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The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has said bandits use specialised technology to make phone calls while evading detection by security agencies.
Tijani revealed this on Friday during an interview with Seun Okinbaloye on Channels TV’s Politics Today. He explained that tracking bandits’ communications for intelligence purposes is far more complex than many Nigerians realise.
According to the minister, the criminals deliberately route their calls through several communication towers, making it difficult for security operatives to trace or monitor them.
He said this challenge informed President Bola Tinubu’s push for increased investment in telecom towers in remote areas.
Tijani noted that bandits do not rely on conventional towers, but instead bounce calls across multiple networks, which is why they often operate from poorly connected locations.
The minister added that the federal government is also upgrading Nigeria’s satellite systems to strengthen security surveillance, stressing that satellites can provide coverage where ground-based towers fail.
Tijani said the situation highlights the urgent need for heavy investment in telecommunications infrastructure nationwide. By comparison, he noted that China has over four million 5G towers, while Nigeria has about 40,000.
His comments come amid rising insecurity, particularly in northern Nigeria, where recent weeks have seen the abduction of schoolchildren in Niger and Kebbi states, as well as attacks on churches in Kogi and Kwara states.
The surge in violence has prompted the Nigeria Labour Congress to announce a nationwide protest scheduled for December 17.
