NCC bans Nigerians under 18 from buying SIM cards

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)

An NCC official said the policy is aims to “protect minors” from the liabilities that arise from the usage of such SIMs.

The Nigerian telecommunication regulator, NCC, has disqualified Nigerians below the age of 18 from getting a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card.

Sources at the commission told PREMIUM TIMES that this policy is aimed at “protecting minors” from the liabilities that arise from the usage of such SIMs.

A senior official of the commission, told PREMIUM TIMES that parents and guardians can acquire SIMs in their names on behalf of their children and wards and assume any responsibilities or liabilities that may arise from the use of such SIMs.

The overall intent, according to sources, is to protect minors and strengthen national security.

NCC has been tweaking its telecommunications policies to combat security threats in Nigeria.

Constitutionally, 18 years is the age of consent in Nigeria.

NCC believes SIM acquisition is a contract between service providers and their subscribers, which requires the subscriber to have proper legal status, be of mature mind and be rational enough to bear certain responsibilities, obligations and liabilities imposed by a contract.

In 2021, the NCC proposed a Registration of Telephone Subscribers Regulations where it suggested banning minors in Nigeria from acquiring a SIM card. That regulation is now in effect, officials said.

One of the NCC officials said the policy will place a significant responsibility on parents to monitor the mobile activities of their minors.

Equally, data shows that Nigeria’s mobile subscriptions have dropped from 219 million in March to 153 million in September.

Officials said the decline was attributed to the removal of SIMs not linked to a verified National Identification Number (NIN).

Another reason was that there was a discrepancy in data submitted by a Mobile Network Operator.

One source said the NCC found that “one Mobile Network Operator incorrectly reported around 40 million subscribers as active, despite the absence of any revenue-generating activity over a 90-day period.”

“This was in direct violation of the Commission’s guidelines for determining active subscribers and led to an inflated report of the operator’s subscriber base, thereby skewing industry statistics.”

Credit: The Premium Times

Comments

War at NASS amid Akapbio impeachment as DSS takes over

Akpabio The premises of the national assembly appears like a war zone this morning as men of the Department of State Security (DSS) have taken over amidst speculations of an impeachment move against Sen. Akpabio Operatives of the DSS have taken control of the national assembly amid allegations of a potential impeachment threat against Senate President, Goodswill Akpabio. Speculations have swirled that some aggrieved northern senators, allegedly dissatisfied with President Bola Tinubu, are reportedly reviving an earlier attempt to remove Akpabio from office. Globally, parliaments have dedicated internal security personnel responsible for maintaining order and safety within and around the premises of parliament. Other security agencies attached to the parliament are present to ensure the safety of lives and property in the event of any security breach or threats that might disrupt the proceedings of lawmakers and staff, particularly when internal security i

No sit-at-home in South-East on Tuesday – Ekpa insists

(By thenewsguru.com) The Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile, Simon Ekpa, has clarified that there will be no sit-at-home on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, in the Southeast region. In a statement issued Monday through his official Twitter handle, Ekpa emphasized that only Monday’s sit-at-home was observed to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and to push for the delegitimization of Nigeria’s authority in the Biafran territory. At CHISCO TRANSPORT, every journey is safe Ekpa made the clarification in response to circulating claims suggesting that a sit-at-home would also occur on Tuesday. He reiterated that no such directive has been issued for that day. He further noted that he would address Biafrans live on his platform to explain the decision. “Ekpa has cleared the air on the rumored sit-at-home, and he promised to go live on X Space to inform Biafrans that there is no sit-at-home tomorrow,” he said. It is note

United States grand jury indicts Nigerian Catholic priest on three felony sexual assault charges

Anthony Odiong is accused of sexual assault by at least eight women whom the priest had been counseling Ramon Antonio Vargas The criminal case that authorities are building against a Roman Catholic priest accused of preying on women whom he met while working in south-east Louisiana and Texas is progressing, with a grand jury in the latter state indicting him on three felony sexual assault charges. Anthony Odiong, 55, faces two counts of second-degree sexual assault as well as one of first-degree sexual assault in the charges handed up against him recently in the McLennan county, Texas, state court. The charges against Odiong – who was first arrested in July – involve two women. He could receive up to life imprisonment if convicted of the first-degree charge, a stiffer penalty that stems from the fact that the alleged victim in the case was a woman whom Odiong was prohibited from “marrying or purporting to marry” under Texas law. The second-degree counts each carry up to 20 years in p

Rivers Court Judgment: U.S, UK, EU Asked To Impose Visa Ban On Justice Abdulmalik, Others

(The Whistler)The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned recent Federal High Court judgments and called for visa restrictions on judges allegedly issuing rulings perceived as politically motivated. HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, called on the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union to impose travel restrictions on Justices: John Tsoho, Joyce Abdulmalik, Peter Lifu, James Omotosho, Donatus Uwaezuoke Okorowo, and Emeka Nwite for allegedly delivering politically motivated judgements. The group specifically said Justice Abdulmalik’s recent judgement blocking FAAC allocations to Rivers State amounts to a “constitutional coup” and capable of disrupting Nigeria’s democracy. The Rivers ruling, according to HURIWA, disregards a longstanding Supreme Court principle affirming that statutory allocations to states cannot be withheld by federal authorities. HURIWA insisted that the judgement violates established legal precedence, putti

Nigerian Academic Excellence Magazine (NAEM)

Search This Blog