A lawmaker first raised the alarm after armed groups staged a public giveaway. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central, proposed the additional prayer before the chamber. She said, “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.”
She then questioned the failure of security agents to use these visible digital traces. However, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan urged the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre to “track and arrest these individuals.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio backed the proposal and termed the online brazenness a direct challenge. He asserted, “The Department of State Services should be able to track their movements and arrest them because this is a show of impunity, as if there is no law at all.”
Moreover he argued that such displays ridicule government authority. “I do not see why we should not have control over the social media space. That idea of showing themselves… is a way of challenging the government,” Akpabio added.
The Senate President insisted on accountability after arrests. He ordered security chiefs to treat the matter as a major challenge. “If they are apprehended, they should also report back so that Nigerians can know that those who openly show their faces while committing crimes are being arrested and prosecuted,” he stated.
Senator Sunday Karimi, representing Kogi West, had initially sponsored the main motion on insecurity. The Senate adopted the prayer and ordered immediate tracking of the criminal elements.
