OYO (On your own) is our state of Affair.

Seems the government just act without thinking in this part of the world....

slawormiir:
Damnnn niggarrrr ....
Isoright....good question bros op.....let me seek for knowledge
grab my Hennessey and my weed while i seek for knowledge on this topic
A real niggar should always smoke some weed, bang enough pussy, drink some bottles, make some dope money and SEEK FOR KNOWLEDGE anyday anytime twice on Monday especially on topic like this that is almost beyond his comprehension
Am going to put on my intellectual cap while blazing my weed as i perused and read between lines on every comment on this topic

Low quality weed. That shit no go get heat again.

BluntNigerian:
In the case of criminal cases, or any court cases that happened to involve the Recycled SIM, (Since the Network-Providers had supposedly wiped out the information of the previous owner of the SIM from their own database, and they didn't keep any backup information about the previous owner), it then means that the new owner is in for a troublem he knows absolutely nothing about.
...
What can the NCC and the TELCOS do about that??

How do you mean?

It depends on the circumstances of the case.

The network providers should always notify the authority when they want to recycle num, keep the records of previous owners and let them know the num is being assigned to another person, everything should be on record

Kingv:
I think Telcos need to improvise and scrap this method of recycling. There is no way to avoid the consequences attached if not to entirely stop recycling

Aside: some citing NIN to be the solution, so none Nigerians can’t have a Nigerian SIM card?

Non Nigerians can either registyer using their Immigration registration details or they can do international roaming with their domestic cell providers.(something which glo and MTN and others offer their Nigerian consumers abroad )

Pierocash:
Sometimes,this recycled numbers still have the details and profile of the previous owner. If you put them on truecaller,you will see names that you aren't familiar with popping up,meanwhile you own the sim card.

True caller has it's flaws. Anyone relying on it is at his own risk

Claudiusdeux:


Non Nigerians can either registyer using their Immigration registration details or they can do international roaming with their domestic cell providers.(something which glo and MTN and others offer their Nigerian consumers abroad )

Non Citizens can register for NIN if you have stayed 2 years or have a residency/ work permit

Kingv:
I think Telcos need to improvise and scrap this method of recycling. There is no way to avoid the consequences attached if not to entirely stop recycling

Aside: some citing NIN to be the solution, so none Nigerians can’t have a Nigerian SIM card?

Non Citizens can register for NIN if you have stayed 2 years or have a residency/ work permit

Exc2000:

Non Citizens can register for NIN if you have stayed 2 years or have a residency/ work permit

Thanks a big lot for the information, did not know that.

Kingv:
I think Telcos need to improvise and scrap this method of recycling. There is no way to avoid the consequences attached if not to entirely stop recycling

Aside: some citing NIN to be the solution, so none Nigerians can’t have a Nigerian SIM card?

They will use number in their pasport. But I think telecoms should stop recycling numbers.

madridguy:
A very important issue raised by you the OP. I still find it very unfunny that despite every huge budget yearly we don't have database as a country.

Around 3 months ago, my elder almost got himself into Sim card issue. He was on his own when some people called him, before he knows they're already at his door step.

They asked him to provide so so person with so so number. He dialed his phone and the number happened to be one of his close colleague at work. The guy got the Sim recently so my brother was surprised what might have happen.

My brother called the his friend and told him what happened, immediately the guy show and the police took them to the police station.

On getting to the station, they met with the IG team from Abuja and they wanted to transferred them to Abuja, it was the interference of their lawyer that saved them. When the lawyer arrived the station, he told the IG team his clients cannot go to Abuja with them.
After all it is the Sim pack that saved them. My brother's friend insisted he got the Sim newly from a vendor which he registered it with his details. They asked him to provide the Sim pack which the guy did na so the matter calm down.

Here is the issue, the police from the IG team said the person using the line before defrauded someone in Abuja of a very large amount. So they tried their best to catch him with no avail, phone was off for months and they continue to monitor the line.

After a while they observed the number is back online so they have to tap the number he calls frequently which happened to be my brother. They believe the guy can still outsmart them reason they come for my brother which they believe he will lead them to his arrest not knowing the number has been recycled by the telecom company.

