The National Identity Management Commission has uncovered over 6,000 Nigeriens illegally registered in its database with the National Identification Number, prompting a widespread clean-up of the system.
This revelation comes as President Bola Tinubu directed an inter-ministerial committee to ensure a comprehensive and accurate National Social Register for the Federal Government’s social investment programmes
According to the PUNCH, a source within the Presidency, confirmed that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, briefed the Federal Executive Council on February 4, 2025, on the fraudulent registrations and ongoing database sanitization efforts.
The minister reportedly stated that the illegally acquired NINs had been withdrawn from the database as part of the clean-up initiative.
Concerns over the illegal registration of foreigners were first raised in October 2022, when the Defence Headquarters in Abuja disclosed that troops, in conjunction with the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Immigration Service, arrested two suspected fake NIMC officials attempting to register non-Nigerians in border communities.
At the time, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, who served as the Director of Defence Media Operations, confirmed the arrests, stating, “It was revealed that the suspects had visited the Gagamari IDP camp in the Niger Republic to register non-Nigerians in the IDP camp.”
Authorities seized various items from the suspects, including: NIN registration machines, Printing machines, Laminating machines, Computer tracking devices, A generator set.
The fraudulent activities reportedly extended to border communities, allowing non-Nigerian citizens, particularly from the Niger Republic, to fraudulently obtain Nigerian NINs in exchange for money.
In response to the ongoing clean-up, President Tinubu has mandated that the NIMC database be refined to ensure it accurately reflects details of vulnerable Nigerians eligible for social interventions, such as: Conditional cash transfers, Student loan disbursements
The source who spoke on the development said, “It was the Minister of Interior that gave that briefing because, you know, NIMC is under him.
“The interior minister said NIMC is tidying up the database because they found over 6,000 people from Niger Republic who obtained NIN. But they have been wiped from the database.
The humanitarian ministry needs the data for its social register to perform its function. Also, the education ministry needs that data for student loans. The President doesn’t want to disburse money to people they cannot identify. They (NIMC) are ensuring that they verify the data. They are also registering more Nigerians and fine-tuning the data. So, the President wants it done quickly.”
The source revealed that after the briefing, the President asked the national security adviser and the interior minister to join an existing panel overseeing the humanitarian ministry.
