Six suspects who specialize in enrolling Subscriber Identity Module cards with the identities of other innocent persons and selling them to criminals were paraded by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command on Thursday.
Ndubuisi Okeh, John Jock, Nasiru Sulaiman, John Njoku, Nafiu Tijani (a dispatcher), and Suleiman Musa are the suspects.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igwe, spoke to reporters while presenting the suspects and claimed that they sold the SIM cards to criminals for between N3,000 and N5000.
He reported that the suspects had a cell phone, two fingerprint machines, three registration devices, and 1,100 registered SIM cards.
Igwe said, “On May 29, 2024, at about 3:00 pm, a team of detectives from the State Intelligence Department led by ACP Mohammed S. Baba, acting on credible intelligence, lured and arrested six suspects namely: Ndubuisi Okeh, John Jock; Nafiu Tijani (a dispatcher); Nasiru Sulaiman; John Njoku and Suleiman Musa Who specializes in the sales of already registered sim cards to criminals who operate with other people’s identity to avoid being traced or tracked through their own details at the price rate of three to five thousand naira.”
Igwe added that a National Identity Number might be registered with four different digits. Because of this, he claims, these crooks turn to street SIM card merchants to get the personal information of naïve citizens who purchase and register SIM cards at the same time.
Igwe clarified that the suspects use street SIM card dealers to get information from people who use them about innocent locals, including their National Identity Numbers.
He said, “It may interest you to know that four different numbers could be registered under a single NIN, hence, these criminals employ street sim card vendors to get the details of unsuspecting residents who buy sim cards and register at the same time.
“Over one thousand, one hundred already registered sim cards, three registration machines, and other gadgets were recovered from the suspects. The suspects have all confessed to the crime and will be charged to court after the investigation.”
The CP added that Ikechukwu Didi, a gun runner, was apprehended with seven automatic pump action shotguns and a thousand rounds of live cartridges.
He said, “On June 7, 2024, at about 2:00 pm, acting on credible intelligence, police operatives from the anti-car theft section, trailed and arrested one Ikechukwu Didi 54 years, at Dutse Junction, who specializes in gun-running. Seven automatic pump action shotguns and 1000 rounds of live cartridges were recovered from him. The suspect will be arraigned in court soon.”
