Sh*cking Discovery: Over 6,000 Nigeriens Uncovered In Nigeria’s National Identity Database

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has identified over 6,000 Nigerien nationals who were illegally registered in its database with National Identification Numbers (NINs), triggering an extensive system clean-up.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

This discovery follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive for an inter-ministerial committee to ensure the National Social Register is accurate and reliable for the Federal Government’s social investment initiatives.

Sources within the Presidency informed Punch that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, briefed the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on February 4, 2025, regarding the fraudulent registrations and the ongoing efforts to sanitize the database. According to the minister, all illegally obtained NINs have been purged from the system as part of this clean-up.

Previous Exposure of Fake NIMC Agents

Concerns over the illegal registration of foreign nationals first surfaced in October 2022, when the Defence Headquarters in Abuja reported that joint operations with the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Immigration Service led to the arrest of two suspected fake NIMC officials attempting to register non-Nigerians in border communities.

At the time, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, then Director of Defence Media Operations, confirmed the arrests, revealing that the suspects had attempted to register non-Nigerians at the Gagamari IDP camp in the Niger Republic.

Items recovered from the suspects included:

• NIN registration machines
• Printing and laminating equipment
• Computer tracking devices

The fraudulent operations reportedly extended across border communities, enabling non-Nigerians, particularly from Niger Republic, to illegally acquire Nigerian NINs in exchange for cash.

Tinubu Orders Database Overhaul for Accurate Social Interventions

In response to these findings, President Tinubu has instructed that the NIMC database be refined to accurately reflect the identities of vulnerable Nigerians eligible for key social intervention programs, such as:

• Conditional cash transfers
• Student loan disbursements
• Other government social investment schemes

A source from the Presidency noted, “The Minister of Interior provided this briefing because NIMC falls under his purview. He stated that over 6,000 individuals from Niger Republic had obtained NINs, but they have now been removed from the database.”

The source further explained that accurate data is crucial for various government ministries, including the Humanitarian Ministry, which relies on the social register, and the Education Ministry for managing student loans. “The President is committed to ensuring that funds are disbursed only to verified individuals. NIMC is actively working to verify and fine-tune the data while continuing to register more Nigerians. The President has emphasized the need to expedite this process.”

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