Keeping your phone secured is important, but keeping your SIM secured is more important. If you’ve never been a victim of mobile theft, then having a secured SIM card is paramount for safeguarding your phone, information and most importantly your money. A friend shared his ordeal with a phone thief. He told me how N20,000 was stolen using mobile recharge linked with his bank account on his lost phone. I’m not going into details on this story but what you should know is… ensure to activate a SIM PIN lock on your device. This post, however, isn’t for teaching you how to set up PIN lock on your SIM card but to share tips on how to recover your SIM PUK (Personal Unblocking Key). There are certain security reasons why your SIM card could be blocked by your network provider and they include, entering of wrong PIN code multiple times, or you fake/guess a recharge card PIN repeatedly etc. These and other unstated reasons would make network providers block your SIM card and can only be unlocked via a PUK code.
Where to find PUK Code for your SIM?
PUK codes are usually located on the SIM pack housing your SIM. These packs contain your unique Personal Unblocking Key to help in reactivating your SIM when locked. See images below: But then, what if you cannot access this pack or perhaps, you’ve misplaced it… How then do you retrieve your PUK number? Follow these steps below to get your PUK on MTN, Glo, Airtel and 9mobile in just a few minutes.
How to retrieve your PUK (Personal Unblocking Key) and reset your PIN:
Since we don’t have access to the SIM pack, the only and most reliable solution is to get in touch with your network provider. They’ll walk you through by asking a couple of questions to aid them to run necessary validations before finally unblocking your SIM for you.
For Airtel PUK:
For assistance with retrieving your blocked SIM card if you don’t have access to your PUK, simply contact Airtel customer care by…
Dialling 111 from any Airtel phone (this is a free call). Dial 08021500111, if you are calling from another network within Nigeria. Dial +2348021500111 when you are roaming (this is a paid call). Airtel customer care is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Next, provide the affected number, last recharge amount, swap history (within the last 12 months), and the amount paid for data/social bundle for better assistance.
For 9mobile PUK:
If you need to get your 9mobile PUK to unlock your SIM, simply dial the following 9mobile Customer Care lines below:
Dial 200, if you are calling directly from a 9mobile number. Dial 08090000200, if you are calling from another network within Nigeria. Dial +2348090000200, if you are calling from outside Nigeria. The addition of +234 (Nigeria’s dialling code) is important if you are calling from outside Nigeria.
Next, provide answers to the various questions that would be thrown at you by the 9mobile Customer Care personnel, these questions are to ascertain if you’re the real owner of that SIM to avoid theft.
For Glo PUK:
If you need to get your Glo PUK to unblock your SIM, simply dial the following Glo Customer Care lines below:
Dial 121 or 200, if you are calling directly from a Glo number. Dial 08050020121 or 08050020200, if you are calling from another network within Nigeria. Dial +2348050020121 or +2348050020200, if you are calling from outside Nigeria. The addition of +234 (Nigeria’s dialling code) is important if you are calling from outside Nigeria.
Next, provide answers to the various questions that would be thrown at you by the Glo Customer Care staff, these questions are to determine if you’re the real owner of that SIM to avoid theft.
For MTN PUK:
For those using MTN line and want to recover their SIM PUK, then dial the various MTN Customer Care lines depending on your preference:
Dial 180, if you are calling directly from an MTN number. Dial 08031000180, if you are calling from another network within Nigeria. Dial +2348031000180, if you are calling from outside Nigeria. The addition of +234 (Nigeria’s dialling code) is important if you are calling from outside Nigeria.
Next up, simply provide the customer care representative answers to the questions asked to ascertain you’re the authorised owner of the locked MTN SIM. Alternatively, MTN users can also get their PUK through the MyMTN mobile app on Android and iOS. This app brings a wide range of features and functionalities that helps users control their MTN tariffs, data bundles, profiles and more.
To make use of this application, you will need to grant it access to your device, an OTP would further be sent to your MTN number for verification, afterwards, you will be able to find your MTN SIM PUK number as seen from the screenshot above.
Conclusion:
These are the right ways to get PUK on the major networks in Nigeria. Anything outside these methods is illegal and probably not recommended. You should also note that you can reach out to these network providers on social media, however, you can choose what works best for you. Reply Name : Okeke Solomon Uzochukwu No : 0814692**** What can be done?
