The Federal Government has revealed that bandits terrorising parts of Nigeria are using advanced communication technology to evade surveillance by security agencies, complicating efforts to track and dismantle their networks.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Friday during an interview on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.
According to Tijani, contrary to public assumptions, monitoring the communications of bandits is highly technical, as the criminals deliberately avoid conventional telecom infrastructure.
He explained that the armed groups employ a method that allows them to bounce calls across multiple telecom towers, making it difficult for security agencies to pinpoint their exact locations.
“There was a special kind of technology they were using to make calls,” Tijani said.
“They were not using the normal towers; they bounce calls off multiple towers, which is why they enjoy operating from areas that are largely unconnected.”
The minister said the discovery informed President Bola Tinubu’s directive for increased investment in telecom infrastructure, particularly in remote and security-challenged regions.
He added that the Federal Government is also prioritising the upgrade of Nigeria’s satellite systems to strengthen intelligence gathering and national security operations.
“If our towers are not working, our satellites will work,” Tijani stated, stressing that layered communication infrastructure was now critical to combating insecurity.
Tijani further highlighted Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit by comparing it with global standards, noting that the country has about 40,000 telecom towers, a fraction of what is obtainable in more technologically advanced nations.
“In China, they have over four million 5G towers. The total number of towers we have in Nigeria is just about 40,000,” he said.
His comments come amid a renewed surge in insecurity, particularly in the northern part of the country, where banditry, kidnappings and attacks on communities have intensified in recent weeks.
Several schoolchildren have been abducted in Niger and Kebbi states, while churches were attacked in Kogi and Kwara, heightening public outrage and fear.
The worsening situation has prompted the Nigeria Labour Congress to announce a nationwide protest scheduled for December 17, demanding urgent government action to curb insecurity and protect lives.
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