The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, on Thursday warned that Nigerians who do not have National Identity Numbers risked imprisonment.

The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, on Thursday warned that Nigerians who do not have National Identity Numbers risked imprisonment.

He also ruled out lifting ban on issuance of new SIM cards soon.

The minister said it was a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment for any Nigerian to transact business like opening a bank account and paying taxes among others without having NIN.

Pantami spoke at the weekly State House Press Briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said, “Based on the requirement of the law, each and every citizen and legal resident must obtain his/her National Identification Number, which is being coordinated by the National Identity Management Commission.

Pantami said there was no plan to lift the ban on new Subscriber Identification Modules registration any time soon, attributing the decision to security reasons.