The Nation Newspaper

Tag: recharge cards

  • Two arraigned for stealing phone, recharge cards

    Two men, Oribamise Sunday, 26 and Kayode Abayomi, 26, have appeared at an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ekiti State for allegedly stealing and receiving phone.

    Prosecutor Johnson Okunade said the accused, whose addresses were not given, committed the offence on January 15, about 1600hrs, in Oke Bola, Ado-Ekiti.

    He said Oribamise stole Infinix Hot 5 Lite, valued at N46,000, MTN, Glo and Airtel recharge cards, valued at N40,000 and N86,000, totalling N172,000, property of Mr. Ojo Michael.

    Okunade said the offence contravened Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap. 16 Vol. 1 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

    He alleged Abayomi unlawfully received the phone from Oribamise, knowing it was stolen.

    The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 427 of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

    He asked the court for an adjournment, to enable him study the case file and assemble his witnesses.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Their lawyer, Mr. Yemi Adebayo, urged the court to grant the accused bail, promising they will not jump bail.

    Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye granted each of the accused bail at N100,000 with one surety.

    He adjourned the case till June 13 for hearing.

  • Woman gets two years for stealing recharge cards

    An Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court in Ogun State has sentenced a 31-year-old woman, Fabiyi Kemi, to two years’ imprisonment for stealing MTN recharge cards, valued at N4.2 million.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Adeola Adelaja, said the accused would serve with hard labour.

    The prosecutor, Sunday Eigbejiale, told the court that the convict committed the offence on August 3, about 9:15 am, in Ibara, Abeokuta.

    He said she stole denominations of MTN cards, worth N4.2 million, property of Kings Court Ideal Anchor Ltd, Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta.

    Eigbejiale said the convict was a sales representative with the organisation and was also in charge of selling MTN bulk cards.

    He said the convict could not provide money for the sold cards, claiming she was duped by a customer.

    The prosecutor told the court that it was the second time the convict stole the organisation’s money.

    “The first time, she could not account for N3 million cards she sold, claiming she was attacked by robbers,” he said.

    Eigbejiale said the offence contravened sections 383 and 390 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, 2006.

    The convict, whose address was unknown, pleaded not guilty to the onecount charge of stealing.

  • ‘No price increase of MTN recharge cards’

    ‘No price increase of MTN recharge cards’

    MTN has stated that the face value of all its recharge card denominations remain the same. “We have not effected a price increase and the retail prices of the various denominations of our recharge cards and recharge vouchers remain the same,” says Wale Goodluck, Corporate Services Executive, MTN.

    The recharge vouchers come in the following denominations: N1, 500, N750, N400, N200 and N100.

    Goodluck was speaking against the backdrop of reports that MTN recharge cards are being sold at prices above their face value in some parts of the country.

    “Any such hike,” said Goodluck, “is contrary to MTN’s wishes or knowledge. MTN has a well-established distribution structure and all our authorised partners within this structure are obliged to sell recharge cards at their face value. Any variance from the authorised face value of recharge cards is without MTN’s knowledge or authority.”

    MTN’s 55 million customers can purchase airtime via recharge cards or recharge vouchers as well as through a virtual top up. The airtime recharge options are generally distributed via a very extensive trade and distribution network which has over the years successfully enhanced accessibility to airtime and customer convenience.

    Goodluck assured customers that the company is currently working assiduously to arrest the situation. In the meantime, he said “We urge our esteemed customers in the affected areas to explore other options of purchasing airtime such as MTN Virtual Top Up (VTU) or MTN Auto-Top Up.

  • MTN’s ‘recharge cards’ prices go up

    MTN’s ‘recharge cards’ prices go up

    The prices of the recharge cards of Nigeria’s telecoms sector ‘dominant operator’, MTN have gone up sharply, it was discovered yesterday.

    Investigation showed that the N1500 worth of airtime now goes for N1550. The N200 worth sells for N220. Similarly, the N100 card goes for N110.

    One reseller said they increased prices because the telco and its dealers have increased the margin they take on each of the cards, leaving them almost empty.

    A reseller in Ayobo, a Lagos suburb, said while the N1500 card was formerly sold to them by the dealers at N1430, it is now N1500; the N200 card usually sold to them at N198 is now N199.

    She said: “We were shocked when we got to where we used to buy recharge cards to discover that the prices have been increased. In the past, we used to buy the N1000 worth of the N100 recharge card (that is 10) at N950, it is now N970.Similarly, we used to pay N95 for the N100 worth, it is now N99.”

    According to her, if they have to remain in business, then they have to increase the price of the cards to the final consumers.

    “We did not come to Lagos to work for MTN or its dealers. We are in business to make profit and if the owners of the business are eating up all the profit, then there is no point remaining in business,” she added

    Another retailer who simply identified herself as Bola said it has become part of MTN to hike the price of its recharge cards. According to her, she has stopped buying the telco’s recharge cards, adding that when she exhausts her current stock, she will not buy new ones.

    But the telco has denied any increase in the price of its recharge cards, arguing that anybody doing that is obviously acting outside the laws.

    General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Corporate Service Division, MTN, Funmilayo Onajide said the cost of every card remains the value of its worth.

    She said: “The cost of every recharge card is the value stated on it. Any third party selling recharge cards at a value at variance with the face value is acting illegally. “MTN has a well-established distribution structure and all our authorised partners within this structure are obliged to adhere to this. Any variance from the authorised face value of recharge cards is without MTN’s authority.”

    Reacting to the development, president, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), Deolu Ogunbanjo said across all the local government areas of Lagos State, only 20 per cent of phone users buy recharge cards at the value written on them.

    According to him, the remaining 80 per cent buy at prices not inscribed on the cards, adding that MTN is worst hit by the development.

    Ogunbanjo urged MTN to swing into action, adding that it is dangerous for the telco to keep quiet in an era of mobile number portability (MNP) which allowed subscribers to dump an operator while still retaining his mobile number.

    He said MTN’s super dealers may not be involved in the current racket but its sub-dealers and bulk agents, adding that it is necessary for the telco to immediately takes steps to stop further exploitation of the subscribers.