He disclosed this today in an interview with our correspondent.

He said, “I can’t say anything for now. But there is a press release waiting for the minister’s approval that should be available today.”

When asked if the deadline would be extended, he didn’t give a positive response.

In an earlier interview with our correspondent, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo said the nation was making progress as regards the SIM-NIN linkage.

Recall that the deadline for the SIM-NIN linkage is going to expire on October 31, 2021.

He said, “We have covered a lot of ground. There has to be a meeting within the stakeholders to determine if there should be an extension.”

The Chairman, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Ikechukwu Nnamani, had earlier told our correspondent that stakeholders would be meeting soon to make a decision.

A recent statement by the Nigerian Communications Commission urged subscribers to link their NINs with their SIMs before the expiration of the deadline of October 31, 2021.

Speaking during a live programme, Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Ikechukwu Adinde urged Nigerians to make use of the extension of the NIN-SIM integration exercise to October 31, 2021, to enrol with NIMC, get their NINs and link them to their SIMs.

He hinted that after the extension elapsed, Nigerians might be denied access to necessary services including acquisition of a driving licence, passport, etc without NIN.

The Senate resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved on the issue by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah at plenary.

The red chamber, specifically, urged the Federal Ministry of Education, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, and the National Identity Management Commission to review the implementation of the policy.

The Senate noted that the review of the policy was with a view to extending the JAMB registration deadline and requirements until there is a seamless and well-organised process for obtaining the NIN.

The Senate also urged the Federal Ministry of Education and NIMC to introduce and streamline a simple and decentralised NIN registration process.

The upper chamber said students should be able to obtain their NIN in their various accredited school’s premises.

JAMB had earlier extended registration for the annual Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination till Saturday, May 29.

Citing Sections 14, 20 and 21 of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) Act and Sections 10 and 12 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, the NIMC which stated that the offence is punishable in accordance with the laws also affirmed that the ongoing enrollment for the National Identification Number (NIN) is free across the country.

The tweet read  “The punishment for extortion if convicted is seven years of imprisonment as stipulated in Sections 14, 20 and 21 of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) Act and Sections 10 and 12 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.  Report extortion via actu@nimc.gov.ng or call 08157691214 or 08157691071”

Unegbu was accused of committing the said offence in his office on February 5, after taking the child from the mother on the guise of consoling her after being scolded for pouring water around the office.

The mother of the victim Chinonye Obioma said;
“My daughter went into the office twice with biscuits and groundnuts, only to come out from the director’s office the third time crying. When I asked her what happened, she mentioned that Uncle Police (the suspect) removed her pant, and put his stick (penis) inside her bumbum. I went home in tears, seeing reddish, swollen vagina, remains of sperms, tissue paper gummed on her private parts. I called the Oga Ikenna (suspect) to enquire what he did with my daughter, and he harshly denied knowledge of the incident.”

Medical reports also showed that the baby sustained a serious injury after her abuser penetrated her.

The suspect who was granted bail by the magistrate of the family court he was arraigned in, is expected to be rearraigned on Thursday, March 19.

The State Coordinator NIMC, Abubakar Hussain Muhammed noted that the commission registers over five thousand students daily due to recent policy of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination that every student must have a National Identification Number.

He further, appealed to students and other Nigerians to see the registration as an important exercise that should be done on a daily basis because of its benefits to every citizen of the country.

Muhammed urged students, civil servants and other Nigerians to visit their centers at military barracks, banks, traditional leaders’ houses and local government secretariats for registration, adding that over seventy centers were commissioned at the twenty-three local government areas of the state.