Date: 2018-12-02

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Kwara has arrested five suspects for allegedly hawking SIM cards and registering patrons without being accredited to do so.

The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Mr Adeyinka Fasiu, told newsmen on Saturday in Ilorin that the suspects were arrested within Ilorin metropolis while selling the cards.

Fasiu said that the suspects were arrested by NSCDC surveillance team during a routine patrol.

He said that two of the suspects confessed to the crime, saying that they were new in the business.

"The suspects led our officers to their alleged leader who they claimed supplied them the SIM cards,’’ he said.

The commandant said illegal sale of SIM cards had become a popular trade, adding that many had been using the cards to carry out criminal activities.

He also said that the command signed a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU ) with the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to halt usage of such cards.

"Their (NCC) enforcement team in Abuja came to me and requested for us to work together to reduce usage of such SIM cards and sale by road side hawkers.

"We had an agreement and since then, we have been working together to put a stop to the act, " he said.

Adeyinka advised residents to refrain from buying unregistered and registered SIM cards from road side hawkers.

He advised them to always visit accredited shops for the purchase of the cards to ensure their biometrics details were captured.