The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) revealed on Friday that it had dismantled a syndicate involved in issuing fake national identity numbers (NIN) to unsuspecting Nigerians, leading to the arrest of several suspects who are now undergoing prosecution.
During a press briefing in Abuja, NIMC Director General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed that the commission became aware of the syndicate’s activities after a customer reported paying N120,000 to modify her birth certificate, prompting an investigation.
Odusote further announced that over 107.34 million Nigerians have been enrolled in the NIN database as of May 2024, reflecting an increase from the 104 million recorded in December 2023.
The NIN, a unique identifier assigned to each citizen, has become essential for various government initiatives aimed at enhancing security, governance, and service delivery.
Explaining the syndicate’s modus operandi, the director-general revealed that individuals posing as business vendors and cyber cafe operators created links for unsuspecting individuals, developed software, and generated fake NINs. This fraudulent data did not reach the NIMC server, resulting in numerous scams.
Further investigations led to the discovery of a group operating around NIMC’s annex office. While the exact number of suspects being interrogated was not disclosed, Odusote assured that upon completion of the investigation, they would be prosecuted for cybercrimes.
Odusote emphasized the commitment to combat extortion, data breach, and privacy violations, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities related to NIN issuance.
Efforts are also underway to harmonize identity databases of ministries, departments, and agencies of government with the NIMC, aiming to establish a centralized identity database for the country.
