The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has raised the alarm over recent reports making the rounds that eligible applicants must pay certain sums of money before they can be allowed to enrol for the National Identification Number (NIN).

According to the Deputy Director, Corporate Communications, NIMC, Mr. Abdul-Hamid Umar, enrolment into the National Identity Database (NIDB) is absolutely free, and no citizen or legal residents is expected to pay for it.

He said: “It has come to the attention of NIMC that certain Business Centre miscreants posing as NIMC agents, use banners bearing the NIMC or Presidential logos at their business centres, and charge eligible applicants for pre-enrolment, making applicants believe they are paying for the NIN or the National e-ID Card.”

“NIMC wants to make it categorically clear that anyone who visits a cyber cafe or a business centre and is charged for pre-enrolment is paying for the use of the Internet which is service rendered by the business centre, and not for the NIN or the National e-ID Card.”

Mr. Abdul-Hamid, however, noted that NIMC is not oblivious of the fact that persons who visit business centres and cyber cafes for online pre-enrolment must pay for the use of internet which is cost of services rendered by the business owners but condemned the report that the payment was either for the NIN or the National e-ID Card or that the money goes to NIMC.

He emphasized that NIMC has no business charging anybody for enrolment into the National Identity Database (NIDB); “enrolment is completely free, and anyone who is asked to pay by any NIMC official, must report to the nearest security post.”

Noting that it was safer and faster for eligible applicants who have access to the internet to pre-enrol themselves via the NIMC Pre-enrolment portal http://ninenrol.gov.ng using their Personal Computers (PCs); Internet enabled phones or tablets at their convenient, he called on Nigerians who do not have such access to visit the NIMC enrolment centre where they will be attended to.

The Deputy Director further noted that the NIN and National e-ID Card can only be issued to applicants who have successfully completed the enrolment process at the NIMC Enrolment Centres where they enrolled, and no business centre or individual has the right to do that.

He cautioned Nigerians to beware of fraudsters posing as NIMC agents or staff, and advised applicants to call 0700CALLNIMC or 07002255646 for any enquiry about the NIN enrolment process and procedures.