₦airaland Forum

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that the ministry uncovered 2,400 foreigners with fake National Identity Numbers attempting to acquire Nigerian passports.

This was as he also emphasized the critical role of identity management in enhancing national security.

Tunji-Ojo stated this during a courtesy visit by the President and Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria, Dr. Illiyasu Gashinbaki, and his team on Wednesday.

In a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Ozoya Imohimi, on Wednesday, Tunji-Ojo highlighted the importance of having a robust identity management system to track and monitor individuals within the country effectively.

“Identity management is the foundation of any nation, and the prevalence of identity theft in Nigeria is alarming. Unearthing the truth about identities is crucial for addressing critical issues.

“Recently, we uncovered 2,400 non-Nigerians with fake National Identity Numbers attempting to acquire Nigerian passports. This passport symbolises our sovereignty and identity as Nigerians.

“Identity management is key to boosting our national security. It enables us to have a comprehensive database of residents, which is crucial for identifying and addressing security threats promptly,” said Tunji-Ojo.

He explained that the government’s ongoing efforts to improve the national identity management system aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, which will assist law enforcement agencies in their operations.

The minister also pointed out that a reliable identity management system can help prevent crimes, track down criminals, and ensure that resources are allocated effectively to maintain public safety.

He said two key responsibilities of the Ministry of Interior include enhancing national security and preserving citizenship integrity, adding, “We must build capacity to conduct forensic analysis domestically, eliminating the need to travel abroad for such services.”

The Minister further highlighted the ministry’s commitment to supporting the Institute and enhancing the integrity of national documents.

“The integrity of our documents is crucial for national pride and security. Many individuals holding Nigerian documents are not Nigerians. For instance, we recently arrested a British Airways crew member with a Nigerian passport procured in London, who turned out to be Ugandan,” Tunji-Ojo disclosed.


Addressing Nigeria’s reputation, the minister stated, “Nigerians are among the most law-abiding people I’ve encountered. With over 200 million citizens, our correctional centres house about 70,000 inmates, including approximately 25,000 convicted individuals. This means only 0.035 per cent of Nigerians are in custody, reflecting the law-abiding nature of the vast majority. Unfortunately, the actions of a few have tarnished our national image.”

During the visit, Dr. Gashinbaki expressed the Institute’s desire for continued partnership with the Ministry.

He stressed the importance of verifying and authenticating documents, capacity building, and maintaining the ministry’s representation on the Institute’s Council.

“Our goal is to establish independent laboratories to conduct forensic analysis. This ensures impartiality and adherence to scientific protocols in legal cases. We have also witnessed numerous building collapse due to inadequate testing of structures and product specifications, particularly from countries dumping substandard products in Africa,” Gashinbaki said.

The Ministry of Interior, responsible for maintaining internal security, public safety, and the administration of immigration and border control in Nigeria, remains dedicated to enhancing national security and preserving the integrity of Nigerian citizenship.

Through collaboration with organizations like the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria, the ministry aims to uphold the highest standards of document verification and forensic analysis to protect and serve the nation.

Nukilia:
Deport them ASAP
Or

Create a pathway to citizenship for them

Nukilia:
Deport them ASAP
Or

Create a pathway to citizenship for them

eruchboy:
Oga said “Nigerians are among the most law-abiding people I’ve encountered"

Honest question though what do they mean by fake NiN or do they mean multiple NIN's because for one to have gone to process a passport it means they have been using the NIN for a while
Is NiN or Bvn biometrics 100% effective to spot double registrations even if they are years apart with different names??

eruchboy:
Oga said “Nigerians are among the most law-abiding people I’ve encountered"

Honest question though what do they mean by fake NiN or do they mean multiple NIN's because for one to have gone to process a passport it means they have been using the NIN for a while
Is NiN or Bvn biometrics 100% effective to spot double registrations even if they are years apart with different names??

Nukilia:
Deport them ASAP
Or

Create a pathway to citizenship for them

ADAMUdaCOWBOY:
Any black man in the world can obtain a NIN. Incase you don't know, there is an infinite number of people from Niger, Chad etc with our NIN, nothing like fake NIN please.

bewla:
What next

eruchboy:
Yeah true
I've had few people who work for me who said they are from sokoto,jigawa,katsina,zamfara and i later find out they are from niger through their whatsapp status or other Hausas

But my question still dey for those who handle or know about NiN stuff
Is it possible to have double NiN's with photo,same biometrics ,same name and everything??
Because i know double Bvn is almost impossible

WizardOfNG:
Hell no. They must be sent back to wherever they were coming from.

They were trying to use fake NIN to gain Nigerian passports. They are likely terrorists, criminals and potential shifty folks up to no good.

WizardOfNG:
Hell no. They must be sent back to wherever they were coming from.

They were trying to use fake NIN to gain Nigerian passports. They are likely terrorists, criminals and potential shifty folks up to no good

WizardOfNG:
We are in trouble unless a national awareness campaign and mini state of emergency is initiated to tackle the whole thing.

Many Nigerians are walking around blindly unaware of a serious problem for us now that is likely to worsen substantially in future if unchecked.


I.e the ease with which non-Nigerians, especially those of the indesirable kind, can gain Nigerian Passports.

Given our challenges with serious crime and poor security, now affecting our economy, more non-Nigerian criminals with Nigerian passports will eventually turn Nigeria into Africa's wildest hotbed of terrorism, inwards migration of extremist religious fundamentalism, brazen kidnapping and violent crime.

Nukilia:
Deport them ASAP
Or

Create a pathway to citizenship for them

WeddingParol:
There is a need to prone the Nigeria immigration services officers, those guys are aiding illegality and as corrupt as those foreigners.

toprealman:
But you want the west to be lenient on the millions of Africans seeking for asylum?

Papayaayasager:
You suppose be glad and happy that some people are even interested in applying for that passport