The unlawful sale and use of pre -registered of SIM cards has continued and is now hobbling the efforts to get the true identities of mobile phone users in Nigeria .
The sale or use of pre -registered of SIM card carries a fine or jail term or both , according to the Nigerian Communications Commission ( NCC) .
For a telecom company , each pre -registered SIM card attracts a penalty of N200 ,000 and for a user an imprisonment.
Despite the fine and arrests of some sellers in some parts of the country , the sale and use of pre -registered of SIM cards is still widespread .
In effect , criminally - minded people are utilising other peoples ’ identities or fraudulent information to register and distribute SIM cards that are bought by innocent subscribers and criminally -minded ones for the purpose of committing fraud without being traced as the number they use do not bear their identities.
Prof . Umar Garba Danbatta , executive vice chairman , NCC, said that Nigerians must stop selling pre - registered SIM cards because it is an act of illegality that undermines national security.
According to the NCC, rather than patronise the criminals who peddle pre -registered SIM cards , the public should report them to law enforcement agencies as part of their responsibility , not only as subscribers but also as good citizens.
Elsewhere, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris , inspector general of police , described the sale and use of pre - registered SIM card as a severe threat to security sector and governance.
He said : “These criminal activities, including use of pre - registration subscriber identification module SIM cards should be of concern to all of us .
As a law enforcement officer , it is my belief that in addressing these challenges, we must re -strategise on our noble programme of community policing across communities and give our communities greater stake in securing national assets .
But industry experts insisted that there is a need for NCC and the Mobile Network operators to step up education on pre -registered SIM to the populace.
In addition to what the NCC has done , experts confirmed that it is time for both service providers and the regulator ( NCC) to collaborate and stop every person bent on derailing the registration process through the sale of pre - registered cards .
Chuks Arubalaeze , a telecom lawyer said that cards that have also been pre -registered by wrong persons also need to be identified and destroyed because when they fall into the wrong hands .
“The consequence could affect the process and have a devastating effect on National security” she added .
The sale of pre -registered SIM cards is unethical and fundamental crime.
The implications of the sale of pre -registered SIM cards cannot be over emphasized, as innocent citizens could be wrongfully implicated due to the indiscriminate use of the pre registered SIM cards arising from its sale to seasoned criminals and no good individuals , seeking to perpetuate one form of crime or the other.

https://www.nigerialog.com/metro/sale-use-of-pre-registered-sim-cards-booms-despite-fines-arrests/new/#new

I see them on busy streets/bus-stops and wonder what the authorities are doing about them

This is Nigeria, look how we living now, look how we living now... Everybody be criminal.

Nawa o.

There was a country.

Na naija we dey,people do the unthinkable to survive,its just to reduce crime,God help us
God bless the hustle of all honest fellas

Welcome to Nigeria.

Honestly, we are out of control.
We need hard reset from age 3 upwards.

This is Nigeria.

I don't even know the full meaning of SIM. But I know with a sim in a phone, you can chat. To learn how to chat with women like a bad boy, check my signature and download the free book.

Hmmmm. Naija which way

Melison:
Na naija we dey,people do the unthinkable to survive,its just to reduce crime,God help us
God bless the hustle of all honest fellas

The mindset that drives them to crime...survival at all cost

This is serious. Who buy these sims anyways.

All for carrying out criminal activities, I blame our government and the network providers for throwing out licenses to road side agents to do what they want and how they want it.

So person no fit make money for this country again...

Nawteemaxie:
This is Nigeria, look how we living now, look how we living now... Everybody be criminal.

This must be Latin English

All these things would be history when Baba is reelected..

All you need to do, is to click on disabled person option and screenshot any random person pics and boom, SIM don ready. no finger prints needed, fake address and that's all.

How much are these sins sold sef and where?

To get like too or tree pre registered sim cards just dey hungry me

All dt needs to be done is Educate the Citizens on how to know a pre-registered sim... and the Fangers

Please what is sim card ? And what did they use it for ? How did it look like ? please somebody should help me with the thank.

id4sho:
All you need to do, is to click on disabled person option and screenshot any random person pics and boom, SIM don ready. no finger prints needed, fake address and that's all.

id4sho:
All you need to do, is to click on disabled person option and screenshot any random person pics and boom, SIM don ready. no finger prints needed, fake address and that's all.

Is that possible?

Partnerbiz3:


Is that possible?

yeah, i witnessed it 2013 in JOS. if not disabled persons with amputated hands won't have phones . The law on disabled people will have no use

id4sho:
All you need to do, is to click on disabled person option and screenshot any random person pics and boom, SIM don ready. no finger prints needed, fake address and that's all.

Really.
I will get more sims

Not with the current versions of kYC apps. All required finger prints, photo and customer's info. must be correctly captured for the the KYC form to be accepted for submission and approval.

Now for the NCC, Telecom companies and the law enforcement agencies to be able to curb this issue appropriately, an agent with quality experience on SIM reg. has to be inducted from the street....I've got a very good reason for stating this but can't keep typing.

The problem of pre registered sim is most prevalent due to the fact that every stakeholder in the value chain exhibit one form of greed or the other, when i was still involved one of my dealer always complain that i do not make enough sales because he also needs to also make money from the commission i earn when i register a sim. when i started going to get the devices myself direct frm the network company the comision still involves alot of shody deals u dont even understand and with warnings that if u dnt a minimum amount or registration they will take their device from you. when i started buying the device myself though it is mine they are always very angry that i dont make as much registration as other who make outrageous amount of registration and they will never pay you a dime. Those outrageous amount of registration is what they actually want they dont care how you do it. there are alot of people who do ask me if i offer preregitered simcard if i tell them know, they will start making offers, if i still refuse they will at last present themselves to the process at the point of photo capturing they start acting funny, some will even beg for replacement just to avoid their faces appearing.
if i was greedy like the rest i wouldnt care about the any ethics of the business but myself and continue to jeopardize the fragile security of this country.
In my opinion i will advice that this business of sim reg should be handled by ncc itself, they shuold go out and conduct a random secret survey of those guys who do it on the street, select the trustworthy ones, provide a portable kiosk, good and easy device to work with with a reasonable comission arrangement and ask them to refer others people whom they know they can trust and also be their guarantor. It may take lots of time and efforts but its still the best thing do. The current handlers of this business iam afraid are just after money even if some of them are good and hardworking their greed always give them away cos i have seen one like that who work for an agency outsourced by a network company, he conducts regular checks, asks about their device and it challenges, your opinion and all that but if you tell him you havent registered just some few amount of sim within the week he will get angry and he will never pay you even if he promise to do so. i can go on and on and on. but the time wuld not permit.