourable. A person becomes delinquent because of an excess of definitions favourable to violation of law over definitions unfavourable to violation of the law. Therefore, individuals will break a law if they see more reasons to break it than to stay in compliance with it. Differential Associations may also vary in frequency, duration, priority and intensity. The process of learning criminal behaviour by association with criminal and anti-criminal patterns involves all of the mechanisms that are involved in any other learning. This means that individuals learn criminal actions and legal activities through the same way. This theory states that while criminal behaviour is an expression of general needs and values, it is not necessarily the fulfilment of these needs and values which causes deviant behaviour since non-criminal behaviour is an expression of these same needs and values.

The theory of Differential Association can be applied to cyber crimes. The main premise behind this theory is that criminal behaviour is learned through social interactions with others. The profile of cyber criminal is one who is very smart, highly knowledgeable and who is a computer savvy. Their social interactions may come through electronic communications with other individuals who share similar technological interests. If they do not currently have any desire to commit malicious acts through electronic means, such as an act in violation of the computer fraud and abuse act, then they may become influenced through another individual with whom they share electronic communications. This theory which was developed to help explain white collar crime, fits in well with those who violate or commit cyber crime. Many of these individuals spend time with people who share similar interests. Differential association is a theory with a number of postulations which help to explain the causes behind why cyber crimes are increasing so quickly in the society and how an individual learn to become a cyber criminal.

Differential association has often been criticized by various scholars, and the basis of their disapproval of the theory stems from the idea that people can be independent, rational actors and individually motivated. This notion of one being a criminal based on his or her environment is problematic. Differential association has also been critiqued on account that not every individual who has interacted with a criminal developed criminal behaviors in the end.

According to Church, Wharton, and Taylor (2009) they managed to point out two significant weakness of the theory of differential association. They stated that, the first limitation of Sutherland’s differential theory stems from the concept of “definitions” in the sense that Sutherland fails to provide a precise definition of the concept. In addition, Sutherland fails to highlight how “excess of definitions” that are favorable to deviant behavior over unfavorable behavior can be operationalized. For instance, how many unlawful behaviors should one define as acceptable to result in “excess of definition”. Sutherland failed to provide a succinct definition of the same; therefore, how would one embark on measuring the concept of “excess definitions that are favourable to violation of law”? The second limitation of Sutherland’s theory pointed out by Church, Wharton, and Taylor (2009) is that it fails to specify the learning process. In regard, Church, Wharton, and Taylor (2009) assert that the theory of differential association lacks a clue as regards to the specifics to be incorporated in “all the mechanisms involved in any other form of learning”.

Another criticism leveled against the theory of differential association stems from the development of cultural deviance theory, which attempted to prove that Sutherland made erroneous assumptions regarding human behavior and the role that culture plays in influencing deviance (Hirschi 2002). Hirschi postulates that the cultural deviance theory reduces the theory of differential association to a misrepresentation of human nature. In another research by Hirschi to explore the mechanism of social transmission of delinquency, he compared the impact of the peer’s attitude and the impact of the peer’s behavior and reported that delinquency emerged from the peer’s behavior rather than the outcome of the attitude obtained from other peers. This implies that Sutherland’s view that peer’s attitude is a significant factor for deviant behavior is incomplete. Hirschi summarized the limitations of sutherland’s theory as follows:

-The theory is defective on the grounds that it fails to take into account the consideration of free will.

-The theory draws upon psychology that assumes rational deliberation and does not consider the role of the victim in the development of deviant behavior.

-The theory fails to explain the origin of deviance and fails to define core concepts outlined in its principles such as “excess”.

-It fails to take into consideration the role of biological factors in crime making the theory not adequately comprehensive since it is not multidisciplinary.

-The theory draws on the assumption that all people can access anti-criminal patterns equally.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses the procedures that would be employed in carrying out the field research. Hence: location of the study, population, sampling technique, data collection method, administration of data collection instruments, and method of data analysis.

3.2 STUDY LOCATION: A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The history of Kaduna state dates back to the 19^th century. Kaduna is used to refer to crocodiles in the Hausa language. Before the advent of the Europeans, it was under the influence of Zaria province. The earliest inhabitants of Kaduna were the Hausas, Fulanis and Gwaris. The then political system was based in Kaduna but was transferred to Zungeru by Lord Lugard in 1916.

Kaduna state is located at the center of northern Nigeria, and shares borders with Abuja, Katsina, Bauchi, Kano, Sokoto and plateau state. It occupies a land area of 45,567 square kilometers. The symbol of Kaduna is a crocodile called ‘‘KADA’’ in the native Hausa language. Its headquarters are in the town of Doka. It has an area of 72 km2 and a population of 357,694 according to the 2006 census.

