The Senate has called on security agencies to urgently step up surveillance and enforcement against bandits and terrorist groups who openly display their activities and financial proceeds on social media platforms, especially TikTok.
Lawmakers expressed concern on Thursday over what they described as the growing boldness of criminal networks who now use digital platforms not only to showcase illegal activities but also to circulate videos of cash distributions and so-called “giveaways” allegedly funded through crime.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi, who raised alarm over escalating bandit attacks and terrorist incursions affecting parts of Kogi West and other regions of the country.
During the debate, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan added a prayer calling for coordinated action between the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and other security agencies to track and arrest individuals using social media to publicise criminal operations.
She warned that criminal groups were no longer operating in secrecy but were increasingly leveraging online platforms to project influence and flaunt illicit wealth.
“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 security agencies had not been able to trace and apprehend individuals carrying out such activities in plain sight online, insisting that cybercrime units must act more decisively.
The additional prayer was seconded by Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West and received broad support from lawmakers across party lines.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks, described the situation as a direct challenge to the authority of the state, warning that it undermines public confidence in security institutions.
“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,” he said.
Akpabio stressed that the circulation of videos showing cash displays and criminal bragging on social media amounted to a deliberate attempt to ridicule government authority.
“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.
He urged security agencies to treat the matter as a national security priority and improve coordination in monitoring online intelligence and tracking suspects.
The Senate President also called for accountability in the justice process, insisting that Nigerians should be informed once 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 stated.
The Senate’s resolution adds to growing concerns over the use of social media by criminal groups to recruit, intimidate, and publicise illegal activities, as lawmakers push for stronger digital surveillance and enforcement measures.