The Nigerian Senate has urged security agencies to urgently step up surveillance and enforcement against bandits and terrorist groups who are increasingly using social media platforms, especially TikTok, to display their activities and flaunt proceeds of crime online.
The resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Sunday Karimi, who represents Kogi West, amid growing concern over escalating insecurity and attacks in parts of Kogi State and other regions of the country.
During the debate, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central raised additional concerns, calling for stronger action from the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and other security agencies to track, monitor, and arrest individuals using digital platforms to publicise criminal operations.
She warned that armed groups are no longer operating in secrecy, but are now openly using social media to showcase wealth allegedly linked to crime, including reports of large cash “giveaways” broadcast online. She questioned why such visible digital activity had not led to arrests, given the capabilities of cybercrime units.
The motion received broad support from lawmakers, including Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West, reflecting growing concern over the intersection of insecurity and digital exposure by criminal networks.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the trend as a serious challenge to national authority, calling it a direct affront to the state and a show of impunity. He urged security agencies, including the Department of State Services, to intensify efforts to identify and arrest those involved.
Akpabio further stressed the need for real-time intelligence monitoring and stronger coordination among security agencies to ensure swift action against online criminal content. He also called for transparency, saying the public should be informed when arrests and prosecutions are made.
Lawmakers agreed that unchecked online display of criminal activities poses a growing threat to national security and urged immediate action to curb the trend.
