Busted! NIMC Deletes 6,000 Fraudulent Nigerian Registrations

Busted! NIMC Deletes 6,000 Fraudulent Nigerian Registrations

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has identified over 6,000 Nigerien nationals illegally registered in its database with National Identification Numbers (NINs). This discovery has triggered a comprehensive clean-up of the national identity system……READ MORE 

The revelation follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive for an inter-ministerial committee to ensure a precise and accurate National Social Register to support the Federal Government’s social investment programmes.

According to sources from the Presidency, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, informed the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on February 4, 2025, about the fraudulent registrations and ongoing efforts to sanitize the NIMC database. The minister confirmed that the illegally acquired NINs had been removed as part of the clean-up process.

Concerns about illegal NIN registrations first surfaced in October 2022 when the Defence Headquarters, alongside the Nigeria Police and Nigeria Immigration Service, arrested two fake NIMC agents attempting to register non-Nigerians in border communities.

Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, then Director of Defence Media Operations, confirmed that the suspects had targeted the Gagamari IDP camp in Niger Republic to fraudulently register non-Nigerians. Seized items included NIN registration machines, laminating and printing equipment, computer tracking devices, and a generator.

In response to the findings, President Tinubu has mandated that the NIMC database be thoroughly reviewed to ensure it reflects only eligible Nigerians, particularly for social welfare programmes like conditional cash transfers and student loans.

A presidency source stated, “The Interior Minister confirmed over 6,000 Nigeriens were in the NIMC database, but they have been wiped out. The President wants the data clean-up expedited to prevent disbursing funds to unverified individuals.”

Following the FEC briefing, the President instructed the National Security Adviser and the Minister of Interior to join the panel overseeing the humanitarian ministry to ensure the integrity of the National Social Register.

This development comes after the suspension of the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, on January 7, 2024. Tinubu had established a panel led by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance to overhaul the social investment framework.

On January 12, 2024, Tinubu suspended all National Social Investment Programmes, including the school feeding initiative, for six weeks. A day later, he created a Special Presidential Panel headed by Wale Edun to oversee reforms.

Director-General of NIMC, Bisoye Coker-Odusote, emphasized the importance of using NINs to ensure transparent and accurate government payments, especially for humanitarian assistance.

In a phone interview, she stated, “Using NIN helps ensure that those receiving government funds are real, identifiable people, not ghost beneficiaries. This approach will save the country money and enhance transparency.”

She clarified that recent SIM registration issues were linked to telecom companies, not NIMC, and had been resolved.

The NIMC’s clean-up aims to ensure only verified Nigerians benefit from government programmes, reinforcing public confidence in the administration’s commitment to accountability.