Computer and electronically generated evidence are admissible in Nigerian courts by virtue of the provisions of the Evidence Act, 2011.

Required:

State THREE conditions for the admissibility of computer and electronically generated evidence under Nigerian laws.
(6 Marks)

Under the Evidence Act, 2011, for computer and electronically generated evidence to be admissible in Nigerian courts, the following conditions must be met:

  1. The Device Must Be in Proper Working Condition:
    It must be shown that the computer or device from which the electronic evidence was generated was in proper and reliable working condition during the period the evidence was created or recorded.
  2. The Information Must Be Regularly Supplied:
    The information contained in the electronic document must have been supplied to the computer during the ordinary course of business, by a person who had lawful access to the computer.
  3. The Evidence Must Be Certified:
    A certificate must be produced to accompany the electronic evidence, attesting that it was generated from a properly functioning device and that the information is accurate and unaltered. The certificate must be signed by a person responsible for managing or operating the system.