A Nigerian man faces a N100 million extortion demand after collecting N100,000 from a bandit in a TikTok giveaway live session.
Odumayo Olufemi, a Nigerian man, has appealed for help after allegedly receiving N100,000 from individuals he identified as bandits during a TikTok live giveaway session. He said he joined the live broadcast on June 6 after the hosts promised monetary rewards to users who followed their page.
What happened next has rattled the country.
After the payment was made, Olufemi received a message demanding N100 million, prompting fears for his safety.
The bandits appeared on Olufemi’s TikTok For You Page on June 6. During the live session, they told viewers they would give money to anyone who followed their account. Olufemi, seeing a young boy on the screen, assumed it was entertainment. He dropped his account number. The money landed. Then the email arrived.
“After I received the money, I got a message demanding N100 million. Nigerians should please come to my rescue. I was among those who joined the live session and received N100,000,” he told viewers in a video that spread rapidly across platforms.
He is not alone. Olufemi further claimed that other individuals who participated in the session also received similar payments, suggesting the bandits cast a wide net, baiting as many Nigerians as possible before springing the trap.
The incident was highlighted during the “What’s Trending” segment of Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, sparking discussions about online safety and the growing use of social media platforms by criminal elements. By Wednesday morning, the clip was everywhere. Security analysts, lawyers, and ordinary Nigerians were debating the same uncomfortable question: how did we get here?
The answer, according to observers who have watched banditry evolve across Nigeria’s northwest and beyond, is that armed groups are no longer just killing and kidnapping. They are building brands. A disturbing wave of online broadcasts allegedly linked to armed groups has sparked fresh alarm over Nigeria’s security situation, with videos surfacing showing individuals flaunting wealth and issuing threats during live social media sessions. TikTok has become a recruitment tool, a propaganda platform, and now, apparently, a money trap.
Rather than reporting the live stream to security agencies, participants saw it as an opportunity to collect cash. The act of voluntarily sharing bank details with criminals raises serious concerns about identity theft, financial fraud, and extortion. Olufemi’s case is the proof of concept.
Social media users who saw the post reacted with a mixture of anger and despair. Many argued that no economic hardship can justify engaging with armed bandits who have killed, kidnapped, and displaced thousands of Nigerians. Others pointed out that the incident reveals a broken value system where money, regardless of its source, is welcomed without question. Both arguments are true. Neither one helps Olufemi sleep tonight.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the allegation. The Nigeria Police Force, the DSS, and the office of the National Security Adviser had not responded to requests for comment. TikTok Nigeria also had not addressed the live session that sparked the crisis.
What is not in dispute is this: a man collected N100,000 from a TikTok giveaway run by individuals he now believes are bandits, and those same individuals are threatening him with a N100 million demand. The extortion is brazen. The silence from authorities, equally so.
Every Nigerian with a TikTok account needs to understand what Odumayo Olufemi’s story makes plain. The next giveaway notification on your For You Page could be the most expensive thing you ever click.
