July 27, (THEWILL) — The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested a suspected criminal, Mathias Etim Aya, aged 34, who is believed to be the mastermind behind a sophisticated SIM registration fraud scheme.
Aya, a resident of Oron Road in Uyo, was apprehended on July 23, 2025, at approximately 3:00 p.m. in Nung Udoe, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, Aya’s arrest followed discreet investigations into an emerging pattern of fraudulent SIM card registration, which has raised significant concern among authorities.
Aya allegedly posed as a legitimate SIM registration agent and was seen at various locations across Uyo. He reportedly collected personal information and biometric data from unsuspecting victims under the pretext of registering new SIM cards.
According to the statement, victims were usually turned away with claims of “network errors” and told to return the next day, by which time Aya would have vacated the area.
“One vigilant victim who became suspicious and tracked Aya to Nung Udoe, identified him to the authorities, leading to his arrest and upon interrogation, Aya confessed to using victims’ National Identification Numbers (NIN) to register multiple SIM cards, which he then sold to criminal elements for large sums of money.
Items recovered from the suspect include: A data-capturing device, 3 mobile phones, 20 used SIM cards, Numerous completed registration forms, a cash sum of N10,000, and a small bag
The police, however, warned the public about this alarming trend and urged members of the public to always: verify NIN-SIM linkage via official platforms to ensure no unauthorised numbers are registered in your name, to only register SIM cards at authorised service centres, as well as report any suspicious SIM registration agents to the nearest police station.
It says the police have launched efforts to trace and apprehend those who bought the fraudulently registered SIM cards, and urge the public to remain vigilant against evolving cybercrime tactics.
