Published 18th Jul, 2024

By Joseph Adeiye

Globacom Ltd., the Nigerian telecommunications company known as Glo, is reassigning active ’ National Identification Number (NIN)-linked SIM cards to new users.

FIJ saw some subscribers complain about suddenly losing access to their phone numbers on Wednesday.

One of the affected subscribers has been a Glo user for 20 years.

Dewunmi Lagos, a photographer, took to social media to announce that his father’s Glo SIM stopped working in the second week of July for no reason.

“My dad has been using his Glo SIM for over 20 years. He bought the sim for N11,000 when it came out. He travelled out for six months and came back; his Glo SIM was still working until last week Tuesday,” Dewunmi posted on X.

“He got to their office in Ikorodu today and they told him someone called Abass Yusuf has re-registered the line since 2014 in Abuja and he has been using it. Saying my popman can’t get his number back, and this is after linking his NIN to it.

“I’m trying to understand how a network glitch of just last week routed this man’s number to another.”

Dewunmi said that his father's Glo SIM came in this pack
PHOTO CREDIT: DewunmiLagos/Facebook — Dewunmi said that his father’s Glo SIM came in this pack
PHOTO CREDIT: DewunmiLagos/Facebook

On Wednesday, Simeon Awodele, another Glo subscriber, posted on Facebook that Glo told him he had forfeited ownership of his SIM.

Awodele insisted that he had registered the SIM with his NIN.

Someone else indicated in the comment section that MTN, another telecommunications company, sold off their SIM. They did not provide more information about this.

Dewunmi has since shared more details about his father’s SIM. He included pictures of the Glo SIM card packaging and claimed that the SIM had never been inactive for over two days.

Telecommunications companies operating in Nigeria only lock SIMs whenever they stay inactive for 90 days.

Dewunmi said that Glo had not acknowledged his messages on social media. He has now approached the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for recourse.

I’m hoping and still waiting on your response as to who handed over an active line to someone else from your office since May 24, 2014 and the line decided to go off on Tuesday last week. Only to be told that the number has been handed over to one person.
— Dewunmi Lagos (@Dewunmilagos) July 17, 2024

“I’m officially filing a complaint with FCCPC, NCC, and the lawyers will begin their court process,” Dewunmi announced on his Facebook page.

“This number was registered and all the necessary information were[sic] documented with Glo in their Lagos office. How Abbas Yusuf got hold of this number and registered it within Tuesday and today and Glo keeps telling us that the person registered it in 2014 will either be explained to where I’m filing my complaints.

“This number is what my dad has on all his documents and anything that has to do with his life. You want him to throw that away?”

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6 replies on “Glo Reassigns Active NIN-Linked SIMs to New Users”

Now I understand! My Glo line that I have been using since 2011 just disappeared on my phone on that same Tuesday last week. It was properly registered and linked to my NIN with a confirmation SMS from Glo.
This is gross incompetence!

Exactly the same thing I am facing here right now.
Since Friday last week of this month July 2024, I’ve been to glo office yesterday being the 18th of July as early as 6am, after relinking my NIN WHICH I was assured that it will work with hours, till now the 19th of July 2024 my line has not worked. What is happening Glo? Please I depend on this line for all my documents. Make it work again.

Hi, these lines that they are reassigning are been sold to the North. I am a victim of MTN. Last year after I linked the line to my NIN, they refused sending my slip. I complained at their V.I office where I did the NIN twice. Afterwards, I learnt from my friends that anytime they call the line it’s an hausa man that picks it. That is how I lost my MTN line of close to 10yrs of usage.
Now Glo has blocked my line after linking it NIN last year. When I visited their Ikorodu office to complain, they said I should re-link it. I’m still on the process. The worst is that you get to their office, they say no network.

Mine too stopped working since over a week ago.
And l have been using this line over 8 years now.
Glo una no try.

Same issue happened to my mother-in-law.
Only God can save us the masses from this people.
But when it happens to big wig of the notion it becomes an issue, like the case between Buhari’s daughter.

I think it is high time the Nigerian government through her agencies rose to protect the interests of the citizens. How can a properly acquired and registered SIM card be resold and reallocated to another user (it is just a simple example of ọmọ onilẹ that sold a plot of land to two persons). Globacom especially, should stop inflicting the citizens unnecessarily.
Lawyers should kindly advise a step(s) to be taken in such situations. Also, young lawyers needed to rise up for the people on this. It will raise your popularity and bring you to limelight.