Society
Nigerian Govt Cracks Down On Revenge Porn, Cyberstalking, Deepfakes & Manipulated Nudes
millions of Nigerian accounts have been suspended and tens of millions of posts deleted.
The federal government has ordered an extensive crackdown on revenge porn, cyberstalking, deepfakes and manipulated nudes, in what officials describe as one of the most aggressive cleanups of Nigeria’s digital space in recent years.
In the past two weeks, millions of Nigerian accounts have been suspended and tens of millions of posts deleted.
Government officials insist the purge is not routine moderation but a direct enforcement of the Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms, issued by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
The code requires platforms to take down non-consensual sexual content within 48 hours of being flagged or risk sanctions under Nigerian law.
Security agencies confirmed that the clampdown was triggered by intelligence reports suggesting coordinated plans to leak or fabricate explicit material for the purpose of blackmail and political sabotage.
Investigations are said to be ongoing, with officials warning that every digital trace is being tracked.
“Forensic tools are in place. Every upload, every repost, every comment leaves a footprint,” one senior official told TheCable. “There will be no hiding place.”
The warning is not without precedent. In March, a Nigerian man was extradited to the United States over a sextortion case involving intimate content. He is now facing charges that could lead to decades in prison. Authorities say the same standards will apply domestically, with offenders facing the full weight of Nigerian law.
Government sources emphasised that revenge porn and related abuses are not mere online misconduct but criminal acts under both the Cybercrimes Act and the NITDA Code of Practice. The initial wave of suspensions and deletions, they said, is only the beginning.
“What people see as account closures are just the first phase. The next step will not be suspension—it will be arrests and prosecution,” a top security official said.
The government has repeatedly expressed concern about the weaponisation of digital platforms, particularly through sexual content designed to intimidate, extort or silence individuals. Officials argue that the new enforcement drive is intended not only to protect victims but also to safeguard national security and the integrity of the political process.
With millions of accounts already wiped off the web, authorities say the message is clear: those who exploit or distribute non-consensual sexual content will be tracked, prosecuted and punished.
