Beginning from July, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has stated that it will require the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of phones belonging to telecom subscribers in the country.
The NCC disclosed this in it’s Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration.
The commission’s decision to begin the implementation of the Device Management System (a Centralised Equipment Identity Register) has the backing of President, Muhammadu Buhari.
A portion of the policy said, “Accordingly, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has directed that the Device Management System should be implemented within three months.”
The NCC said, “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.”
The IMEI number is a unique number for identifying a device on a mobile network. It is made of 15 digits The IMEI number, allows the tracking of a phone possible irrespective of the cellular number in it.
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A phone tracking specialist, who assists the Nigerian Police in tracking stolen phones, who pleaded to be kept anonymous, stated that “The IMEI of a phone allows us to track the phone.
“It allows us to track the phone’s information, people the phone calls each day and the house address of the people that call on the phone.”
The expert added, “I can’t disclose how the IMEI of a phone works. It is sensitive information. Leaking the secret helps the people stealing the phone bypass the information.
“Some people already try to change the IMEI of stolen phones, but we know what to do to get the original one.”
This new requirement will expand the digital information of Nigerians in the database of the NCC, the commissioN already has the NIN and phone numbers of Nigerians .
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