Presidency Explains Why Bandits Showing Off Ransom Money On TikTok, Other Social Media Platforms Can't Be Tracked

Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Communication, has explained why security agencies are struggling to track armed bandits who flaunt ransom money on social media platforms such as TikTok.

Bwala, in a recent interview on Nigeria Info radio station, was asked why security agents easily track and arrest Nigerians who use social media to vent their frustrations, but are unable to track and arrest the bandits who have, over the years, killed many Nigerians and destroyed properties.

Responding, Bwala explained that Nigerians can be easily tracked because they use internet services within the country, but bandits use services from outside the country.

According to him,

“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 where you are.

“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 the neighbouring countries and not from Nigeria, so it becomes tricky.”