E-Business
Beware! Fake NIN Enrolment Agents at Work, NIMC Warns

National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has raised the alarm over recent reports making the rounds that eligible applicants must pay certain sums of money before they can be allowed to enroll for the National Identification Number (NIN).
According to Mr. Abdul-Hamid Umar, deputy director, Corporate Communications at NIMC, enrolment into the National Identity Database (NIDB) is absolutely free, and no Citizen or legal residents is expected to pay for it.
He said: “It has come to the attention of NIMC that certain Business Centre miscreants posing as NIMC agents, use banners bearing the NIMC or Presidential logos at their business centres, and charge eligible applicants for pre-enrolment, making applicants believe they are paying for the NIN or the National e-ID Card.”
“NIMC wants to make it categorically clear that anyone who visits a cyber cafe or a business centre and is charged for pre-enrolment is paying for the use of the Internet which is service rendered by by the business centre, and not for the NIN or the National e-ID Card.”
Abdul-Hamid however, noted that NIMC is not oblivious of the fact that persons who visit business centres and cyber cafes for online pre-enrolment must pay for the use of internet which is cost of services rendered by the business owners but condemned the report that the payment was either for the NIN or the National e-ID Card or that the money goes to NIMC.
He emphasized that NIMC has no business charging anybody for enrolment into the National Identity Database (NIDB); “enrolment is completely free, and anyone who is asked to pay by any NIMC official, must report to the nearest security post.”
Noting that it was safer and faster for eligible applicants who have access to the internet to pre-enrol themselves via the NIMC Pre-enrolment portal http://ninenrol.gov.ng using their Personal Computers (PCs); Internet enabled phones or tablets at their convenient, he called on Nigerians who do not have such access to visit the NIMC enrolment centre where they will be attended to.
The Deputy Director further noted that the NIN and National e-ID Card can only be issued to applicants who have successfully completed the enrolment process at the NIMC Enrolment Centres where they enrolled, and no business centre or individual has the right to do that.
He cautioned Nigerians to beware of fraudsters posing as NIMC agents or staff, and advised applicants to call 0700CALLNIMC or 07002255646 for any enquiry about the NIN enrolment process and procedures.
E-Business
NDPC Probes Suspected Data Breach in Examination Centres

Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched an investigation into allegations that the confidentiality and integrity of candidates’ personal data may have been compromised by hackers.
The Commission initiated the inquiry following concerns over possible data breaches during examinations.
Preliminary findings indicate that several examination centres may not have implemented adequate technical and organizational measures to safeguard candidates’ personal information, as required under data protection regulations.
Although the incident reportedly affected 379, 997 candidates, the NDPC’s investigation is poised to cover a systemic audit of data processing and third parties.
It will be recalled that JAMB recently admitted that a technical error on its platform affected a total of 379,997 candidates in 157 examination centres across Lagos and the South-East.
Further investigation led to the arrest of at least 20 suspects who are currently in the custody of the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Police Force.
E-Business
Nigeria Among Hotspots as Kaspersky Warns of Rising Ransomware Threat in Africa

Cyber security firm, Kaspersky, has once again warned that sophisticated cybercriminals increasingly target Africa as ransomware and advanced persistent threats (APTs) escalate across the region.
Speaking at the company’s annual Cyber Security Weekend for the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region, the cybersecurity firm’s Global Research and Analysis Team highlighted growing digital threats affecting African nations.
Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa emerged as hotspots, with Kenya recording one of the highest web threat incident rates at 20.1% in first quarter 2025.
“While ransomware is less prevalent in Africa due to lower levels of digitisation and economic constraints, countries like South Africa and Nigeria are seeing a sharp rise in attacks,” said Sergey Lozhkin, head of META and APAC regions at Kaspersky.
Kaspersky noted a 0.01 percentage point increase in African ransomware cases year-on-year, reaching 0.41%, still below global and Middle Eastern averages, but a troubling sign for the continent’s emerging digital infrastructure.
Experts warned that attackers are refining their tactics, shifting focus to unconventional entry points like IoT devices, smart appliances, and misconfigured hardware.
“As these economies expand digitally, sectors such as manufacturing, finance and government are becoming key targets,” said Lozhkin
The cyber-crime landscape is evolving quickly, fuelled by AI tools and dark web access to large language models, which enable less skilled actors to launch convincing phishing and malware campaigns.
Groups like FunkSec, which uses AI-generated code and a low-cost ransom model, are redefining ransomware operations.
“African organisations face the dual challenge of expanding digital footprints and limited cybersecurity awareness. This makes layered defense strategies, including network segmentation, real-time monitoring and regular staff training, essential,” stated Lozhkin
Kaspersky continues to monitor 25 active APT groups in the META region, including SideWinder and MuddyWater, some of which are known to target African institutions.
To bolster defenses, the firm recommends using tools such as its free Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business and the Kaspersky Next suite for threat visibility and response.
E-Business
Nigeria Launches Cybercrime Team with Commonwealth, UK Support

Nigeria recently launched a new joint case team to step up its response to cybercrimes that affect people and businesses at home and abroad.
The ‘Joint Case Team on Cybercrime’ brings together Nigeria’s key justice and security agencies to work as one, making it easier to detect, investigate, and prosecute digital offences.
It is supported by the UK National Crime Agency, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Commonwealth Secretariat, as part of a wider effort to promote international cooperation on cybercrime.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Prince Lateef Fagbemi SAN, minister of justice and attorney general of the federation described the initiative as “a bold and transformative stride in Nigeria’s justice system.”
He said that although Nigeria has a national legal framework to address cyber offences, laws alone are not enough.
Nigeria is among the countries most affected by cybercrime around the world, with increasing financial losses.
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