THE IMPERATIVE OF DATA PROTECTION
It’s a fundamental right to have personal data protected
Of all the interests at stake in the governance of the digital world, the right to privacy is perhaps the most important. But the latest scam in the country is people exchanging their National Identification Numbers (NINs) for some incentives, according to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). “At no time should holders give out their NINs for monetary compensation. This is against the laws of the Federation,” NIMC spokesman, Kayode Adegoke, warned last week while revealing how unscrupulous people prey on the ignorance of others in some states. “The NIN can only be used by the holders to access government or private sector services, and it must be verified.”
We welcome the intervention of NIMC on this issue. But we must also remind the commission of its own shortcomings. In April last year, it was revealed that the NINs of more than 100 million Nigerians and other personal data went into wrong hands. A shadowy organisation, XpressVerify.com, which is not one of their licensed partners, was identified as culprit. In the wake of public anxiety over security of personal information of enrolees, the NIMC ordered an investigation regarding allegations of unauthorised access to the personal data of citizens in the commission’s database. Till date, the NIMC has not told Nigerians of what came out if its investigation or that anybody has been punished.
Now that anxiety is being heightened by fear of possible misuse of personal details of Nigerians by unauthorised persons, we hope the NIMC will also put its own house in order. Meanwhile, what those who trade their NINs for money must be made to understand is that this sensitive information could fall into the hands of criminals and fraudsters, including ‘Yahoo boys,’ who are notorious for committing criminal activities based on identity theft. The NIN, which is more like the DNA of an individual, is unique and contains all the biometric information and facial images of every person. There are no two persons with the same set of fingerprints, palm prints, or retina in the world. Such sensitive data in the hands of unscrupulous persons can do a lot of damage.
Over the years, the so-called yahoo boys have wrecked many individuals and groups in society by taking advantage of the rise in online transactions, e-commerce and the electronic messaging system to commit various crimes. In 2014, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) introduced the Bank Verification Number (BVN) policy to all commercial deposit banks across the country essentially to check identity theft in the banking system. It was also designed to address issues of money laundering, aiding credit extension and boosting financial inclusion since those who cannot read or write can open and access their bank accounts with their biometric information. The CBN also mandated all bank customers to link their NIN and BVN to their bank accounts and ordered some restriction on those who did not comply. Besides, all the telecoms’ networks have at different times also directed their clients to link up their Subscribers Identification Module (SIM) with NIN which have also been largely complied with.
Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights declared that no one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his privacy, family, home, or correspondence. Violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act is a serious national security breach that should be taken seriously. Now that criminally minded people are buying the NINs of unsuspecting people, there is need for an enlightenment campaign on the danger of falling for such gimmicks. The NIMC should work with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) on the issue.
