NIN: CLO Petitions Tinubu, NIMC Boss Over Alleged Extortion in Anambra
By Elochukwu Benjamin | IchieTimes
The Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Anambra State Branch, has accused officials of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in the state of extorting residents by demanding between N3,000 and N5,000 for the issuance of National Identification Numbers (NIN).
The organisation has consequently called on President Bola Tinubu and the Director-General of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, to urgently investigate the alleged exploitation and take disciplinary action against officials involved.
The Anambra State Chairman of CLO, Evangelist Vincent Ezekwueme, made the allegation in a chat with The News Chronicle correspondent in Awka over the weekend, during which he claimed that the organisation had received numerous complaints from residents over demands for illegal payments at NIMC registration centres across the state.
Ezekwueme said he personally experienced the alleged extortion when he visited the Onitsha North Local Government Area office for the re-issuance of his NIN, where officials allegedly demanded N3,000 from him.
He alleged that after challenging the demand on the grounds that NIN registration was supposed to be free, the officials refused to issue him the identification number because he declined to pay.
The CLO chairman expressed concern that the practice, which he said was previously addressed by the Federal Government about ten years ago, had resurfaced in the state.
He warned that the alleged extortion could discourage residents from registering for NIN and deny them access to essential services, including bank accounts, SIM registration, international passports, educational admissions, employment opportunities and government social intervention programmes.
Ezekwueme also expressed concern that the situation could worsen the South-East’s poor performance in national registration exercises, recalling that the region had been identified as the least registered in the country in voter registration.
He called on the NIMC Director-General to institute an investigation, particularly into activities at the Onitsha North and Onitsha South offices, and establish a monitoring committee to check alleged irregularities.
The organisation also urged the commission to prosecute officials found culpable, display notices at NIMC and INEC offices indicating that NIN registration and voter card issuance are free, and provide dedicated telephone lines for reporting extortion.
It further demanded the immediate issuance of NIN to residents allegedly denied the service for refusing to pay illegal charges.
The CLO chairman urged President Tinubu to intervene, insisting that government policies designed to improve citizens’ welfare should not be turned into avenues for exploitation.
“Building a corruption-free society requires collective commitment and an end to practices that undermine public trust in government institutions,” Ezekwueme concluded.
