The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has revealed that there are individuals posing as their staff to issue fake National Identity Numbers (NIN) to unsuspecting Nigerians.
NIMC Director General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed this at a press briefing on Friday in Abuja.
According to the NIMC, some culprits have been arrested and are undergoing prosecution with relevant security agencies.
Odusote at the briefing also announced that over 107.34 million Nigerians have been enrolled into the NIN database as of May 2023 from 104m recorded in December 2023.
The NIN, a unique identifier assigned to each citizen, has gained prominence in recent years as the cornerstone of various government initiatives aimed at enhancing security, governance, and service delivery.
Detailing their modus operandi, the Director General explained that these individuals masquerade as business vendors and cyber cafes, crafting links for unsuspecting individuals, developing software, and fabricating fake NINs. “This data doesn’t reach our server, resulting in numerous Nigerians falling victim to scams,” she said.
She said a further clampdown led to the discovery of a group of individuals around its annexe office.
