A former media aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmed, has raised concerns about the social media app TikTok, claiming it is causing more harm than good for Nigeria.
He has called for stricter regulation of the platform, which he says is being used by criminals to spread misinformation and propaganda.
In a post on his X.com account late Wednesday, Ahmed stated that TikTok is increasingly being used by bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists in Nigeria to interact with the public. He argued that the freedom provided by the app is allowing these criminals to engage in live conversations and defend their actions.
“It is alarming that TikTok, a global social media platform, is being utilised by criminals such as bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists in Nigeria to interact with the public and, in some cases, even engage in live conversations defending their heinous activities,” Ahmed said.
“The platform is causing more harm than good to our country, as it not only amplifies the voices of these criminals but also emboldens them by providing a space to spread their propaganda and misinformation. Nigeria needs stricter regulations and content monitoring on TikTok to prevent these dangerous individuals from using it for their malicious agendas.”
During Buhari’s tenure, the Federal Government banned the operations of Twitter, now known as X, in Nigeria for 222 days. This suspension occurred in June 2021 after Twitter deleted a tweet by Buhari. The ban was lifted in January 2022.
Recently, there have been concerns over videos on TikTok showing bandits flaunting cash, which they claim to have collected as ransom for their victims.
A counter-insurgency expert and security analyst, Zagazola Makama, has highlighted these videos in a series of posts on his X account.
