News

NIN-SIM Linkage: Subscribers Complain Of Barred Phone Lines

Published

2 years ago

January 17, 2024

Some telecommunications subscribers on Wednesday expressed displeasure over the barring of their lines by telcos despite having linked their National Identification Numbers with their SIM cards.

The subscribers expressed their displeasure in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

NAN reports that telecommunications (Telcos) operators in Nigeria, including MTN, Airtel, and Globacom, among others, had been directed by their regulatory body, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to implement full network barring on all phone lines which subscribers had not submitted their NINs and those without verified NINs by February 28, 2024.

The NCC said further that NINs that had been submitted but not verified, such lines were to be barred on or before March 29, 2024, the same as in cases where five or more lines are linked to an unverified NIN.

Similarly, where less than five lines are linked to an unverified NIN, such lines are to be barred on or before April 15, 2024.

In a visit by NAN in Lagos on Tuesday evening to some of the telcos customer service centres, subscribers were complaining about barred lines at all the telcos outlets, but more at the MTN outlets.

The subscribers were displeased that their lines had been barred from making calls even before the February 28 deadline.

Some of them insisted that they had already linked their NINs to their SIM cards as directed by the NCC, so they were surprised that their lines were still barred.

A businessman, Mr. Marcel Okoh, said that a message was sent to his MTN line at the weekend, which he did not take seriously because he had done his NIN-SIM linkage.

Okoh said that two days after the message was sent, he noticed that his SIM had been disconnected, and he could no longer recharge or make calls with his phone.

“The disconnection is uncalled for because I have done what is needed, and I should have been given time to make enquiries.”

Similarly, a Fashion Designer, Aisha Alao, who also uses an MTN line, said that she was disconnected by the telco without any notice.

Alao said that it was when she got to one of the MTN outlets that the agents explained to her that she needed to do a NIN-SIM linkage.

Also speaking with NAN, a retired Teacher, Mrs Veronica Maduabunechukwu, said that a disconnection notice was sent to her by Airtel despite having done her NIN-SIM linkage.

“The line has not been disconnected, and I see no reason why it should be barred.”

Another MTN subscriber, Mrs Chinenye Agbanusi, said that she had done her NIN-SIM linkage as far back as 2020.

Agbanusi said that she was not pleased with MTN for barring her line after following due process.

She added that Telco should upgrade its systems to avoid recurring issues of barring customers who had already done what was needed.

A Globacom subscriber, Miss Kanyinsola Oje, said that a notice to link her SIM to NIN to avoid disconnection was also sent to her.

She noted that some days after the notice, her line was barred.

However, during the survey, Miss Nkechi, an Agent in one of the Airtel outlets in Ketu, said that subscribers had been coming to the centre to make complaints about their SIM being disconnected.

Similarly, Olumide, a Globacom Agent in Ketu, also confirmed that subscribers had been coming to the outlet to make complaints about their lines being barred since December 2023.

According to him, most of the subscribers insisted that they had done the NIN-SIM linkage before, but were currently having issues.

Olumide said, “The reason for the disconnection could be that the name the subscriber used in registering for their NIN is different from what they used to register their SIM.

“Another issue could be that the line was reassigned to another subscriber, so the name on the SIM could still be the name of the previous owner.”

Reacting to the subscribers’ complaints, Mr Funsho Aina, the Senior Manager, External relations, MTN, said that most of the lines that were barred were because no data were found on the lines.

Aina said that it was possible that these subscribers had done the NIN-SIM linkage, but the data filed for NIN might not be the same as what they registered for their SIM.

He said that a discrepancy in data filed for NIN and for SIM could affect its collation.

“Take, for instance, I register my SIM with Funsho, and in registering for the NIN, I use Olufunsho, which is also my name.

“Even if I do the NIN-SIM linkage, in collating by the telco, the technology might not be able to link the names to one person and the line would be disconnected until the discrepancy is corrected,” he said.

Aina, however, said to correct such discrepancies and be reconnected, there were self-help steps that could be taken.

He urged subscribers to go to the portal: https://nin.mtn.ng/nin to create a Virtual NIN (VNIN).

“You can also dial *996*3# on your mobile phone.

“Select option three for Virtual NIN, Enter your NIN to proceed, then enter ‘109071’ as your Enterprise ID.

“Or alternatively, dial *346*3*your 11-digit NIN*109071# to create a VNIN,” Aina said.

The MTN official also explained that it seemed as if MTN subscribers were more affected because MTN had a larger number of subscribers than the other telcos.

NAN

News

Trump’s Airstrikes: Halt Military Cooperation With US Immediately – Sheikh Gumi Tells Tinubu Govt

Published

10 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on the Federal Government to immediately halt all military cooperation with the United States following reported US airstrikes.

Gumi warned that American involvement could worsen Nigeria’s security challenges and undermine national sovereignty.

Gumi made the call in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Friday.

He said while Islam permits the fight against terrorism, such actions should only be carried out by what he described as “clean hands,” arguing that the United States lacks the moral authority to lead such efforts because of its global military record.

According to the cleric, Nigeria made a mistake by allowing foreign powers to play a role in its counterterrorism operations, insisting that “terrorists do not truly fight terrorists” and that such interventions often result in civilian casualties and hidden political motives.

Gumi warned that allowing Nigeria to become a theatre of war would attract anti-US forces into the country, further destabilising it.

He also cautioned that US involvement, particularly under claims of protecting Christians, could polarise the country along religious lines.

The cleric further argued that airstrikes alone cannot defeat terrorism, stressing that effective counterterrorism requires strong ground operations, which he said Nigeria has enough personnel to carry out if properly organised.

“This is the mistake Nigeria has made. Terrorists don’t fight terrorists in truth; they may only kill innocent people and have ulterior motives behind the drama of fighting ‘terror’.

“As a principle, no nation should allow its land to be a theater of war. And no nation should allow its neighbors to be their enemies.

“If Nigeria wants military assistance, China, Turkey, and Pakistan can do the job effectively,” part of his statement reads.

News

Shehu Sani Reacts To Trump’s Military Strikes In Nigeria

Published

10 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Former lawmaker, senator Shehu Sani, has reacted to reports of United States military strikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria’s North-West, saying foreign powers cannot permanently handle the country’s security challenges.

Sani made the remarks on Friday via his X handle while responding to a post by the United States Africa Command, AFRICOM, which indicated that the strikes were carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

According to him, if the reported strikes were indeed a joint operation with Nigerian security agencies, then such action was justifiable, given the threat posed by terrorist groups in the region.

He described terrorists operating in parts of northern Nigeria as “cancerous cells,” stressing that they survive through violence and should be confronted decisively.

Sani also dismissed narratives suggesting that terrorist attacks target only one religious group, describing such claims as false and misleading.

He said: “If actually, the military strikes against the terrorists targets in the North Western part of Nigeria were a joint operation with the ‘Nigerian Authorities’ as posted by the US AFRICOM on their verified X handle, then it’s a conscionable action.

“Terrorists have become cancerous cells in our part of the country.They live by the sword.The narrative that the evil terrorists only targets one faith, remains absolutely false and misleading.

“Again, the ultimate security and peace in our country lies with ourselves and not with the US or any foreign power. They can complimentarily or unilaterally strike, but they can’t eternally fight our battles.”