Police Bust Fraudulent Sim Card Registration Syndicate

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

FCT police commissioner Ben Igweh, while parading the suspects yesterday, said on May 29, at about 3:00 pm, 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 were arrested for the crime.

The commissioner said, “ It may interest you 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 simultaneously. Over a 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,” he said.

Also, on May 19, 2024, at about 5:00 pm, 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. The suspects will be charged to court soon.”

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

He specialises in gun-running, and seven automatic pump action shotguns and a thousand rounds of live cartridges were recovered from him. The suspect will be arraigned in court soon, he said.