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The Digest:

The Department of State Services (DSS) detained an elderly man in Ekiti State because a newly registered SIM card was recycled from a number previously linked to serious crimes.

Key Points:
  • Diamond Opor's father was detained by DSS officers on Monday, December 2nd, in Iyin-Ekiti over a SIM card he had legally registered months prior.
  • The telecom provider had reassigned a phone number that was previously used by suspected kidnappers or fraudsters.
  • The detention sparked significant public outcry on social media, leading to his release by Tuesday night.
  • The case highlights the national risk of SIM card recycling, where inactive numbers with criminal histories are reassigned to new, unwitting customers.
  • Ms. Opor blamed network providers for inadequate data cleansing and urged users to save registration receipts.
  • A useful tip circulated online: dial *996#, select option 4, then 2 to see and unlink any unknown numbers connected to your National Identity Number (NIN).
This incident reveals a perilous gap where citizens can be caught in a storm not of their making, victimized by the digital ghosts of a recycled number's past.

Sources: Vanguard, Mazi_Chinonso1

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