Bandits now use PoS, social media to fund, evade security, says FG

The Federal Government has raised concern over emerging tactics being adopted by terrorist groups to evade security agencies and finance their operations, including the use of Point of Sale (PoS) operators during attacks and movements.

The alarm was sounded on Tuesday, as the government revealed that terrorists are increasingly exploiting informal financial channels to move funds, withdraw cash, and avoid detection while carrying out their criminal activities.

In response to the growing threat, the government disclosed that Nigerian security agencies are collaborating with major social media companies to identify, monitor, and take down accounts linked to terrorists and criminal networks. These online platforms, authorities said, are often used to promote extremist content, coordinate activities, and raise funds.

The Director-General of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Adamu Laka, a Major-General, disclosed this to journalists at the Centre’s headquarters in Abuja during 2025 end-of-the-year press briefing.

The senior military officer lamented that ransom payments remained a major source of terror financing, with Point of Sale (PoS) operators increasingly exploited to move the funds.

He explained that in many cases, ransom payments were transferred to accounts belonging to PoS operators, who then released the cash to kidnappers, making tracking of such money more difficult

“You see a transfer made by terrorists, and when you investigate the account, it belongs to a PoS operator. The kidnappers give out the PoS operator’s number, the money is transferred, and they go to collect it,” he said.

According to him, security agencies had intensified efforts to track ransom payments, arrest those involved and disrupt terror financing networks, stressing that operational details could not be made public for security reasons.

He revealed that several arrests and prosecutions had been made in connection with ransom payments and terrorism financing.

Laka noted that asset recoveries and seizures formed part of Nigeria’s compliance with international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.

He listed TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and X as some of the platforms being used by terrorists to publicise operations, display looted items and communicate with supporters.

According to him, security agencies have held several engagements with social media companies to address posts and accounts that pose threats to national security.

“These platforms are businesses and are 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,” Laka said.

He noted that terrorist tactics continue to evolve, including the use of aliases and unverified accounts, adding that security agencies constantly adapt to counter such developments.