Isa Pantami, the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has expressed disappointment with security agencies for not effectively using the National Identity Number (NIN) linked to Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data in combating crime, particularly kidnappings and phone-related offenses.
This criticism stems from the 2020 directive by then-President Muhammadu Buhari, mandating the linking of SIM cards to the NIN of every citizen.
The Media Aide to President Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, highlighted the escalating wave of kidnappings for ransom in a recent tweet, advocating for the revision of existing laws to enforce the death penalty for banditry and kidnapping. In response, Pantami criticized security agencies for not harnessing the potential of NIN-SIM data in addressing the growing challenges of banditry, kidnapping, and related crimes.
Pantami emphasized the importance of linking citizens’ NIN to their SIMs, asserting that this integration could serve as a crucial tool in the concerted effort to combat banditry, kidnapping, and phone-related offenses.
Source: PUNCH