The Federal Government has acknowledged that security agencies continue to face significant 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, made the revelation on Friday while outlining the government’s ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity through improvements in the telecommunications sector.
Tijani explained that the difficulty is “far more technical” than most Nigerians realize. Criminal groups have adapted to existing surveillance systems, using sophisticated communication techniques, especially in areas with poor network coverage.
Since 2020, when the government enforced compulsory NIN SIM linkage to curb fraud, anonymous communication, and crimes linked to unregistered phone lines, the telecommunications sector has been under close scrutiny. However, Tijani acknowledged public concerns over the continued use of unregistered or hard-to-trace SIM cards in kidnappings and ransom negotiations.
He revealed that telecom operators had previously conducted a nationwide exercise to eliminate unregistered SIMs, but criminals quickly found ways 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 realized there was a special type of technology criminals were using to make calls,” Tijani said.
The minister added that many criminal groups no longer rely on conventional telecom towers. Instead, they route calls through multiple towers, a method that is especially effective in remote, underserved, and poorly connected areas. “They were not using the normal towers. They bounce calls off multiple towers. That is why they enjoy living in areas that are unconnected,” he explained.
To address these connectivity gaps that aid criminal activity, the government is implementing a multi-layered approach that includes satellite upgrades, fibre optic expansion, and large-scale deployment of telecom infrastructure in rural communities. Tijani highlighted 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 areas, which are often exploited by kidnappers and operators of illegal SIM cards. 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. He explained that the initiative is designed to reduce network blind spots, boost economic activity in rural areas, and strengthen security surveillance where connectivity is currently weak.
While fibre expansion and tower deployment are already underway, 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 added, emphasizing the government’s commitment to improving nationwide communication infrastructure and supporting security operations.
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