RismadarVoice Reporters, June 3, 2026
As insecurity continues to threaten lives, businesses, schools and communities across Nigeria, telecommunications experts have called for the strategic deployment of telecom intelligence to combat kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.
The call comes amid growing concern over the abduction of dozens of students and teachers in Oyo State, who remain in captivity more than two weeks after being kidnapped by armed assailants.
Speaking on the role of technology in addressing security challenges, telecommunications expert, Samson Ukpolo urged the Federal Government, security agencies and telecom operators to deepen collaboration and make greater use of communication infrastructure in tracking criminal networks.
According to him, criminals increasingly rely on mobile phones and digital communication to coordinate attacks, negotiate ransoms, gather intelligence and maintain contact with collaborators.
“Nigeria cannot continue to fight a modern security problem with outdated tools,” Ukpolo said, stressing that telecom infrastructure should be treated as a national security asset rather than merely a commercial service.
He noted that communication footprints such as call records, SIM registration data, device identities, mobile money trails and location information can provide valuable intelligence for investigators when used within legal frameworks.
Ukpolo argued that ransom calls, often viewed only as demands for payment, should be treated as intelligence opportunities capable of exposing criminal networks.
“A ransom call is not just a phone call; it is an intelligence opportunity,” he said.
The telecom expert proposed the establishment of a National Telecom-Security Intelligence Fusion Centre to enable real-time collaboration among the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, military intelligence, Nigerian Communications Commission and telecom operators on verified criminal cases.
According to him, such a platform would improve response times in kidnapping investigations and facilitate lawful access to critical communication data during emergencies.
While advocating stronger use of telecom intelligence, Ukpolo cautioned against abuse of citizens’ privacy and emphasised the need for judicial oversight, proper authorisation and accountability mechanisms.
“What I am advocating is not uncontrolled spying on Nigerians. I am talking about targeted, lawful, intelligence-led use of telecom resources to fight violent criminals,” he said.
He also called for stronger enforcement against illegal SIM registration, identity manipulation and the sale of improperly registered SIM cards, warning that weak registration systems undermine security efforts.
Ukpolo further urged the government to expand telecom coverage in rural and high-risk areas, noting that poor network connectivity often hampers emergency reporting and intelligence gathering in communities vulnerable to attacks.
He stressed that telecom intelligence should complement, rather than replace, traditional policing and community-based intelligence gathering.
According to him, combining digital evidence with information from local communities can significantly improve the effectiveness of security operations.
Officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission and telecom operators, who spoke anonymously, maintained that the industry has consistently provided relevant information requested by security agencies and suggested that the challenge lies more in the effective utilisation of available intelligence.
Ukpolo concluded that Nigeria already possesses the technological tools needed to strengthen its security architecture but requires greater coordination, professionalism and political will to maximise their impact.
He maintained that a technology-driven and intelligence-led approach could help security agencies rescue victims faster, expose criminal collaborators and disrupt organised criminal networks across the country.
