The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), says the ongoing implementation of the National Identity Number and SIM linkage policy in Nigeria has so far denied terrorists and bandits access to telecommunication services in the country.
The Director, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement NCC, Ephraim Nwokonanya, represented by Head Compliance, Monitoring, and Enforcement, NCC, Alkasim Umar, made this disclosure at the One-day Capacity Building for members of the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA), Abuja Chapter at the Commission Headquarters, Abuja on Thursday, April 28.
Umar who was speaking on the NIN-SIM linkage, Menace of Network Booster Devices, and other Compliance, Monitoring Enforcement issues of the Commission, stressed that there is appreciable progress in the NIN-SIM linkage policy meant o address rising cases of insurgency, kidnapping, and banditry in the country, adaeventsnews gathered.
READ ALSO: Man stabs his baby’s mother to death after she threw their dead child in the garbage
He explained that NIN-SIM implementation has been a potent tool in addressing the Nation’s insecurity challenges.
“Yes we are making progress. The only challenge we are faced with now is, If they kidnap you, I mean the bandits; they use your number to call. They will never use their phone lines, it is the kidnapped person’s phone number they use to call and switch it off immediately. They can keep you in a different place and make you somewhere else. If a phone is off, there is no way one can trace it. It’s a big challenge.
Even in the National Assembly, someone brought this up, to ban all kidnapper’s lines, some people objected, that if they use a personal number to make calls why can’t Federal Government block the terrorists/bandits’ phone numbers. Then someone rose up to say there will be more killings, this is because kidnappers are after victims’ money so there is no way it will curb the problem. But now there is progress because they are being denied SIM cards.” he stated
