The Senate has urged Nigeria’s security agencies to act swiftly against bandits and terrorists who now parade their crimes and illicit wealth on social media, with TikTok named as the platform of choice.
According to reports, the call came as lawmakers warned that the brazen online displays amount to a direct challenge to state authority.
The resolution was passed on Thursday following a motion by Senator Sunday Karimi of Kogi West, who drew the chamber’s attention to a surge in bandit attacks and terrorist incursions in his district and across the country.
Karimi's motion forced a fresh confrontation with a security crisis that continues to spread through multiple regions.
But it was an additional prayer introduced by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Kogi Central, that sharpened the focus.
She asked the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) and other agencies to coordinate and move against individuals using social media to publicise criminal operations.
Akpoti-Uduaghan told the Senate that the nature of the threat had changed.
Armed groups, she said, no longer hide in the shadows, instead they use digital platforms to project influence, flaunt wealth taken by force, and even stage public "giveaways" funded by crime.
"Bandits and terrorists who carry out these activities live on their social media handles. Two days ago, bandits conducted a giveaway, distributing over N100m within the space of 30 minutes through their social media handles, especially TikTok," she said.
The senator disclosed she was alarmed that such open activity had not led to arrests.
She questioned why units charged with tackling cyber-enabled crime had not acted on what she described as clear digital evidence.
READ ALSO: Tinubu: Pay Taxes, Ground Rent to Fund More Abuja Roads
"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 said.
Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West seconded the prayer, and it drew support across party lines.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio was blunt in his response as he described the conduct of the suspects as impunity and a direct affront to the authority of the 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 warned that the circulation of videos showing cash and criminal acts was not harmless.
In his view, it was designed to ridicule government institutions and weaken public confidence in the 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.
The Senate President told heads of security services to treat the matter as an urgent priority.
He called for better coordination and a real-time response to intelligence gathered online.
"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," he said.
Akpabio also stressed the need for accountability, saying Nigerians should be told when arrests are made and prosecutions begin, so the public can see that those who commit crimes openly are not above the law.
"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.
0 Comments