Tinubu gives fresh directive as NIMC unravel over 6,000 Nigeriens with NIN

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has uncovered and removed over 6,000 Nigeriens illegally registered in its database with the National Identification Number (NIN).

This revelation comes as President Bola Tinubu ordered an inter-ministerial committee to ensure a more accurate National Social Register for the Federal Government’s social investment programs.

Sources within the Presidency confirmed to Newsmen that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, briefed the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, regarding NIMC’s ongoing database clean-up efforts.

The minister assured that the illegally obtained NINs had been withdrawn from the system to maintain the integrity of Nigeria’s identity records.

Previous Cases of Fake NIMC Officials

This incident is not the first case of foreigners fraudulently obtaining Nigerian NINs. On October 13, 2022, the Defence Headquarters in Abuja reported that troops, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Immigration Service, had intercepted two fake NIMC officials.

According to the then-Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, the suspects were caught registering non-Nigerians at the Gagamari IDP camp in the Niger Republic.

Authorities seized several items from them, including NIN registration machines, printing machines, laminating machines, a computer tracking device, and a generator set. Investigations revealed that these fake agents charged non-Nigerians, mainly from neighboring countries like Niger, to obtain Nigerian NINs.

Such fraudulent registrations were particularly common in border communities, raising security concerns about unauthorized access to Nigerian identity credentials.

President Tinubu’s Directive on Data Accuracy

The NIMC’s clean-up efforts are part of a broader directive by President Tinubu, who wants the National Social Register to accurately reflect vulnerable Nigerians in need of government interventions such as conditional cash transfers and student loans.

A source from the Presidency explained, “The Minister of Interior reported that NIMC discovered over 6,000 people from Niger Republic who illegally obtained NINs, and they have now been removed from the database.”

The source further emphasized that the data clean-up was necessary for ensuring transparency in government programs.

“The humanitarian ministry needs the data for its social register, and the education ministry needs it for student loans. The President doesn’t want to disburse money to people they cannot properly identify. That’s why NIMC is verifying the data and registering more Nigerians to fine-tune the database,” the source added.

Following the briefing, President Tinubu directed the National Security Adviser and the Interior Minister to join an existing panel overseeing the humanitarian ministry’s activities, reinforcing the government’s commitment to data integrity and national security.