DEVELOPMENT
FG Partners Social Media Giants to Disrupt Terror Networks, Shut Down Propaganda and Fundraising Accounts — NCTC Reveals at Abuja Briefing
The Federal Government has disclosed intensified collaboration between Nigerian security agencies and major social media companies to identify, monitor, and take down accounts being used by terrorist and criminal groups to promote their activities and raise funds.
This revelation was made on Tuesday in Abuja during an end-of-year briefing by the Director-General of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka. He explained that popular platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and X have, in recent years, been exploited by terrorist elements to publicise their operations, display looted items, intimidate the public, and communicate with supporters and financiers.
According to Laka, security agencies have sustained engagements with these social media companies to address content and accounts that pose direct threats to national security, stressing that cooperation with the platforms has yielded tangible results.
“The issue of social media platforms used by terrorist 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.
“There was a time when bandits would go on TikTok showing their loot. We took those accounts down, you don’t see that again. At some point, they were even doing live streams and holding conversations, but we’ve been able to handle all that.”
He noted that while significant progress has been made, terrorist tactics continue to evolve, with groups increasingly relying on aliases, disposable profiles and unverified accounts to evade detection. As a result, security agencies are constantly adapting their strategies to stay ahead of these developments in both the physical and digital space.
Beyond online propaganda, Laka identified ransom payments as a major and persistent source of terror financing. He disclosed that point-of-sale (POS) operators are increasingly being exploited as intermediaries to move ransom funds and obscure financial trails.
“You see a transfer made by terrorists, and when you investigate the account, it belongs to a POS operator. The kidnappers give out the POS operator’s number, the money is transferred, and they go to collect it,” he said.
The counter-terrorism chief said security agencies have stepped up efforts to track ransom flows, arrest those involved and dismantle terror financing networks across the country.
However, he stressed that specific operational details could not be disclosed publicly for security reasons.
He revealed that several arrests and prosecutions have already been carried out in connection with ransom payments and terrorism financing, adding that asset recoveries and seizures are central to Nigeria’s compliance with international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.
According to Laka, Nigeria’s recent progress in meeting the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was partly achieved through coordinated investigations by a joint committee comprising security agencies, financial intelligence units and the judiciary.
While acknowledging ongoing challenges, including evolving terror tactics and porous borders in the Sahel region, he assured Nigerians that security agencies remain committed to strengthening both physical and digital counter-terrorism operations.
He 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 terrorist 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.”
Social media has increasingly become a tool for criminal and terrorist groups to spread propaganda, showcase illicit activities and coordinate within their networks. The ongoing removal of such accounts follows repeated calls on digital platforms to take greater responsibility for content that promotes or supports violence, terrorism and organised crime.