By SUNTV Global Channel
Date: Monday, July 13, 2026
ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, has explained why terrorists and kidnappers are sometimes able to evade tracking despite Nigeria’s National Identification Number (NIN) system.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Coker-Odusote said one of the major challenges facing security agencies is that kidnappers often use the mobile phones of their victims, making it difficult to trace them through their own registered identities.
According to her, while the NIN remains the foundation of Nigeria’s identity and security architecture, criminals frequently avoid detection by operating with devices that are not registered in their names.
She also suggested that some attackers involved in criminal activities may be foreign nationals who are not enrolled in Nigeria’s identity database.
Coker-Odusote explained that if such individuals enter the country shortly before carrying out criminal operations and leave afterward, they would naturally not appear in the NIMC database. She clarified that the scenario was only a possibility and not a confirmed assertion.
Despite these challenges, the NIMC boss maintained that the National Identification Number remains a vital tool in combating crime, noting that several security agencies are already integrated with the commission’s database and actively use it to support investigations and law enforcement operations.
She encouraged Nigerians who have yet to register for the NIN to take advantage of the commission’s expanding enrolment network, stating that registration centres have been established at the ward level to make the process more accessible.
According to Coker-Odusote, prospective applicants can locate the nearest enrolment centre through the NIMC website, complete pre-enrolment online and book appointments before visiting any registration centre.
She further disclosed that the commission currently operates approximately 1,200 enrolment centres across Nigeria and about 950 diaspora enrolment locations to serve Nigerians living abroad.
The NIMC boss reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s identity management system while supporting security agencies in efforts to tackle crime and improve national security.