The recycled Sim card has brought sorrows to many Nigerians and our government are not doing anything about it. I remember what the guy that bought Buhari's daughter Sim card went through in the hand of the DSS.

GOD WILL HELP US.

This matter is not funny oo. Anybody buying a SIM right now might just be buying a recycled SIM. We need a database in Nigeria. So that old SIM cards that have new owners can be properly updated and this data available to security agents.

Maybe with the New NIN, I think this can solve the problem. Each person has a different NIN. If the new owner of the SIM has an NIN different from the old user, security operatives will know that they aren't the same person.

Lukgaf:
I think the NIN of the new users need to be updated too

This is true.

Dexterfire:

Are you really slawomir or an imposter?

He is the real Slawomir

I bought a recycled sim last year. I kept receiving calls from people that were defrauded by the previous owner. I called customer care and I was told I don't have any problem but I wasn't satisfied and the calls kept coming in. I just threw away the sim card when the calls were becoming too much

BluntNigerian:
In the case of criminal cases, or any court cases that happened to involve the Recycled SIM, (Since the Network-Providers had supposedly wiped out the information of the previous owner of the SIM from their own database, and they didn't keep any backup information about the previous owner), it then means that the new owner is in for a troublem he knows absolutely nothing about.
...
What can the NCC and the TELCOS do about that??

There will be a new date of registration which is very important. That will solve all cases

I still don't believe in the NIN because the same politicians will still scattered it.

AnonymousRebec:


This matter is not funny oo. Anybody buying a SIM right now might just be buying a recycled SIM. We need a database in Nigeria. So that old SIM cards that have new owners can be properly updated and this data available to security agents.

Maybe with the New NIN, I think this can solve the problem. Each person has a different NIN. If the new owner of the SIM has an NIN different from the old user, security operatives will know that they aren't the same person.

A lot of wahala, even bank details and transactions linked to the same number self.


Since culture is said to be a way of life of a group of people same could be said for greeting because basically in anything or everything we do as Yorubas we greet. Traditionally, greeting is an act that accustom respect to the person you are greeting irrespective of age, most times this act helps...... read more on https://alawiiyeyoruba.com/greeting-as-an-important-part-of-yoruba-culture/

The oga kpatakpata of dem all, is when you buy a sim used by kidnappers before.....
You go bring back the ramson...

litigator:


How do you mean?

It depends on the circumstances of the case.

What are the circumstances please??

Luluosas, Sanchez01, Seunayantokun, Bossman, NobleDeSage001, DonOms, DukeJoe17, Alawiiyeyoruba..
Please Your Opinions Are Needed.

BluntNigerian:
In the case of criminal cases, or any court cases that happened to involve the Recycled SIM, (Since the Network-Providers had supposedly wiped out the information of the previous owner of the SIM from their own database, and they didn't keep any backup information about the previous owner), it then means that the new owner is in for a troublem he knows absolutely nothing about.
...
What can the NCC and the TELCOS do about that??

This is somewhat simple and complicated at the same time. One thing I can confidently state is that the previous owner's information are not outrightly wiped off. Although I would not want to speak for all ISPs but the one I worked with had a contact details section on an app called SV where you could see updated contact information and the most recent, even if the number was recycled.

I had a similar experience but not tied to crime. One time, I saw a unique, 'unregistered' SIM in the office and asked the shop guys to help register it. A few minutes later, I went down for biometrics, et al. Upon registering, I inserted the SIM into a smaller phone, thinking there was no big deal. At 7PM, I started getting several calls from the same SIM and I had not yet given the number out. Turned out the woman who owned it had her phone stolen and was saving up for months to buy a good phone before it got recycled. When she tried to retrieve the line, she was told that it was in use and there was no way she could retrieve the stolen SIM since it was active. So she assumed the person who stole her phone had the nerve to use it.

