Terrorists using social media, crypto to recruit, fund attacks — Ribadu, AU
Nigeria’s NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, and the AU warn that terrorists in West Africa are increasingly using social media and crypto to recruit, fund, and plan attack Read More:…
Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, oversees coordination of the country's counter-terrorism and intelligence efforts, while the African Union's Counter-Terrorism Centre works with member states to track and disrupt militant networks across the continent, particularly in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin where groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have long operated. The warning about social media and cryptocurrency reflects a broader global concern that extremist groups are adapting to digital tools—using encrypted platforms for propaganda and recruitment, and crypto assets to move funds across borders while evading traditional banking oversight and sanctions.
Both Punch and Leadership report the same joint warning, framing it around the evolving tactics terrorist groups are using to sustain operations in West Africa. Neither outlet's headline specifies concrete policy responses, enforcement measures, or timelines for countering these digital threats, leaving open how Nigerian and regional security agencies plan to regulate or monitor crypto transactions and online recruitment going forward.