Terrorists using social media, crypto to recruit, fund attacks — Ribadu, AU

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the African Union Counter-Terrorism Centre have warned that terrorist groups are increasingly leveraging social media, cryptocurrencies, and emerging technologies to recruit members, conceal funds, and coordinate attacks across West Africa and the Sahel. During a three-day regional training conference in Abuja, the AU Counter-Terrorism Centre highlighted the growing use of digital technologies by terrorist organizations like the Islamic State West Africa Province, Boko Haram, and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin.

These groups are using social media platforms for recruitment, mobile money and cryptocurrencies for fund concealment, purchasing weapons on darknet marketplaces, and utilizing AI and drones for communication and evasion. The director of the AU Counter-Terrorism Centre emphasized that the speed and low cost of digital tools have enabled terrorist cells to reach wider audiences and act faster than security agencies can respond.

To address this challenge, the AU official called for specialized training, regional coordination, and stronger collaboration with private-sector operators, including social media companies, telecommunications operators, and financial service providers.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.