FG partners social media firms to shut down terror-linked accounts, says NCTC
The Federal Government has said Nigerian security agencies are working with major social media companies to identify and shut down accounts used by terrorists and criminal gangs to publicise attacks, flaunt stolen items and raise funds.
The Director-General of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, disclosed this on Tuesday during an end-of-year briefing in Abuja, noting that platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and X have increasingly been exploited by terrorist groups operating across the country.
According to Laka, security agencies have held multiple engagements with the social media companies to ensure that content and accounts posing threats to national security are promptly taken down.
“We’ve had several meetings with these social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and X,” he said.
Laka acknowledged that while the platforms operate as businesses seeking to expand their user base, government agencies continue to engage them on the risks certain content poses to national security.
He recalled how bandits previously used TikTok to openly display looted items and livestream their activities, a practice he said has now been largely curtailed.
“We took those accounts down. You don’t see that again,” he said. “At some point, they were even doing live streams and holding conversations, but we’ve been able to handle all that.”
The NCTC chief said terrorist groups have continued to adapt their tactics, including operating under aliases and unverified accounts, adding that security agencies are also constantly evolving their countermeasures.
Beyond online propaganda, Laka identified ransom payments as a major source of terrorist financing, revealing that point-of-sale (POS) operators are increasingly being used to move such funds.
He said kidnappers often provide POS account details to victims’ families, making the transactions harder for authorities to trace.
According to him, investigations frequently trace terrorist-related transfers to accounts belonging to POS operators, who receive the funds on behalf of kidnappers and later release the cash.
Laka said security agencies have intensified efforts to track ransom payments, arrest those involved and dismantle terror financing networks, though he declined to disclose operational details for security reasons.
He disclosed that several arrests and prosecutions have already been carried out in connection with terrorism financing, adding that asset recoveries and seizures form part of Nigeria’s compliance with international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.
Laka also linked Nigeria’s recent progress with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to coordinated investigations involving security agencies, financial intelligence units and the judiciary.
While acknowledging the growing challenges posed by evolving terror tactics and porous borders across the Sahel, he warned that instability in neighbouring countries continues to affect Nigeria’s security.
He said Nigeria’s security situation showed signs of improvement towards the end of 2023 but deteriorated following coups in some Sahel countries, due to the cross-border operations of terrorist groups.
Laka added that Nigeria must continue to play a leadership role in West Africa and the Sahel to confront the threats.
