Nigerian Govt: Bandits and Terrorists Use ‘Call-Hopping’ Tech to Evade Tracking

The Nigerian government has revealed that bandits and terrorists operating across the country are utilizing sophisticated technology, specifically call-hopping, to secure their communication and evade tracking by security agencies.

Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, disclosed this on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.

Minister Tijani explained that the criminals avoid using normal telecommunication infrastructure in connected areas. Instead, they leverage technology that allows them to remain in unserved or poorly connected areas and launch attacks, stating:

* Call-Hopping: The criminals “bounce their calls off multiple towers” across different locations. This rapid, multi-point routing makes it extremely difficult for security agencies to triangulate and track their precise location using standard network surveillance tools.

* Targeting Blackspots: They intentionally opt to operate from areas with limited or no telecommunication coverage, ensuring their signals disappear once they move, further complicating detection.

“They weren’t using normal towers. They bounced calls off multiple towers. That is why they enjoy staying in areas that are unconnected at all,” the Minister explained.

The Minister revealed that this discovery has informed a new government strategy focused on massively expanding and upgrading Nigeria’s communications infrastructure to eliminate the blackspots exploited by these criminal networks.

The strategy includes:

* Satellite Upgrade: Nigeria’s communication satellites are being upgraded to serve as a backup layer where ground-based towers fail. Tijani highlighted that Nigeria is the only country in West Africa with communication satellites and is actively investing in new ones to upgrade their capabilities.

* Infrastructure Expansion: The Federal Government plans to deploy approximately 4,000 new telecom towers across rural and underserved communities, a project approved by the Federal Executive Council. This expansion, executed in collaboration with companies like Huawei, aims to reduce coverage blackspots, stimulate commerce, and enhance security surveillance.

The deployment of a layered satellite architecture, which includes the recent approval for launching new high-resolution satellites, is key to providing real-time intelligence and secure communication for military operations, even when terrestrial links are compromised.