Section 24 Cybercrimes Act
Section 24 of the Nigerian Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 is about Cyberstalking. It is under Part III (Offences and Penalties) of the Act.
(1) A person who knowingly or intentionally sends a message or other matter by means of Computer Systems or Network that—
(a) is pornographic; or
(b) he knows to be false, for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order, posing a threat to life, or causing such message to be sent,
Commits an offence under this Act and is 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 both.
(2) A Person who knowingly or Intentionally Transmits or causes the Transmission of any communication through a Computer System or Network—
(a) to bully, threaten or harass another person, where such communication places another person in fear of death, violence or bodily harm to another person ;
(b) containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to harm the person of another, any demand or request for a ransom for the release of any kidnapped person, to extort from any person, firm, association or corporation, any money or other thing of value, or
(c) containing any threat to harm the property or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime, to extort from any person, firm, association. or corporation, any money or other thing of value, commits an offence under this Act and is liable on conviction—
(i) in the case of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this sub-section, to imprisonment for a term of 10 years or a minimum fine of N25.000,000.00 ; and
(ii) in the case of paragraph (c) of this subsection, to imprisonment for a term of 5 years or a minimum fine of N15,000,000.00.
(3) A Court sentencing or otherwise dealing with a Person Convicted of an offence under subsections (1) and (2) may also make an order, which may, for the purpose of protecting the Victim or Victims of the offence, or any other Person mentioned in the order, from further conduct which —
(a) amounts to harassment ; or
(b) will cause fear of violence, death or bodily harm, prohibit the defendant from doing anything described or specified in the order.
(4) A defendant who does anything which he is prohibited from doing by an order under this section, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N10,000,000.00 or imprisonment for a term of not more than 3 years or both.
(5) The order made under subsection (3) of this section may have effect for a specified period or until further order, and the Defendant or any other Person mentioned in the order, may apply to the Court which made the order for it to be varied or discharged a further order.
(6) Notwithstanding the powers of the Court under subsections (3) and (5), the Court may make an interim order, for the protection of Victims from further exposure to the alleged offences.
