A security expert, Bulama Bukarti, has raised alarm over the growing presence of Boko Haram on popular social media platforms, particularly TikTok, as well as the group’s evolving technological capabilities.
Bukarti, a senior fellow at the Extremism Policy Unit of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, made the disclosure on Sunday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He revealed that members of the terrorist group now openly operate TikTok accounts, where they host live sessions to spread extremist propaganda in Hausa.
“When you go on TikTok right now, you’ll find verified Boko Haram accounts,” Bukarti said. “They run live sessions to promote their ideology, justify violence, and interact with viewers by responding to comments and answering questions in real time.”
He also disclosed that he was personally targeted in a video recently posted by a Boko Haram member, condemning his criticism of the group’s escalating violence.
Beyond their online activity, Bukarti warned that Boko Haram is also leveraging unmanned aerial vehicles for military reconnaissance.
“They now use drones to monitor military bases in the North-East,” he said.
He added that in the last three months alone, the insurgents have launched over seven coordinated attacks on Nigerian Army super camps, including locations such as Sabon Gari.
These attacks resulted in the deaths and capture of several soldiers, with the group looting weapons, medical supplies, and food before retreating into the bush.
Bukarti’s revelations follow recent comments by Senator Ali Ndume, who lamented that Borno State lost 100 soldiers and 280 civilians to Boko Haram attacks in just six months.
The security expert called for urgent government intervention and better monitoring of online spaces used by extremist groups to recruit and radicalize followers.