CYBERSECURITY AND DIGITAL RIGHTS: THE NEW HUMAN RIGHTS OF OUR TIME
CYBERSECURITY AND DIGITAL RIGHTS: THE NEW HUMAN RIGHTS OF OUR TIME
By Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola
Nigeria stands at a decisive crossroads in its digital evolution today. Recent legal documents now circulating in the public domain, detailing allegations of unlawful interception of private communications involving a former governor and unnamed collaborators, have forced the nation to confront an uncomfortable truth: the Digital Age has arrived with a force that can no longer be ignored, underestimated, or trivialised. What once seemed like distant concerns reserved for technologically advanced societies has now become a pressing national reality. These developments are not merely courtroom matters; they are a profound national wake‑up call.
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The charges, anchored in the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act 2024 and the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, reveal a deeper shift in the fabric of modern society. They underscore the fact that cybersecurity and digital rights have become the defining human rights issues of our generation. They are not abstract concepts, nor are they futuristic anxieties. They are present, urgent, and shaping the lived experiences of citizens in ways many have yet to fully grasp.
THE DIGITAL AGE HAS CHANGED THE MEANING OF SAFETY
For decades, Nigerians understood security primarily through the lens of physical threats—armed conflict, insurgency, political violence, and criminality. Yet today, a single unlawful interception of communication can destabilise institutions, compromise national security, and erode public trust. The allegations outlined in the court filings illustrate this with stark clarity. They speak of unlawful interception of private communications, failure to report cyber‑enabled offences, and the use of technical systems capable of undermining public safety and national stability. These are not minor infractions. They are violations that strike at the heart of democratic governance, personal liberty, and the sanctity of private life.
In the Digital Age, a person’s phone is no longer a mere device. It is an extension of identity. It holds conversations, memories, financial information, professional exchanges, and personal reflections. It is a repository of one’s digital footprint, and by extension, one’s citizenship. To violate this space is to violate the individual. To intercept private communication is to trespass upon the dignity, autonomy, and security of another human being.
The implications are profound. A nation’s security architecture is no longer defined solely by its borders, military strength, or intelligence networks. It is equally defined by its digital resilience—its ability to protect the data, privacy, and digital autonomy of its citizens. When these are compromised, the nation itself is weakened.
THE AUDACITY OF PUBLICLY ADMITTING TO PHONE INTERCEPTION
It is within this context that Nigerians must reflect deeply on the extraordinary audacity displayed in the public admission of involvement—directly or indirectly—in the interception of another man’s private communications. That such an admission was made openly on national television, during a live interview, is not a trivial matter. It is a revelation of mindset, a window into a culture of impunity, and a troubling indication of how lightly some individuals regard the digital rights of others.
In the Digital Age, such an admission is not a slip of the tongue. It is a declaration that demands scrutiny. It raises profound questions about the state of digital ethics in our society. What gives anyone the confidence to confess to hacking another citizen’s phone on live television? What environment emboldens such a statement? What does this say about our collective understanding of digital rights and the seriousness with which we treat them? And perhaps most importantly, what does it reveal about the fragility of our cybersecurity ecosystem?
This is not about personalities. It is about precedent. It is about the dangerous normalisation of digital violations. It is about the erosion of boundaries that should be inviolable in any society that claims to uphold the rule of law. In a nation where millions rely on digital platforms for banking, communication, healthcare, education, and civic participation, such an admission should shake the nation to its core. It should compel every Nigerian to ask: if the phone of a National Security Adviser can be intercepted, who then is safe?
A CALL FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, DIGITAL VIGILANCE, AND NATIONAL AWAKENING
These are not matters to be minimised or dismissed. They are serious offences that demand full legal scrutiny and, where culpability is established, the full weight of legal consequence. A nation governed by laws cannot afford selective accountability. No individual—regardless of influence, office, or public stature—should be insulated from the reach of justice when digital violations threaten national security and the dignity of citizens.
Nigeria must therefore strengthen its digital protections with urgency. Institutions entrusted with sensitive data must uphold the highest standards of cybersecurity, recognising that negligence in the Digital Age is not merely a technical lapse but a breach of public trust. And every Nigerian must come to terms with the reality that digital behaviour carries real‑world consequences. Cybersecurity is no longer the exclusive domain of experts; it is a shared civic responsibility.
The future belongs to those who are digitally awake. Nigeria must rise to defend its digital sovereignty, safeguard the digital dignity of its people, and cultivate a culture where protecting one’s digital space is as instinctive as locking one’s door. The Digital Age has redefined the meaning of human rights, and we cannot afford to lag behind.
For in this era, complacency is costly. The Digital Age does not forgive it. It exposes it. It punishes it. And it magnifies the consequences of negligence, ignorance, or wilful disregard.
DIGITAL RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS
Around the world, nations have come to recognise that digital rights are human rights. Courts adjudicate them. Legislatures codify them. Citizens demand them. Societies rise or fall based on how well they protect them. Digital rights encompass the right to privacy, the right to secure communication, the right to data protection, the right to digital participation without fear, and the right to be shielded from cyber harm.
When these rights are violated, the consequences are not merely technical. They are deeply human. They affect livelihoods, reputations, national cohesion, and even the legitimacy of governance. A breach of digital rights is a breach of trust. It undermines the social contract between citizens and the state. It erodes confidence in institutions. It weakens the moral foundation upon which democratic societies are built.
Nigeria must therefore recognise that the protection of digital rights is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It is a moral imperative. It is a national obligation.
NIGERIANS MUST WAKE UP—AND WAKE RIGHT
The Digital Age does not reward the passive. It punishes the uninformed. It exposes the unprepared. And it overwhelms the complacent. Nigeria must therefore awaken—fully, urgently, and intentionally.
Government must move beyond reactive enforcement and embrace cybersecurity as a foundational pillar of governance. This requires stronger digital rights legislation, transparent cybersecurity frameworks, independent oversight mechanisms, national digital literacy programmes, and sustained investment in cyber defence and intelligence. A nation that cannot secure its digital space cannot secure its democracy.
Private institutions must recognise that they are custodians of vast amounts of citizen data. Banks, telecommunications companies, media houses, technology firms, and even religious institutions must strengthen their internal cybersecurity systems, train their staff in digital ethics, protect customer data with seriousness, report breaches promptly, and collaborate with regulators. Digital negligence is no longer a business risk; it is a societal threat.
Individuals, too, must awaken to the reality that cybersecurity is not the exclusive domain of experts. Every Nigerian must understand that their phone is a gateway, their data is valuable, their privacy is a right, and their digital behaviour carries consequences. Cybersecurity is now a civic responsibility.
THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE DIGITALLY AWAKE
The legal case now before the courts is not merely about one man or one incident. It is a mirror held up to the nation. It reveals how fragile our digital ecosystem is, how exposed our institutions are, and how urgently we must evolve. Nigeria cannot afford to sleepwalk into the future. We must rise with intentionality. We must defend our digital sovereignty. We must protect the digital dignity of our citizens. We must build a culture where cybersecurity is as natural as locking one’s door.
The Digital Age has rewritten the meaning of human rights. Nigeria must not be left behind.
Professor Ademola Emmanuel Ojo is the first African Professor of Cybersecurity and Information Technology Management, Global Education Advocate, Chartered Manager, UK Digital Journalist, Strategic Advisor & Prophetic Mobiliser for National Transformation, and General Evangelist of CAC Nigeria and Overseas