Cybersecurity experts have called for urgent reforms to Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure following revelations that the phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, may have been intercepted.
The controversy emerged after former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai disclosed during a televised interview that someone had accessed Ribadu’s calls and relayed their contents to him, highlighting what experts describe as a serious vulnerability in the country’s communications security.
A cybersecurity analyst, Toluwani Akinniyi, described the revelation as a wake-up call for Nigeria, warning that if the communications of the NSA can be intercepted, it raises questions about the safety of all high-level government communications and the integrity of the nation’s cybersecurity framework.
Akinniyi urged the government to conduct a comprehensive audit of telecommunications infrastructure to identify the weaknesses that allowed the breach, particularly systems used by top officials.
The expert emphasised the need for a forensic investigation to establish how the interception occurred, how extensive it was, and who was involved. He stressed that the Nigerian Computer Emergency Response Team, operating under the Office of the NSA, should lead this investigation to uncover whether the breach resulted from technical vulnerabilities, insider complicity, or the use of sophisticated surveillance tools.
“All officials handling sensitive national security matters should adopt robust encrypted communications, insisting that standard mobile phone calls are no longer sufficient for confidential government discussions,” he told The PUNCH.
He warned that the lack of encryption or the circumvention of secure channels leaves critical conversations exposed to both domestic and foreign actors, creating a direct national security risk.
Beyond immediate technical fixes, the expert called for stronger oversight of lawful interception powers, urging lawmakers to ensure that surveillance by government agencies is strictly regulated, conducted under judicial supervision, and subject to independent audit.
He argued that only through strict adherence to legal safeguards, combined with enhanced technological measures, can Nigeria prevent similar breaches in the future.
For Akinniyi, the El-Rufai wiretapping revelation is more than a political controversy; it is a critical reminder that the country must take cybersecurity seriously. Without immediate reforms, including infrastructure audits, mandatory encryption, forensic investigations, and legislative oversight, the communications of Nigeria’s most senior officials, and by extension, national security itself, remain dangerously vulnerable.
Leave a comment