NIN database: NDPC probes alleged privacy breach at NIMC 

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) said it has launched an investigation into an alleged privacy breach on the data of Nigerians through the National Identification Number (NIN) database managed by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). 

According to a statement signed by the Head of Legal, Enforcement, and Regulations, at the NDPC, Babatunde Bamigboye, the National Commissioner of the Commission, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, ordered a full-scale investigation in the wake of public concerns over reports of illegal access to personal data of enrollees by a shadowy entity called XpressVerify.com.  

While noting that NIMC has also launched an investigation internally to unravel the allegations, the NDPC vowed to bring anyone found culpable to book. 

According to the statement, the National Commissioner has further directed that preliminary findings of the investigation should be made public within seven days. 

The FIJ in a report published days ago had alleged that XpressVerify.com, a private website, has unrestricted access to the National Identification Numbers (NINs) and personal details of every registered Nigerian. 

It added that the website has monetised the recovery of NINs and personal information on the Nigerian identification database. 

Section 14 of the NIMC Act 2007 mandates NIMC to be the body that creates, manages, maintains and operates the National Identity Database.