Nigerians To Submit Phones Tracking ID Numbers To Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) From July.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that from July 2021, it will begin collecting the International Mobile Equipment Identity of Mobile Phones stressing that the decision is in accordance with the Commission's revised National Identity Policy for the registration of all SIM cards.
An IMEI number is the mobile phone’s fingerprint. It is a 15-digit number unique to each phone. With the IMEI number, a phone can be tracked and located irrespective of the cellular number in it.
The policy in part states ;
“ Accordingly, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has directed that the Device Management System should be implemented within three months.”
“ With the aim to curtail the counterfeit mobile phone market, discourage mobile phone theft, enhance National Security, protect consumer interest, increase revenue generation for the government, reduce the rate of kidnapping, mitigate the use of stolen phones for crime, and facilitate blocking or tracing of stolen mobile phones and other smart devices, one of the means to achieve this is through the deployment of Device Management System.
“ The implementation of a Centralised Equipment Identity Register otherwise known as Device Management System will serve as a repository for keeping records of all registered mobile phones’ International Mobile Equipment Identity and owners of such devices.
“ IMEIs that have been reported as either stolen or illegal will be shared through the DMS to all the operators and service providers.”
President Muhammadu Buhari fully supported the initiative implement the Device Management System (a centralized Equipment Identity Register).
According to report by Punch, an expert who is reported to help the Nigerian Police in tracking of stolen phones said,
" The IMEI of a Phone allows us to track the phone's information, people the phone calls each day and house address of the people that call on the phone."
He further stressed that he would not be able to give further details on how IMEI works due to the sensitivity of such information and in order to avoid giving details to thieves which may further aid their activities.
" Some people already try to change. The IMEI of stolen phones but we know what to do to get th original one," he added.
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