39.	
  

40.	
  

	
  
(2)	
   A	
   service	
   provider	
   shall,	
   at	
   the	
   request	
   of	
   the	
   relevant	
   authority	
   referred	
   to	
   in	
  
subsection	
  (1)	
  of	
  this	
  section	
  or	
  any	
  law	
  enforcement	
  agency	
  –	
  
	
  
(a)	
   preserve,	
   hold	
   or	
   retain	
   any	
   traffic	
   data,	
   subscriber	
   information,	
   non-­‐content	
  
information,	
  and	
  content	
  data;	
  or	
  	
  
	
  
(b)	
  release	
  any	
  information	
  required	
  to	
  be	
  kept	
  under	
  subsection	
  (1)	
  of	
  this	
  section.	
  
	
  
(3)	
   A	
   law	
   enforcement	
   agency	
   may,	
   through	
   its	
   authorized	
   officer,	
   request	
   for	
   the	
  
release	
  of	
  any	
  information	
  in	
  respect	
  of	
  subsection	
  (2)	
  (b)	
  of	
  this	
  section	
  and	
  it	
  shall	
  
be	
  the	
  duty	
  of	
  the	
  service	
  provider	
  to	
  comply.	
  	
  
	
  
(4)	
  Any	
  data	
  retained,	
  processed	
  or	
  retrieved	
  by	
  the	
  service	
  provider	
  at	
  the	
  request	
  
of	
   any	
   law	
   enforcement	
   agency	
   under	
   this	
   Act	
   shall	
   not	
   be	
   utilized	
   except	
   for	
  
legitimate	
   purposes	
   as	
   may	
   be	
   provided	
   for	
   under	
   this	
   Act,	
   any	
   other	
   legislation,	
  
regulation	
  or	
  by	
  an	
  order	
  of	
  a	
  court	
  of	
  competent	
  jurisdiction.	
  	
  
	
  
(5)	
   Anyone	
   exercising	
   any	
   function	
   under	
   this	
   section	
   shall	
   have	
   due	
   regard	
   to	
   the	
  
individual’s	
  right	
  to	
  privacy	
  under	
  the	
  Constitution	
  of	
  the	
  Federal	
  Republic	
  of	
  Nigeria,	
  
1999	
  and	
  shall	
  take	
  appropriate	
  measures	
  to	
  safeguard	
  the	
  confidentiality	
  of	
  the	
  data	
  
retained,	
  processed	
  or	
  retrieved	
  for	
  the	
  purpose	
  of	
  law	
  enforcement.	
  
	
  
(6)	
   Subject	
   to	
   the	
   provisions	
   of	
   this	
   Act,	
   any	
   person	
   who	
   contravenes	
   any	
   of	
   the	
  
provisions	
   of	
   this	
   section	
   commits	
   an	
   offence	
   and	
   shall	
   be	
   liable	
   on	
   conviction	
   to	
  
imprisonment	
   for	
   a	
   term	
   of	
   not	
   more	
   than	
   3	
   years	
   or	
   a	
   fine	
   of	
   not	
   more	
   than	
  
N7,000,000.00	
  or	
  to	
  both	
  fine	
  and	
  imprisonment.	
  
	
  
Where	
   there	
   are	
   reasonable	
   grounds	
   to	
   suspect	
   that	
   the	
   content	
   of	
   any	
   electronic	
  
communication	
   is	
   reasonably	
   required	
   for	
   the	
   purposes	
   of	
   a	
   criminal	
   investigation	
   or	
  
proceedings,	
  a	
  Judge	
  may	
  on	
  the	
  basis	
  of	
  information	
  on	
  oath;	
  
	
  
(a)	
  order	
  a	
  service	
  provider,	
  through	
  the	
  	
  application	
  of	
  technical	
  means	
  to	
  intercept,	
  
collect,	
   record,	
   permit	
   or	
   assist	
   competent	
   authorities	
   with	
   the	
   collection	
   or	
  
recording	
   of	
   content	
   data	
   and/or	
   traffic	
   data	
   associated	
   with	
   specified	
  
communications	
  transmitted	
  by	
  means	
  of	
  a	
  computer	
  system;	
  or	
  
	
  
(b)	
   authorize	
   a	
   law	
   enforcement	
   officer	
   to	
   collect	
   or	
   record	
   such	
   data	
   through	
  
application	
  of	
  technical	
  means.	
  
	
  
(1)	
   It	
   shall	
   be	
   the	
   duty	
   of	
   every	
   service	
   provider	
   in	
   Nigeria	
   to	
   comply	
   with	
   all	
   the	
  
provisions	
   of	
   this	
   Act	
   and	
   disclose	
   information	
   requested	
   by	
   any	
   law	
   enforcement	
  
agency	
  or	
  otherwise	
  render	
  assistance	
  howsoever	
  in	
  any	
  inquiry	
  or	
  proceeding	
  under	
  
this	
  Act.	
  
(2)	
  Without	
  prejudice	
  to	
  the	
  generality	
  of	
  the	
  foregoing,	
  a	
  service	
  provider	
  shall,	
  at	
  
the	
  request	
  of	
  any	
  law	
  enforcement	
  agency	
  in	
  Nigeria	
  or	
  at	
  its	
  own	
  initiative,	
  provide	
  
assistance	
  towards	
  –	
  

	
  

data.	
  

	
  
	
  

Interception	
  of	
  
electronic	
  
communications.	
  
	
  

Failure	
  of	
  service	
  
provider	
  to	
  
perform	
  certain	
  
duties.	
  
	
  
	
  

Select target paragraph3