Major towns in the state include Kachia, BirninGwari, Ikara, Kauru, Zaria, Makarfi and Jama’a. Kaduna state is inhibited by multifarious ethnic and linguistic groups. There are about 35 indigenous ethnic groups in different parts of the state. However, the main ethnic group in the state includes Fulani, Hausa, Kaje, Kadara, Jaba, Kagoro, Gbagyi, and Kataf. The capital is predominantly inhibited by Muslims in the northen part and Christians in the southern part. The state is the successor to the old Northern region of Nigeria, which had its capital at Kaduna. In 1967 this was split up into six states, one of which was the North-central state, whose name was changed to Kaduna state in 1976. This was further divided in 1987, losing the Area now part of Katsina state. Under the government of Kaduna is the ancient city of Zaria known as the Zazzau emirate, the emirate was under the council of powerful native authority up to 1930.

Kaduna North is a local government area in Kaduna state, Nigeria. The city is located on the Kaduna River. It is a trade center and a major transportation hub for the surrounding agricultural areas with its rail and road junctions. Kaduna north local government area has it’s headquarter located at MagajinGari in the heart of Kaduna town. The postal code of the area is 800.

3.2.1 ADMINISTRATIVEDEPARTMENTS

There are six departments under Kaduna north local government area which are personnel, agriculture, health, finance, works and education development. These departments are headed by astute civil servants.

3.2.2 COMMERCE

As the capital of Kaduna state, there are many small and large scale companies and industries. There are immense commercial activities in various forms as a result of its metropolitan and urbanized nature, making it possible for its inhabitants to mostly engage in trade and commerce. Furthermore, because of the favorable topography, climate and economic condition, the town attracted people from far and neighboring areas to come and reside and carry out their business endeavors paripassu.

3.2.3 FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND RESOURCES

There are close to sixty financial institutions which includes; banks, finance houses, cooperative societies, and insurance firms.

The Local Government sources of fund includes;

1. Tax payments

2. Revenue generation in markets

3. Allocation of kiosks and brick shops

4. Land field dues

5. Issuing of receipts for general purposes, etc.

3.2.4 GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

The river Kaduna is a major geographical feature in the local government. Kaduna north falls within the Sudan Savannah region, the land there is characterized by rainy and dry season with a little period of harmattan. Therefore since it falls or lies in the savannah grassland, only a few swamp areas are found in the local government area except during the rainy seasons there are areas high above sea level swamping. This local government is not a plateau area, though there are some scattered rocky mountains found in some parts of the local government in places like Malali, Ungwangwari, Badarawa and Ungwandosa all in Kawo district, although the local government area is easily accessible by roads, railway lines and even by air for business opportunities available in the area. Most of the area in Kaduna north lay plainly due to high land area and as a result, the plain areas have been of vital importance to the inhabitants of such areas for one reason or another.

3.2.5 JUDICIARY

There are many courts given the metropolitan nature of Kaduna. There are two customary law courts, one high court and a sharia court of appeal all located in the township.

3.2.6 RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND FESTIVALS

There are many religious institutions for worship notably mosques and churches and traditionally in Kaduna north local government, a number of religious, cultural and private festivals are celebrated, for example, the Sallah; eid-el kabir and eid-el maulud, Christmas, New Year and Easter.

3.2.7 EDUCATION

In the area of learning, Kaduna north local government area has a well developed competitive level of education due to the presence of educational institutions such as Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State University, Nigeria Defense Academy (NDA), National Technical School, among others. There are also in the local government area over a hundred secondary, primary and nursery schools publicly and privately owned.

3.2.8 RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND TOURIST ATTRACTION

There are many of such facilities given the cosmopolitan nature of Kaduna. There are two stadiums, Ahmadu Bello Stadium and Ranchers Bees Stadium. There are also many hotels with recreational facilities. Arewa House, National museum, river Kaduna, Kaduna beach garden and the numerous hotels are the source of tourism for the Local Government Area.

3.2.9 JUSTIFICATION FOR SELECTION OF THE LOCATION

The study will be conducted in areas that constitute the three (3) main districts which are Doka districts, Kawo district, and Gabasawa district. These areas are Kabala, Malali, and UngwanRimi, these three locations were selected because of the proximity and familiarity of the area to the researcher, also because of the diverse background of individuals that inhabit the local government area, their heterogeneous nature prove that they represent all types of individuals that must have knowledge or experience about the internet and cybercrime. So it is believed that the information received based on the project topic; the causes and consequences of cybercrime in Kaduna state (A case study of Kaduna north local government area) will be the same with that of other areas in the state.

3.3 POPULATION

Population is used to refer to all inhabitants of a particular place. Considering the nature of the study, the population for the study has to include all categories of the entire population, ranging from students, workers, businesspersons, lecturers, security personnel, cyber café operators etc, this is to enable me harness collective views for efficient and effective analysis of the subject matter.

3.4 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

For the purpose of this study both probability and non-probability sampling techniques will be used to select the respondents. The probability sampling method that will be used is the simple random sampling while the non-probability sampling method will be the purposive sampling.

