The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has arrested three suspected illegal SIM cards registration agents and seized seven SIM cards registration machines, belonging to them.
The arrest and seizure were made during the commission’s re-commencement of routine enforcement exercise carried out recently in some parts of Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including Gwarimpa, after GSM operators had failed to meet a deadline, which expired February 2, 2017.
The GSM mobile operators in the country had, since November 1, 2016, been directed to re-locate their registration centres or points to environments where the registration of SIM cards could be controlled and monitored, essentially for security reason by the relevant regulatory authorities or risk N5 million sanction.
The NCC Assistant Director of Enforcement, Mr. Salisu Abdu, while briefing reporters shortly after the exercise, gave reason for the enforcement, saying that it was embarked upon because the deadline expired about two weeks earlier. He added that the registration agents manning the registration centres were expected to provide clear identity of such centres or traceable permanent structures, for obvious security reason.
Speaking further, he re-iterated that areas or centres used by the agents had to be clearly delineated or earmarked for that purpose, and it must be a building with a logo of the operating GSM company.
Abdu stated, “This controlled environment means a permanent structure, a structure that can be traced, location that can be identified, and also the registration agents manning these centres are expected to have identity as well.
“Today, in view of the fact that the deadline had ended on February 2, the NCC team is going to ensure that no any agent is doing the registration outside the controlled environment. We went to Gwarimpa Gate and some other places around the place.
“All the three we have arrested today were doing the registration in a controlled environment, but they were doing that under umbrellas and in kiosks.
“As at the moment, we have arrested three violators and seven registration machines are impounded. So, further investigation will be conducted by the Nigeria Police, and I believe through that, we will be able to trace the dealers who have assigned the agents the responsibility.
Contradiction of the directive would attract N5million per day, and as long as you refuse to pay the N5million, you would be incurring additional N500, 000 each day.”
