In northeastern Nigeria, jihadists are increasingly using social media to recruit and promote their campaigns, particularly on TikTok, in videos showing off rifles, grenades, and wads of cash.
At least 100 people were killed in a new wave of jihadist attacks in the north of the country in April, while the governor of Borno State confirmed that armed groups had made territorial gains in the state.
Borno is the epicenter of the jihadist conflict that began in 2009.
AFP reviewed these TikTok videos in the same month.
These accounts broadcast live videos shared with accounts run by men promoting anti-Western ideologies, in a style reminiscent of videos released in the early days of the 15-year insurgency by Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, who was killed in clashes in 2021.
Criminal gangs raiding villages and kidnapping for ransom in the northwest of the country have previously used TikTok.
"It started with bandits. Now Boko Haram members are livestreaming on TikTok to spread propaganda, justify their violence, and threaten anyone who dares to speak out against them," Bulama Bukarti, vice president of the Texas-based Bridgeway Foundation, wrote on Twitter.
He said a Boko Haram fighter threatened him in a video on the app because of his statements against the group. The video was later deleted.
Many accounts on the app are reported and shut down, but the platform's livestreaming feature makes it more difficult to monitor the content being posted.
A TikTok spokesperson said it was difficult to determine how many accounts linked to terrorist organizations had been shut down.
Many of these accounts were still active, according to accounts seen by AFP at the time of publication.
"Terrorist groups and content associated with them have no place on TikTok, and we take an uncompromising stance against enabling violent extremism on or off our platform," a company spokesperson told AFP in an emailed statement.
AFP reviewed 19 accounts. These videos featured individuals dressed as clerics, their faces uncovered, calling for violence against the government and collaborating with accounts displaying weapons.
These accounts also post old footage of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf and Issa Garro, a Salafi who was banned from preaching in public in Niger State for using violent rhetoric against democracy and Western civilization.
These accounts are frequently active, interacting with followers, answering questions, and receiving digital gifts that can be converted into cash.
Sidiq Mohammed, a former jihadist who defected from the group, told AFP that armed groups are turning to TikTok in part because of the security forces' crackdown on the encrypted messaging app Telegram.
He noted their awareness of the app's popularity among young people.
"Jihadists have realized that to capture young people's minds, they need to address them in a language they understand—rather than the traditional didactic and demagogic methods that are boring and unattractive," he said.
"The indicators show that this appears to be working. They are reaching out to potential young recruits," he added.
Analysts told AFP that the use of TikTok by members of armed groups poses a direct challenge to the government.
Malik Samuel, a security analyst at the Abuja-based think tank Center for Good Governance in Africa, said that using young members to spread propaganda is a common Boko Haram tactic.
"I think showing their faces is strategic—to show they're not afraid and to let their targets know they're communicating with real people," he explained.
TikTok announced a partnership with the UN-backed Counter Terrorism Technology to improve the monitoring and removal of violent extremist content.
Corruption Technology announced it would end its work with the app in 2024.
A spokesperson for the app confirmed, "Our community guidelines clearly state that we do not tolerate violent or hateful organizations or individuals on our platform."
"We will always take action on content that is found to violate these policies," he insisted.
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