Unlinked SIMs remain barred from making outward calls – NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Sunday warned that Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards yet to be linked to National Identification Numbers (NINs) would remain barred by service providers until their owners take appropriate action.

The NCC Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

He said: “Affected SIMs will not be unbarred by the service providers until they are linked with the National Identification Numbers (NINs) of the SIM holders.

“For subscribers that have not registered for their NIN, what to do is to get their SIM registered at accredited centres across the country and then link the NIN with their SIM cards through channels provided by their service providers.

“Secondly, for subscribers with registered NINs, what to do is simply go and link the NIN with their SIMs through channels provided by their service providers.”

The commission also warned Nigerians against a fraudulent link being circulated on social media on the NIN linkage.

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“This information has become necessary in view of a viral weblink (https:///NCC-Sim-Unbar-Gov-Ng) being circulated on social media and on some websites. The link and accompanying narrative represent patent misinformation and disinformation certainly designed to mislead the general public about the SIM cards that are barred from making calls, due to non-linkage with NIN at the set deadline.

“The misleading, viral message mischievously displays the NCC logo and ostensibly promises members of the public that, by clicking the web link and following further instructions in that regard, subscribers with barred SIM cards can unbar such SIMs across mobile networks without a valid NIN.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the NCC wishes to state categorically that it never issued such a statement, directing subscribers or indicating that subscribers can unbar their SIM without a NIN. As such, the originators and peddlers of the spurious message were out to mischievously mislead unsuspecting members of the public. Therefore, their message should be disregarded,” the NCC spokesman added.

The Federal Government last week directed the mobile telecommunications companies in the country to bar outgoing calls not linked to NIN.

The NIN-SIM linkage exercise began in December 2020 and was extended several times to allow registration by Nigerians.

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