The Federal Government has admitted that security agencies face significant technical challenges in tracking SIM cards allegedly used by kidnappers and other criminal networks, despite years of mandatory SIM registration and National Identification Number (NIN) linkage.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Friday while outlining government efforts to tackle insecurity through the telecommunications sector.
Speaking in an interview, Tijani said the challenge is “far more technical” than many Nigerians realise, explaining that criminal groups have adapted to existing surveillance systems by adopting sophisticated communication methods, particularly in areas with poor network coverage.
The telecommunications sector has remained under close scrutiny since 2020, when the Federal Government enforced compulsory NIN–SIM linkage to curb fraud, anonymous communication and crimes linked to unregistered phone lines.
However, Tijani acknowledged public concerns over persistent cases of kidnapping and ransom negotiations reportedly carried out using unregistered or difficult-to-trace SIM cards.
He said telecom operators had previously conducted an exercise to eliminate unregistered SIMs, adding that the government later discovered criminals were using specialised technology to evade detection.
“There was an exercise conducted by the telcos to clean out all SIMs. The reason the President pushed us to invest in towers in those areas was because we realised there was a special type of technology criminals were using to make calls,” he said.
According to the minister, many criminal groups no longer rely on conventional telecom towers but instead route calls through multiple towers, a strategy that is more effective in remote, underserved and poorly connected locations.
“They were not using the normal towers; they bounce calls off multiple towers. That’s why they enjoy living in areas that are unconnected,” Tijani said.
To address what he described as connectivity gaps aiding criminal activities, Tijani said the government is implementing a multi-layered approach that includes satellite upgrades, fibre-optic expansion and the large-scale deployment of telecom infrastructure in rural areas.
He noted that Nigeria is currently the only country in West Africa operating its own communications satellites, a capacity the government plans to strengthen.
“This is why we are upgrading our two satellites, so that if our towers are not working, our satellites will work,” he said.
The minister also confirmed that the Federal Government has approved the deployment of 4,000 new telecom towers across underserved rural communities, areas often exploited by kidnappers and illegal SIM operators.
He said the project, approved by the Federal Executive Council last Wednesday, will be implemented in partnership with Chinese technology firm Huawei.
“It is why we are investing in fibre. It is why next year this project will start. We are doing it with Huawei, 4,000 towers in rural areas,” Tijani said.
According to him, the initiative will reduce network blind spots, boost rural economic activity and strengthen security surveillance in areas currently lacking reliable connectivity.
While fibre expansion and tower deployment are already in progress, Tijani said satellite upgrades would take longer, describing them as the third phase of the government’s broader connectivity strategy.
“That one will take longer than the other two. The other two are well in progress,” he said.