The attention of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), an agency of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, has been drawn to reports making the rounds in the media, of the arrest, by the Nigerian Army, of two (2) persons purporting to be carrying out enrolment of persons in Niger Republic, and being erroneously or spuriously referred to as NIMC officials.

First, it is important to note well the Army’s clarification from the onset, when they referred to the fraudsters as “fake”, meaning their claim to be NIMC staff – if at all they did – was proven from the beginning to be false.

Second, reports by the media of merely bouncing off such a news item released by the Army, in good faith, one-sided without checking with NIMC if indeed such persons were its officials, shows a hurried and incomplete approach to news reporting, a situation which we urge our media partners to distance themselves from. A simple check with NIMC would have further confirmed the Army’s professional conclusion that the persons apprehended are indeed impersonators and fraudsters.

We wish to state categorically that neither NIMC officials nor staff of the NIMC licensed enrolment agents across the country are authorised, nor do they go from one country to another, let alone from Nigeria across the borders, to enrol Nigerians much less foreigners.

So far, NIMC has a number of licensed diaspora enrolment agents in over 38 countries operating over 152 centres across the world strictly to enrol Nigerians in those countries. The list of the Diaspora enrolment licensed companies, which has been published over time in the media, can be found on the NIMC website at https://nimc.gov.ng/nimc-enrolment-centres/

The public is by this information put on notice and advised that NIMC does not and will not authorise its staff or its agents to go across any borders to register non-Nigerians, as this is not part of our mandate.

Fraudsters and impersonators should be pointed out for who they are: criminal elements, and the cooperation of the public is required in assisting security agencies in their work of curbing these crimes in our society.

NIMC wishes to commend the Nigerian Army for the good job they’re always doing, and more particularly in this respect.  NIMC also commends all other security agencies for their untiring efforts in collaborating with us and other sister agencies in the efforts to rid our country of criminal elements.

Signed

Engr. Aliyu A. Aziz,
Director-General
Friday, 21 October 2022