3.5 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION

As a tradition in any social research, a particular method or methods of data collection will be employed in the course of this research. The methods to be adopted in the process of data collection are essentially the use of primary sources that is the use of questionnaires and in-depth interview.

The questionnaires are to be used for collection of quantitative data from respondents to address the central aim of the study, that is, the causes and consequences of cybercrime in Kaduna North Local Government Area. The questionnaires are structured in close ended, open ended, multiple choice and Likert scale format. It is also divided into four major parts; Section A, B, C and D. Section A is on personal data (socio demographic data), Section B is on the frequency of cybercrime occurrence in Kaduna north local government area, section C deals with the causes of cybercrime, while Section D will be based on the consequences of cybercrime.

In depth interview on the other hand would be adopted for collection of qualitative data from three (3) respondents who have knowledge or considerable experience in relation to the research topic. The sampling technique employed to select respondents for the in depth interview is the purposive sampling technique, and it would be used in order to identify key informants and those relevant to the research project based on their intellect, knowledge, experience and expertise. While Secondary data would also obtained through text books, journals, newspapers and publications on the web.

3.6 METHODS OF DATA ANALYSIS

The data that would be collected from the field will be analyzed with the use of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Simple descriptive tools such as percentage and frequency table for analysis are also to be used in the presentation of data.

CHAPTER FOUR

ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF DATA

4.1 INTRODUCTION

The main purpose of this chapter is to analyze and interpret the data elicited from the field. It also intends to bring out important aspects of the research that are in accordance with the objectives of the study. To achieve this aim the study adopted the use of triangulation method in the analysis and interpretation of data. The triangulation method involves the combination of both quantitative and qualitative method in the interpretation of the findings collected from the field. This method increases the validity of the study as findings from the various methods of data collection complement each other. In all, a total of 120 questionnaires were administered and 3 key informants (a cyber café operator, a lecturer and a cyber criminal) were interviewed.

4.2 SOCIO - DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS

GENDER	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Male	86	72%
Female	34	28%
Total	120	100%
MARITAL STATUS	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Single	88	73%
Married	32	27%
Widow
Widower
Total	120	100%
AGE	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
18 – 25	60	50%
26 – 35	50	42%
36 – 45	8	7%
46 and above	2	1%
Total	120	100%
OCCUPATION	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Student	50	41%
Business man/woman	32	27%
Civil servant	26	22%
Others	12	10%
Total	120	100%
ETHNIC GROUP	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Yoruba	18	15%
Hausa/Fulani	46	38%
Igbo	6	5%
Others	50	42%
Total	120	100%
RELIGION	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Christianity	74	62%
Islam	46	38%
Traditional
Others
Total	120	100%
EDUCATIONAL STATUS	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Primary
Secondary	18	15%
Tertiary	102	85%
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016.

From the above table, it can be deduced that majority (72%) of the respondents were males, while the minority (28%) were females.

Marital status of respondents shows that single individuals were the majority (73%) and married couples were the minority (27%).

Age of respondents show that majority (50%) fell within the age bracket of 18-25 years, followed by those within the ages of 26-35 years (42%), 36-45 years (7%) and the minority (1%) were within the age bracket of 46 and above.

Occupational status of the respondents shows that majority (41%) were students, 27% were engaged in one form of business or the other, while 22% were civil servants and the minority (10%) were into other occupations.

Ethnic group of respondents shows that majority (42%) of the respondents belonged to other ethnic groups, while Hausa/Fulani respondents were 38%, followed by 15% of Yoruba respondents and the minority were of the Igbo ethnic group with 5%.

Religious affiliation of respondents shows that majority were Christians with 62% while respondents that practiced Islam were the minority with 38%.

Educational status shows the level of educational attainment of the respondents. From the table above one can ascertain that majority (85%) of the respondents had attained tertiary education, while the minority (15%) of respondents had attained secondary education.

4.3 FREQUENCY OF CYBER CRIME OCCURRENCE IN KADUNA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMNET AREA

4.3.1 Rate of cyber crime in Kaduna North L.G.A

RATE	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Frequently	62	52%
Not frequently	40	33%
Undecided	18	15%
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016.

From the table above, it is indicative that majority of the respondents with 52% believed that cyber crime occurs frequently, while 33% believed cyber crime doesn’t occur frequently and 15% as the minority were undecided about the rate of cyber crime occurrence in Kaduna North L.G.A.

The in-depth interview with key informants, respondents agreed that cyber crime is frequent in Kaduna North L.G.A. For instance the cyber cafe operator stated that:

When my cafe was newly opened in 2010, customers that came to browse try to beat our timing system until measures were put in place to curtail them from stealing our time. But people still come to send fraudulent mails and as you can see, we don’t allow flash drive into our systems.

