NCC RAISES ALARM OVER RGISTRATION OF SIM CARDS WITH PICTURES OF ANIMALS

The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC)
on Wednesday said its investigation revealed
that SIM cards were registered with pictures of
goats, dogs and flowers.
Mr Efosa Idehen, NCC's Head of ...
Enforcement, disclosed this to newsmen
in Ilorin after an unscheduled visit to some telecommunication offices
in the state. Idehen, who led the team on the tour, said two agents
and a staff of three major telecommunication operators were
apprehended for allegedly selling pre-registered SIM to customers.
He said two agents of Glo and Airtel as well as a
staff of MTN were arrested over selling of pre-
registered SIM. The NCC official accused some
telecommunication operators in the country of
flouting the NCC directive banning sale of pre-
registered SIM.
"The commission would sanction them for N200,
000 for each pre-registered SIM card alongside
criminal charges against them," he said.
He also warned telecommunication operators to
desist from such actions, saying it was
jeopardising the security of the country. "They will be charged to
court while the commission will be there to defend its case till the
end," Idehen said. Idehen further said that the MTN staff wouldassist
the police to fish out the agent behind the registration of the SIM
cards. He advised residents to be careful when buying new SIM cards,
saying they may run foul
of the law. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that those
arrested were handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department of
the Kwara Police Command for further interrogation.