Nigeria — The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi, has revealed that three global technology giants — Google, LinkedIn and TikTok collectively deactivated more than 28 million user accounts within the last year. The accounts were removed for fraud, impersonation and distributing harmful or misleading content, with a significant portion traced to actors operating from Nigeria.
Abdullahi made the disclosure in Abuja during a symposium on digital innovations in crisis communication organised by the Centre for Crisis Communication. He warned that the scale of abusive activity uncovered by tech platforms shows how rapidly social media is being weaponized in Nigeria’s digital environment.
According to him, Google alone shut down 9,680,141 accounts during the period. LinkedIn, a platform widely regarded as a professional networking space, removed nearly 16 million accounts, a figure Abdullahi described as “outrageous.” TikTok also carried out millions of suspensions for similar violations.
“Just three platforms — Google, LinkedIn and TikTok deactivated over 28 million accounts last year,” he said. “LinkedIn removed almost 16 million. For me, this is outrageous because LinkedIn is mostly a professional site. So why are people using it to cause crises and other things? They use it for impersonation and for social engineering to defraud organizations and individuals.”
Beyond account closures, Abdullahi revealed that big tech companies deleted more than 58.9 million pieces of harmful content linked to Nigeria within the same timeframe. At least 420,000 posts were later restored after users appealed or following internal platform reviews.
He explained that these measures reflect growing cooperation between the Nigerian government and global technology companies to combat misinformation, online scams, extremist propaganda and coordinated digital abuse.
However, he cautioned that enforcement must respect fundamental rights and prevent governments from misusing takedown mechanisms to silence dissent or marginalize minority voices.
“If content is not violating any laws in Nigeria, there is no way we can just say, ‘Take it down,’” he stated, stressing the importance of transparent and fair reinstatement processes.
Abdullahi added that the collaboration has led to improved communication channels between regulators and platforms, supporting reforms such as the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, which later evolved into the Nigerian Data Protection Commission.
Representing the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, Jibrin Ndace, said emerging technologies must be applied to strengthen crisis communication rather than inflame tensions or destabilise the country. He noted that insecurity is worsened not only by violent incidents but also by the narratives that frame them.
“The narrative that accompanies insecurity often shapes public perception and national stability,” he said.
The Chairman of the Centre for Crisis Communication, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade (retd.), described crisis communication as a vital component of national security. He emphasized that modern emergencies unfold at the speed of social media, requiring institutions to deliver rapid, verified information to guide public response.
He warned that survival during crises increasingly depends on timely access to credible information, coordinated institutional action and the public’s ability to react quickly.
The revelations come amid growing concern over Nigeria’s expanding cybercrime networks, increasing impersonation schemes targeting professionals, and the widespread use of digital platforms for political propaganda, financial scams and large-scale misinformation campaigns.
