The Federal Government’s directive that Nigerians must synchronise their SIM card registration with their National Identification Number (NIN) or get blocked by their telecom service providers appears to have created a brisk business for licensees of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
The NIMC is the Federal Government agency responding for national identity management in Nigeria.
Following Communications Minister, Dr Isa Ali Pantami’s directive that the SIM card-NIN synchronisation must be done within two weeks, many Nigerians trooped to NIN registration points to be enrolled.
Director-General/Chief Executive of NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, had disclosed that Lagos State was one of the 30 public sector institutions licensed to conduct enrolment of Nigerians and legal residents into the National Identity Database (NIDB) on behalf of the commission.
The commission has constantly stated that the NIN registration was free.
However, some Nigerians narrated that local government officials in Lagos State were using the exercise to fleece potential enrollees.
A security expert, Mr Edward Onoriode took to Twitter on Friday to reveal that his wife was approached to pay N5,000 bribe if she wanted to obtain the NIN “expressly”.
He wrote, My wife went to (Alimosho) Local Govt to register for her NIN today.
“One of the local govt staff met her and said if she want to get her NIN expressly today, she should pay N5,000.
“She called to inform me, I told her to go back home.
“What sort of nonsense extortion is that?”
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Another Nigerian, Stephen Enetomhe corroborated Onoriode’s story, saying he experienced the same at Surulere local government, also in Lagos State.
Tagging NIMC, he wrote, “I was at Surulere Local Government Secretariat yesterday to register for my NIN and I can confirm N5000 was being asked for anybody to get registered. I had to leave there immediately, I won’t pay any Kobo to get registered o.”
See tweet:
.@nimc_ng, I was at Surulere Local Government Secretariat yesterday to register for my NIN and I can confirm N5000 was being asked for anybody to get registered. I had to leave there immediately, I won't pay any Kobo to get registered o. @trolls_queen @iyaboawokoya @lollylarry1
— Enetomhe Stephen (@Aloyebaba) December 18, 2020