The calls were confrontational, laced with several name branding. The woman told never stopped saying God will judge me for stealing her phone and still using her SIM. She claimed she would involve the police and all and at that point, I just knew it would become ugly. So I got told the company's lawyer who is a very good friend the next day at work and he asked that we invite the woman with some of her family members and possibly a lawyer. Meanwhile, I had already looked up the information of the SIM that morning and my details showed up alongside hers, her address, etc. So, when I called her that morning, I referred to her by her name and asked that she shows up at our office which was several local governments away from her.

Long story short, she showed up with two loud boys who never stopped saying they will take it up with the NCC. We never heard from them till I left and the number eventually got recycled into the market again after I left the small phone on vibration and couldn't find it for two months in the house! I was pained but there was nothing I could do.

So, in reality, it is impossible that a previous owner's information will get wiped off from a SIM. All details of both new and old owners are saved in the contact details section if looked up on the app. And in the event that a SIM loses data of such, which is unrealistic, proving one's innocence will require that:

1. You confirm to authorities the date you bought the SIM.
2. The shop you bought the SIM and the particular person who did the registration for you, if they are more than one agent there. This is necessary in order to map the kit used in registering the SIM.
3. Ask authorities to investigate the case by visiting any network shop to query the line. You will need to give them a date which would be used in checking inactivity before then.
4. To avoid the aforementioned stress, always keep your SIM pack safe.
5. MOST IMPORTANTLY, AVOID BUYING A SIM IN TRANSIT OR WHEN YOU TRAVEL BRIEFLY, EITHER FOR AN OFFICIAL OR PERSONAL VISIT. BUY ONLY WHERE YOU ARE DOMICILED.

BluntNigerian:
In the case of criminal cases, or any court cases that happened to involve the Recycled SIM, (Since the Network-Providers had supposedly wiped out the information of the previous owner of the SIM from their own database, and they didn't keep any backup information about the previous owner), it then means that the new owner is in for a troublem he knows absolutely nothing about.
...
What can the NCC and the TELCOS do about that??

It's a terrible situation really.
The Telecoms in my opinion should still keep a record of past owners - Like an Ownership History Table for tracking purposes. Just like we have an audit trail in accounting packages.

The same issue applies to phones, where unsuspecting buyers purchase stolen phones and get implicated.
It would be nice if there's a platform for Simcard ownership transfer, the way we have for phones with www.itemregistry.com.ng.

Where people can register their items and perform a digital transfer of ownership when they sell or give out the items.
Please Telecoms look into this?

BluntNigerian:
What are the circumstances please??

It depends on the allegations.

There is no straight forward answer. Some allegations may pertain to the bank account of the previous owner of the SIM being tampered with.

Some may be connected with outright advance fee fraud (either local or international), like the case I am presently handling. The previous owner of the SIM was a Yahoo boy and a gangster. The new owner didn't know. Until SFU tracked him down and handed him over to EFCC. Being a bitcoin trader made him a suspect.

Lastly, the gadget or what have you, might have being stolen from the previous owner before the SIM was recycled. And, of course, you know the new owner would have unknowingly placed him/her self in a precarious position, wherein, one could easily mistake him for/ as the thief.


Mind you, the list is endless.

Until we hear your story, we might not really know exactly how to advise.

BluntNigerian:
Luluosas, Sanchez01, Seunayantokun, Bossman, NobleDeSage001, DonOms, DukeJoe17, Alawiiyeyoruba.
Please Your Opinions Are Needed.

My previous post is still relevant here.

Let me add that frivolous number recycling has to stop, and whatever any price we all have to pay for it as governments, businesses, individuals should be given. If a subscriber line is connected to a BVN, NIN, permanent home address, etc and so already known to governments, organisations and individuals, it can't just be recycled anyhow. Due diligence has to be observed.

I will suggest again going for adequate evidence of demise or permanent emigration before a number can be taken away from someone and recycled - it can also be after a period of say, five years. Nigeria and Nigerians will benefit a lot from this, so it is worth sacrificing for.

However, there is a very big challenge here which has to do with having a phone line user's residential address correctly verified and registered against their identity. NIMC is not doing that now but just recording identities.

During my BVN registration, my bank verified my address. The commercial banks have not seriously continued this.
Identities have to be completely and properly recorded to tackle crimes, fraudulent practices, electoral issues, government misdirection, etc.

