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NIN-SIM Linkage: Telcos Begin Disconnection Of 66m Phone Lines

Published

1 year ago

September 17, 2024

In a move to enforce the federal government’s directive on the National Identification Number (NIN)-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) linkage, telecom operators have commenced the disconnection of approximately 66 million phone lines across the country.

This action comes after multiple extensions and warnings to Nigerians to comply with the policy designed to improve national security and streamline the identification process.

Recall that as of March 2024, 153 million of the 219 million active lines across mobile networks like MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile were already connected to NIN, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This puts about 66 million phone lines in danger of being disconnected.

Due to unverified NINs, millions of lines were briefly blocked between July 28 and 29, resulting in significant disruptions across the nation.

Financial data from the first half of 2024 shows that 13.5 million lines were blocked by MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa for breaking the NIN-SIM linking directive.

MTN reported it had blocked 8.6 million lines, while Airtel stated that 8.7 million of its customers had completed verification.

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Telecom operators, including MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile, have urged affected subscribers to link their NIN to avoid permanent disconnection.

NIN-SIM Linkage: NCC Sets September 14 As Final Compliance Deadline

Subscribers whose lines have been deactivated still have the opportunity to reconnect by visiting any of the telecom providers’ service centers or NIMC offices to complete the process.

The directive, originally issued by the NCC in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), mandates all mobile phone users in Nigeria to link their SIM cards to their unique NIN.

The policy, first introduced in 2020, was part of the government’s efforts to curb insecurity, fraud, and other criminal activities facilitated through unregistered or improperly registered phone lines.

Following multiple deadline extensions by the NCC since December 2023, the NCC said in a statement in August that it expected that no SIM card would remain active without a verified NIN from September 15.

An official at NCC, confirmed the disconnections, stating that non-compliant lines would be barred from making calls, sending messages, or using mobile data services until they complete the linkage process.

“We will disconnect anyone who refuses to comply; the grace period is over. The reason why we extended the last time was the misconception of Nigerians who claimed that the NCC wanted to frustrate the August 1 protest.”

He defended the NIN-SIM linkage as crucial to national security, adding that the policy is intended to create a central database that can be used to track criminal activity, verify identity, and enhance digital financial inclusion.

“Unregistered and unlinked SIMs have been identified as tools frequently used in the perpetration of criminal activities such as kidnapping, terrorism, and financial fraud. The NIN-SIM linkage is an essential step in safeguarding the nation and ensuring the integrity of our telecom infrastructure,” he added.

Despite the criticism, the government has maintained its commitment to the policy, insisting that citizens who fail to comply risk losing access to vital mobile services.

In its reaction, the president of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, Adeolu Ogungbanjo, after touring several telecom hubs, responded by calling the NIN-SIM linkage process horrible.

Ogungbanjo hence begged that the NCC take into account extending the deadline in light of the technological problems that plagued the registration process last week. “I think they can still do that for maybe one week, but NCC deserves praise after a string of extensions,” he said.
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US Revokes Visas Of Foreigners Who Mocked Kirk’s Assassination

Published

13 hours ago

October 15, 2025

Editor

The United States has revoked the visas of several foreign nationals who publicly mocked or celebrated the killing of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The State Department said the decision followed an internal review of social media posts deemed “offensive and contrary to U.S. values,” adding that the country “has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans.”

Kirk, 31, co-founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA and a strong ally of former President Donald Trump, was shot dead during a political rally on 10 September.

His killing drew widespread condemnation across the political spectrum, with many describing the act as a targeted attack on free speech.

According to U.S. authorities, at least six individuals from Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, Paraguay, Mexico, and Germany had their visas revoked after making comments online that celebrated Kirk’s murder or insulted his supporters.

Examples cited by officials included posts calling Kirk a racist who deserved it, and messages mocking grieving Americans.

“We will not tolerate foreigners who promote or celebrate acts of violence against U.S. citizens,” a State Department spokesperson said.

The move underscores Washington’s growing use of immigration powers to respond to online behaviour perceived as threatening or disrespectful towards the country.

