President Tinubu’s aide claims terrorists use Starlink to evade Nigerian intelligence agencies

Presidential adviser Daniel Bwala has sparked controversy by claiming that terrorist groups operating in Nigeria remain untraceable because they use Starlink satellite internet and foreign mobile networks, an explanation that quickly unravelled under questioning during a live radio interview.

The Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication made the assertion while attempting to explain why criminals who brazenly display ransom proceeds on social media platforms continue to operate with apparent impunity.

Starlink excuse fails under scrutiny

Speaking on Nigeria Info’s Hard Facts programme with host Mimi Eyo, Bwala faced pointed questions about why security agencies can swiftly arrest frustrated citizens who criticise the government online while seemingly unable to track terrorists who openly display kidnapping proceeds on social media.

The interviewer confronted him directly, saying that these criminals are brandishing ransom money on TikTok and are everywhere on social media. Yet, the intelligence agencies are unable to track and trace those guys. Still, they can easily pick up an average Nigerian who is frustrated and angry at what the Nigerian government is doing.

Bwala responded by walking through what he presented as a technical explanation. He described how there is a regulatory body in Nigeria with databases and phone numbers, and another body dealing with internet service provision, where authorities can trace through IP addresses.

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But then he introduced the crucial limitation. “If you’re using Starlink, we cannot trace it because Starlink is not registered in Nigeria, it in the space,” Bwala said, adding that this is the same problem they have in Ukraine and Russia.

He then broadened his argument to include mobile networks. “These terrorists, most of the time, they are using cellular service and internet from the neighbouring countries, not Nigeria. So it becomes tricky,” the presidential aide explained, suggesting that cross-border telecommunications infrastructure places these criminals beyond the reach of Nigerian intelligence.

The explanation appeared designed to absolve intelligence agencies of responsibility for failing to act against terrorists who operate in plain sight on social media.

Yet the interviewer immediately challenged the convenience of this explanation. “How convenient that they using Starlink,” Eyo shot back, then pressed further with the critical question. “When did Starlink come into Nigeria? Did it come after the Tinubu administration or before?”

Caught in the contradiction, Bwala could only respond with an admission that destroyed his own argument. “I know Starlink, I’ve been using Starlink before President Tinubu was sworn in,” he said.

This acknowledgement completely undermined his central claim. If Starlink has been available in Nigeria throughout previous administrations, it cannot serve as a credible explanation for why the current government struggles to track terrorists.

The exchange highlighted broader questions about accountability in Nigeria’s security architecture.

Bwala’s interview was part of a wider effort to defend the administration’s security record following the United States’ designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom violations.

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The presidential aide outlined new recruitment drives for 50,000 police officers and over 20,000 military personnel, along with the revival of the Safe Schools Initiative. These policy announcements, however, were overshadowed by his stumbling attempt to explain away intelligence failures.

Watch the conversation here: