No fewer than two National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) staff were found by the Nigerian Army while allegedly enrolling non-Nigerians for National Identity Numbers (NIN) in the Niger Republic.
Platforms Africa reports he suspects were apprehended by troops, who were deployed to troubled zones across the North to end insurgency, and found the NIMC staff at the Gagamari Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Niger Republic while trying to register non-Nigerians.
Confirming the arrest, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General, Musa Danmadami, disclosed that different items were recovered from the suspects.
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Items recovered from the suspects include National Identification Number (NIN) registration machine, a printing machine, laminating machine, a computer tracking machine, and a generator set among other items.
Addressing newsmen during the biweekly briefing at the Defence Headquarters where he highlighted the achievements recorded by the military between October 6th and 20th, 2022.
Consequently, during the weeks in focus, 31 suspected Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province members were neutralized, while 10 were arrested and two civilians rescued.
Also, 366 Boko Haram Terrorists and their families comprising 23 adult males, 112 adult females, and 231 children surrendered to troops at different locations within the theatre.
According to the military spokesman, all recovered items, arrested terrorists, logistics suppliers, and rescued civilians have been handed over to the appropriate authority for further action.
Meanwhile, NIMC has denied the claim by the Army spokesman, saying those arrested were not uts staff.
A statement sent to Platforms signed by the Engr. Aliyu A. Aziz, Director-General of NIMC, reads; “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, statement continues, “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.
“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.”
