The Nigerian Senate on Thursday directed security agencies to intensify surveillance and enforcement actions against bandits and terrorists who openly display cash, weapons and other proceeds of crime on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, as lawmakers raised fresh alarm over the growing digital visibility of violent criminal networks.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) on escalating bandit attacks and terrorist incursions in Kogi West and other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, during debate, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) introduced an additional prayer seeking coordinated action by the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and other security agencies to identify, track and arrest individuals using social media platforms to publicise criminal operations.
“Bandits and terrorists who carry out these activities live on their social media handles. Two days ago, bandits conducted a giveaway, distributing over ₦100m within the space of 30 minutes through their social media handles, especially TikTok,” Akpoti-Uduaghan told the Senate.
The senator questioned why such visible online activity had not resulted in arrests by agencies responsible for cyber-enabled investigations.
“I wonder why the Cybercrime Unit and the Police Force generally cannot track these activities and apprehend them since they are on social media. Therefore, I urge the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre to track and arrest these individuals,” she said.
The prayer was seconded by Senator Osita Ngwu (Enugu West) and adopted with broad support across party lines.
Responding, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the conduct of the suspects as a “show of impunity” and said the Department of State Services (DSS) should be able to trace their movements and effect arrests.
“The Department of State Services should be able to track their movements and arrest them because this is a show of impunity, as if there is no law at all,” Akpabio said.
He argued that videos showing cash displays and criminal activity online amounted to a deliberate challenge to state authority.
“I do not see why we should not have control over the social media space. That idea of showing themselves, showing the cash collected and displaying it is a way of challenging the government,” he added.
Akpabio urged intelligence and security agencies to treat the matter as an urgent national-security issue and improve coordination and real-time response to online intelligence.
“Whenever anybody finds such content, bring it to the attention of the Senate, and we shall invite the relevant federal authorities to explain why those people have not been apprehended,” he said.
The Senate President also called for public accountability once suspects are arrested and prosecuted.
“If they are apprehended, they should also report back so that Nigerians can know that those who openly show their faces while committing crimes are being arrested and prosecuted,” he stated.
The resolution adds to mounting pressure on federal security agencies to confront not only physical attacks by bandits and terrorists but also their increasingly open use of social media to display wealth, project influence and recruit attention in plain sight.
