Kayode Adegoke, Head, Corporate Communications, National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC) has stated that the commission has never had a situation of a data leak as the database has never been breached.
Adegoke made this known in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday while debunking claims of sale of National Identification Numbers (NINs), Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), and other personal data of Nigerians on a certain website for as low as N100.
Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African social enterprise, had earlier raised an alarm over its discovery of the sale of NINs, BVNs and other personal data of Nigerians on a website for as low as N100.
The organisation claimed that a website known as ‘AnyVerify.com.ng’ was found to be involved in the commercial distribution of personal and private data of Nigerians.
Adegoke said “What paradigm initiative has been saying all around is a false narrative because first, what they said in their report was that there are several data leak on several government agencies’ platform, NIMC inclusive and because NIMC is a responsible and responsive organization, we took it upon ourselves to tell Nigerians that there is no data leak.
“Our database is full proof and secured. The data of Nigerians is secure. I think what people don’t understand is that what NIMC is doing is digital identity management. A lot of people are still living in the analog system.”
Reiterating NIMC’s security measures, Adegoke said, “NIMC has never been breached. If your NIN slip is stolen, they won’t be able to access government services without verifying biometrics, such as fingerprints and iris scans.”
He assured that NIN slips cannot be bought online, emphasising the robustness of the verification process to prevent unauthorised access.
On his part, the NIMC IT/IDD Director Lanre Yusuf clarified the role of licensed verification agents, explaining that while NIMC is responsible for foundational identity, certain licensed entities need access to data for their functional duties.
However, he condemned the unauthorised data harvesting and selling, comparing it to a “market square” where data is illicitly traded.
“Data, though the new oil, should be protected and secured, and that we have been doing,” he affirmed.
Addressing concerns about a circulating fake NIMC site, Yusuf stated, “That website is a fake site, and I am hearing about it for the first time.”
He also mentioned that the NIMC leadership has been actively working with the Nigerian Police Force’s national cybercrime centre to take down such fraudulent sites.
He further urged the public to avoid giving personal information to unapproved sites and to refer to the NIMC website for a list of approved stakeholder agencies.
Chioma Kalu
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