The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has debunked reports that it set to ask Nigerians to submit the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of their phones in the next three months.
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Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, the NCC Director of Public Affairs, issued the rebuttal in a statement on Friday.
Reports emerged earlier on Friday that the NCC has concluded plans to demand Nigerians’ IMEI from July in line with its Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration.
This led to many Nigerians and the civil rights organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), criticising the NCC for such policy, insisting that it is unconstitutional as it breaches the citizens’ right to privacy.
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Reacting to the development, the NCC said it never asked Nigerians to submit their IMEI, explaining that it is in the process of deploying a Device Management System to protect subscribers against phone theft and other sundry offences associated with mobile telecommunications.
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.
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“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.
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“The general public is advised to disregard the said publications, which have created the erroneous impression that telephone subscribers will be required to register their IMEI with their networks.”
