Ribadu: Terrorists Use AI to Dodge Detection

Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, alongside the African Union Counter-Terrorism Centre, issued a stark warning on Tuesday regarding the growing exploitation of social media, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrencies by terrorist groups in West Africa and the Sahel.

Speaking in Abuja at a regional training conference, officials highlighted how groups like ISWAP, Boko Haram, and JNIM leverage digital platforms to spread propaganda, radicalise recruits, and coordinate cross-border operations.

Major General Adamu Laka, representing Ribadu, emphasised that autonomous drones, AI-generated content, and virtual financial assets present unprecedented operational and financial complexities that demand immediate regional countermeasures.

To counter these evolving threats, Ribadu advocated for enhanced technical expertise, institutional strengthening, and real-time intelligence sharing among West African nations.

He revealed that Nigeria is actively collaborating with the AU Counter-Terrorism Centre to secure accreditation for its National Counter Terrorism Centre as a regional centre of excellence—fulfilling a directive declared by President Bola Tinubu in April 2024.

Both Nigerian and AU leadership underscored that traditional security measures alone cannot halt digital exploitation, urging unified cross-border strategies to disrupt online threat networks before physical attacks materialise.

Acting AU Counter-Terrorism Director Idriss Lalalli cautioned that low costs and high execution speeds allow small terrorist cells to outpace state security procedures.

Highlighting how militants purchase arms on darknet markets, communicate via satellite, and bypass detection through tailored AI tools, Lalalli stressed the urgent need for specialised training in open-source intelligence, digital forensics, and blockchain tracking.

He urged delegates to build strategic partnerships with private-sector actors—including telecommunications providers, social media platforms, and financial firms—to effectively dismantle the privately owned infrastructure that terrorists exploit.

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