Bandits Use Advanced Technology Beyond SIM Cards, Says Nigeria’s Communications Minister
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, , has revealed that criminal groups — including bandits involved in kidnappings — rely on advanced communication technologies that make them difficult to trace through traditional SIM card registration systems.
According to the minister, calls placed to victims’ families are often not routed through conventional mobile phone towers, contradicting widespread assumptions that such crimes are driven mainly by unregistered or improperly registered SIM cards.
Speaking on the relationship between digital regulation and national security, Tijani dismissed claims that large numbers of unregistered SIMs are still active despite the enforcement of Nigeria’s . He explained that telecom operators had carried out a comprehensive nationwide clean-up, removing all improperly registered lines from their networks.
Beyond Conventional Mobile Networks
Tijani explained that the communication methods used by criminal networks are far more complex than commonly believed.
“It’s more technical than that kind of communication,” he said. “They were using a special technology to make calls. They weren’t relying on normal towers — calls were bounced across multiple towers before reaching their destination.”
He added that this technical sophistication helps explain why bandits often operate in remote and poorly connected regions, where conventional network infrastructure is weak or entirely absent. The technologies employed, he noted, do not depend solely on Nigeria’s standard mobile tower framework.
The minister further disclosed that has approved increased investment in telecommunications infrastructure, particularly the deployment of additional towers in hard-to-reach and underserved areas. Security agencies had identified gaps in network coverage that criminals were exploiting to evade detection.
These new investments, he said, are aimed at reducing the operational advantage criminals gain by operating outside the reach of standard communication networks.
Tijani also revealed that the Federal Government is upgrading Nigeria’s existing communication satellites to improve surveillance capabilities and strengthen nationwide connectivity. According to him, satellite coverage will serve as a critical backup in areas where terrestrial communication towers are unavailable or compromised.
He stressed that combating technologically driven crime requires a coordinated approach involving digital infrastructure development, security intelligence, and innovation — rather than depending solely on SIM registration measures.