The Federal Government has revealed that Nigerian security agencies are collaborating with major social media companies to identify and remove accounts used by terrorists and criminal networks to promote their activities and raise funds.
Speaking at an end-of-year briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the Director-General of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, said platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and X have been exploited by terrorists to publicise operations, display looted items, and communicate with supporters.
“The issue of social media platforms being used by terrorist groups—if you knew how many accounts we took down. We have had several meetings with these platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and X. 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,” Laka said.
He added, “There was a time when bandits would go on TikTok showing their loot. We took those accounts down—you don’t see that again. At some point, they were even doing live streams and holding conversations, but we’ve been able to handle all that.”
Maj.-Gen. Laka noted that terrorists continue to evolve their tactics, often using aliases and unverified accounts, but security agencies are continuously adapting to counter these methods.
He also highlighted ransom payments as a key source of terror financing, often involving point-of-sale operators to transfer money, complicating tracking efforts.
“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 explained.
The NCTC chief said authorities have intensified efforts to trace ransom payments, arrest suspects, and disrupt terror financing networks, while operational specifics are withheld for security reasons.
He confirmed that several arrests and prosecutions have been carried out and that asset recoveries form part of Nigeria’s compliance with international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.
“We are seeing progress in meeting the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force due to coordinated investigations by a joint committee involving security agencies, financial intelligence units, and the judiciary,” he stated.
Acknowledging the challenges posed by porous borders in the Sahel and evolving terror tactics, Laka assured Nigerians that security agencies would continue to strengthen both physical and digital counter-terrorism efforts.
“Towards the end of 2023, the security situation in Nigeria was improving. But after the coups in some Sahel countries, the situation worsened because these terrorist groups have connections across the region. So Nigeria has to play a leadership role in West Africa and the Sahel to address these threats. We are doing our best, and we will not relent. In 2026, we are going to up our game,” he added.
Social media has increasingly been exploited by criminal groups to spread propaganda and communicate within their networks, prompting repeated calls for platforms to take down content that promotes or supports terrorism.
