Tech Giants Remove 28 Million Nigerian Accounts Amid Rising Online Fraud Concerns
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi, has revealed that three of the world’s largest technology platforms jointly deactivated more than 28 million accounts associated with Nigeria over the past year. The action, he said, was part of a coordinated effort between the Federal Government and global tech companies to curb rampant online fraud, impersonation and harmful content circulating across major digital platforms.
Speaking at a symposium organised by the Centre for Crisis Communication, Abdullahi disclosed that Google alone took down 9,680,141 accounts used for fraudulent activities, impersonation schemes and the dissemination of harmful content. LinkedIn recorded the highest single-platform figure, removing nearly 16 million accounts within the same period. According to him, the scale of abuse on what should be a professional networking platform was “outrageous,” signalling how deeply criminal activities have penetrated digital spaces once considered safe.
TikTok also carried out a high volume of deactivations, contributing to the combined total exceeding 28 million accounts. Abdullahi noted that these actions are tied to the annual reports submitted by the companies as part of an evolving partnership aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital safety landscape.
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Beyond account deactivations, Abdullahi revealed that more than 58.9 million pieces of harmful content were removed from the platforms during the year, while 420,000 posts were reinstated after appeals or internal reviews. He stressed the importance of maintaining a fair takedown process that prevents abuse by governments or powerful actors, while still ensuring harmful content is swiftly removed. According to him, content that does not violate Nigerian law should not be forcefully removed, and minority voices must be protected through a transparent reinstatement mechanism.
The DG highlighted that these collaborations have improved communication channels between regulators and big tech companies. Initiatives such as the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation — which eventually birthed the Nigerian Data Protection Commission — have benefited from these strengthened relationships.
The wider context, officials say, is the rapid evolution of digital platforms into arenas where misinformation, extremist propaganda, cyber fraud and coordinated scams now thrive. Over the past decade, social media has become central not only to discourse and crisis reporting but also to digital manipulation that poses increasing threats to institutions and public safety.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, emphasised that emerging technologies must be leveraged responsibly to safeguard crisis communication and national security. Represented by the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Jibrin Ndace, the Minister warned that while technology provides vast opportunities, it also introduces risks that, if unregulated, can destabilize societies. He noted that narratives around insecurity can be as dangerous as the insecurity itself, depending on how they are framed and disseminated.
Chairman of the Centre for Crisis Communication, retired Major General Chris Olukolade, added that crisis communication has evolved into a core national security asset. With modern crises unfolding in real time, credible and rapid information flow is now a matter of survival. Digital platforms, he said, have transformed how emergencies are managed, making verified information, institutional coordination and public responsiveness more critical than ever.
Meanwhile, online reactions reflect a mix of shock, humour and frustration. Some users blamed rising cybercrime for the global crackdown, while others questioned the severity of account deletions on platforms like LinkedIn. Many commenters argued that Nigerians themselves exacerbate the problem through fraudulent behaviour that undermines trust in online spaces.
As tech companies continue to tighten enforcement mechanisms, Nigeria’s regulatory agencies say their priority remains balancing user protection with the preservation of free expression in an increasingly complex digital environment.