Suspects arrested by Army in Niger Republic not NIMC’s officials, DG insists

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has denied knowing some suspects arrested by the Nigerian Army in Niger Republic caught enrolling Nigerians for the National Identification Number (NIN).

NIMC, in a statement yesterday, signed by its Director-General, Aliyu Aziz, described the suspects as impersonators.

While denying a newspaper report (not The Guardian), which published the story and linked the suspects to the NIMC, the Commission said those arrested were fake as stated by the Army, noting that the public should not regard them as the NIMC officials.

The statement read: “The attention of the 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 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,” Aziz said.

Recall that the Defence Headquarters, had last Thursday, said its troops arrested suspects posing as officials of the NIMC in order to register and enroll foreigners in Niger Republic for the NIN.

“We wish to state categorically that neither the 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 enroll Nigerians much less foreigners.

“So far, the NIMC has a number of licensed diaspora enrolment agents in over 38 countries operating over 152 centres across the world strictly to enroll 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 the 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,” the DG said further.

Aziz commended the Nigerian Army “for the good job they’re always doing, and more particularly in this respect.”

He added that, “the 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.”