Nigeria’s Federal Government has intensified its digital counter-terrorism strategy, working closely with major social media companies to identify and dismantle online accounts used by terrorist and criminal groups to promote violence, raise funds and coordinate activities.
The National Counter Terrorism Centre, under the Office of the National Security Adviser, confirmed that security agencies have sustained engagements with global technology platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and X to curb the misuse of their services by non-state armed groups operating within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.
Speaking at an end-of-year security briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the National Coordinator of the NCTC, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, said the growing reliance of terrorists and bandits on digital platforms had forced security agencies to expand counter-terrorism operations into the online space.
According to Laka, these platforms were previously exploited by criminal elements to publicise attacks, display looted items, communicate with sympathisers and, in some cases, conduct live broadcasts of their activities. He noted that sustained dialogue with technology companies had led to the removal of numerous accounts considered threats to national security.
He said, “We have had several meetings with social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and X. These platforms are businesses seeking to grow their subscribers, but we engage them and explain the national security implications of certain posts, and they take them down.”
Laka added that the visible decline in online displays of criminal activities, particularly by bandits, was evidence that coordinated takedowns were yielding results. “There was a time when bandits openly displayed their loot on social media. Those accounts were taken down, and such content has significantly reduced,” he said.
Security officials say the digital environment remains fluid, as terrorist groups continue to adapt by using aliases, unverified accounts and alternative online identities to evade detection. The NCTC coordinator stressed that Nigerian security agencies were constantly adjusting their methods to keep pace with these changes.
Beyond propaganda, authorities have also raised concerns about the role of digital and financial technologies in terror financing. Laka disclosed that ransom payments remain a major funding source for kidnappers and terrorist groups, with point-of-sale operators increasingly exploited as intermediaries.
He explained that in many cases, victims or their families are instructed to transfer ransom payments into accounts linked to POS operators, who then hand over cash to kidnappers. This method, according to security officials, complicates tracking and delays interdiction efforts.
“You investigate an account involved in a ransom transaction and discover it belongs to a POS operator. The kidnappers give out that number, the transfer is made, and the cash is collected,” Laka said.
He noted that security agencies have intensified efforts to trace such transactions, arrest those involved and disrupt financial networks supporting terrorism, while acknowledging that operational details could not be made public due to security sensitivities.
The NCTC confirmed that several arrests and prosecutions have been carried out in connection with ransom payments and terrorism financing. Asset recoveries and seizures, Laka said, form part of Nigeria’s broader obligations under international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing frameworks.
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Nigeria’s recent progress in addressing concerns raised by the Financial Action Task Force has been attributed, in part, to coordinated investigations involving security agencies, financial intelligence units and the judiciary. Officials say these efforts demonstrate a growing alignment between domestic enforcement and global standards.
While acknowledging improvements in internal security operations towards the end of 2023, Laka pointed to renewed pressures linked to instability in parts of the Sahel region following military coups in neighbouring countries. He said terrorist groups operating across porous borders continue to exploit regional linkages, making Nigeria’s security challenges interconnected with developments beyond its territory.
“As long as these challenges persist in the Sahel, Nigeria will feel the impact,” he said, adding that the country must continue to play a leadership role in regional security cooperation across West Africa.
Experts within the security sector say the increasing use of social media by criminal groups reflects a broader global trend where digital platforms are no longer neutral spaces but active fronts in modern security threats. The removal of harmful accounts is therefore seen as a necessary complement to physical security operations.
Nigeria’s approach is anchored on existing laws and regulatory frameworks that require online platforms to cooperate with lawful authorities and act against content that threatens public safety. Government officials maintain that these measures are aimed at protecting citizens while preserving legitimate online engagement.
