Coker-Odusote NIMC DG
The National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, has debunked allegation that it
exposed sensitive data of Nigerian citizens as it concerns the Commission amongst many other data-collecting agencies.
The identity agency in a statement by its spokesman, Kayode Adegoke, dismissed the allegation as false and baseless.
The statement read inter alia:
The Commission, at this moment, assures the public that the data of Nigerians has not
been compromised, and the Commission have (sic) not authorised any website or entity to sell
or misuse the National Identification Number (NIN) amongst all the identities stated in the
report.
The following websites: idfinder.com.ng; Verify. Ng/sign in, championtech.com.ng,
trustyonline.com, and anyverify.com are data harvesters not authorised by NIMC to access
or manage sensitive data. NIMC urges the public to disregard any claims or services these
websites offer and should not give their data as they are potentially fraudulent and data
provided by the public on such websites are gathered and stored to build the data
services they illegally provide.
Consequently, the public should know that the Commission has taken robust measures to
safeguard the nation’s database from cyber threats- a secure, world-class, full-proof
database is in place. The commission’s infrastructure meets the stringent ISO 27001:2013
Information Security Management System Standard, with annual recertification and strict
compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Law.
Furthermore, NIMC advises Nigerians to avoid giving their data to unauthorised and
phishing sites. This poses the danger of data harvesting and comprises individual data.
The Commission reaffirms its commitment to upholding ethical standards in data
protection in line with federal government directives and data privacy regulations.
Moreover, licensed partners or vendors are not authorised to scan or store NIN slips but to
verify NINs through approved channels.
The Commission is currently working closely with security operatives to apprehend these
elements masquerading as online vendors, and they will be made to face the full wrath of
the law.
NIMC urges the public to remain vigilant against false information and rely on verified
sources for accurate updates. The Commission remains committed to providing secure
and reliable identity management and upholding the highest level of security for systems
and databases, which are critical national assets.
