Nigerian govt earmarks N4.8bn for tracking of WhatsApp, phones calls in 2021 supplementary budget

The Federal Government has set aside N4.87 billion for tracking of Whatsapp and telephone calls by security and intelligence agencies in the country.

Ripples Nigeria analysis of the 2021 supplementary budget obtained from the Budget Office on Tuesday revealed that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) would spend N2.93 billion on Thuraya interception solution- a device used to automatically detect and monitors voice, SMS, and Fax communication in real-time.

The government earmarked another N1.93 billion for WhatsApp interception solution.

Although it has not been ascertained if the devices will be deployed to track Nigerians since the NIA is an agency of government supervising foreign intelligence and counter-intelligence operations in the country.

The government’s move to track Whatsapp and telephone calls of Nigerians violates Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution which guarantees the citizens’ right to privacy.

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The section read: “The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations, and telegraphic communications is hereby guaranteed and protected.”

The federal government had in June suspended Twitter in Nigeria over the alleged use of the microblogging platform to undermine the country’s corporate existence.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that business owners in the country had lost N153.43 billion since the government banned Twitter operations more than two months ago.

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