Federal government on Friday acknowledged that it faces significant technical obstacles in tracing the SIM cards used by kidnappers, conceding that criminal groups have circumvented the mandatory National Identification Number (NIN) linkage policy.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, revealed the challenge on national television, explaining that the issue is not simply a matter of poor data but rather the criminals’ sophisticated use of technology in areas with weak connectivity.
“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,” Minister Tijani said.
He clarified that criminal operations exploit network blackspots in remote areas to their advantage. “They were not using the normal towers; they bounce calls off multiple towers. That’s why they enjoy living in areas that are unconnected,” the Minister added, emphasizing that tracking the SIMs is “far more technical” than widely perceived.
The compulsory NIN-SIM linkage, enforced since 2020, was intended to end anonymous communication and aid in crime fighting. However, the Minister’s comments confirm growing public concerns that the policy has not been effective in curbing kidnapping and ransom demands.
To counter the “connectivity vulnerabilities,” the government has approved a multi-faceted infrastructure plan. This includes the deployment of 4,000 new telecom towers in underserved rural areas, a project to be executed with Chinese technology firm Huawei.
Minister Tijani also noted Nigeria’s strategic reliance on space technology, saying, “This is why we are upgrading our two satellites, so that if our towers are not working, our satellites will work.” He described the satellite upgrades, alongside fibre expansion and tower deployment, as part of a broader strategy to enhance security surveillance and boost rural commerce.
