Police Bust Fraudulent SIM Card Registration Syndicate, Others In FCT

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have arrested six members of a syndicate which specialised in the sales of already registered Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards to criminals who operate with other people’s identities to avoid being traced or tracked through their own details at the price rate of N3,000 to N5,000.

FCT Police Commissioner, CP Ben Igweh, while parading the suspects on Thursday, said on May 29, at about 3:00pm, a team of detectives from the State Intelligence Department (SID) led by ACP Mohammed 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, for the crime.

The Police Commissioner 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 at the conclusion of investigation.”

Also, on May 19, 2024, at about 5:00pm, acting on credible intelligence from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Police operatives of the FCT Command trailed and apprehended Salam Zacheus (currently on court bail for a similar offence) and Ademola Razzak in Kado-Kuchi for car theft.

The CP said: “the notorious suspects who have been on the command’s wanted list are members of a four-man gang terrorising Abuja and its environs and have freely confessed to the crime. An ash coloured Toyota camry vehicle, with Reg. No. KSF 412 HT, a network jammer, seven sim cards, and a new number plate reading LSR 961 JK were recovered from them. Suspects will be charged to court soon.”

Meanwhile, a suspected gun runner, Ikechukwu Didi, 54, was arrested at Dutse Juction on June 7, 2024, at about 2:00pm, when police operatives, acting on credible intelligence from anti-car theft section, trailed and arrested him.

He specialised in gun-running and seven automatic pump action shortguns, and a thousand rounds of live cartridges were recovered from him.

The CP added that the suspect will be arraigned in court soon.