Alleged NIMC Data Breach Under Investigation — Nigerian Govt

The Federal Government has initiated an investigation into the reported breach of data belonging to Nigerians stored with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

In a statement via his X handle, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of Nigeria, Bosun Tijani said the NIMC and National Data Protection Commission, NDPC, have commenced a probe into the matter.

Recall that Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African social enterprise, had on Thursday raised the alarm over an alleged sale of National Identification Numbers, NINs, Bank Verification Numbers, BVNs, and other personal data of Nigerians on a website for as low as N100.

The organization said that a popular website was found to be involved in the commercial distribution of personal and private data of Nigerians.

However, the NIMC spokesman, Kayode Adegoke on Sunday subsequently assured Nigerians that their data weren’t compromised.

A Senior Manager at Paradigm Initiative, Adeboye Adegoke, on a Channels Television’s The Morning Show, said the minister’s data was bought for N100 on certain websites.

In response to the development, Tijani said he had engaged his colleague in the Ministry of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, adding that they are on top of the matter.

Tijani said, “Second, the NDPC, a year old agency under my supervision as minister, has over the last few months created data compliance mechanisms for all MDAs and has since started a thorough investigation as to the circumstances surrounding this alleged breach.”