top of page

NCC Addresses Concerns About Kidnapper Tracking Despite Satellite, SIM, NIN Registration

Esther

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has emphasized that they are not at blame in a thorough examination of the persistent problem of kidnappers eluding detection in spite of sophisticated technological safeguards.


The measures in question include the SIM card registration initiated by the NCC in 2011, the Nigerian Identity Number (NIN) enrolment started by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in 2015, and the NIN-SIM Registration exercise conducted by the Federal Government in 2020.


Additionally, the NigComSat-1R Communications satellite, launched into orbit in 2012, was also intended to bolster national security.


Despite these efforts, kidnappers continue to operate with impunity. Victims' accounts, such as that of Mallam Yushau Jangeme from Zamfara State, highlight the inefficacy of these measures.


Jangeme reported that security agents did nothing to trace the calls of the bandits who kidnapped him, even after he provided their phone numbers. He recounted how he was detained by the kidnappers after delivering part of the ransom, further underlining the failure of the existing security framework.


Henry Okunomo, Senate President of the Nigerian Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), expressed his frustration, questioning why the government and security agencies have not been able to leverage these technological advancements to curb kidnapping.


"I am not satisfied with the way security agencies are going about the matter. The government cannot tell me there is no other way this kidnapping thing can be nipped in the bud," he stated.


A senior police officer revealed that kidnappers have adapted by using their victims' phones to make calls, complicating tracking efforts.


Furthermore, a reliable satellite engineer at the Nigerian Communications Satellite Company (NIGCOMSAT LTD) clarified that the NigComSat-1R is not equipped with cameras but gathers data and digital footprints, which are made available to security agencies upon request.


The NCC maintains that their role is to provide support to security agencies, not to track or arrest individuals.


A top official at the Commission, who preferred to remain anonymous, emphasized, "On the issue of kidnappers making calls to victims’ families without being traced, I don’t think that power is residual in our hands. What we know is that whatever support the security agents have sought from us, as far as the national security question is concerned, we have always given to the best of our ability."


Public affairs commentator Mr. Chike Ogbu echoed similar sentiments, questioning the effectiveness of SIM and NIN registrations when kidnappers can still make ransom calls without being apprehended. "What is actually the problem, or are our security agents complicit?" he queried.



3 views0 comments

Comments


KEEPING YOU UPDATED

© ICMNEWS: 2020-2024

bottom of page