The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has apprehended a group of individuals involved in the illegal collection of National Identification Numbers (NINs) from unsuspecting residents of Anambra State in exchange for money.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by Dr. Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, who noted that the activities of the suspects contravened the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007, the Data Protection Act, and the Cybercrime Act.
According to the Commission, it acted swiftly in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to arrest the perpetrators, who are currently being interrogated and will be prosecuted accordingly.
“The Commission advises Anambra State residents and Nigerians in general to avoid submitting their NINs to unauthorized individuals, organizations, or platforms, as the Federal Government and NIMC have not approved any such initiative,” Dr. Adegoke stated.
NIMC further warned that anyone caught engaging in the unauthorized collection or sharing of NINs would face appropriate sanctions, stressing that no citizen should provide their NIN for monetary compensation.
The commission reminded Nigerians that the NIN is a sensitive national security asset and should only be used for accessing legitimate government or private sector services, with proper verification.
The statement reiterated that NIMC had earlier cautioned the public against sharing personal data or NINs on unverified websites or with unknown individuals.
The Commission called on members of the public to report suspicious or indiscriminate requests for NIN via email to [email protected] or by calling 07002255646 or 01923000010.
NIMC also expressed appreciation to all security agencies for their continued support towards safeguarding the credibility and success of Nigeria’s national identity enrolment system
