The Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, has explained why kidnappers and terrorists sometimes evade detection despite Nigeria’s National Identification Number (NIN) system.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Coker-Odusote said many kidnappers avoid using their own mobile phones. Instead, they often use the phones of their victims, making it difficult for security agencies to trace them through the NIN database.
Victims’ phones complicate investigations
The NIMC boss said the challenge lies in how criminals carry out their operations rather than in the country’s identity database.
“We already know that the NIN is the foundational identity for the security architecture, but you’ll find out that a lot of the time, the kidnappers use the phones of the people they have abducted.”
She added:
“So, which means how do you trace them, first of all? Because they’re not using their own phones.”
According to her, the use of victims’ phones makes it harder for investigators to identify the actual perpetrators.
Foreign suspects may not appear in database
Coker-Odusote also suggested that some attackers could be foreign nationals who enter Nigeria shortly before carrying out criminal activities.
She stressed that such individuals would not appear in the country’s identity database if they had not enrolled for the National Identification Number.
“And then there’s this theory that may be possible. If some kidnappers are not Nigerians and they are brought in 48 hours or 72 hours before the kidnapping happens just for that purpose, I’m not insinuating anything, then we won’t have them on the database naturally.”
NIN remains vital for security
Despite the challenges, the NIMC Director-General maintained that the NIN remains an important tool for security agencies.
She said several law enforcement agencies have already integrated the identity management system into their operations.
“But I will tell you that a lot of the security agencies are integrated and they are using it, and it helps them in terms of fighting crime.”
She also encouraged Nigerians to register for the National Identification Number through the commission’s expanding enrolment centres.
According to her, NIMC now operates about 1,200 enrolment centres across Nigeria and about 950 centres in the diaspora. She added that prospective applicants can complete pre-enrolment online before visiting any registration centre.
What happens next?
NIMC says it will continue expanding access to NIN registration while supporting security agencies through its identity management system. Meanwhile, the commission has encouraged more Nigerians to enrol and update their records to strengthen the country’s identity database.