The cyber criminal aired his view on the frequency of cyber crime in Kaduna North L.G.A as follows:

Cyber crime is frequent around here but an ordinary person won’t know except when he/she has fallen victim and this is due to the high level of poverty and the fact that many graduates are unemployed. Some have computer skills, so they use what they have to survive.

In addition the lecturer stated that:

Cyber crime is any crime committed via the internet, so people watching pornography are committing crime, those people sending fraudulent e-mails are committing crime. And those trying to download academic materials, text books or soft ware from the internet without paying for it are also committing crime. So you can see that everybody is involved in this crime.

4.3.2 Places where cyber crime is mostly perpetrated

PLACES	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Cyber cafes	53	44%
At home	35	29%
Private organizations	14	12%
Tertiary institutions	14	12%
Government offices	4	3%
Total	120	100

Source: Field survey 2016.

From the above table it can be inferred that majority (44%) of respondents believe that cyber crime is mostly perpetrated in cybercafés, 29% believe cybercrime is mostly perpetrated at home, 12% accept that cyber crime is perpetrated in private organizations, another batch with the same percentage say tertiary institutions, while 3% minority of respondents say government offices.

In line with the above statement, the qualitative data obtained from the cyber criminal has this to say when interviewed on what he used to browse or how he accessed the internet:

I have my private modem and laptop that I use to browse at home. Let me tell you, nowadays cyber criminals don’t use the cafe any more, they now use wireless and blackberry to access the internet and operate comfortably from their homes.

The lecturer during the in-depth interview stated that:

My view on the perpetrated point of crime is the home. This is due to the fact that even ordinary Nokia C3 can browse and with the reduction in the price of MB, anybody who is interested in criminality can afford it.

The cyber café operator stated that:

Yes quite alright these cyber criminals usually come to my café to carry out their criminal acts, but there are other places where they can also perpetrate this crime. It could be done even by the road side or in the comfort of their homes, this is due to easy accessibility to the internet via numerous digital devices.

The above indicates that cyber crime can be committed by criminals even without them leaving their homes.

4.3.3 The most common type of cyber crime perpetrated in Kaduna North L.G.A

CYBER CRIMES	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Illegal downloads	8	7%
ATM fraud	16	13%
Obtaining money by false pretences (social networks)	40	33%
Cyber identity theft	10	8%
Online dissemination of rumors	8	7%
Hacking	32	27%
Pornography	6	5%
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016.

From the table above it can be deduced that majority of the respondents with 33% believed that obtaining money by false pretence via social networks is the most common type of cyber crime perpetrated in Kaduna North L.G.A, while 27% believed it is hacking, 13% of the respondents were of the view that it is ATM fraud, 8% believed it is cyber identity theft, 7% of respondents believe illegal downloads and online dissemination of rumors are the most common, while 5% as the minority believe pornography is the most common type of cyber crime perpetrated in the L.G.A.

Findings from the in-depth interview with key informants also identified other types of cyber crime common in the study area.

The lecturer stated that the common cyber crimes in the area are pin fraud, cheque fraud, theft of identity and economic fraud.

Similarly, the cyber criminal in the interview identified the type of cyber crime he usually indulges in. He stated that:

I am into the use of social network to get my mate. What I do mainly is to pretend as an imposter via online dating. I looked for the profile of people that is male and female that lives outside the country. I always posed to them as a single female looking for a male partner or as big man who needed a wife or tell them stories on how my wife disappointed me and took away my property and children or as a widower. All this is polished in a pitiable way with some pictures to even convince them whenever I’m chatting with them. From there I begin to play my pranks.

The cyber café operator when asked on the type of cyber crime he believes is most common stated “software piracy and hacking”.

4.4.1 Respondents view on whether they access or use the internet

RESPONDENTS VIEW	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Yes	120	100%
No
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016

From the table above, a conclusion can be drawn that all (100%) respondents access or make use of the internet

4.4.2 Respondents awareness of cyber crime

AWARENESS	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Yes	117	97.5%
No	3	2.5%
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016.

From the table above, it can be observed that majority (97.5%) of the respondents are aware of cyber crime, while minority (2.5%) are not aware of cyber crime.

The lecturer interviewed showed his awareness of cyber crime and said:

Cyber crime is derived from two words “cyber” and “crime”. Cyber refers to any activities either sales or transaction of services in the cyber space while crime are unacceptable activities. When join together, it means all fraudulent, illicit and unacceptable activities related to cyber space.

The operator of the cyber cafe agreed with the above definition and shared his knowledge of cyber crime as thus:

Cyber crime is committing crime through the internet, it does not necessarily mean it has to happen inside the cyber cafe, you can have your laptop, you have your modern in your house and you commit crime; hack people’s mail. That is cyber crime.

In addition, the cyber criminal when asked during the in-depth interview how long he has been involved in cyber crime, stated that “I have been doing it for a while let say 4 to 5 years now”.

