- Why Tracking Bandits Is Difficult – Bwala Explains
- Says criminals operate through platforms or providers not domiciled within Nigeria
- Bwala’s comments shed light on the technological limitations confronting security operatives
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has explained why tracking bandits through technology remains a major challenge for security agencies in Nigeria, Eko Hot Blog reports.
Speaking during an interview on Nigeria Info FM, shared on the station’s Instagram page on Friday, Bwala said the growing use of foreign internet services and cross-border cellular networks by criminals makes digital tracking far more difficult.
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He noted that while Nigerian security agencies can easily trace individuals using locally regulated phone numbers and internet services, the same cannot be done when criminals operate through platforms or providers not domiciled within Nigeria.
“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. 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’s comments shed light on the technological limitations confronting security operatives amid the country’s escalating banditry and kidnapping crisis.
Nigeria has witnessed a surge in violent abductions in recent months, including the kidnapping of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and the abduction of more than 200 schoolchildren in Niger State, where some victims later escaped and reunited with their families.
