Afeez Labode, a UK-based Nigerian businessman, has raised alarm after discovering that his 22-year-old Airtel line — long linked to his financial, personal, and official records — had been reassigned to a new user despite his continued use and maintenance of the number.
Labode, who arrived in Nigeria on May 21, was shocked when he found his number inactive upon landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. He resorted to using WiFi at the airport to contact his driver. However, a visit to an Airtel service center in Gbagada confirmed his worst fears — the number had been reassigned to a new subscriber named Kenneth.
According to Airtel officials, recharging a line periodically does not guarantee it remains active. Instead, the line must have been involved in a revenue-generating event (RGE) such as voice calls, SMS, data usage, or USSD transactions within 365 days.
This policy contrasts with the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) Quality of Service Business Rules issued in 2024, which stipulate that a number can only be deactivated after six months of inactivity in any RGE.
Labode maintains he had regularly recharged the line and used it during his visits every few years.
Recovery Negotiation and NIN Overlap
In a bid to reclaim his number, Labode contacted Kenneth, who demanded ₦100,000 to return the SIM. After negotiations, they settled on ₦50,000, and the SIM was retrieved through a proxy.
However, a deeper issue emerged at MMIA during his Hajj trip — immigration officers confirmed that Labode’s old number was still linked to his National Identification Number (NIN) and passport data. This discovery raised questions about the security and privacy implications of reassigning SIM cards still tied to valid national records.
Labode had previously used the number to register his NIN and renew his passport in London in 2024. His experience illustrates the dangerous overlap of data where two individuals — himself and the new SIM owner — now effectively share the same phone number with distinct NIN records.
Systemic Risks and NCC’s Response
The incident underscores growing concerns about SIM recycling in Nigeria and its implications on national security, identity management, and financial safety. Labode, like others before him, had to swear an affidavit in court to declare loss of access to the number in order to update his records.
The NCC has previously acknowledged the problem, stating it is working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), security agencies, and other stakeholders to build a central database that will flag recycled numbers and alert sectors like banking and immigration of changes in ownership.
The proposed cross-sector platform aims to prevent data misuse and fraud by ensuring that reassigned numbers are not wrongly linked to old users’ personal and financial information.
Despite ongoing efforts, Labode’s case reveals the urgent need for better coordination between telecom operators, the Ministry of Communications, and identity management agencies to safeguard digital identities in Nigeria’s growing mobile ecosystem.
