Cybersecurity: Police train 192 personnel on Athena Forensic Intelligence Solution

The Nigeria Police Force, in partnership with Radio Tactics Group Limited, has organized a nationwide specialized capacity training program on the Athena Forensic Intelligence Solution (AFIS) for its personnel.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

According to the statement, the capacity-building training, which was held from July 9 to August 15, involved 192 officers drawn from the 36 state commands, including the Federal Capital Territory, and 10 specialised formations.

It explained that the programme was aimed at strengthening the digital, forensic, and intelligence-gathering skills of officers in efforts to combat cyber-related crimes across the country.

The statement further added that the training featured experts from the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) and Radio Tactics Group as facilitators, who drilled participants on threat identification, extracting and processing communication and location data from SIM cards, GPS devices, satellite phones, and various mobile devices including grey-market phones, biometric capture, and the use of forensic hotlists to match intelligence records with operational data.

According to it, “these mission-ready skills are expected to improve the Force’s response to cyber-related crimes and complex investigations across commands and formations.”

It further added that, in a related development and in furtherance of the Force’s efforts to combat cyber-related crimes, operatives of the NPF-NCCC have arrested three suspects — Gbenga Samuel, Dele Titus, and Olalekan Oke — in Abuja and Lagos for cyberstalking, identity theft, and online fraud.

ALSO READ: Edo Assembly resumes, receives Okpebholo’s nominees, clears former Speaker

According to it, “the suspects were found to have been involved in large scale digital impersonation schemes and other cyber related offenses.

“On the 18th of July, 2025, the suspects hacked a WhatsApp account belonging to an unsuspecting user, called the user and threatened to expose confidential data on the account if the sum of Three Million Naira wasn’t paid.”

It explained that detailed forensic analysis of the account led to the arrest of the suspects, recovery of the account, and discovery of an ongoing organised crime which is currently under investigation.

It added that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has reiterated the commitment of his leadership to embracing modern and digitalised approaches towards combating cybercrime and related offences, and to the continuous training and retraining of personnel to meet global best practices in the face of emerging threats.

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE