The use of foreign internet services by criminals is complicating efforts by Nigerian security agencies to track bandits across the country, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has said.
Speaking in an interview with Nigeriainfofm, Bwala explained that while local social media platforms can be traced using domestic regulatory mechanisms, services operating outside Nigeria are harder to monitor.
“There is a regulatory body in Nigeria that has the 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,” he said.
“If you are using Starlink, we cannot trace it because Starlink is not registered in Nigeria; it is in space. This is the problem they have in Ukraine and Russia.”
Bwala noted that many criminals rely on cellular networks from neighbouring countries, adding to the challenges faced by security operatives.
The aide’s comments come amid rising insecurity across northern Nigeria, where banditry, terrorism, and kidnappings have disrupted communities, particularly in the northwest and northeast.
Analysts report that criminal networks increasingly exploit social media and digital communication platforms to coordinate activities, showcase ransom payments, and recruit vulnerable youth.
In May 2025, a report highlighted jihadists using platforms like TikTok to disseminate propaganda, display weapons, and promote cash rewards.
Recent accounts indicate that some bandits and kidnappers continue to flaunt loot and threaten communities online, complicating monitoring and intervention efforts.
Bwala’s insights underscore the growing technological challenges confronting Nigeria’s security apparatus in tracking criminals who exploit global digital tools.
