FG Partners Social Media Firms to Shut Terrorist Accounts, Track Ransom Payments – NCTC

FG Partners Social Media Firms to Shut Terrorist Accounts, Track Ransom Payments – NCTC

The Federal Government has disclosed that the Nigerian military and other security agencies are working closely with major social media companies to identify, monitor and remove accounts used by terrorist and criminal groups to publicise attacks, spread propaganda and raise funds.

The Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Major General Adamu Laka, made this known on Tuesday while briefing journalists on the activities of the centre in 2025. He said security agencies have held sustained engagements with platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and X to address online content that poses threats to national security.

According to him, terrorists have increasingly exploited social media to showcase operations, display looted items and communicate with supporters, forcing authorities to intensify digital counter-terrorism efforts.

“These platforms are businesses interested in growing their user base, but we engage them and explain the implications of certain posts on national security, and we take them down,” Gen. Laka said.

He noted that while terrorist tactics continue to evolve—often through the use of aliases and unverified accounts—security agencies are constantly adapting to counter emerging threats.

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Gen. Laka also identified ransom payments as a major source of terrorism financing, revealing that Point of Sale (POS) operators are increasingly being used to move funds for kidnappers and terrorist groups.

“In many cases, ransom payments are transferred into accounts belonging to POS operators, who then release the cash to the kidnappers, making it more difficult to track,” he explained.

To address this challenge, he said security agencies have intensified efforts to trace ransom flows, arrest collaborators and disrupt terror financing networks, although operational details remain classified for security reasons.

The NCTC coordinator disclosed that several arrests and prosecutions have already been recorded in connection with terror financing and ransom payments, adding that asset recoveries and seizures form part of Nigeria’s compliance with international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.

He further noted that Nigeria’s recent progress in meeting the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was achieved through coordinated investigations involving security agencies, financial intelligence units and the judiciary.

While acknowledging challenges posed by porous borders in the Sahel region, Gen. Laka assured Nigerians that authorities would continue to strengthen both physical and digital security measures to counter terrorism and organised crime in the coming year.

FG Partners Social Media Firms to Shut Terrorist Accounts, Track Ransom Payments – NCTC