FG To Delete Terrorist Accounts On Social Media, Tracks Online Financing Networks
The Federal Government has confirmed that Nigerian security agencies are partnering with major social media companies to track and remove accounts used by terrorist and criminal groups to promote their activities and raise funds.
Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, Director-General of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, made the disclosure on Tuesday during an end-of-year briefing in Abuja.
He said platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and X have been exploited by terrorists to publicize operations, display looted items, and communicate with supporters. Security agencies have held multiple engagements with these companies to address posts and accounts deemed threats to national security.
“Social media platforms have been used by terrorist groups—if you knew how many accounts we have taken down. We meet with platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and X. While they are businesses focused on growth, we explain the security risks and ensure harmful accounts are removed,” Laka said.
The DG recalled that at one point, bandits were posting videos of stolen goods on TikTok, livestreaming, and holding online conversations, but these activities have since been curtailed.
He added that terrorist groups continually change tactics, including operating under aliases and unverified accounts, and security agencies are constantly updating their strategies to counter these shifts.
Ransom payments remain a major source of terror financing, with kidnappers increasingly using point-of-sale (POS) operators to transfer funds, making it harder to trace.
“You see a transfer made by terrorists, and when you investigate, the account belongs to a POS operator. The kidnappers provide the POS operator’s number, the money is transferred, and they collect it,” he explained.
Laka said authorities have intensified efforts to trace ransom payments, arrest suspects, and dismantle terror financing networks, though operational details are withheld for security reasons. Several arrests, prosecutions, and asset recoveries have helped Nigeria comply with international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.
He also highlighted coordinated investigations by security agencies, financial intelligence units, and the judiciary as key to Nigeria’s recent progress in meeting Financial Action Task Force requirements.
Acknowledging challenges posed by evolving terrorist tactics and porous borders in the Sahel, Laka reassured Nigerians that both physical and digital counter-terrorism measures are being strengthened.
“Towards the end of 2023, the security situation in Nigeria was improving. But after coups in some Sahel countries, the situation worsened due to cross-border terrorist connections. Nigeria must play a leadership role in West Africa and the Sahel to address these threats. We are doing our best, and in 2026, we will intensify our efforts,” he said.
