The Federal Government has raised concerns over the growing use of Point of Sale (PoS) platforms by terrorists to evade detection and finance their operations.
The Director-General of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Major-General Adamu Laka, disclosed this during the Centre’s 2025 end-of-year press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, December 23.
Laka revealed that ransom payments remain a major source of terrorist funding, with PoS operators increasingly exploited to move such funds. According to him, kidnappers often provide PoS account details for ransom payments, making it harder for security agencies to trace the money once it is withdrawn and handed over.
“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.
He added that security agencies have intensified efforts to track ransom payments, arrest those involved, and dismantle terror financing networks, noting that several arrests and prosecutions have already been made, although operational details remain confidential for security reasons.
Laka also disclosed that Nigerian security agencies are collaborating with major social media platforms to identify and remove accounts used by terrorists and criminal groups to promote their activities and raise funds. He listed TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and X as platforms commonly exploited by terrorists.
According to him, these groups use social media to publicise attacks, showcase looted items, and communicate with supporters, prompting sustained engagement between security agencies and tech companies to take down harmful content.
“These platforms are businesses 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 through the use of aliases and unverified accounts, adding that Nigerian security agencies are constantly adapting to counter emerging threats while ensuring compliance with international anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing standards.
