The Cybercrime Act, 2015, from its explanatory note, was designed to provide an effective, unified and comprehensive legal, regulatory and institutional framework for the prohibition, prevention, detection, prosecution and punishment of cybercrimes in Nigeria. It also ensures the protection of critical national information infrastructure, promotes cybersecurity and the protection of computer systems and networks, electronic communications, data and computer programs, intellectual property and privacy rights.
In a bid to actualize its objectives, part 3 of the act clearly spelt out acts and omissions which qualify as offenses, thus contravening the provision of the act, and the penalties that follows accordingly in an attempt to deter subsequent infringements. Among the offences created under the Act is Cyber Stalking, as provided for under section 24 of the act. By section 24;
“Any person who knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter by means of computer systems or network that – (a) is grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character or causes any such message or matter to be so sent; or (b) he knows to be false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to another or causes such a message to be sent: commits an offence under this Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N7,000,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of not more than 3 years or to both such fine and imprisonment”