Boko Haram is now on TikTok and our government is sleeping

Last week, the Sadiku-led Boko Haram faction killed and abducted over 170 women and children from Woro in Kwara State. Instead of just hiding in the bush, they released a 90-second video on TikTok mocking the government and accusing it of deceit for downplaying the number of victims. The handler Abu Muhammad Abba posted it, and the clip went viral before the account disappeared and later came back to keep spreading propaganda.

Security analyst Malik Samuel of Good Governance Africa said it best: The war is not only about guns and bullets again, it is now more of an information warfare. These people are using the same digital infrastructure meant for financial inclusion to recruit followers and shape public perception. Europol and TikTok coordinated to take down Islamic State accounts in Europe, but here in Nigeria our digital governance gap is wide open.

So while the government is busy with politics, terrorists are on TikTok farming views and recruiting. Who is going to answer for the 170 women and children still missing from Woro?