PATTERN AND CONSEQUENCES OF CYBER-CRIME IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN ZARIA

ABSTRACT The study examined the Pattern and Consequences of Cyber-Crime in Tertiary Institutions in Zaria. The study was set to examine the causes and consequences of cyber crime in tertiary institutions of learning in Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna state. Survey research method using questionnaire was adopted for the data gathering. The research sample consisted of students and lecturers from computer science department among the three selected tertiary institution. A total of (400) respondents from the three selected tertiary institutions in Zaria. Simple random sampling method was used in selecting the respondents. Data collected were analyzed using triangular method i.e. quantitative and qualitative. Findings from the study revealed there is high rate of cyber crime among the students of tertiary institutions in Zaria because majority of them engage in yahoo which is online frauds. The study recommends that the study has identified youths within the ages of 18-30years to be the most frequent perpetrators of cyber-crime and in addition, the study has also discovered that these youths are either misguided or misdirected by peers, celebration of unknown wealth amongst others. The study therefore recommends that the young ones should be enlightenment on the consequences of cyber-crime. Government should continue to cooperate with IT industries to develop adequate strategy to fight cyber-crime and also the findings showed that cyber-criminals live in the society, as such; prevention of cybercrime requires the co-operation of all the citizens and not just the law enforcement agencies. It is therefore, recommended that everyone should watch and report to law enforcement agencies anyone who indulges in cyber-crime.