234Next has reported that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that it now has the capacity to render stolen phones useless on Nigerian mobile networks.

From the news report on 234Next’s website:

A statement from NCC on Sunday in Abuja said this was sequel to the launch of the national anti-mobile phone theft initiative by the commission in partnership with a private firm.

However, to benefit from the service, subscribers must first register their phones with their service providers and keep a record of their International Mobile Equipment
Identity (IMEI).

The Information and Communications Minister Dora Akunyili had at a recent public forum declared that about 2 million phones were reported stolen in the country daily.

“With the commencement of this initiative, any reported stolen phone would be barred from any of the mobile networks in the country, thereby making that handset useless within Nigeria.

“The GSM and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile operators have already signed to move their subscribers into the system with Zain Mobile already connected to the Netvisa (the private firm) anti-phone theft system,” the statement said.

“The menace of mobile phone theft has become a serious problem in the country and has not only inconvenienced many people but also endangered lives and businesses,” it added.

Full news item: NCC says it has technology to block stolen phones