SaharaReporters gathered that the NIMC officials and enrollment officers insisted that until the money was paid, enrollees would not be given the information data forms to fill.
Some officials of the National Identity Management Commission have been accused of harassing and demanding N1000 from enrollees who want to get the National Identity Number in the Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.
SaharaReporters gathered that the NIMC officials and enrollment officers insisted that until the money was paid, enrollees would not be given the information data forms to fill.
According to a victim of the extortion, Mr Kingsley Unegbu, who went to enrol on Thursday, the NIMC needs to investigate the fraudulent acts and bring the officials to book.
Unegbu, who also wrote a petition to the NIMC authorities on the extortion, noted that he was disappointed that the enrollees would pay for forms marked, "free and not for sale."
A copy of the petition obtained by SaharaReporters, reads, "The NIMC staff or enrolment officers were extorting and demanding the sum of N1000 from each enrollee before giving out the information data forms to fill. I resisted and refused to give any money to the enrollment staff after they issued me with the form.
"I was besieged with stiff resistance by the staff of NIMC who forcefully withdrew the form from me and pushed me out of the arena.
"The enrolment officer, who I could not identify his name, boldly came out and addressed us, saying that the money they were collecting from us are known to their bosses at the head office, and I cannot do anything about it.
"I am therefore calling on the management of NIMC to carry out a thorough investigation on this petition and bring all the culprits to book because this amounts to official gross misconduct and corrupt practices."
Recall that despite public outrage, the Federal Government gave an instruction to network operators in the country to disconnect every SIM card not synchronised with the National Identity Number.
The government had earlier also on Tuesday directed all network operators to disconnect every SIM card not synchronised with the valid NIN by December 30, 2020.
The order was issued after an urgent meeting of key stakeholders in the communications industry convened by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.