A recent claim by lawyer and political figure Daniel Bwala that criminal groups in Nigeria are using Starlink satellite internet to evade security agencies has been found to lack verifiable evidence, according to security and telecom experts.
Bwala stated in a public address that bandits and kidnappers rely on foreign internet services like Starlink, making it difficult for Nigerian authorities to track them. While the concerns he raised touch on legitimate regulatory challenges, investigations by credible security sources and technology analysts reveal no confirmed incidents linking Starlink terminals to criminal operations in Nigeria.
Officials from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) confirmed that Starlink is legally licensed to operate in Nigeria, primarily serving users in areas with poor terrestrial network coverage. Security agencies, including the Defence Headquarters and the National Intelligence Agency, have not issued any public report or internal alert identifying Starlink as a tool used by armed groups.
“Most criminal elements in remote areas rely on unregistered SIM cards, cheap mobile phones, and widely available encrypted messaging apps,not sophisticated satellite equipment,” a senior security source, who requested anonymity, told our correspondent.
Technology analysts further noted that Starlink terminals are expensive, require stable power and a clear view of the sky, and are not easily portable, factors that make them impractical for mobile armed groups.
While Bwala correctly noted that local internet providers can be compelled to assist law enforcement, experts clarified that tracking users through foreign-based services, though more complex, is not impossible. Nigeria has mutual legal assistance treaties with several countries and can formally request user data from companies like SpaceX, which operates Starlink.
An IP address alone does not provide real-time location data and typically identifies only an account holder and general service area, not the precise user or device location.
Some analysts suggest that attributing security failures to foreign technology can divert attention from more systemic challenges, including underfunding, inter-agency coordination gaps, intelligence shortcomings, and socio-economic drivers of crime.
The National Security Adviser’s office has repeatedly highlighted poor local network coverage in conflict zones as a hurdle but has not cited Starlink as a complicating factor in ongoing counter-banditry operations.
While criminals globally exploit any available technology, there is currently no substantiated evidence that Starlink is being used by bandits in Nigeria or that it significantly undermines security operations. Bwala’s claim, though rooted in broader regulatory concerns, overstates both the technological capabilities of non-state actors and the limitations of state agencies.
