Senate Orders Crackdown On Wealth-Showing Bandits On TikTok

The Senate has called on security agencies to strengthen surveillance and enforcement efforts against bandits and terrorists who openly display their operations and alleged proceeds of crime on social media platforms, particularly TikTok.

The resolution was reached during Thursday’s plenary following a motion presented by Senator Sunday Karimi, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District, highlighting the rising incidents of banditry and terrorist attacks in Kogi West and other parts of the country.

Lawmakers expressed concern over what they described as the increasing boldness of criminal elements using digital platforms to publicise their activities without fear of arrest or prosecution.

During deliberations, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central proposed an additional resolution urging the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCC) and other relevant security agencies to intensify efforts to identify, monitor and apprehend individuals using social media to promote criminal activities.

According to the senator, criminal groups have increasingly turned online platforms into tools for showcasing their influence, displaying wealth and distributing funds suspected to have been acquired through illegal means. She cited a recent incident in which suspected bandits allegedly organised a giveaway exceeding ₦100 million within 30 minutes through their TikTok accounts, questioning why such publicly visible activities had not resulted in arrests.

Her proposal received widespread support from lawmakers after being seconded by Senator Osita Ngwu.

Responding to the debate, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the online display of criminal activities and wealth as a direct challenge to the authority of the government and the nation’s security institutions. He maintained that agencies such as the Department of State Services possess the capacity to track and apprehend individuals openly promoting criminal acts on social media.

Akpabio further argued that the circulation of videos showing suspected criminals displaying cash and celebrating their activities weakens public confidence in the country’s security architecture. He called on intelligence and security agencies to treat the matter as an urgent national security priority, urging improved collaboration and better use of intelligence gathered from digital platforms.

The Senate President also encouraged citizens and lawmakers to report such online content to the upper chamber, assuring that relevant federal authorities would be invited to explain any failure to act against the suspects.

He stressed the importance of transparency after arrests are made, stating that security agencies should publicly communicate successful operations so Nigerians can be assured that individuals who openly commit crimes and publicise them online are being brought to justice.