Pre-registered sim cards: NCC to prosecute agents

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has threatened to deal with any service provider SIM registration agent caught selling and using pre-registered SIM cards in the country.

While speaking during a regional sensitisation workshop in Gombe recently, the NCC’s Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement officer, Mr. Efosa Idehen who was represented by his Deputy, Mr. Salisu Abdu, emphasised that the essence of sim registration is to properly identify mobile telephone users.

Unfortunately, some agents of mobile network operators have been known to sell fully activated SIM cards with fraudulent details to customers.

Mr Idehen lamented that the act has made it difficult to investigate crimes being committed through the use of such SIM cards.

Measures taken by the NCC: According to Mr Sunday Dare, the NCC Executive Commissioner in charge of Stakeholder Management, the NCC has had several meetings and sensitization workshops with the different stakeholder groups across the industry in a bid to stop the fraudulent sale of pre-registered sim cards.

“Further to these directives, the Commission has carried out enforcement activities throughout the country. Registration Agents have been arrested, registration machines confiscated, huge caches of fully activated SIMs have been confiscated, suspects are being prosecuted, fines have been imposed. Sadly, however, despite these efforts, we still receive security reports of the existence of pre-registered SIM cards.”

Danger Looming: Improperly registered SIM cards are a threat to society because  such SIM cards make it easier for fraudsters to commit financial crimes and go scot free. This is because it makes it difficult for law enforcement agents to apprehend persons involved in such criminal activities.

Akpeji emphasized the negative impacts these SIM cards has on society therefore he assured that NCC will not relent in its efforts to curb this menace from our society.

About NCC: The Commission is the independent regulatory authority for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria. The NCC was created under Decree number 75 by the (Federal Military Government of Nigeria) on 24 November 1992.