The Federal Government of Nigeria has intensified efforts to curtail the use of social media by terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal elements who exploit digital platforms for propaganda, coordination of attacks, fundraising, and even live streaming of their activities.

This disclosure was made on Tuesday during an end-of-year security briefing in Abuja by Major-General Adamu Laka, the Director-General of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), where he outlined the government’s strengthened partnership with global tech companies to identify and remove harmful content and accounts that threaten national security.

 

According to Maj-Gen. Laka, Nigerian security agencies have been in constant engagement with major social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and X, urging them to take down accounts used by terrorists and criminals to showcase illicit activities, communicate with supporters, and solicit funds.

 

“The issue of social media platforms used by terrorist groups—if you knew how many accounts we took down… We have had several meetings with these social media platforms… They are businesses looking to grow their subscribers, but we engage them, explain the effects of certain posts on national security, and we take them down,” Maj-Gen. Laka stated.

 

He highlighted that at one time, bandits and other criminal groups were using short-form video platforms to display looted items and even conduct live streams, but these accounts have since been removed due to the government’s interventions.

Maj-Gen. Laka also warned that extremist groups continually adapt by using aliases, unverified profiles, and false identities, necessitating ongoing adjustments to Nigeria’s digital counter-terrorism strategies.

In addition to the online clampdown, the NCTC chief reiterated that ransom payments remain a significant source of terror financing. He explained that kidnappers increasingly transfer ransom funds through point-of-sale (POS) operators, complicating efforts by authorities to trace the money.

 

“You see a transfer made by terrorists, and when you investigate the account, it belongs to a POS operator. The kidnappers give out the POS operator’s number, the money is transferred, and they go to collect it,” he said.

 

Maj-Gen. Laka noted that Nigerian security agencies have intensified surveillance of such financial transactions, leading to arrests, prosecutions, asset recoveries, and seizures aimed at disrupting terror financing networks. He, however, stressed that specific operational details cannot be disclosed for security reasons.

 

The briefing also touched on broader security challenges, including evolving terrorist tactics, porous borders in the Sahel region, and the need for Nigeria to play a leadership role in regional counter-terrorism efforts. Maj-Gen. Laka assured Nigerians that authorities are committed to strengthening both physical and digital counter-terrorism measures, and pledged to “up our game” in 2026.

 

This move underscores Nigeria’s growing recognition of the digital dimension of modern terrorism and the necessity to address online platforms that can facilitate recruitment, radicalisation, and the spread of violent ideologies.