By Eyo Nsima
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has stated that it is criminal and fraudulent to pre-register a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards in Nigeria.
The Head of Enforcement, NCC, Salisu Abdu, who led a joint enforcement exercise, which culminated in the arrest of five suspects allegedly engaging in fraudulently registering and selling Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards said pre-registering a SIM card is an offense punishable under relevant regulations in the telecom sector and constitutes a breach of national security.
Specifically, he said: “It is criminal and fraudulent to pre-register a SIM card in Nigeria and it is an offense punishable under the law.
“Though the Federal Government recently lifted the ban on sale of new SIM cards, it should be noted that proper registration of SIM cards and linking them to National Identity Number (NIN) before activation has now become a prerequisite.”
Abdu warned those who are engaged in the unlawful registration of SIM cards to desist from the illegal act, noting that the Commission will continue to collaborate with relevant law enforcement agencies in its routine enforcement activities in order to rid the industry of individuals, who have resolved to contravene SIM registration regulations.
He said the enforcement activities will continue in other locations across the FCT and other states of the country.
The hitch-free operation was carried out by a joint team from the Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Department of the Commission, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in the Wuse area of Abuja.
The arrested suspects were subsequently handed over to the NSCDC Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, Wuse, Abuja for further investigation with respect to the allegations leveled against them.
Commenting on the enforcement operation, NCC’s Head of Enforcement, Salisu Abdu, who led the joint enforcement exercise, said the exercise was part of the routine activities embarked upon by the Commission to rid the industry of criminal elements engaging in fraudulent registration of SIM cards.
