Bwala says foreign internet services hamper tracking of bandits
Criminals’ reliance on foreign internet services is making it increasingly difficult for Nigerian security agencies to trace bandits and other violent groups, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said.
Bwala made the comment during an interview with Nigeria Info FM, shared on the station’s Instagram page on Friday.
He noted that while security operatives can track individuals using platforms and service providers registered within Nigeria, identifying criminals who operate through foreign-based networks is far more challenging.
“There is a regulatory body in Nigeria that has a database of Nigerians and their phone numbers. There is also a body that deals with internet service provision, where if you are using an internet service covered within the sphere of Nigeria, they can trace through the IP address,” Bwala said.
He added, “If you are using Starlink, we cannot trace it because Starlink is not registered in Nigeria; it is in space. That is the problem they have in Ukraine and Russia. These terrorists most of the time are using cellular services from neighbouring countries and not from Nigeria, so it becomes tricky.”
His remarks underscore the widening technological gap confronting security agencies in their efforts to combat banditry and terrorism across the country.
Nigeria continues to grapple with escalating insecurity, including bandit attacks, kidnappings, and terror-related violence—particularly in the northwest and northeast. In recent months, villages have been raided, schoolchildren abducted, and major highways targeted, disrupting livelihoods and heightening public anxiety.
Security analysts have also observed that criminal networks are increasingly deploying digital tools to coordinate activities and spread propaganda.
In May 2025, The Guardian reported that jihadist groups in the northeast were using TikTok to disseminate propaganda, showcase weapons and cash, and potentially lure young people into their ranks.
More recently, suspected terrorists and bandits have appeared in TikTok videos flaunting weapons, ransom payments, and their hideouts—sometimes issuing threats or soliciting support. Several documented cases show kidnappers openly displaying ransom proceeds and loot on the platform.
These developments highlight the evolving digital dimension of Nigeria’s security crisis, complicating efforts to contain armed groups operating across porous borders and unregulated online spaces.
