Cybercrimes Act: Separating Legal Facts from Viral Claims

Abuja, Nigeria — A viral social media message claiming that a “2025 Cybercrimes Act” has just come into force has sparked widespread discussion among Nigerians, particularly content creators, journalists, bloggers and administrators of WhatsApp, Facebook and Telegram groups.
A review of the claims against Nigeria’s Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, as amended, shows that while the message correctly warns Nigerians to exercise caution online, some of its legal assertions are oversimplified, inaccurately described or presented without important legal context.
The Cybercrimes Act criminalises offences such as unauthorized access to computer systems, unlawful interference with data, identity theft, cyberstalking, online fraud, child pornography, cyber terrorism and other cyber-enabled crimes. The law also provides sanctions for various offences depending on their severity.
However, legal experts caution that not every act of recording a private conversation, publishing controversial information or administering a social media group automatically amounts to a criminal offence. Criminal liability generally depends on the specific facts of each case and whether the conduct satisfies the elements of an offence created by the Act or any other applicable law.
Similarly, while administrators of online platforms are encouraged to moderate unlawful content, the Cybercrimes Act does not impose blanket criminal liability on every group administrator for every post made by members. Liability depends on the circumstances and applicable legal provisions.
The law also contains provisions addressing cyberstalking, online threats, harassment, false communications in certain contexts and offences capable of inciting violence or threatening national security. Whether a publication constitutes an offence is ultimately a matter for investigation and judicial determination.
Legal practitioners therefore advise Nigerians to use social media responsibly, verify information before sharing it, respect the privacy of others, avoid defamatory or threatening communications, and comply with the Cybercrimes Act, the Nigeria Data Protection Act and other relevant laws.
As public awareness of Nigeria’s cyber laws continues to grow, citizens are encouraged to rely on the official text of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, as amended, and authoritative legal guidance rather than unverified viral messages circulating on social media.