Perceived Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Cybercrime Activities and Attitude towards Education among University Students in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, many migrated from physical contact and communication to virtual platforms. Reports have revealed that the COVID-19 lockdown increased worldwide internet traffic by 50%, making more people vulnerable to cybercrime attacks (Feldmann, 2021). In Nigeria, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) reported a significant increase in the arrest of young people suspected of being involved in cybercrime between 2020 and 2021. (Olaigbe, 2021). However, more study has yet to be conducted to determine how and to what extent the increased cybercrime activities as a result of COVID-19 have influenced the attitudes of students toward education in Enugu State, Nigeria. Thus, this research aims to assess the perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cybercrime activities and attitudes toward education among university students in Enugu State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional research design was used in this study. One tertiary institution in Enugu State was selected using random sampling. A total of 352 undergraduate students were used for the analysis. The respondents were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire, and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 2.0. The study revealed that most undergraduate students do not perceive cybercrime as evil but still consider university education relevant. Also, the study found COVID-19 lockdown increased the vulnerability of students to engage in cybercrime activities and distracted them from focusing on their studies. There is a need to create more awareness of the dangers of cybercrime and provide employment opportunities to reduce the prevalence of cybercrime among students in Nigeria.