She expressed these concerns at an annual Consultation Workshop with Stakeholders organized by ID4D in partnership with other collaborators in Abuja.

During the workshop, Odusote, represented by her Technical Assistant Ayobami Zainab Abiola, acknowledged that criminal elements had manipulated directives requiring the use of NIN to register SIM cards.

She emphasized that these manipulations contributed to recent incidents of violence and kidnappings.

‘NIMC is assisting government to cub rampant killings and kidnappings. NIMC is working with security agencies to ensure we use the NIN in a way that we secure the country. There has been previous engagements and directives requiring people to use the NIN to register their Sim cards, however, people have in some cases tried to circumvent that and this is to the detriment of using these information for security purposes,’’ she stated

The DG affirmed that NIMC is collaborating closely with security agencies, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to address vulnerabilities exploited by criminals.

She assured stakeholders that efforts are underway to improve security measures and plug existing loopholes.

Regarding the registration of foreigners, Odusote pointed out that the porosity of borders and insufficient checks contribute to the exploitation of identity processes.

She emphasized ongoing efforts to address these challenges, with comprehensive solutions expected to be discussed at an upcoming retreat in Nasarawa.

In her keynote address, Odusote assured Nigerians that the government is committed to providing a verifiable ID for every citizen, regardless of age, location, residency, or physical status. She highlighted the importance of a robust identity system in building a more secure, sustainable, and prosperous Nigeria.

The CBN governor added that the previous N200, N500, and N1,000 notes will no longer be valid as of January 31, 2023, in remarks made following the apex bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

“Truly speaking, at the margin, I may be wrong, I think kidnapping and ransom-taking have somehow reduced. Security agents are doing a fantastic job.

“I think it (naira redesign) has slowed those people down because they know that if they collect old notes, nobody is going to collect it from them. So, it might as well as think of other ways,” he said.

Emefiele noted that the CBN remained focus on the weak and the vulnerable in the society and would attend to them even after the deadline to ensure they have the new notes.

The bank chief announced that the MPC raised the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), which measures interest rates from 16.5% to 17.5 percent to tame inflation.

He further stressed that no Nigerian is licensed to build bank vaults at home.

He said there is no reason for the nation’s currency in circulation to rise from N1.4 trillion to N3.2 trillion in seven years, saying that some persons are hoarding the naira and embracing currency speculation.

“There is no reason why currency in circulation will grow from N1.4 trillion to N3.2 trillion in seven years,” the CBN governor said.

“People are hoarding it, people are keeping vaults in their homes. We cannot allow them to be banks in their homes; they don’t have the license to build bank vaults in their homes.

“They should release that money back to CBN because what they are doing is that they are undermining monetary policy. They are keeping it and speculating against our currency and it is making our work difficult in CBN.”

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed this on Monday during his appearance on Channels TV.

The President spokesman noted that for kidnapping to stop and become a thing of past in the country, Nigerians must stop paying ransoms and allow the security agents to do their job.

He said, “You are mentioning all of these about kidnappers and the people that have been taken and the President even in his Sallah message mentioned an appeal he was making to fellow citizens to expose them (the criminals), tell the security agencies where they are and sometimes you also can sympathise with the family members in that highly emotive situation.

“The first priority for most of them is to get their family back and they are willing to pay, and they’ve paid and these payments, whether anybody likes it or not, will continue to fuel terrorism, we have to learn from experiences in other lands that when you pay, you are fuelling terrorism, you are fuelling the hijack and kidnapping of fellow citizens and it will go on and on until simply people call off the bluff and be prepared to allow law enforcement.”

Shehu also spoke on the recent Kuje Prison attack by suspected Boko Haram members.

He said, “I’m a Nigerian, I have family members that live in the society, I don’t come from the moon, I feel it and I have never in any way suggested that there’s no hardship in the country, I have never in any place or position indicated that there’s no criminality.”

The NANS senate president, Comrade Chuks Okafor stated this while addressing news men in Awka on Wednesday.

According to him, Nigerian students would no longer watch while their mates are abducted from schools.

While lamenting the situation, Okafor noted that no fewer than 100 students have either lost their lives or were abducted in recent times, worrying that nothing was being done by the government to put an end to the unfortunate situation.

He said, “Nigeria, as we speak is at crossroads. We demand that our leaders irrespective of political leanings, come together and project solutions on how to solve the issue of insecurity or we won’t be left with any option but to shut down the country.

“Recent attacks have taken place in Greenfield University, Kaduna State, where over 40 students were kidnapped and about five of them killed, National College of Forestry where over 29 students were kidnapped and the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, to mention but a few.

“We, therefore, call on the government to commence immediate proactive and pragmatic actions in other to restore the confidence of students on campuses and salvage the insecurity situation in Nigeria.

“Nigeria is gently navigating into a ‘stateless’ society where people’s lives are constantly at risk and we believe that if concerted efforts are taken now, the country will come out of these challenges better.”