Minister claims bandits use advanced technology to evade

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has claimed that bandits and other criminal networks are deploying advanced technology and sophisticated methods to make phone calls and evade tracking by security agencies.
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Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the Minister outlined the technical challenges faced by security forces in monitoring criminal communications.
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Minister Tijani stated that tracking the communications of criminal groups is far more technical than commonly assumed by the public. He claimed that bandits are not using the normal towers but rather employ tactics to bounce calls off multiple towers, which confuses monitoring systems and hinders security operatives’ efforts to trace their locations.
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The Minister stated that this method is particularly effective in areas with poor or non-existent connectivity, which he said is why criminals enjoy living in areas that are unconnected.
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To counter this technological exploitation and address the massive infrastructure deficit, the Federal Government is already implementing a dual-pronged strategy which includes satellite upgrade and infrastructure expansion.
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Minister Tijani stated that the government is planning to upgrade the two communication satellites of the country to enhance security monitoring. Tijani explained that if the towers are not working, the satellites will work.
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He also stated that the government is investing in massive telecom expansion. He mentioned that Nigeria has only about 40,000 telecom towers compared to over four million 5G towers in China. According to him, plans are in place to deploy 4,000 new telecom towers in underserved rural communities in partnership with Huawei starting in 2026. Minister Tijani stated that the President is fully committed to closing these technology gaps by expanding infrastructure in remote areas.
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