The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has denied the allegation of bribery and extortions levelled against its staff across the country.
Responding to a trending post on social media that NIMC staff were demanding money before they could enrol people for the National Identification Number (NIN), the Commission said it has “a Zero tolerance policy towards all forms of extortion while ensuring that staff behave in an ethical manner at all times whilst performing their duties at work.”
It insisted that enrollment for the NIN is completely free while noting that only modification of data attracts N500, except change of name which is N15,000. The Commission also denied the claims that its server has been down, adding that NIN enrolment and data modifications are still ongoing across all its centres.
The allegation
On Tuesday a Nigeran, @PIDOMNIGERIA, had made a post on the microblogging site, X, alleging corruption across NIMC centres nationwide.
- “The National Identity Management Commission @nimc_ng is a complete mess. Massive corruption is currently going on in all NIMC offices nationwide. They charge exorbitant amounts, which are not in their books. They take bribes before service can be rendered or fast-tracked.
- “But the worst of it all is, their server has been endlessly down. Thereby denying people their chance to get international passports, travel documents, and other uses. A lot of persons have lost their overseas admission, or employment opportunities this year, because of NIMC server problems,” the post read.
Some followers of the account also corroborated the post by sharing their experiences at various enrollment centres.
Report extortion
While advising Nigerians to report any form of extortion they notice at any of its centres, the Commission said:
- “Enrolment is FREE and all modification is N500 per field (except for Change of Date of Birth which is N15,000 for processing your request and it is non-refundable.
- Applicants are advised to report any extortion via the following designated channels; actu@nimc.gov.ng or call 08157691214 /09034959433 for any payment that is not via remita or above the approved fee.”
The Commission added that in a bid to curb any form of lapses and as part of its commitment to ensuring the highest standards of data security and compliance, all its Front End Partners (FEPs) are now undergoing a revalidation process for their licenses.
NIMC said it is also working tirelessly to ensure that enrolment and modification of Data are done seamlessly for Nigerians and legal residents
If some of you are in position,you make difficult for others why,has a Director or Tech whatever,you guys should have no what goes wrong,if the staff are collecting money their nothing wrong with that,already we are use to stuff like that,so is not a new thing in the system,when is the NIMC server coming up is we need to no,is not the Allegation we are interested off, Abeg no today we dey that one story
NImc should quickly do this revalidation process on time. So that the FEP can start working….everybody cannot go to LG council!…..the place is too crowded no proper sitting arrangements so stressful and no COVID 19 protection measures.
Pls o NIMC act fast
Or federal government should give Nigerians another alternative means of identification that banks, schools, immigration can accept.
Voters cards has no use apart from election, it’s useless
NIMC can’t deny this is the first time bribery and corruption allegations is been leveled against them. Their officers are the most wicked government staff who have forgotten their roles, you need to see the cars they are driving. These guys are so corrupt as people to narrate their experience when they visited NIMC office. Nothing is free charges starts from 2k
I hate to hear the word denie because it is happening really. What your staff are doing is to station proxy men outside the office that will be doing the deal for them
Please, do your investigation and stop denying what everyone that has visited your offices nation wide know that it is happening
I have very bad experience with NIMC, at the point of registration, their staff who was doing the registration for me, select female instead of male. The registration office is Kwali FCT Abuja, simply because I had sharp dispute with them .
When I discovered that and complain to them, they told me that there is nothing they can do except I go to the heard office. That is affecting me badly and is reflecting on both my pension, NIMC, BVN. as female.
With this unpleasant misdeed to me, I have written to them swear an affidavit, but that has refused to be corrected. Please I pray you people intervention on this matter. Thank you in anticipation of your action
I think the new DG started off on a very wrong note associated with inexperience. Upon assumption of office, one would have expected her to visit all the NIMC formations across the Country, to get a first hand knowledge of the conditions in the Commission’s offices. The conditions under which the Commission’s staff are working, are despicable. Their offices are grossly understaffed, under equiped, and under funded. If you set a Rabbit trap in the Benin City State office, for example, it’ll catch an Antelope instead. Their workload is overwhelming, on account of the mammoth crowd of Applicants thronging their offices for enrollment. Most times, they have to close very late at night, in an effort to attend to Applicants, especially those desperately in dire need of their NIN for urgent purposes such as banking, traveling and schooling.
Shutting down Private Enrollment Centres took the Commission ages back to when it started the project in 2013, where people were kept stranded, and had to wait for weeks on end, just to get enrolled for the NIN. Revalidation of licences ought not to put the entire Country on a standstill.
Why would the leadership of the Commission be frowning at reports about its staff collecting money from Applicants for enrollment, when it created those conditions by itself? Does the Commission pay its staff hazards or overtime allowances? Does it send subventions to the Government Centres for maintenance of the offices? Applicants donate money to buy Petrol in the power Generators of the NIMC offices, for work to progress.
In summary, the new DG should immediately restore the services of private operators, and put an end to the untold hardship brought upon the people, since her appointment as DG!