Following increase in cases of kidnapping and hostage taking in several parts of the country for ransom particularly in the Niger Delta and South East areas, and the difficulty in tracking the hoodlums, the Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro has proposed a draft bill, seeking the enactment of a law to order GSM companies in Nigeria to register the names and addresses of all GSM subscribers.
It would be recalled that Okiro had severally complained when asked why police was finding it difficult to arrest kidnapping and hostage taking criminals, that GSM companies had severally refused Police access to information of certain numbers on the grounds it would violate privacy law, and the companies might take police to court.
Titled ‘A bill for an Act to make it mandatory for all GSM Companies to register their Subscribers’, the bill which seeks to make it a punishable offence for a GSM company to fail to comply, proposes closure of the company if they fail to comply, or a fine of N1million”.
According to a statement signed by the Force Public Relations officer, ACP Emmanuel Ojukwu, “the draft bill also seek to punish a subscriber who fails to register his or her numbers within a given period.
“The Nigeria Police is sponsoring the bill in order to control the use of GSM phones, which are now being used by miscreants to commit crimes like kidnapping, obtaining under false, etc”, Ojukwu said.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police has ordered the release of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge intelligence, AIG Israel Ajao following his appointment as a member of the Local Organizing committee (LOC) of the Nigeria 2009 under 17 world Cup, Abuja Sub seat.
The release of AIG Ajao according to the IG, is to enable the senior officer prove his mettle so as to justify the purpose for which he was selected.