The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) announced on Friday that it has uncovered and is actively dismantling a syndicate issuing fake National Identity Numbers (NINs) to unsuspecting Nigerians.
During a press briefing in Abuja, NIMC Director General Abisoye Coker-Odusote disclosed that several suspects involved in the fraudulent scheme have been arrested and are currently facing prosecution.
BELLNEWS reports that members of the syndicate were apprehended following a complaint from a customer who reported paying N120,000 to modify her birth certificate, a service fraudulently offered by individuals posing as NIMC employees.
“This data does not come to our server and a lot of Nigerians have been scammed,” Coker-Odusote said, emphasizing the gravity of the issue.
The DG further revealed that, as of May 2024, the NIN database had successfully enrolled over 107.34 million Nigerians, a significant increase from 104 million in December 2023.
The NIN has become an essential tool for enhancing security, governance, and service delivery across various government platforms.
Coker-Odusote detailed how the syndicate operated, often masquerading as business vendors or cyber café operators.
They crafted links, developed software, and generated fake NINs, duping many into believing they were legitimate.
The operation was sophisticated. The fake data never reached the official NIMC servers, thereby eluding immediate detection.
The discovery of the fraud ring prompted further investigations, which identified additional suspects operating around NIMC’s annex office.
While the exact number of individuals under interrogation remains undisclosed, the NIMC assured that all perpetrators would face charges related to cybercrimes upon the conclusion of the investigation.
Coker-Odusote expressed her frustration with the ongoing extortion and data breaches.
“We will not allow them to parade as if they are part of us and they are not,” she stated, confirming the emotional and financial toll on victims.
In one notable case, a woman was exploited for over N120,000 under the guise of adjusting official documents, highlighting the severity of the scam operations.