THE House of Representatives has directed its Joint Committee on Communications and Interior to investigate telecommunication service providers ((telcos) over the alleged unauthorised and illegal linkage of national identification numbers (NIN) to subscribers’ SIM cards.
The decision followed a motion co-sponsored by the House members, Patrick Umoh and Julius Ihonvbere.
Umoh raised concerns over reports that telecom service providers linked NINs to subscribers’ lines without their consent, potentially exposing them to criminal activities and endangering legitimate NIN holders.
“The House recognises that this action is a clear violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019, which guarantee the right to privacy and the protection of personal data for every Nigerian,” he said.
While the probe committee was given four weeks to complete its investigation, the House also directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to investigate the allegations and sanction any telecom service provider found guilty of the violation.
The House further directed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to verify whether telecom service providers were authorised to link NINs and if the process complied with relevant laws and regulations.
The ICIR reports that an activist, Olukoya Ogungbeje, slammed a suit against telecommunications companies for barring citizens’ phone lines from NIN linkage.
Ogungbeje said that despite obtaining a court order preventing the defendants from blocking or deactivating Nigerians’ phone lines, the telecom companies disregarded the ruling and went ahead with the disconnections, violating the court order.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues.