The Senate has directed security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), to intensify efforts to track and arrest bandits and terrorists who openly display their activities and wealth on social media platforms, especially TikTok.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) on the growing threat of banditry and terrorism in Kogi West and other parts of Nigeria.
During deliberations, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan called on the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and other security agencies to identify and apprehend individuals using social media to promote criminal activities.
She expressed concern that criminal groups are increasingly using digital platforms to flaunt wealth, project influence, and distribute money suspected to be proceeds of crime.
According to the lawmaker, some bandits recently carried out giveaways worth over ₦100 million on TikTok and other social media platforms within a short period.
Akpoti-Uduaghan questioned why security agencies had been unable to trace and arrest suspects who publicly showcase their activities online despite their visible digital footprints.
Her recommendation received overwhelming support from lawmakers and was adopted as part of the Senate’s resolutions on the worsening security situation.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the actions of the suspects as a blatant display of impunity and a direct challenge to government authority, insisting that security agencies possess the capacity to track and apprehend them.
The Senate also called for stronger collaboration among security agencies and demanded regular updates on efforts to arrest and prosecute criminal elements exploiting digital platforms to promote crime.
