The Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, has explained why terrorists and kidnappers are not always traceable through the National Identification Number (NIN) system despite its importance to Nigeria's security framework.

Speaking during an interview, Coker-Odusote said many kidnappers deliberately avoid detection by using mobile phones and SIM cards belonging to their victims rather than their own registered lines.

According to Coker-Odusote, while the NIN serves as the country's foundational identity system, criminals often adopt tactics that make it difficult for security agencies to trace them through telecommunications records.

Coker-Odusote also referred to reports suggesting that some kidnapping suspects may be brought into the country shortly before carrying out criminal operations.

She reiterated that the NIN remains a key component of Nigeria's identity and security architecture but emphasised that it is an identity management system rather than a surveillance platform.

— GUARDIAN