The Association of Mobile Communication Device Technicians of Nigeria
(AMCODET) has stressed the need for Mobile Phone Anti-Theft Protection Policy in the country.
The National President of the association, Mr Apara Ige, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.
Ige said that a policy would help to regulate issues of phone theft in the country.
He explained that the mobile phone could be evaluated as being someone’s identity, hence the need for protection.
According to him, there are over 10 million youths in the business of mobile device repairs, both members of the association and non members, who have mastery in unlocking phones in spite of the security embedded on the device.
He added that “these days, unlocking a cell phone when stolen is no longer an issue because we have so many people that are skilled in doing that.
“A mobile phone can have security lock and even International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), but if stolen, a technician can dismantle all that within few minutes.
“In our own little way, we have submitted a memo in Katsina State in 2017 on Mobile Phone Anti-Theft Protection Policy to create awareness that the mobile phone goes beyond making calls.
“Mobile phones have become part of our identity, our memo, there are so many things we use phones to achieve and we have to protect it.
“If there is a legislation in place that makes provision for people to give proper information before a phone is unlocked like filling a form, it will check the issues of phone theft in the country.”
He further said that many AMCODET members had been arrested for unlocking stolen phones which had affected the credibility of the association.
The national president also said that members of the association were presently sensitising other members to avoid purchasing fairly used phones, especially from unreliable sources.
He said “we encourage our members not to buy fairly used phones, but you can buy from reliable sources so that in case of any issues, you can easily trace the person.
“If the technician buys from an unknown source and problems emanate from it, the association will not condone such.”
Ige, however, said that the association was working toward reaching out to their members all over the country to ensure legitimacy and professionalism by establishing offices in different locations.
He said that the association had five location offices in Plateau, Edo, Lagos, Borno and Osun and was working toward establishing an office in Ogun.
“We are planning to diversify to other states because we have more than 10 million youths in this sector and we have not covered a reasonable number,” he said.
According to him, the association makes effort to register and attend Information Communication Technology-related events as a way of sensitising technicians to be part of the association.
He said that being a technician was a job to be proud of, adding that mobile phones and devices had become part of existence.
