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Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has asked the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to explore ways of linking Subscriber Identification Number (SIM) cards, National Identification Card (ID card) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) together as a means of checkmating criminals.
A report made by the NCC revealed that some phone users have up to 57 registered SIM cards on the networks. Once all these cards can be linked to the users’ National IDs and BVNs, it becomes easier for law enforcement agents to keep track of criminals using SIMs to commit crimes and other untoward activities, said Pantami who has been in the forefront of cleaning up the country’s phone data base since assuming office last year.
“The commission should try to see how our SIM card registration will be linked up to our national identification card. We cannot allow criminals to continue to use telecom networks to perpetrate crimes. Many lives will be lost if we do not do this. Let us ensure our country is protected and ensure that our platform is not use to commit crimes. We do hope you will hit the ground running,” Pantami told his audience during the inauguration of the Governing Board of the NCC with Mr. Adeolu Akande as chairman and Mr Uche Onwude, as non-executive commissioner.
Pantami had, last September, ordered the telecoms regulator to ask telecommunications companies to audit their SIM registration to determine the actual status of about 9.4 million SIM cards that were improperly registered.
The minister had requested the audit as one of the initial steps to track down SIM cards used by kidnappers and other bandits across the country. The results were outstanding, according to Pantami.
“After that, the President has directed me and the security agencies to consolidate on that achievement. Part of what you must address is to ensure that Nigerians do not have difficulties in SIM registration.
“In the document, we said a person can own three SIM cards. Look at it and find out if the number should be retained or increased,” he added.
Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, assured the minister of support to ensure that the diverse data are synched in a way that would help the country address the challenge of criminals using communication terminals for crimes.
