President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, expressed the fear that with the movement of activities to cyber space as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorist groups might begin to radicalise citizens online.
He said the government would therefore continue to monitor activities of terrorists online to control radicalisation of citizens by terrorist groups, and other violent cells.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President made his position known in his remark at the AQABA Process virtual meeting in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The statement was titled ‘At AQABA Process virtual meeting, President Buhari highlights nexus between COVID-19 and security’.
Adesina quoted the President as saying that the migration to cyber space posed greater risk for radicalisation, especially with the growing constraints on physical contacts and movements.
“It is important to state that the spread of COVID-19 has led to the movement of activities to cyber space.
“Furthermore, lockdown policies and restrictions of movement in affected areas mean that people would move their day to day social and business activities to cyber space.
“This, however, comes with an increase in the risk of individuals being radicalised online,” the statement quoted Buhari as saying.
