Fresh allegations have emerged against some agents of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Abuja, who are reportedly collecting illegal fees from applicants seeking to falsify their dates of birth on the National Identification Number (NIN) database.
Several applicants who spoke to Naijaonpoint alleged that NIMC officials and their intermediaries were charging as high as N45,000 to alter dates of birth, particularly for those hoping to meet age requirements for federal government job opportunities, military recruitment, and other official processes.
According to these applicants, the fraudulent practice has become widespread across some NIMC-accredited centres in the Federal Capital Territory, especially in satellite towns where oversight is limited.
Desperate applicants allegedly pay to have their details manipulated so they can either appear younger, depending on the criteria of the jobs they are targeting.
Although the official correction fee was reviewed to N28,574 earlier this year, several applicants allege they were charged between N45,000 and N55,000 by NIMC agents and middlemen.
The extortion reportedly targets desperate job seekers applying to federal government paramilitary services such as Immigration, the Nigeria Correctional Service, and the Fire Service, where strict age requirements apply.
According to reports, some applicants reduce their ages by as much as ten years in order to remain eligible for recruitment into federal government or Civil Service roles.
Johnson, a 45-year-old e-hailing driver in Abuja, admitted to paying heavily to alter his records.
“I applied for a Fire Service job earlier this year, but I didn’t meet the age requirement. So, I went to a NIMC agent in Wuse to change my date of birth. I paid N45,000,” he told Naijaonpoint. “If I get a federal government job, this one will just be a side hustle,” he added.
Allen, who currently works as a contract staff at a government agency but seeking better opportunities, applied for the Federal Fire Service recently told Naijaonpoint how she attempted to adjust her age records:
“The official charge for correction of date of birth is supposed to follow strict procedures. Once you pay the right amount to them [NIMC agent], the system will be adjusted. I know many people who did it and are currently working.
“If you try to cut your age by about five or ten years, the system will not allow it. But, these agents always have their ways,” she said.
Similarly, Tunde, a recent NYSC graduate, confirmed paying unofficial charges. According to him, NIMC staff told him that reducing his age by up to ten years would not be approved officially but could be “managed” for a fee.
Naijaonpoint visited some NIMC-approved cybercafé operator in Wuse, Abuja. Lucky, the operator, explained that many applicants opt for shortcuts because of slow processes on the official self-service portal.
“Many people don’t have the patience to see through the process. They want it done fast, fast,” Lucky said.
He added that charges vary depending on how many years an applicant wants to shave off.
“If you want to reduce your age by 4–5 years, you get charged a different price than if you want to reduce by 10 years or more, because the system will flag it quicker,” he revealed.
“If you want to reduce your age by 4–5 years, you get charged a different price than if you want to reduce by 10 years or more, because the system will flag it quicker,” he revealed.
Another cybercafé operator at Wuse Zone 6, Cynthia Eno, confirmed this development. According to her, “If you want to get anything from NIN to NYSC, just come here. You just need to pay me for my leg walk.”
When pressed further on how she gets these done, she said, “In Nigeria, once you know people in big offices, you will always have your way. There is nothing like ‘no network’ here.”
Speaking further, she said, “If you can do NIN by yourself on your phone, why do you think we are still in business? I know many people in their [NIMC office] who can get me anything.”
While at the café, this reporter observed the operator attending to two cases of NIN-related modifications on the spot.
“If you want it ‘express,’ you can get it now,” she told a customer who needed to correct her daughter’s date of birth for university admission.
“That’s too much,” the customer replied, but this reporter didn’t hear the exact amount charged for the proposed service.
The woman explained that the error occurred during her daughter’s initial NIN registration and was only discovered when the details were required for the 2025 UTME registration.
In May 2025, NIMC increased the official correction fee for the NIN date of birth from N16,340 to N28,574, citing rising operational costs and industry standards.
The commission also introduced a premium enrollment service at exclusive lounges and visa processing centers, where applicants pay N20,000 for expedited enrollment and N3,500 for NIN slip re-issuance.
However, these changes appear to have encouraged corrupt practices, with some NIMC-linked operators exploiting applicants’ desperation and confusion about legitimate versus illegal charges.
When contacted by Naijaonpoint, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, Kayode Adegoke denied any involvement of the commission’s staff in the extortion scheme.
“We don’t do physical modifications again. Modifications are done online by the applicants themselves. The approved fees are on our website,” he explained.
“Whoever is saying ‘I want to reduce my age and they are collecting N45,000 from me’ is a pure lie because nobody in our office will do modification for you. If you go somewhere and ask somebody to help you, both the giver and receiver of the bribe are guilty under the law.”
Earlier, NIMC Director-General/CEO, Mrs. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, stated that the commission had successfully reduced corruption in the enrolment process by at least 40%. She added that continuous monitoring and reforms are being implemented to curb extortion.
In August, NIMC released important access guidelines for Nigerians using its self-service portal to modify their NIN records.
Naijaonpoint previously reported that on May 10, 2025, NIMC released a new price list for all services related to data modification on the NIN database.