The Federal Government is set to compel every Nigerian to submit the International Equipment Mobile Identity (IMEI)of their phones to it.
This is coming after instituting the NIN regime, while the government is also in custody of the phone number of all and sundry.
The mobile phone’s fingerprint, the IMEI is a 15-digit number unique to each phone.
As ‘The Punch’ reports, with the IMEI number, a phone can be tracked and located irrespective of the cellular number in it.
According to the Nigerian Communications Commission Nigerians will have to submit the number from July.
The regulatory body said this in the commission’s Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration.
A portion of the policy is quoted thus: “Accordingly, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has directed that the Device Management System should be implemented within three months.”
“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 NIN rule has occasioned some heat in the polity.
While phone registration had been disrupted, the process of getting it has been fraught with delay, pain and some sleaze.
Besides, it has generated suspicion, especially when reports emanated that the Minister of Communication, Isa Patami, once expressed sympathy for extremists.
He has however declared that he has relinquished such an idea.
The ministry has had to extend the NIN registration process, while noting that it is making progress on it.