4.4.3 Respondents view on the cause and motivating factor responsible for the involvement of individuals in cyber crime

CAUSES	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Poverty	22	18%
Joblessness/unemployment	40	33%
Easy accessibility to the internet	12	10%
Greed	8	7%
Laziness	8	7%
Negligence by authorities /loose security system	4	3%
Get rich syndrome	14	12%
Peer pressure/influence	12	10%
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016.

From the above table one can discern that respondents believe the causes and motivating factors responsible for peoples involvement in cyber crime are; majority (33%)consider joblessness/unemployment
as the cause of cyber crime, 18% of respondents consider poverty as the cause, 12% of respondents believe it’s get rich syndrome, 10% of respondents decide on easy accessibility to the internet and peer pressure/influence causes cybercrime, while 7% of respondents consider greed and laziness as the causes of cybercrime and minority (3%) of respondents consider negligence by authorities/loose security systems as issues responsible for individuals involvement in cybercrime.

The qualitative data gave an explicit explanation of the motivating factors.

The lecturer stated that:

Someone may have grudges with an organization. A new organization can come and take away his market and you don’t feel happy about it and you try to create something that will render that service that organization is producing ineffective. Take for example there are people that design program and anti-virus to make money e.g. AVG and Avast. One of these companies could develop virus that the other company anti-virus software won’t be capable of handling and tend to make that antivirus ineffective.

Then another motivating factor is the tremendous success rate of the Yahoo Boys from their illegal act and not been caught by the law enforcement agencies, this will only serves to encourage others. Other motivating factors include excitement to succeed, get-rich syndrome, vengeance and sometimes sabotage.

Furthermore, the cyber cafe operator said that:

The motivating factors varies, but I think that inadequate legislation, financial benefits, low costs of executing the crime, low probability of being caught and prosecuted (due to weak laws and enforcement mechanisms) and the level of stigmatization of cyber criminals has not been so great.

The cybercriminal when asked what motivated him into such criminal act stated that:

You have seen our Nigerian politicians, you see the way they celebrate wealth, and this serves as a motivator for my involvement and other youths in cyber crime. The Nigerian society celebrates wealth without questioning the source of the money. Politicians caught defrauding the state become members of committees of the state and are given national awards. In churches and mosques, corrupt individuals are invited to launch building projects and hold esteemed positions so why won’t I find a way to survive from the economic hardship so that they can also call my name.

Then in our peer group, we use it asa form of getting reputation for example, if one successfully cracks software you gain some respect fromour friends.

4.4.4 Activities respondents access or engage in while on the internet

ACTIVITIES	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Google search	31	26%
Social media	25	21%
Academic research	16	13%
E-mail	20	17%
Internet phoning	3	3%
Entertainment/sports/games	10	8%
News	5	4%
Others	10	8%
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016.

The above table shows that majority (26%) of respondents access google search while on the internet, 21% access social media, 17% of respondents access their e-mails, 13% engage in academic research, 8% engage in entertainment/sports/games, the same percentage engage in others, 4% access news online, while the minority (3%) of respondents engage in internet phoning.

The in-depth interview conducted with the cyber criminal he supported both social media and piracy. According to him, basically there are many things I do on the internet but what I spend most of my time doing is on facebook, yahoo mail, chat room and piracy, I get cool money from downloading software and selling it.

In a bid to know what he uses the social network for, he stated that “I use it to send fraudulent mails to my target”.

The cyber café operator stated that: I use a lot of web sites, they are so many I can’t begin to mention or give a specific amount but don’t get me wrong I only access them for legal transactions. Besides I own this café you can’t blame me, I have all the time and resources I need.

As for the lecturer he stated that: most times I am browsing the internet it is usually for academic or research purposes, only on rear occasions I might send a few e-mails or read the online dailies.

4.4.5 Respondents opinions on those usually involved in perpetrating cyber crime

PERPETRATORS	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Youths	72	60%
Unemployed	20	17%
Security personnel	4	3%
Students	10	8%
Cyber cafe operators	6	5%
Adults	8	7%
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016.

From the table above it shows that majority (60%) of respondents are of the opinion that youths are those usually involved in perpetrating cyber crime, followed by the unemployed with 17%, and 8% of respondents opined that students are usually the perpetrators, 7% of the respondents were of the opinion that cyber crime is usually perpetrated by adults, while 5% decided on cybercafé operators and 3% minority settled for security personnel as the perpetrators of cyber crime.

Findings from the qualitative data corroborated with the above result on the age of cyber criminals as all key informants interviewed agreed that cyber criminals are mostly youths. For example, the lecturer said that:

Cyber criminals are mostly youths between the ages of 20-35 years. This may be due to the early exposure of the young ones to the activities on the internet without proper guidance. I think that is the reason why cyber crime is more among that age bracket.

The cyber criminal also said that: The male unemployed youths are normally more involved in cyber crime. You don’t need to have a university degree before you can commit cyber crime. In fact cyber crime is not committed by dull people. You must be intelligent and smart and most youths that are involved in this are found in any kind of tertiary institution, social and ethno-religious background we have in Nigeria.

