- Nigeria’s Communications Minister, Bosun Tijani, says bandits use advanced communication technology that bypasses normal mobile towers, making them difficult to track through SIM registration.
- He dismissed claims of widespread unregistered SIMs, noting that telecom operators have cleaned up the system.
- Tijani added that the Federal Government is investing in new telecom towers and upgrading satellites to close network gaps exploited by criminals.
Nigeria’s Communications Minister, Bosun Tijani, explained why it is difficult to track bandits who carry out kidnappings. He said these criminals use advanced communication technology that avoids standard tracking methods.
The Minister dismissed concerns about active unregistered SIM cards. He confirmed that telecom operators have already removed improperly registered lines following the NIN linkage policy.
Tijani revealed that the criminals’ calls are “more technical”. They do not use regular phone masts but instead “bounce calls off multiple towers”, making the origin hard to trace. This technology does not rely on Nigeria’s standard mobile network structure.
This technical advantage is why bandits choose to operate in remote areas where network coverage is poor.
To fight this, President Tinubu approved more investment in mobile towers for these hard-to-reach areas. The government is also upgrading Nigeria’s communication satellites to boost surveillance and provide a network backup.
Tijani stressed that tackling this crime needs major investment in infrastructure and intelligence, not just focusing on SIM registration.
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