Suspend sale of new SIM cards now – NCC tells Telecom operators

Nigerian communications commission has directed Telecommunication companies in the country to suspend the sales and reactivation of new SIM cards.

The Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, in a statement released on Wednesday said the directive became necessary against the background of the “preponderance of pre-registered SIMs with the attendant security implications associated with the use of same to facilitate criminal activities”.

The statement revealed that the commission has written a letter to telecommunication companies on Monday, December 7.

The commission said it is going embarking on an audit of the subscriber registration database.

“In accordance with the federal government directive to consolidate the achievement of the SIM card registration exercise and verify compliance, the commission is embarking on an audit of the subscriber registration database to ensure compliance to set quality standards and requirements,” the letter signed by A.I. Sholanke, NCC director for projects, read.

“Accordingly, you are hereby directed to suspend the sale and activation of new SIM cards on your network until the audit exercise is completed.

“However, when it is absolutely necessary, an exemption may be granted following approval from the federal government through the Nigerian Communications Commission.

“Please note that failure to comply with this directive will be met with strict sanctions, including the possibility of withdrawal of operating license.”