The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that more than 40 million telephone lines that were suspended for not being linked to national identity numbers are at risk of being forfeited in the near future.
Mr. Reuben Mouka, who serves as the Director of Public Affairs at NCC, said on Tuesday in a statement that if the barred lines are not acted upon in the next 180 days, they won’t be able to make calls.
He explained that phone lines blocked by telecommunications companies have exceeded the deadline of February 28, 2024, set by the regulatory body requiring telecom customers to connect their SIM cards to their National Identification Numbers (NINs).
Mouka noted that if the barred lines don’t meet the guidelines of the NCC by September, they will not be able to receive calls but will only be able to text and make calls.
“But after the stipulated days, they would be barred from making calls too. And they might forfeit their lines to their respective service providers within 365 days.”
Persecondnews reports that the NCC reversed its decision after it earlier ruled out an extension of the February 28, 2024, deadline for the linkage of Subscriber Identity Module cards to National Identification Numbers.
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