While the cyber cafe operator had this to say: I will say 99% of cybercriminal are guys who are in their youthful age. Though I once came across a very powerful computer programmer and she was a lady. If she decides to use her knowledge negatively, she will be a good cybercriminal.

4.5.1 Respondents perception of the consequences of cyber crimes

CONSEQUENCES	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Economic instability	28	23.5%
Distrust/disunity among individual in the society	30	25%
Tarnishes the country’s image	14	12%
Hinders development and progress in the country	10	8%
Loss of revenue	10	8%
Loss of freedom/jail terms	28	23.5%
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016.

The table above shows that there are two batches of majority (23.5%) among the respondents who perceive that economic instability and loss of freedom/jail terms are the consequences of cyber crime, 25% perceive distrust/disunity among individuals in the society as the consequence, while 12% perceive that cyber crime tarnishes the image of the country and two minority batches with 8% are of the perception that hindrance of the development and progress in the country and loss of revenue are the consequences of cyber crime.

The in-depth interview conducted reveals other negative consequences of cyber crime. The lecturer stated that:

Cyber crime creates a bad image for Nigeria and this has earned Nigeria her present ranking/rating in Transparency International where Nigeria is been listed as one of the most corrupt nation in the world.

Another consequence of cybercrime is that it will drive away investors because due to the fact that most things are done electronically and if someone can attack your data base, then he has everything about you at his disposal.

The operator of cyber cafe interviewed also states that:

Cybercrime has negative consequence. Take for instance, if a white man comes to Nigeria to survey in order to invest and discovered or he is receiving fraudulent mails from different people, he won’t invest in the country again.

However, the cybercriminal was of the view that cybercrime plays a dual role in the society when asked about the consequences of the crime. He state as follows:

Yes it has negative consequences and among it is that it drives away investors. But not minding the negative consequences it has on the country, it is a way of getting connected and being rated well in the family, school and society, that is if you succeed. It is also a way for survival due to the high rate of youth unemployment and high poverty rate in the country. Take for example now, the money I get from the sales of software I downloaded free from the net. I use it to take care of my needs. These days, when you graduate, you will not find a job even after you had spent so much to obtain a good certificate

4.5.2 Views of respondents on whether the activities of security personnel has been helpful in terms of cybercrime punishment and prevention

VIEWS	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Strongly agree	56	47%
Agree	32	27%
Neutral	20	17%
Disagree	10	8%
Strongly disagree	2	1%
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016.

The table above indicates that majority (47%) of the respondents strongly agree that the activities of security personnel has not been helpful in terms of cyber crime punishment and prevention, 27% of respondents agree, 17% are neutral on the matter, 8% of the respondents disagree, while minority (1%) of the respondents strongly disagree with the statement.
4.5.3 Views of respondents on the ways and nature of the lifestyle of cyber criminals

VIEWS	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Deceitful/fraudulent	30	25%
Extravagant/flamboyant	36	30%
Secretive/mysterious	30	25%
Pathetic	12	10%
Wayward/indiscipline	12	10%

Source: Field survey 2016.

From the table above it is deducible that majority (30%) of the respondents view the ways and nature of the lifestyle of cyber criminals as extravagant/flamboyant, two batches of 25% of respondents view their lifestyle as deceitful/fraudulent and secretive/mysterious, while another two batches of minority (10%) respondents view the lifestyle of cyber criminals as pathetic and wayward/indiscipline.

In support of the above life style of cyber criminals, the lecturer stated that:

Some of them when they hit big, they do good things for themselves and their parents. They ride good cars, dress flashy, always attending clubs. Those I knew then in the university were using good cars. Then Toyota Camry and this baby boy were expensive not now that it is pure water.

In addition, the cyber criminal when asked what he does with the proceeds of the money he receives from the criminal act stated that:

What I do mainly with the money I get from the sales of the software I get from the internet is to assist myself in school, have more money to subscribe for airtime and I also spend for my siblings and girlfriends.

The operator of the cyber café when interviewed stated that:

Some of them do such things like; consulting spiritualists and herbalists in order to continue to be successful and also to assist them charm their victims in order to dance to their tune.

4.5.4 Attitude of respondents towards cyber crime and cyber criminals

ATTITUDE	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Non cordial	104	87%
Cordial	16	13%
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016.

From the table above majority (87%) of respondents say their attitude towards cyber crime and cyber criminals is non cordial, while minority (13%) of respondents say their attitude towards cyber crime and cyber criminals is cordial.

4.5.5 Suggestions by respondents on ways in which cyber crime can be totally eradicated

WAYS	FREQUENCY	PERCENTAGE
Individuals should ensure they always protect and do not disclose their personal information either online or offline	6	5%
Stringent laws against cyber crime should be formulated and fully enforced	14	12%
Security agencies with ICT knowledge should be put in place to monitor the activities of internet users (cyber policing)	42	35%
Perpetrators should be rightfully punished in order to deter future offenders	18	15%
Job opportunities/ employment should be created by the government	22	18%
Youths should be educated on the pros and cons of using social networks and the internet in general	18	15%
Total	120	100%

Source: Field survey 2016.

