Nigerian Senate Urges Action Against Bandits Showing Off Loot on Social Media

The Nigerian Senate has called for immediate action to be taken against bandits and terrorists who flaunt their ill-gotten gains on social media platforms. This call to action was made during a Senate session on Thursday, where lawmakers expressed concern over the increasing brazenness of criminal networks operating online. Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West Senatorial District, sponsored a motion on the rising wave of bandit attacks and terrorist incursions in Kogi West and other parts of the country. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, introduced an additional prayer, calling for coordinated action by the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and other relevant security agencies to track, monitor, and arrest individuals who use social media to publicize their criminal activities. According to Akpoti-Uduaghan, armed groups are no longer operating covertly but are instead using digital platforms to project influence, flaunt their wealth, and even carry out public 'giveaways' believed to be funded through criminal activity. She cited an instance where bandits conducted a giveaway, distributing over N100m within 30 minutes through their social media handles, especially on TikTok. The senator questioned why such overt digital footprints had not led to arrests by relevant security agencies, particularly units mandated to track cyber-enabled crimes. Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the conduct of the suspects as a direct affront to state authority and a troubling display of impunity. He warned that the open circulation of videos showing cash displays and criminal activities on social media platforms amounts to a deliberate attempt to ridicule government institutions and undermine public confidence in the country's security architecture. Akpabio urged intelligence and security agencies to treat the matter as an urgent national security priority, calling for improved coordination and real-time response to online intelligence. He also emphasized the need for accountability mechanisms that would ensure the public is informed once arrests are made and prosecutions commenced.