The Federal Government has revealed that bandits and terrorists operating in Nigeria rely on advanced communication technology to avoid detection by security agencies.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed that criminal groups use sophisticated call-hopping technology to conceal their communication.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, the minister explained that the criminals route their calls through multiple cell towers, making it extremely difficult to trace their locations.
According to him, the bandits deliberately operate in areas without telecommunications coverage to further evade surveillance.
“There was a special type of technology they used to make calls. They were not using regular communication towers.
“They bounced their calls across several towers, which is why they prefer staying in places with no network coverage at all,” he said.
Tijani noted that the technology allows their communication signals to disappear once they move from one location to another, enabling them to launch attacks from areas that are either unserved or poorly connected.
He also revealed that Nigeria is upgrading its communication satellites to provide backup coverage whenever ground-based towers fail.
“If our towers are not working, our satellites will take over. Nigeria is currently the only country in West Africa with communication satellites, and we are introducing new ones to enhance their capabilities,” he stated.
