Date: 2017-02-16

It is now illegal for telecom operators or their representatives to do registration of SIM cards in an open or ''uncontrolled environment'', an official has said.

The Head of Enforcement Unit at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Salisu Abdu disclosed this Wednesday while speaking with journalists after three persons found registering SIM cards in open places were arrested in Abuja.

Abdu said the government through the commission had issued a directive to all telecom operators since November to stop their agents from registering SIM cards under umbrellas and in kiosks effective from February 1, 2017.

SIM registration should only be done in a controlled environment- a permanent building with logos and structures of the operators in place – with identities of the agents doing the registration, Abdu told journalists.

" We came up with this so we will be able to trace where SIM cards are registered to stem the tide of rising crimes, especially kidnapping and militancy", the NCC official said.

It has been confirmed that the indiscriminate registration of SIM is aiding criminal, according to Abdu.

He said N5million would be slammed on any dealer or operator who flouts the directive.