The Nigerian Communications Commission has said Nigerians will have to submit their phones’ International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) to it from July.
The NCC said this in its Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration.
The move of the NCC to start the implementation of the Device Management System (a Centralized Equipment Identity Register) has the support of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Part of the policy read, “Accordingly, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has directed that the Device Management System should be implemented within three months.”
The Commission said, “With the aim 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 the fingerprint of a mobile phone. It is a 15-digit unique number for each phone. With the IMEI number, a phone can be tracked and located irrespective of the cellular number in it.
In an interview with an expert that helps the Nigerian Police to track stolen phones, who wanted to be anonymous, said “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 move really interpreted that the NCC will have the IMEI numbers of Nigerians, NIN, and their mobile numbers.
