* Agency disowns fake enrolment centre, personnel
Two suspected fake National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) officials have been arrested in Niger Republic for allegedly enrolling non-Nigerians for National Identity Number (NIM).
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Musa Danmadami, disclosed this during the biweekly briefing at the Defence Headquarters where he highlighted the achievements recorded by the military between October the 6th and 20th, 2022.
It was revealed that the suspects had visited Gagamari IDP camp in Niger Republic to register non-Nigerians in the IDP camp.
Items recovered from the suspects include National Identification Number (NIN) registration machine, printing machine, laminating machine, a computer tracking machine and a generator set among other items.
Consequently, during the weeks in focus, 31 suspected Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province members were neutralized, while 10 were arrested and 2 civilians rescued. Furthermore, a total of 366 Boko Haram Terrorists and their families comprised of 23 adult males, 112 adult females and 231 children surrendered to troops at different locations within the theatre.
According to the military spokesman, all recovered items, arrested terrorists, logistics suppliers and rescued civilians have been handed over to the appropriate authority for further action while the surrendered Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa Province terrorists and their families are being profiled for further action.
General Danmadami said during the period under review, thirty-one suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province members were neutralized, ten were arrested and two civilians were rescued while a total of 360 Boko Haram terrorists and their families surrendered to troops at different locations.
Meanwhile, the NIMC has disowned fake enrolment centre and persons conducting the exercise in Niger Republic following their arrest by the Nigeria Army.
Its Director General, Engr Aliyu Aziz, said the two persons arrested by the military are not officials of NIMC, and never licensed by the agency to carry out the exercise.
“First, it is important to note well the Army’s clarification from the onset, when they referred to the fraudsters as “fake”, meaning their claim to be NIMC staff – if at all they did – was proven from the beginning to be false,” Aziz said.
He noted that a “check with NIMC would have further confirmed the Army’s professional conclusion that the persons apprehended are indeed impersonators and fraudsters.”
The NIMC boss said: “We wish to state categorically that neither NIMC officials nor staff of the NIMC licensed enrolment agents across the country are authorised, nor do they go from one country to another, let alone from Nigeria across the borders, to enroll Nigerians much less foreigners.
“So far, NIMC has a number of licensed Diaspora enrolment agents in over 38 countries operating over 152 centres across the world strictly to enroll Nigerians in those countries.
– Media Report