The Federal Government has revealed that Nigerian security agencies are collaborating with major social media platforms to remove accounts used by terr+rists and cr+minal groups.Speaking at an end-of-year briefing in Abuja, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, Director-General of the National Counter Terr+rism Centre, said platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and X had been exploited to publicise operations, display looted items, and communicate with supporters.

“The issue of social media platforms used by terr+rist groups if you knew how many accounts we took down. We have had several meetings with these social media platforms like: TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and X. They are businesses looking to grow their subscribers, but we engage them, explain the effects of certain posts on national security, and we take them down,” Laka said.

Ransom payments remain a major source of terror financing, often involving point-of-sale (POS) operators. “You see a transfer made by terr+rists, and when you investigate the account, it belongs to a POS operator. The kidn+ppers give out the POS operator’s number, the money is transferred, and they go to collect it,” he explained. Security agencies have intensified efforts to track these payments, disrupt financing networks, and prosecute those involved, while maintaining operational confidentiality.

Acknowledging regional security challenges, Laka said, “Towards the end of 2023, the security situation in Nigeria was improving. But after the coups in some Sahel countries, the situation worsened because these terr+rist groups have connections across the region. So Nigeria has to play a leadership role in West Africa and the Sahel to address these threats.

As long as those countries continue to face these challenges, Nigeria will also face them. We are doing our best, and we will not relent. In 2026, we are going to up our game.”

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