Suspects Arrested By Nigerian Army Not NIMC Staff, Agents

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), has debunked reports that two persons arrested by the Nigerian army for enrolling Nigeriens are staff of the commission.

NIMC said the true identity of the persons ought to have been authenticated before going to press because they are not known to NIMC.

This was made known in a statement signed by the Director General of NIMC, Aliyu Aziz where it debunked the purported report that the two persons arrested for enrolling persons in the Niger Republic are its officials.

The statement read in part, – “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.

“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 authorized, nor do they go from one country to another, let alone from Nigeria across the borders, to enroll Nigerians much less foreigners.”

The Commission said it has never authorized any of its staff or licensed agents to go across the border.

“NIMC has a number of licensed diaspora enrolment agents in over 38 countries operating over 152 centers 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 NIMC does not and will not authorize 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.

The statement also commended the Nigerian Army for the good job they’re always doing, and more particularly with respect to the work they are doing at the borders.  They also commended all other security agencies and other sister agencies for their untiring efforts in terms of collaborations with the commission in the efforts to rid our country of criminal elements.