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Bandits Bounce Calls Multiple Towers to Evade Tracking, Says Tinubu’s Minister
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has disclosed that armed bandits operating across the country use advanced communication techniques that make it difficult for security agencies to track their calls and locations.
Ejes Gist News reports that the minister said intelligence findings showed that criminals do not rely on conventional telecommunications infrastructure when coordinating activities, contrary to widespread assumptions among the public.
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How Bandits Bounce Calls Multiple Towers
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Tijani explained that bandits deliberately route their phone calls through multiple telecom towers, a process that disrupts location tracing and weakens surveillance efforts.
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According to him, the technique creates misleading location signals, preventing security agencies from pinpointing the true origin of calls used for planning attacks, kidnappings, and other criminal operations.
“They were not using the normal towers; they bounce calls off multiple towers,” the minister said, describing the method as highly technical and designed to evade interception.
Why Poorly Connected Areas Are Targeted
Tijani said the call-bouncing tactic explains why bandits prefer operating in remote and poorly connected locations.
He noted that areas with weak telecom coverage allow criminals to exploit gaps in surveillance while using alternative technologies to communicate without detection.
The minister added that intelligence assessments revealed a direct link between insecurity hotspots and regions with limited telecommunications infrastructure.
Tinubu Approved Tower Expansion After Security Briefings
The minister disclosed that President Bola Tinubu approved the expansion of telecom towers in underserved areas after security agencies presented evidence that criminals were exploiting coverage gaps.
According to Tijani, the investment in towers is not only an economic decision but also a core national security strategy aimed at improving intelligence gathering.
“The reason the president pushed us to invest in towers in those areas is that we realised there was a special kind of technology they were using to communicate,” he said.
Satellite Upgrade to Strengthen Surveillance
Beyond ground infrastructure, Tijani said the federal government is upgrading Nigeria’s satellite systems to improve monitoring capabilities in regions where terrestrial towers are ineffective.
He explained that satellite technology would serve as a backup platform for surveillance and intelligence collection when network coverage on the ground fails.
“If our towers are not working, our satellites will work,” the minister stated.
Nigeria’s Telecom Infrastructure Compared Globally
Highlighting the scale of Nigeria’s infrastructure gap, Tijani compared the country’s telecom capacity with that of China.
He said China operates more than four million 5G towers nationwide, while Nigeria has approximately 40,000 towers across the entire country.
The minister stressed that the disparity shows the level of sustained investment required to support both national security and digital economic growth.
Rising Insecurity Across Several States
The minister’s comments come amid renewed security concerns across the country, particularly in northern states affected by banditry and mass abductions.
In recent weeks, schoolchildren were abducted in parts of Niger and Kebbi states, while attacks were reported on religious institutions in Kogi and Kwara states.
The spate of kidnappings and killings has heightened public concern and drawn attention to the need for stronger security coordination.
Labour Protest Announced Over Insecurity
The worsening security situation has also triggered a response from organised labour.
.The Nigeria Labour Congress announced plans for a nationwide protest scheduled for December 17, citing growing insecurity and threats to citizens’ safety.
Related Reports by National Dailies
The minister’s disclosure has also been reported by other national newspapers, including Punch and Vanguard, which separately detailed how bandits exploit weak network coverage and bounce calls across multiple towers to evade surveillance.
- Bandits exploit poor network, bounce calls off multiple towers – Minister (Punch)
https://punchng.com/bandits-exploit-poor-network-bounce-calls-off-multiple-towers-minister/ - Bandits use technology that bounces calls across multiple towers – Bosun Tijani (Vanguard)
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/12/bandits-use-technology-that-bounces-calls-across-multiple-towers-bosun-tijani/amp/
