By Babatunde Henry
A Professor of Criminology at the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Adedeji Oyenuga, says adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital forensic tools is critical to advancing crime prevention in Nigeria.
Oyenuga, the Coordinator of the university’s Master’s Programme in Criminology and Security Studies, made this known in Lagos on Saturday.
The professor spoke at LASU’s Criminology and Security Studies Lecture Series 2.0, with the theme, ‘’Digital Forensic Investigation: Processes, Techniques, and Applications’’.
Oyenuga said that security practice must evolve from the traditional reactive approach to a more predictive and preventive model driven by emerging technologies.
“People have always viewed security as reactive, but we are now moving toward predictive and preventive security.
“With the help of AI, internet of things and advanced technologies, we can anticipate incidents before they occur,” he said.
According to him, AI has significantly improved investigative processes by enabling the reconstruction of crime scenes and providing empirical evidence to support logical deductions.
The don cited a recent case he handled involving a planned accident, noting that the use of AI simulation helped to expose the incident as premeditated.
“I employed AI to reconstruct the scene, and it became clear that the accident was planned; the evidence was difficult to dispute and the suspect failed to appear for further questioning,” he said.
Oyenuga explained that AI helped investigators to validate suspicions with verifiable data, especially in situations where conventional methods might not provide sufficient proof.
He, however, cautioned that AI tools must be properly understood and applied to avoid inaccuracies, saying that the technology could sometimes produce misleading outputs, if not carefully managed.
“AI can hallucinate, but there are ways to guard against this. Proper knowledge of its use is essential to ensure credible and reliable findings,” he said.
On the relevance of AI in criminology, Oyenuga said that the technology enabled investigators to translate theoretical assumptions into practical and demonstrable evidence.
He added that AI could analyse accident patterns and generate scenarios consistent with physical evidence, thereby strengthening investigative outcomes.
On the role of universities, the criminologist stressed the need for Nigerian institutions to integrate digital forensic studies into their curricula.
He described digital forensics as indispensable in an increasingly digital world where individuals would leave traces of their activities online.
“Digital forensic investigation is very important because much of human activities now take place online. These digital footprints can be analysed to support investigations,” he said.
Oyenuga said universities must prioritise practical training in digital forensics to equip students with the necessary skills to meet modern security challenges.
He noted that some progress had been made, but said that more efforts would be required to expand training and increase students’ participation.
“We are beginning to see some levels of engagement, and we hope to involve more students in practical digital forensic training in the future,” he said.
In his presentation, one of the speakers, Mr Michael Graziano, said that knowledge of computer and mobile device vulnerabilities was one of the greatest insights anyone could get in improving security programme.
‘’The transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) complicates forensic investigations as verifying digital signatures and decrypting evidence becomes increasingly challenging and requires new techniques,” he said.
He said that organisations must prepare for the quantum era by adopting PQC solutions, enhancing their cybersecurity frameworks, and educating their teams on the implications of quantum technology. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Esenvosa Izah/Ijeoma Popoola
