SIM–NIN linkage not enough to stop kidnappers, FG concedes

The Federal Government has admitted that security agencies are grappling with serious technical limitations in tracking SIM cards allegedly used by kidnappers and other criminal networks, despite years of mandatory SIM registration and the linkage of phone lines to the National Identification Number (NIN).

The disclosure was made on Friday by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, while explaining government efforts to leverage the telecommunications sector in addressing Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.

Tijani said the difficulty in tracking criminal communications is “far more technical” than many Nigerians assume, noting that criminal networks have evolved and now deploy advanced communication techniques that often exploit gaps in network coverage.

The telecoms sector has remained under intense public scrutiny since 2020, when the Federal Government enforced compulsory NIN–SIM linkage to curb fraud, anonymous communications and crimes linked to unregistered phone lines.

However, the minister acknowledged that kidnappings and ransom negotiations are still frequently conducted using SIM cards that are either difficult to trace or completely evade detection.

According to him, telecom operators had earlier carried out an extensive exercise to eliminate unregistered SIM cards, but subsequent investigations revealed that criminals had adapted by deploying specialised technologies to bypass conventional tracking systems.

“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 realised there was a special type of technology criminals were using to make calls,” Tijani said.

He explained that many criminal groups no longer depend on standard telecom towers, instead routing calls through multiple towers, a tactic that works best in remote, underserved and poorly connected locations.

“They were not using the normal towers; they bounce calls off multiple towers. That’s why they enjoy living in areas that are unconnected,” he added.

To close the connectivity gaps that enable criminal operations, the minister said the government is pursuing a multi-layered strategy involving fibre-optic expansion, large-scale tower deployment and satellite upgrades, particularly in rural areas.

Tijani disclosed that Nigeria is currently the only country in West Africa operating its own communications satellites, a capability the government plans to enhance to improve security surveillance.

“This is why we are upgrading our two satellites, so that if our towers are not working, our satellites will work,” he said.

He also confirmed that the Federal Executive Council has approved the deployment of 4,000 new telecom towers in underserved rural communities, many of which have become hideouts for kidnappers and illegal SIM operators.

The project, he said, will be executed 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.

According to him, the initiative will significantly reduce network blind spots, boost economic activity in rural areas and enhance security monitoring in regions currently beyond effective telecom coverage.

While fibre expansion and tower deployment are already underway, the minister noted that satellite upgrades would take longer to complete, describing them as the final phase of the government’s broader connectivity and security strategy.

“That one will take longer than the other two. The other two are well in progress,” he said.

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