June 11 (THEWILL) — The Senate, on Thursday, directed security and intelligence agencies to intensify surveillance and enforcement actions against bandits and terrorists who openly display their criminal activities, weapons, and proceeds of crime on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, warning that the growing trend poses a serious threat to national security and public confidence in government institutions.
The resolution followed deliberations on a motion sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, on the escalating wave of banditry, kidnappings and terrorist incursions in Kogi West and other parts of the country.
Lawmakers expressed concern over what they described as the increasing audacity of criminal networks, some of whom now openly publicise their operations online, flaunt large sums of money believed to be proceeds of crime and use social media platforms to project influence and intimidate communities.
The debate took a broader national security dimension when Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, proposed an additional prayer urging the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and other relevant security agencies to identify, track and arrest individuals using digital platforms to glorify criminal activities.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said recent developments suggested that criminal groups were no longer operating in secrecy but had become emboldened enough to showcase their activities online without fear of arrest.
She revealed that some suspected bandits had recently organised a massive online cash giveaway through social media platforms, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of intelligence-gathering and cybercrime monitoring mechanisms.
“Bandits and terrorists who carry out these activities live on their social media handles. Two days ago, bandits conducted a giveaway, distributing over ₦100 million within the space of 30 minutes through their social media handles, especially TikTok”, she said.
The senator questioned why such individuals had remained beyond the reach of law enforcement despite maintaining visible online profiles and engaging publicly with followers.
“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 added.
The proposal was seconded by Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West Senatorial District, and received overwhelming support from lawmakers across party lines.
Senators argued that the open use of social media by criminal groups to showcase wealth and influence not only emboldens criminality but also undermines efforts by security agencies to reassure citizens of their capacity to combat insecurity.
Contributing to the debate, several lawmakers stressed that security agencies must adapt to evolving criminal tactics, particularly the increasing use of digital platforms by terrorist and bandit groups for propaganda, recruitment, intimidation and the projection of power.
The Senate subsequently adopted the prayer and called for enhanced collaboration among security agencies, intelligence units and cybercrime investigators to identify and dismantle online criminal networks.
Responding to the concerns raised by lawmakers, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the conduct of the suspects as a blatant display of impunity and a direct challenge to the authority of the Nigerian state.
“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 noted that videos and online content showing armed individuals displaying large sums of money and celebrating criminal exploits represented a deliberate attempt to ridicule government institutions and weaken public trust in the country’s security architecture.
“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 stated.
The Senate President urged intelligence chiefs and heads of security agencies to treat the matter as an urgent national security concern and strengthen real-time monitoring of online activities linked to criminal groups.
According to him, information available on social media should provide actionable intelligence capable of leading to arrests and successful prosecutions.
“I want the security agencies and heads of security services to see this as a major challenge. 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”, Akpabio said.
He further called for greater accountability from security institutions, insisting that Nigerians should be informed whenever suspects identified through digital surveillance 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 added.
The Senate’s resolution comes amid persistent concerns over rising insecurity across several parts of the country, including incidents of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and attacks on rural communities.
The upper chamber reaffirmed its commitment to supporting efforts to strengthen national security and urged all relevant agencies to deploy available technological tools and intelligence capabilities to track criminal actors exploiting social media platforms to propagate violence, display illicit wealth and challenge state authority.
The lawmakers maintained that swift action against such individuals would serve as a deterrent to others and demonstrate the government’s resolve to confront insecurity in both the physical and digital spaces.
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