From the table above majority (35%) of respondents suggests that security agencies with ICT knowledge should be put in place to monitor the activities of internet users in order to totally eradicate cyber crime, 18% suggests that job opportunities/ employment should be created by the government, two batches of 15% of respondents suggests perpetrators should be rightfully punished in order to deter future offenders and youths should be educated on the pros and cons of using social networks and the internet in general, 12% of respondents suggest thatstringent laws against cyber crime should be formulated and fully enforced, while minority (5%) of respondents suggest individuals should ensure they always protect and do not disclose their personal information either online or offline.

However the three key informants interviewed made suggestions on how cybercrime can be eradicated and they said:
The Cybercriminal: In combating these crimes there is need for education, human capacity development and provision of employment which is one of the most viable strategies which can be used to curb cybercrime.

The Café operator: A good and effective legal framework should be put in place in order to pursue these crimes and criminals. This could be achieved by first equipping law enforcement personnel with requisite technological knowledge.

The lecturer: Universities/schools of higher learning and academic institutions should devise specific ICT courses designed to allow the next generation of policemen, business persons, accountants, lawyers etc skilled in what is a challenging but vital and lucrative sphere.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 SUMMARY

This work has examined the views and opinions of writers and scholars on the subject matter (cybercrime). A further milestone was reached at the definition of the term “Cybercrime” and criticisms on the work of some writers achieving a better understanding of the concept of “Cybercrime”. This research work examined Cybercrime as evident in Kaduna North LGA, to wit: Internet pornography, identity theft and impersonation, ATM/Credit card fraud, cyber hacking etc.

More so, the research findings reveal that majority of the respondents are aware of cybercrime and its frequent occurrence rate. According to the findings of the research, majority of the respondents were of the view that youths are the main perpetrators of cybercrime and unemployment is the principal factor responsible for their involvement in this dastardly act.

Furthermore it was discovered that majority of the respondents perceived distrust/disunity among individuals in the society to be the most severe consequence of cybercrime, and majority of the respondents strongly agreed that the way and manner security personnel go about their activities has not been helpful in penalizing cyber criminals and preventing cybercrime.

Finally, based on the suggestions made on the ways in which cybercrime can be totally eradicated majority of the respondents were of the opinion that security agencies with ICT knowledge should be put in place in order to monitor the activities of internet users, a strategy which could be termed cyber policing.

5.2 CONCLUSION

Taking cognizance of the causes and consequences of cybercrime, there will always be new and unexpected challenges to stay ahead of cyber criminals, but we can only do this successfully through partnership and collaboration of both individuals and government. There is much we can do to ensure a safe, secure and trust worthy computing environment. It is crucial not only to our national sense of wellbeing, but also, to our national security and economy. The remarkable development in human history through computer technology has no doubt brought transformation in all aspects of life, especially in communication and information technology.

Nevertheless, the embracement of the internet has come with a lot of mixed feelings despite its numerous advantages to the people of Kaduna North Local Government. In Nigeria, people are valued in terms of what they possess and command economically. Conversely, those without economic success are undervalued and the pressure to achieve success is intensified despite the harsh economic conditions such as unemployment, illiteracy, poverty, greed amongst others. This necessitated the ability of individuals to devise survival strategies and attain economic success by indulging in cybercrime. The perpetrators of cybercrime are not far- fetched, they are our brothers, friends, colleague, distant relatives and neighbors who can be tamed under appropriate circumstances with the right and positive communication, orientation, education and empowerment.

5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

Education is the most vital weapon for literacy; as such seminars and workshops should be organized from time to time with emphasis on cyber safety so that individuals will learn to keep their personal information safe and youth will flee cybercrime.

The findings from the study shows that youths involved in cybercrime are either in tertiary institutions or have graduated from tertiary institution. The study therefore, recommends that curriculum which will include courses on cybercrime, cyber management and its prevention should be introduced to both tertiary and secondary schools to take care of the present social changes.

The study discovered that there is no legislation on cybercrime. It is recommended that the government should immediately enact a comprehensive law on cybercrime, in order for legislation on cybercrime to be effective and efficient when enacted, there is need for government to empower graduates by providing employment.

Likewise government should make provision for intensive training of law enforcement agencies on ICT so that they can track down the cyber criminals no matter how intelligent and cunning they may be.

For government agencies, law enforcement agencies, intelligence agencies and security agencies to fight and curb cybercrime, it is recommended that there is need for them to understand both the technology and the individuals who engage in this criminal act.