The Department said it continues to monitor social media content for evidence of incitement or endorsement of violence.
Civil liberties advocates, however, have questioned the decision, arguing that revoking visas for social media comments could set a worrying precedent.

Officials maintained that the visa cancellations were lawful, limited in scope, and aimed at protecting national integrity.

“Freedom of speech does not extend to foreigners seeking the privilege of entry while glorifying violence,” the spokesperson added.

The United States has increased visa scrutiny in recent years, requiring applicants to disclose social media handles and online activity.

The policy, officials say, is designed to prevent extremist sympathisers or those expressing hostility towards the country from entering its borders

Headline

Israeli PM Netanyahu Back In Court For Graft Trial

Published

15 hours ago

October 15, 2025

Editor

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was back in a Tel Aviv court on Wednesday for the latest hearing in his long-running corruption trial, which opened in May 2020.

The prime minister kept a smiling face as he and his entourage of several ministers from his conservative Likud party were heckled by protesters en route to the tribunal.

It comes after US President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that the Israeli premier should be pardoned in his three separate corruption cases.

His latest appearance at the Tel Aviv court also follows the return of the hostages taken by Hamas as part of Trump’s US-brokered plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

In one case, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods, including champagne, cigars and jewellery, from billionaires in exchange for political favours.

In two other instances, Netanyahu is also charged with attempting to negotiate better press coverage from two Israeli media outlets. He has denied any wrongdoing, claiming to be the victim of a political plot.

During his current term, which started in late 2022, Netanyahu has proposed far-reaching judicial reforms that critics say sought to weaken the courts.

Those prompted massive protests that only abated after the onset of the Gaza war, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

In an address on Monday to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, Trump told the chamber that Netanyahu should receive a pardon in the graft cases.

“Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?” Trump joked, before asking his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog: “Why don’t you give him a pardon?”

The Israeli premier is also subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on suspicion of ordering war crimes in his government’s assault on Hamas militants in Gaza.

Netanyahu holds the record for the most years spent at the head of Israel’s government, having served 18 years in several stints as premier since 1996.

AFP

Headline

FULL LIST: US Set To Carry Out Four Executions This Week

Published

15 hours ago

October 15, 2025

Editor

A Florida man convicted of murdering two women he hired for sex was put to death by lethal injection on Tuesday, one of four executions to be carried out in the United States this week.

Samuel Smithers, 72, was sentenced to death in 1999 for the 1996 killings of Christy Cowan and Denise Roach in Tampa. They had been beaten and strangled and their bodies were found in a pond.

Smithers was executed at a Florida state prison at 6:15 pm (2215 GMT), the 14th execution in the southern state this year.

Another convicted murderer was also put to death by lethal injection in the midwestern state of Missouri on Tuesday.

The execution of Lance Shockley, 48, was carried out at 6:13 pm (2313 GMT) for the 2005 murder of a police sergeant, Carl Graham.

Graham was gunned down in an ambush at his home. The officer had been investigating a fatal car accident involving Shockley at the time.

Shockley maintained his innocence but his appeals were rejected by numerous courts, including the Supreme Court. Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe rejected his clemency request on Monday.

Two other executions are scheduled this week.

Charles Crawford, 59, is to be put to death by lethal injection in Mississippi on Wednesday for the 1994 rape and murder of Kristy Ray, a 20-year-old college student.

Richard Djerf, 55, is to be executed by lethal injection in Arizona on Friday for the brutal 1993 murders of four members of a Phoenix family.

In a letter last month apologizing for the crime, Djerf said he was ready to die and would not seek clemency.

“If I can’t find reason to spare my life, what reason would anyone else have?” he wrote.

There have been 37 executions in the United States this year, the most since 2013, when 39 inmates were put to death.

Florida has carried out the most executions with 14, followed by Texas with five and South Carolina and Alabama with four.

Thirty-one of this year’s executions have been carried out by lethal injection, two by firing squad and four by nitrogen hypoxia, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a face mask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.

The use of nitrogen gas as a method of capital punishment has been denounced by United Nations experts as cruel and inhumane.

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have moratoriums in place.

President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and, on his first day in office, called for an expansion of its use “for the vilest crimes.”