The Senate has called on security agencies to identify and apprehend bandits and terrorists who openly display their activities and large sums of money on social media platforms, particularly TikTok.
The resolution was adopted on Thursday following a motion by Senator Sunday Karimi, who represents Kogi West, on the increasing wave of banditry and terrorist attacks in his district and other parts of the country.
During the debate, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central proposed an additional resolution urging the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and other relevant agencies to monitor, track, and arrest individuals using social media to promote or publicise criminal activities.
She expressed concern that criminal groups have become increasingly bold, using digital platforms to showcase their influence, display proceeds of crime, and even organise online cash giveaways.
According to the senator, armed groups reportedly distributed more than ₦100 million through their social media accounts, especially on TikTok, within a 30-minute period only days earlier.
Akpoti-Uduaghan questioned why security agencies had failed to exploit these online footprints to identify and arrest those responsible.
She urged the Police Cybercrime Centre to intensify efforts in tracking such accounts and bringing the operators to justice.
Her proposal, which was seconded by Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West, received widespread support from lawmakers across party lines, reflecting growing concern over the use of social media by criminal networks.
Reacting to the development, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the public display of cash and criminal exploits online as an act of impunity and a direct challenge to the authority of the state.
He maintained that agencies such as the Department of State Services should be capable of tracing and arresting the individuals involved, stressing that their actions create the impression that there is no effective law enforcement.
Akpabio further argued that the online display of illicit wealth is intended to mock government institutions and undermine confidence in the country’s security system.
He therefore urged intelligence and security agencies to treat the issue as an urgent national security matter by improving coordination and responding swiftly to online intelligence.
The Senate President also called for accountability, saying that once suspects are arrested, the public should be informed of their prosecution to demonstrate that those who openly commit crimes on social media will face the full weight of the law.