INSECURITY: Nigerian govt places limit on number of SIM Cards an individual can register

The Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari has issued a directive on the maximum numbers of personal SIM Cards a single individual could register.

The fresh directive which states that the limited the maximum numbers of SIM Cards a single individual could register as his or hers is three, was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.

According to Pantami, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been ordered to carry out the directive and has also been advised to revise the Policy on SIM Card registration and usage by blocking all the loopholes in the current policy in a bid to curb kidnapping and banditry.

The updated policy, according to Pantami, is expected to ensure that the National Identity Number (NIN) becomes a prerequisite for Nigerians registering new SIM cards.

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Other directives from the minister to NCC include: ‘’Ensure that subscribers can easily check the number of SIM cards registered to their name, along with the associated phone numbers and networks.

“Ensure that mobile network operators fortify their networks against cyber-attacks and ensure that they adhere to the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).

“Ensure that SIM cards that have been used to perpetrate crimes are permanently deactivated.’’

Pantami also ordered the NCC to provide him with progress reports on the implementation of the revised Policy.

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