The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has cautioned Nigerians against disclosing their National Identification Number (NIN) to unauthorised individuals, warning that the agency will not bear responsibility for any consequences arising from such actions.
In a statement released on Sunday, the agency expressed concern over reports that fraudsters have been paying unsuspecting individuals small sums to gain access to their personal details, which are later resold to financial companies.
NIMC’s Head of Corporate Communications, Dr. Kayode Adegoke, said the commission would not take responsibility for any consequences arising from people voluntarily disclosing their NIN for financial inducement.
“The Commission will not be held responsible for any personal information shared by an individual directly or by proxy for the purpose of financial gain or inducement,” Adegoke warned.
He cautioned that such exposure puts citizens at risk of identity theft and other crimes, advising Nigerians to treat their NIN with the same level of confidentiality as ATM PINs or passwords.
The agency also urged service providers to verify NINs before granting access to services and encouraged citizens to use the official NINAuth app for secure identity validation.
