ICPC says fraudulent NIN registration attracts seven-year jail term

Nigeria's Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has issued a stern warning to front-end enrollment partners for the National Identification Number (NIN) system. These partners risk a seven-year prison sentence if convicted of fraudulent registrations, including enrolling non-Nigerians as Nigerian citizens.

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If you abuse the privilege you have been given, that amounts to abuse of office because you are operating on behalf of NIMC to register Nigerians. And if you do otherwise, you are abusing the trust that has been placed in you, and you will be punished for it if you are caught.

The warning came during a security briefing in Abuja, organized by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other security agencies. Mark Faison, an Assistant Director at the ICPC, emphasized that any violation of the terms of engagement constitutes corruption and an abuse of office. "If you abuse the privilege you have been given, that amounts to abuse of office because you are operating on behalf of NIMC to register Nigerians," he stated.

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Seven years’ imprisonment is the punishment for that kind of offence. So I urge you, please, for the sake of the safety of our country, do the little you can do in your own corner.

Faison specifically highlighted concerns over the alleged registration of foreigners as Nigerians, noting that such actions pose significant national security risks. Security agencies have reportedly encountered cases where individuals registered through certain centers were later found not to be Nigerian citizens. The ICPC plans to continue monitoring enrollment partners to ensure the integrity of the registration process.

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Some of you do registrations at your end, and you issue identities to persons who are eventually apprehended by immigration officers and discovered to be non-Nigerians.

NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote stressed the importance of the briefing due to the expanding digital identity ecosystem across various sectors, including government services, finance, telecommunications, healthcare, and education. She noted that the increased reliance on digital identity infrastructure necessitates stronger security controls, regulatory compliance, and system integrity. Coker-Odusote also warned about the growing threat of cyber threats targeting identity systems globally.

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The need for stronger security controls, regulatory compliance and system integrity has never been greater.