Former minister of communications and digital economy, Isa Pantami, has blamed Nigerian police and other security agencies for failing to utilise data generated from National Identity Number (NIN) linked to the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) in tracking kidnappers and curbing other crimes involving the use of a phone.

In 2020, former President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime ordered SIMs to be linked to the NIN of every citizen. Citizens who failed to link their SIM to NIN had their lines disconnected.

Bashir Ahmad, the media aide to Mr Buhari, in a tweet on Sunday, raised the alarm on sustained kidnappings for ransom, calling for “new legislation or the revision of current laws to mandate the death penalty as punishment for banditry and kidnapping.”

Responding to Mr Ahmad’s tweet, @RolandMentus, however, said, “How about first reaching out to your kinsman @ProfIsaPantami to know why Nigerians queued up for months to secure NIN.”

Reacting to Mr Mentus’s tweet, Mr Pantami blamed security agencies for not utilising the NIN-SIM data to tackle rising kidnapping for ransom and banditry.

“NIN-SIM policy has been working,” said Mr Pantami. “However, the relevant institutions fighting criminality are to be requested to ensure they utilise it effectively when a crime is committed. Lack of utilising it is the main problem, not the policy.” Mr Pantami said.

The former minister, who decried the non-utilisation of the policy, claimed criminals threatened his life for reintroducing it.

He said, “On the lack of utilisation, I am more worried than anyone, as my life was threatened by criminals for reintroducing it, including on BBC Hausa & and national dailies; I resisted and ensured its implementation.”

“If it is not being utilised by the relevant institutions in charge of securing lives and property, then I am more frustrated than any person, as I sacrificed my life and ignored all the threats to life. This is just a point out of 100 on the policy,” the former minister added.

Mr Pantami, under the former Buhari regime, championed the NIN registration policy that saw citizens link their NIN to their SIMs, vowing it would be instrumental to curbing banditry, kidnapping and other forms of crimes involving the use of the telephone.

However, kidnappers still demand and coordinate ransom-taking with the use of phones without being apprehended despite SIM-NIN data.

When contacted by Peoples Gazette, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Nigerian Police spokesperson, declined comments on Mr Pantami’s remarks.

Asked if the police had been using the NIN-SIM data in tracking kidnappers and bandits, Mr Adejobi said, “When you want me to speak on, let me make my statement on that, not linking me to his comment.

“If there are issues we need to address, the police will address it holistically, not reacting to somebody’s comment.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army spokesperson, Onyeama Nnwanchukwu, did not respond to The Gazette’s request for comments.