The Subscriber Identity Module registration exercise initiated by the Nigerian Communications Commission in 2011 has been hijacked by fake agents who also demand money from innocent subscribers before getting them ‘register’, National Mirror gathered yesterday.

It was learnt that following the indefinite extension of the registration of existing telecoms subscribers and the continuous registration of new SIMs, some agents registering subscribers have started taking advantage of the public by charging subscribers minimum of N100 per SIM card.

Further findings also revealed that some accredited SIM registration agents working for a particular telecoms firm disguise to register for all networks.

Explaining the new antics of the SIM registration agents to make illegal money, one of the victims explained: “I went to Iyana Ipaja Bridge in Lagos to register a SIM card for my daughter.

I had tried some other agents around who told me they only register for other networks and not Glo.

Later, I came across another agent, who told me he registers all networks. “The agent claimed that they now charge N100 for SIM registration.

Though, I didn’t want to offer money because I know personally that the SIM registration is free, but because I was in a hurry, I asked him to register it and that I would pay him the money.

“But I became suspicious as he was punching the keyboard and I had to move round to his side to see what he was typing, only then did I realise that what he had on his system was Airtel software for registration and not Glo.

That was how I got his ploy and challenged him, collected back my SIM and left.”

Another subscriber, Mr. Olawunyi Olayinka, a resident of Ojodu area of Lagos State, also disclosed a similar experience to National Mirror.

According to Olayinka, some SIM registration agents now indulge in wanton extortion from unsuspecting subscribers.

“They will tell you the operators have asked them to be charging telecoms subscribers for the registration and since there is nowhere to confirm their claim, many people would just give the money to the agent, especially when the individual who want his or her SIM card registered is in a haste to continue with their daily business routines.”

President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, who decried the development also called for a re-accreditation and reorientation of the SIM registration agents by their principals, the telecoms firms, while also urging the Nigerian Communications Commission, telecoms industry regulator, to design measures for dealing with such fake agents.

“There is a need for concerted efforts so that at the end of the day, some unscrupulous elements would not make a ruse of the exercise because of their selfish interests.

Measure should be taken to sift the wheat from the shafts and for the operators and the regulator to begin public awareness to let the public be aware and report cases of any agent demanding money for the registration,” he said.

Ogunbanjo said the latest development, if not checked, was capable of rendering the eventual database a ruse.

However, the President of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, Mr. Lanre Ajayi, has absolved telecoms companies of the illegal act by some SIM registration agents.

“As we all know, no operator is collecting any money for the SIM registration exercise, In fact, the operators have spent more money than you can ever imagined in driving the process through various freebies given in promos to ensure that subscribers participate in the free exercise.

Those who are charging should be dealt with because the exercise is free,” he said.

NCC Spokesman, Mr. Reuben Muoka, also insisted that the commission had all along been vigilant of activities of some unscrupulous elements capable of discrediting the credibility of the exercise, noting that NCC would spare no efforts to bring the culprits to book.

According to him, “The registration is free and we want Nigerians to be aware of this.

NCC and the operators are not asking the agents to collect any charges from the subscribers before they register them.”

While asking members of the public not to pay any money to the registration agents, when such money is demanded, he stressed that the “SIM registration exercise is free.”

http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/fake-sim-registration-agents-on-the-prowl/

yh datz tru, even at berger, dey charGe N100, t0 register...dey r xt0rt!ng m0neY 4rm cust0meRs.

That should be attended to before people are being mislead.

Wow 3rd to comment can that affect price of garri for market

Meaning

I Pledge to nigeria my country to be unfaithful,disloyal and dishonest,to serve nigeria is not by force,to defend our disunity,and uphold our dishonour and unglory so help me God

Fourth to comment! Still hopeful :-)

Hi.. I am new to dis forum.. I want to comment but i dnt knw wat 2 write... Pls wat should i do

Fifth to comment.. Hehehehe Dancing Azonto and cramping my bottle of Alomo

faporori24: Wow 3rd to comment can that affect price of garri for market

you are silly guy. Are you a kid?

symbian03: Fourth to comment! Still hopeful :-)

mumu of the year

Sholly 121: mumu of the year

Your Fada!

iamswizz: Hi.. I am new to dis forum.. I want to comment but i dnt knw wat 2 write... Pls wat should i do

Go hug Transformer now nairaland mumu..... or call OBJ idiot

sydneyobioha: Fifth to comment.. Hehehehe Dancing Azonto and cramping my bottle of Alomo

nkita/aja

sydneyobioha: Fifth to comment.. Hehehehe Dancing Azonto and cramping my bottle of Alomo

you be nkita/aja/dog

Sholly 121: you are silly guy. Are you a kid?

se this aboki calling me a kid are you out of your senses ghraaa

Well, that amounts to nothing compare to what Farouk Lawan and his gangs are doing to this country.

they have the chance to pull this, due to the poor organizational structure and shabby policies of the nigerian communication commission. The NCC is supposed to have offices in the 36 states with field officers who monitor the operations of both mobile network providers and internet service providers. Also the sales and registration of sim cards should be more coordinated and done only in designated points and n6t hawking it around like pure water.

symbian03:


Your Fada!

Bleep you and your motherfucker mama

faporori24:

se this aboki calling me a kid are you out of your senses ghraaa

Free am, no be hin fault. Free 10mb wey Airtel give am go soon finish. knucklehead

faporori24:

se this aboki calling me a kid are you out of your senses ghraaa

your fada

Sholly 121: Bleep you and your motherfucker mama

Thanks to Nairaland bot. Obviously the bot is wiser than you! Numskull

Sholly 121: your fada

So that Free 10mb wey Airtel give you never finished omo see what Airtel promo dey do why you give this guy free more MB now pls send this guy message now abi you dey do Airtel hacking ni LMAO

symbian03:


Free am, no be hin fault. Free 10mb wey Airtel give am go soon finish. knucklehead

i tot you guys are old enough to post reasonable things rather than 2nd to comment, 4th to comment bla bla bla. Bunch of fools

Some peeps...always finding the eazy way out to dupe unsuspecting public under the disguise of doing govt work.it is good they ve been found out.

Sholly 121: i tot you guys are old enough to post reasonable things rather than 2nd to comment, 4th to comment bla bla bla. Bunch of fools

See this Uncle Boko dey call someone else fool can you spell your name self bunch of ABOKIS with low life interesting.

Sholly 121: i tot you guys are old enough to post reasonable things rather than 2nd to comment, 4th to comment bla bla bla. Bunch of fools

lol... Odenson.

I remember I did register one with fake identity - hahaa

aaaaah i tank GOD ,i almst gave a guy dat claims is registerin sim 4 100naira bt i was down dat day i didnt av anytin on me or else i would av giving him because i did nt suspect anytin .....naija .....oga ooo ..dis subsidy boys ehn..

faporori24:

See this Uncle Boko dey call someone else fool can you spell your name self bunch of ABOKIS with low life. interesting.

it's like your generation is suffering from hydrocephalus. Oponu

iamswizz: Hi.. I am new to dis forum.. I want to comment but i dnt knw wat 2 write...

I will buy you a very hungry leopard.

...And thereafter starts selling people's mobile numbers to telephone marketers on bulk SMS.