The Senate on Thursday called on national security and intelligence agencies to immediately track down and arrest bandits and terrorists who are openly flaunting their identities and criminal proceeds on social media platforms, particularly TikTok.

The resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) regarding the rising wave of banditry and terrorist incursions within his constituency and other parts of the country.

During the deliberations, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) introduced an additional prayer urging immediate, coordinated action by the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) and related security units.

Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan expressed deep concern over the brazenness of modern criminal networks, noting that armed groups are no longer hiding in covert settings but are actively leveraging social media to project influence and display wealth. She revealed a startling recent incident to underscore the level of impunity operating online.

“Bandits and terrorists who carry out these activities live on their social media handles. Two days ago, bandits conducted a giveaway, distributing over ₦100m within the space of 30 minutes through their social media handles, especially TikTok.” — Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan said.

The lawmaker strongly questioned why these clear digital footprints have not yet resulted in targeted arrests by specialized law enforcement units mandated to track cyber-enabled crimes. The prayer was seconded by Senator Osita Ngwu (Enugu West) and received unanimous support across party lines.

Responding to the motion, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the public online displays as a deliberate attempt to ridicule government institutions, undermine public confidence, and challenge the nation’s security architecture.

Akpabio tasked the Department of State Services (DSS) and the heads of other security agencies to treat the development as an urgent national security priority. He asserted that the open display of ransom money and criminal lifestyle creates an impression of complete lawlessness that the state will not tolerate.

The Senate President further demanded establishing accountability mechanisms, directing security agencies to report back to the Senate on their progress so that the public can be fully assured that individuals openly documenting their crimes online are being actively apprehended and prosecuted.