NCC Officials Arrest SIM Card Racketeers In Ibadan

The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) on Tuesday in Ibadan arrested four persons for allegedly selling pre-registered SIM cards to residents.

Parading the suspects, Mr Efosa Idehen, the Head of Enforcement Unit of the NCC, said it was criminal for anyone to sell or buy an already registered SIM card.

Idehen said it was the responsibility of any potential subscriber of a network provider to register the SIM card before activation.

He explained that SIM card registration in the country was backed by law, adding that possession of unregistered SIM card was also illegal.

Idehen warned members of the public to be vigilant when they chose to buy a SIM card to avoid buying a pre-registered SIM card.

The NCC official, who said the commission was in Ibadan to enforce the legality of SIM card registration and discourage registration by proxy, added that using a SIM card already registered by unknown persons was dangerous.

Idehen said if the card was used to commit a crime, a wrong person would suffer the penalty for such crime.

He said the four suspects were arrested when he offered to buy reregistered SIM cards from them at prices which ranged between N500 and N700 as opposed to the normal card sold for N100.

Idehen, who declared that the Ibadan arrest was the beginning of a nationwide enforcement exercise launched by the NCC, said those arrested would be charged to court soon.

He said all the South West states would be combed to discourage the hoodlums in the business.

Speaking to newsmen at the NCC office, the four suspects admitted selling pre-registered SIM cards, claiming ignorance of any law against the act.