The findings showed that cyber criminals lives in the society, as such, prevention of cybercrime requires the cooperation of all the citizens and not the law enforcement agencies alone. It is therefore, recommended that everyone should watch and report to law enforcement agencies, anyone who indulge in cybercrime. Cyber criminals caught should not only be prosecuted by government, it is recommended that cyber criminals’ assets should also be confisticated by the government and the imposition of longer prison terms for those found guilty. This will serve as deterrence to those youths who want to indulge in such crime.

The innocent internet users should inculcate the habit of continuously updating their knowledge about the ever changing nature of ICTs, through this, they can not only be well informed about the current trends in cybercrimes, but they will also have the knowledge about different forms of the said crimes and how the cyber criminals carry out their heinous activities, thus they can devise means of protecting their information from cyber criminals, put succinctly internet users should be security conscious.

Similarly, internet users should not provide personal or financial information to others unless there is a legitimate and assumed reason for that. They should not for instance, throw out papers works like cheques, bank and brokerage statements, old credit cards, driver’s license, passports, receipts from ATM among other numerous documents which usually have personal data.

Lastly, the internet service providers should not just provide broadband connection to their subscribers especially the home users, but they should also monitor effectively what the subscribers are doing on the net, at what time and where. They should provide their customers, especially financial institutions and cyber cafes with well-guided security codes and packages in order to protect their information and software from hackers and illegal publishers.

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APPENDIX I

QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE CRITICAL EVALUATION OF CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF CYBER CRIME IN KADUNA STATE (A CASE STUDY OF KADUNA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA)

Dear respondent,

I am a postgraduate student of department of sociology, Kaduna State University, conducting a research on the topic ‘‘Critical Evaluation of Causes and Consequences of Cybercrime in Kaduna state – A Case Study of Kaduna North Local Government Area’’ as a basic requirements for the award of Masters in Criminal Justice.

I hereby seek your indulgence in answering this questionnaire. Be assured that your response will be treated with utmost confidentiality. Thank for your cooperation.

INSTRUCTION: You are to tick [ ] in the appropriate option provided and fill the blank where necessarily needed.

SECTION A: SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

1. What is your Gender?

a. Male [ ] b. Female [ ]

2. What is your marital status?

a. Single [ ] b. Married [ ] c. Widow [ ] d. Widower [ ]

3. What is your age?

a. 18-25 [ ] b. 26-35 [ ] c.36-45 [ ] d.46 and above [ ]

4. What is your occupation?

a. Student [ ] b. Business man/woman [ ] c. Civil servant [ ] d. Others [ ]

5. What ethnic group are you?

a. Yoruba [ ] b. Hausa/Fulani [ ] c. Igbo [ ] d. Others specify………….

6. What is your religion?

a. Christianity [ ] b. Islam [ ] c. Traditional [ ] d. Others [ ]

7. What is your educational status?

a. Primary [ ] b. Secondary [ ] c. Tertiary [ ]

SECTION B: FREQUENCY OF CYBERCRIME OCCURRENCE IN KADUNA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

8. What is the rate of cybercrime occurrence in Kaduna North Local Government?

a. Frequently [ ] b. Not frequently [ ] c. Undecided [ ]

9 . Where are the places cyber crimes are mostly perpetrated?

a. Cybercafés [ ]b. At home [ ] c. Private organizations[ ]

d. Tertiary institutions [ ] d. Government offices [ ]

10. What is the most common type of cybercrime perpetrated in

Kaduna North Local Government?……………………………………………

SECTION C: CAUSES OF CYBERCRIME

11.Do you access or use the internet?

a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ]

12.Are you aware of cybercrime?

a. Yes [ ] b. No [ ]

13.What do you consider to be the cause and motivating factor responsible for the involvement of individuals in cybercrime?

……………………………………………………………………………….

14. As an individual what kind of activity do you access or engage in while on the internet?

a. Google search [ ]

b. Social media [ ]

c. Academic research [ ]

d. E-mail [ ]

e. Internet phoning [ ]

f. Entertainment/Sports/Games [ ]

g. News [ ]

h. Others [ ]

15. In your own opinion who are those persons usually involved in Perpetrating cybercrime? ………………………………………………………………………..

SECTION D: CONSEQUENCES OF CYBERCRIME

16.What do you perceive to be the consequence of cybercrime?

…………………………………………………………………………….

17. The activities of security personnel has not been helpful in terms of cybercrime punishment and prevention?

Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

[ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

18. How do you view the ways and nature of the lifestyle of cybercriminals?

……………………………………………………………………………………

19. How is your attitude towards cybercrime and cybercriminals?

a. Non cordial [ ] b. Cordial [ ]

20. Make suggestions on the ways in which cybercrime can be totally eradicated…............................................................……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Yours faithfully,

@Nurt9ja

Matric No: .....................................

Nigerian Universities Research Topics

CRITICAL EVALUATION OF CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF CYBER CRIME IN KADUNA STATE (A CASE STUDY OF KADUNA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA)

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

REFERENCES

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