Nigerians with prepaid SIM cards have been warned to ignore a website that promises to unlock phones barred from making calls for not being linked to the user’s national identification number (NIN).
The statement, by telecoms regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), comes after the government asked telcos to enforce a policy barring such SIMs in early April to help boost security and protect people from the threat of cyber fraudsters.
A viral web link (https://bit. ly/NCC-Sim-Unbar-Gov-Ng) circulated on social media and some websites that displays the NCC logo promises members of the public that they can unblock these SIMs by clicking through and following further instructions.
“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,” stated the NCC.
“As such, the originators and peddlers of the spurious message were out to mischievously mislead unsuspecting members of the public.”
The NCC is co-driving the NIN- SIM linkage process with Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as directed by the government.
“The Commission will not, under any circumstance, act contrary to federal government’s directive to MNOs to bar SIM cards not linked to NINs at the expiration of the last deadline given for the NIN-SIM linkage exercise,” said the NCC.
The regulator added: “Having disclaimed the false viral message, the Commission wishes to officially inform affected telecom subscribers on how they can get their SIMs actively connected to make calls”.
Subscribers who have not registered for their ID number can get their SIM registered at accredited centres and then link their NIN to it through channels offered by their service provider.
