The Presidency has offered a new explanation on why security agents still struggle to trace the digital footprints of many bandits operating across the country.
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, disclosed that the major challenge comes from criminals using internet services that are outside Nigeria’s regulatory reach.
Speaking during an interview shared on Friday, Bwala said many of the bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers rely on foreign-based internet providers, making it extremely difficult for law enforcement agencies to monitor or track their activities.
According to him, security agencies can normally trace individuals who operate through platforms hosted within Nigeria because such systems fall under existing regulatory structures.
However, once criminals connect through platforms or networks that Nigeria does not control, everything becomes complicated.
“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,” 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.”
Bwala explained that criminal elements deliberately exploit these international networks to stay steps ahead of security operatives.
By using providers that operate beyond Nigerian jurisdiction, they create digital blind spots that intelligence units struggle to penetrate.
His revelation further exposes the technological limitations Nigeria faces in its ongoing battle against widespread insecurity.
Over the years, bandit groups have become more coordinated, more equipped, and more reliant on digital communication tools.
Communities in the northwest and northeast remain the worst hit, with frequent assaults on villages, ambushes on highways, and large-scale kidnappings.
These attacks have disrupted trade, displaced families, and deepened economic hardship across several states.
Security analysts have repeatedly warned that technology is becoming a powerful weapon in the hands of criminals.
Beyond encrypted calls and cross-border networks, many of the groups now use social media to showcase weapons, display ransom collections, threaten communities, or push propaganda aimed at attracting new recruits.
In recent months, videos believed to be posted by suspected bandits and terrorists have circulated widely online, especially on TikTok.
Some of the clips show cash, motorcycles, and guns, while others flaunt ransom payments or reveal hideouts in remote forest areas.
Authorities say such exposure not only spreads fear but could also embolden other criminal groups.
Nigeria continues to explore ways to tighten regulation around digital platforms, but Bwala’s comment suggests that the country must now expand cooperation with international service providers if it hopes to close the technological gaps being exploited by criminals.