Senator Ali Ndume has raised alarms, claiming that government authorities are monitoring his phone calls. The allegation comes as Nigeria faces worsening security challenges across the country.
Ndume made the claim during an appearance on Politics Today, a show on Channels Television, on Thursday. He said he had received repeated warnings urging him to be careful about what he says over the phone, suggesting that his communications were being deliberately tracked.
When asked directly if he believed he was under surveillance, Ndume confirmed that he was. Despite this, the Borno South lawmaker said the monitoring does not personally trouble him. His main concern is the growing insecurity in Nigeria.
Ndume questioned why security agencies, despite having surveillance capabilities, seem unable to track criminal groups effectively. He pointed to a troubling trend of bandits and terrorist organizations openly posting videos of their activities online, particularly on TikTok, as evidence of intelligence gaps.
“You can imagine the bandits, the terrorists in Nigeria have the audacity to be reporting their atrocities on TikTok and then dispersing,” he said.
The senator also expressed concern about the broader implications of surveillance, noting that if his phone can be monitored, similar tools could be used to track criminals and terrorists more effectively. “If you as a journalist can get information about me, what stops the security or intelligence agencies from knowing the whereabouts or activities of terrorists?” he asked.
When pressed again about his phone being monitored, Ndume stood firm: “Yes.”
He concluded by emphasizing that while the monitoring itself is not a major concern, the country’s worsening security situation is what truly worries him. “I don’t have a problem with that. The whole Nigeria is a country of concern now, but that’s not a big deal anyway,” he said.
