By Bashir Mohammed
Kano
The Enforcement Unit of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has arrested six suspects for selling registered sim cards in Kano metropolis.
The NCC Head of Enforcement Unit, Mr Salisu Abdu, disclosed this while
briefing journalists shortly after arresting the suspects yesterday, said they were apprehended during a raid at the Farm Centre GSM market and Yankura area near Sabon Gari market after conducting a surveillance on the area. he said: “Before the arrest was effected, we purchased registered sim card from each of the suspects,” noting that the commission would continue to crack down on perpetrators of the illegal act as it was a criminal offence to sell registered sim.
“It is a criminal offence to sell registered sim cards to members of the public or to register new sim cards by proxy. The commission had in 2011 issued a directive that nobody should register new sim cards by proxy.”
Speaking further, Abdu said the suspects had since been handed over to police for further investigation pointing out that anybody found guilty of offence would be prosecuted so as to serve as a deterrent to others.
He noted that most of the kidnapping and other related cases could be linked to people patronising registered sim cards which do not bear the names of their original owners.
Abdu, who, restated the commitment of the commission toward sanitising the system, said the commission had carried on similar raid in Minna and Abuja.
