By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
Officials and agents of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), in Abuja have been accused of extorting applicants seeking to falsify their dates of birth in the National Identification Number (NIN), database.
Multiple reports allege that NIMC staff and intermediaries charge between ₦45,000 and ₦55,000-well above the official correction fee of ₦28,574-to alter applicants’ ages.
The practice is said to be widespread, particularly in NIMC-accredited centers in satellite towns around the Federal Capital Territory, where oversight is weak.
The fraudulent service reportedly targets desperate job seekers, especially those applying to federal paramilitary agencies such as the Nigeria Immigration Service, Correctional Service, and Fire Service, which enforce strict age limits for recruitment.
Applicants claim they are bribing officials to reduce their ages by as much as ten years.
Johnson, a 45-year-old e-hailing driver, said he paid ₦45,000 to a NIMC agent in Wuse to qualify for a Fire Service job. Others, including graduates and contract staff, narrated similar experiences.
“The official correction process is supposed to follow strict procedures. But once you pay the right amount, the system will be adjusted,” said one applicant, Allen. “I know many people who did it and are currently working.”
Another, Tunde, a recent NYSC graduate, confirmed agents told him the system would not officially allow significant changes, “but it could still be done for a fee.”
NIMC has yet to respond to the allegations, which raise serious concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s national identity database and the potential abuse of the system for personal gain.
