Senate Urges Action Against Bandits Flaunting Loot Online

On Thursday, the Nigerian Senate called for urgent action from security agencies to intensify surveillance and enforcement against bandits who openly showcase their criminal activities on social media platforms, particularly TikTok. This motion was sponsored by Senator Sundai Karimi, representing Kogi West, in response to a surge in bandit attacks in the region.

Senator Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan from Kogi Central introduced an additional prayer urging coordinated action from the Nigerian Police Force and the National Cybercrime Centre to track, monitor, and arrest individuals using social media to publicize their criminal operations. Akpoti expressed alarm that armed groups are no longer operating covertly but are leveraging digital platforms to flaunt their ill-gotten wealth, citing a recent incident where bandits conducted a giveaway of N100 million within 30 minutes on social media.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio described this conduct as a direct affront to state authority and emphasized the need for security agencies to treat this matter as a national security priority.