Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is in the process of refining its database after discovering and removing the unauthorized registrations of more than 6,000 Nigeriens.
The Nigerian government has disclosed that 6,000 individuals from the Niger Republic unlawfully acquired Nigeria’s National Identity Numbers (NIN).
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, told the Federal Executive Council on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, during a briefing, says a source in the presidency.
The minister further noted that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has removed these 6,000 NINs from its records. He also disclosed that NIMC is in the process of refining its database after discovering the unauthorized registrations.
Olubunmi has been appointed to a special panel that oversees the country’s humanitarian ministry, which manages conditional cash transfers and various welfare initiatives. The Director-General of NIMC, Bisoye Coker-Odusote, corroborated this information, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to ensuring transparency and accuracy in government disbursements, particularly concerning humanitarian efforts.
This issue of fraudulent and unauthorized NIN registrations is not unprecedented. On October 13, 2022, the Defence Headquarters in Abuja reported that troops, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Immigration Service, apprehended two individuals suspected of posing as NIMC officials. Major General Musa Danmadami, the Director of Defence Media Operations at that time, stated that the suspects had attempted to register non-Nigerians at the Gagamari IDP camp in the Niger Republic.
Furthermore, there have been allegations that counterfeit agents have been charging non-Nigerian citizens, particularly from neighboring countries like the Niger Republic, for the acquisition of Nigerian NINs.
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