NIMC has to do this, but I tell you this is also fraught with many challenges: one, many buildings, streets, neighborhoods or communities are not registered or known. So you safely assume many of them are not planned, and those that were planned have plans that have expired more than 40 years ago. Imagine a situation in which former governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun, confessed ignorance of existence or development of certain communities in Ogijo and Igbo Olomu axis of his state during 2016/17 Ijaw youths security crisis. He had to visit the area belonging to both Lagos and Ogun because the problem became a national one with some level of international concern. His Lagos counterpart, Ambode, behaved better on his visit to the Igbo Olomu/ Isawo side of it then. That area hosts roughly over 4 million people. There is no voters registration centre there except one at Isawo town hall located at Igbo Olomu junction and those inadequate ones within Ogijo township. The residents of the area don't have good knowledge of the boundary line between the two states. So they name streets as they wish and register them incorrectly with either Shagamu or, and mostly, Ikorodu Local Government. So, how reliable are addresses from those places? Also, are tenancies registered in Nigeria?

You see, there is a long way to go but we must start somewhere. Therefore, frivolous number recycling has to stop. It has to be approached with all sense of responsibility and law in the interest of security and development.

BluntNigerian:
Luluosas, Sanchez01, Seunayantokun, Bossman, NobleDeSage001, DonOms, DukeJoe17, Alawiiyeyoruba..
Please Your Opinions Are Needed.

While the questions you raised are guenuine, we all have to understand some things have the "Nigerian Factor" involved.

About Number Reallocation, it's not new and Nigeria did not start it. In other countries, this is also done. And it is done for two key reasons i.e. to save cost and protect data statistics.

About the cases of arrests and fraud oweing to previous number owners, the problem is Nigeria not getting the system right. Once a number is to be recycled, I expect that all the data of the previous owner be wiped and the new data of the new owner be associated with the number, then these updates should be regularly shared with ALL concerned parties (The Police, NCC, NBS e.t.c.). Unfortunately, in Nigeria, there is no system in place to accomodate this (that's something they're just trying to achieve with NIMC anyway).

The current NIN linking for almost everything (Phone Number, UTME, Drivers Licence, Passports e.t.c.) is an effort to build data which is the right direction but we're not quite doing it right and it's also taking longer than required (story for another day).

So, before we get things right, the best thing is for people to keep the oldest numbers they have and keep using it. If it gets lost, welcome it back! If you don't like your network, port the number! If you travel out and you plan to return to Naija, roam it! Just do everything to keep using the number.

And if you must buy a new line, ensure you pick a relatively new number series (For MTN it's 0913 I think...don't buy 0803, 0806 e.t.c). And keep your sim pack, receipt and sim registration KYC Customer copy. Because if you get in trouble, you may have only received some slaps and slept behind bars for a night but you may avoid prosecution when you provide all those things above.

Nigeria isn't there yet and these are some of the consequences but we will get there someday, hopefully.

It is not possible that a Telecom Company will delete the data of the previous user from their database.
They can detach a number from the details of its previous user in order to reassign that number to a new subscriber.
This way, the new subscriber's details will be linked to the number but the old records will still be in their database.

So, if there happens to be a case that demands some investigation, the law enforcement agents can approach the Telecom Company for
proper investigation if they truly want to do a thorough job.

Bros, number recycling is a widely accepted International practice for Telecom operators.
Each company has a maximum period within which they can block a number if it becomes inactive.

Before the completion of that inactive period, they usually send reminders to the subscriber. If the subscriber does not take action within
the grace period, the number gets blocked.
Asking them to wait for 5 years before reassigning such numbers to another subscriber is unrealistic and bad for their business.

As for the NIN being linked to numbers presently, the Telecom companies will definitely disconnect the details of the previous user from the number before reissuing it to a new subscriber whenever such situaton arises.
The new subscriber will only have challenges with banks and some other agencies that may have the data of the previous owner.

But then, there ought to be a way out of this. All the agencies who may still have the data of the previous user can detach all the data after conducting satisfactory verification that the number now has been assigned to a new customer.
This process should not be a difficult one only if things work properly in Nigeria.