By Ndefo Onyekachukwu | November 25, 2025 The scale of online fraud in Nigeria is staggering – and the numbers are out. Kashifu Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), revealed on Monday that Google, LinkedIn, and TikTok deactivated over 28 million accounts in the past year, many linked to Nigerian users involved in scams, impersonation, and harmful content.

Speaking at a symposium on digital innovation and crisis communication in Abuja,  Abdullahi called the figures “outrageous,” especially for LinkedIn, which shut down nearly 16 million accounts alone.

Breaking down the numbers:

• Google: 9.68 million accounts deactivated
• LinkedIn: Nearly 16 million (the “outrageous” one for a professional network)
• TikTok: Millions more (exact figure not specified, but part of the 28M total)

Beyond accounts, the platforms removed 58.9 million pieces of harmful content linked to Nigeria, with 420,000 restored after reviews.

Why This Crackdown Happened – And What It Means Abdullahi highlighted the growing “weaponization of social media” in Nigeria – from impersonation scams on LinkedIn to fraud on Google and viral misinformation on TikTok.

It’s the result of stronger ties between NITDA, the Nigerian Communications Commission, and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission with these tech giants to fight disinformation, scams, and abuse.

Abdullahi stressed the balance: “If content isn’t violating Nigerian laws, there’s no reason to take it down.” He called for transparent processes to protect minority voices and avoid government overreach.

The Bigger Picture: Nigeria’s Online Fraud Epidemic These numbers expose how deep the problem runs:

• LinkedIn Impersonation: Nearly 16 million accounts – think fake job offers, corporate scams, and “social engineering” to steal money.
• Google Fraud: 9.68 million – spam, phishing, and fake sites.
• TikTok Harm: Millions more in misinformation and coordinated abuse.

Abdullahi said this collaboration has improved communication and supported reforms like the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation.

But it’s a two-way street – governments can’t abuse takedown tools to silence critics.