The Federal Government has announced that Nigerian security agencies are collaborating with major social media platforms to identify and remove accounts used by terrorists and criminal groups for promoting their activities and raising funds.
At an end-of-year briefing, Major General Adamu Laka, Director-General of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, emphasized the significant role of platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and X in facilitating communications and showcasing operations of terrorist groups.
Security agencies have engaged with these companies to address posts posing threats to national security. Laka noted that many accounts previously used to display looted items and promote violence have been taken down, and efforts are ongoing to adapt to evolving terrorist tactics.
The counter-terrorism chief also highlighted the ongoing challenges of ransom payments as a source of financing for terrorism and detailed how such transactions often exploit point-of-sale operators to obscure tracking efforts.
Laka assured the public that security agencies are intensifying efforts to disrupt networks and have made several arrests related to terror financing. He acknowledged improvements in Nigeria’s security situation but warned that regional instability, particularly in the Sahel, poses ongoing threats.
The government’s actions respond to broader calls for social media platforms to take responsibility for hosting content that promotes or supports terrorist activities.
