The Senate on Thursday urged security agencies to intensify surveillance and enforcement against bandits and terrorists who openly showcase criminal activities and proceeds on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, amid rising concerns over the growing brazenness of online criminal networks.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) on escalating bandit attacks and terrorist incursions in Kogi West and other parts of the country, as lawmakers again confronted the worsening security situation across multiple regions.
During the debate, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) proposed an additional prayer calling for coordinated action by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and other relevant agencies to track, monitor and arrest individuals using social media to publicise criminal operations.
She expressed concern that armed groups were no longer operating covertly but were increasingly using digital platforms to project influence, flaunt illicit wealth, and in some cases conduct public “giveaways” allegedly funded by criminal activity.
“Bandits and terrorists who carry out these activities live on their social media handles. Two days ago, bandits conducted a giveaway, distributing over ₦100m within the space of 30 minutes through their social media handles, especially TikTok,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan questioned why such overt online activity had not led to arrests, particularly by cybercrime units mandated to track digital offences.
“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 stated.
The additional prayer was seconded by Senator Osita Ngwu (Enugu West) and received broad support across party lines, reflecting growing legislative concern over the intersection of insecurity and unchecked online exposure by criminal elements.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the conduct of the suspects as a direct affront to state authority and a troubling display of impunity.
“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 warned that the circulation of videos showing cash displays and criminal activity online was a deliberate attempt to ridicule government institutions and undermine public confidence 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 added.
Akpabio urged security and intelligence agencies to treat the issue as a national security priority and improve coordination for real-time response to online intelligence.
He also called for accountability, insisting that Nigerians should be informed when arrests are made and prosecutions begin.
“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 said.
