Senator Ali Ndume says Nigeria does not have the satellite capability required to track terrorists or conduct real-time surveillance, despite owning five satellites only two of which are functional, and with limited capacity.
Speaking on Christmas TV on Thursday, the Borno South lawmaker questioned the country’s intelligence infrastructure, citing the unresolved case of a missing military General as evidence of weak national tracking ability.
“If the country’s satellites were capable, why are we not able to trace the General that is missing in action? It is because they don’t have an adequate tracking system,” he said.
Ndume warned that Nigeria is battling technologically driven warfare but is still relying on outdated tools.
“This is warfare… We need technology and intelligence,” he said, describing it as “shameful” that fewer than 5,000 insurgents continue to terrorise a nation of over 200 million people.
While noting that the Tinubu administration appears more responsive, he insisted that current efforts remain insufficient.
“The major problems are known training, equipment, ammunition and motivation,” he said.
The senator explained that real-time surveillance requires multiple satellites in orbit, something Nigeria lacks.
“If you want real-time, you need more satellites in outer space,” he said, adding that during the Chibok girls’ abduction, the U.S. was able to provide intelligence because it had satellite coverage over Nigeria.
Ndume said the country currently relies on UAVs and a limited number of attack helicopters, which he described as inadequate without satellite support.
He urged the Federal Government to partner with technologically advanced nations to expand satellite capacity and improve intelligence gathering.
Ndume also commended President Bola Tinubu for ordering the withdrawal of police personnel from VIP duties, saying redeploying them would strengthen security nationwide. But he warned that manpower alone will not solve the problem:
“The government must equip them adequately and ensure their wages are encouraging for them to be motivated,” he said.
