By Isiaka Sadiq Fache.
On Thursday, 11th June 2026, the Senate chamber witnessed what many in Kogi Central have come to expect from their representative: a shift from rhetoric to results. During plenary deliberations on a motion on bandit attacks in Kogi West and other parts of Nigeria, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central turned the conversation toward a frontline that security agencies had largely ignored-the digital space.
While the motion was sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi of Kogi West, it was Senator Natasha’s additional prayer that gave the debate its sharpest edge. She urged the Nigerian Police Force National Cybercrime Centre and other relevant agencies to monitor, track, and arrest criminals who openly operate on social media platforms.
Her argument was simple and devastating: bandits are no longer hiding. They are branding. Two days before plenary, she noted, “bandits conducted a giveaway on TikTok, distributing over ₦100 million within 30 minutes through their social media handles.” Cash was being flaunted. Faces were being shown. Criminality was being monetized for clout.
Then came the question that silenced the chamber: “I wonder why the Cybercrime Unit and the Police Force generally cannot track these activities and apprehend them since they are on social media.”
That single line reframed the problem. The issue was no longer just lack of bullets or boots on the ground. It was failure to weaponize intelligence already in plain sight. Every TikTok live, every cash giveaway, every video of criminal exploits is a digital footprint. Senator Natasha’s contribution was to insist that Nigeria must follow the trail.
The additional prayer was seconded by Senator Osita Ngwu of Enugu West and drew broad support across party lines. Senate President Godswill Akpabio echoed her position forcefully: “This is a show of impunity, as if there is no law at all… I do not see why we should not have control over the social media space.”
The Senate resolved to demand accountability from security chiefs and feedback once arrests are made, so Nigerians can see that impunity has consequences. It was a rare moment of legislative clarity: track the digital evidence, arrest the perpetrators, report back to the people.
Senator Natasha’s intervention on 11th June was more than a contribution to one debate. It reflects the quality of representation Kogi Central has enjoyed and stands to gain more of with a second term.
She does not just lament insecurity. She diagnoses it. By pointing to TikTok giveaways and open social media operations, she showed that solutions can come from understanding how criminals now operate. That’s the kind of insight that saves lives.
Kogi Central has faced attacks, displacement, and economic stagnation. In the Senate, Natasha has consistently brought the realities of her constituents to the national stage-not with noise, but with facts, motions, and targeted prayers that force action.
Though the issue arose from Kogi, her proposal affects all Nigerians. Terrorists and bandits using social media to mock the state is a national security challenge. Her ability to connect local pain to national policy is exactly what the 10th Senate needs more of.
Her demand that security agencies “report back so that Nigerians can know that those who openly show their faces while committing crimes are being arrested” speaks to transparency. Representation is not complete without follow-through.
The people of Kogi Central have watched closely. They have seen a senator who researches, who prepares, and who speaks when it matters. The call-“We give you a second chance to come and pilot the affairs of Kogi Central. Congratulations in advance. Insha Allah”-is not just goodwill. It is recognition that intelligence and insight are scarce in politics, and Kogi Central has found both in Senator Natasha.
A second term is not about continuity for its own sake. It is about completing the work of institutionalizing smarter security responses, strengthening oversight, and ensuring that the prosperity of Kogi Central and Nigeria is protected by laws that match the speed of modern crime.
On 11th June 2026, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan reminded the Senate that bandits may be bold online, but the law must be bolder. That is the kind of leadership Kogi Central deserves. And that is why a second term is not just deserved-it is necessary.