The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has denied reports that it asked Nigerians to submit their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of their phones from July 2021.
This was contained in a press statement by the commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde on Friday. NewsWireNGR obtained the statement from the commission’s website.
NCC on Friday came under the spotlight after several reports claimed it is asking Nigerians to submit their IMEI of their phones starting from July, 2021.
Majority of Nigerians who took to their social media accounts condemned the reported exercise as an invasion of privacy. Some said it was insensitive as a lot of Nigerians are still yet to register their National Identification Number (NIN).
However, the NCC reacting in the published statement explained that reports of the directive was from a misinformation from a section of the Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration recently launched by President Muhammadu Buhari.
It said the NCC already has the IMEI of customers and this had no need for requesting customers IMEI data.
The statement read, “The attention of the Nigerian Communications Commission has been drawn to several media publications to the effect that the Commission will require Nigerians to submit the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of their phones to it from July, 2021.
“At no time did the Commission issue a Statement regarding the registration of IMEI by subscribers and it has no plans to do so.
“The reports in question have emanated from a section of the Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration recently launched by President Muhammadu Buhari and which has been uploaded on the Commission’s website.
“It is pertinent to state that the Commission is in the process of deploying a Device Management System (DMS). The DMS will essentially protect subscribers against phone theft and will identify and enable the elimination of fake devices from the networks.
“The system will capture IMEI automatically without any requirement for subscribers to submit same.”
