A Pan-African social enterprise, Paradigm Initiative, has discovered that a website is selling Nigerians’ personal data, including National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN), for as low as N100. The website in question, AnyVerify.com.ng, claims to provide verification services using sensitive personal information.
A visit to AnyVerify.com.ng by Nairametrics revealed that the site deals with various data of Nigerians, claiming to help users verify identities using NIN, BVN, international passports, driving licenses, voter’s cards, and more. The site’s description suggests it has access to databases of multiple government institutions.
Paradigm Initiative has called this development a severe breach of privacy and data rights. “This alarming development presents a major breach of the fundamental rights to privacy, a breach of data privacy rights, and poses significant risks to individuals and the national economy,” the organization said in a statement.
The organization, through its legal partners Vindich Legal, has served a pre-action notice to several government agencies, including the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
Paradigm Initiative highlighted the serious implications of unauthorized access to personal data. The dissemination of such information could lead to identity theft, financial fraud, and other malicious activities. “The unauthorized access to personal data is a blatant infringement on the privacy of Nigerian citizens,” the organization stated.
The availability of sensitive financial data online could undermine the stability of Nigeria’s banking system. “Fraudulent transactions and identity theft can erode public trust in financial institutions, potentially leading to a financial crisis,” the group warned. Recent findings have shown significant losses suffered by financial institutions in Nigeria due to digital manipulation.
The breach of driver’s license information and other personal data also poses a national security threat. “Such information can be exploited by criminal elements for unlawful activities, posing a threat to the safety and security of the nation,” Paradigm Initiative added.
The existence of websites like AnyVerify.com.ng underscores significant gaps in data protection and cybersecurity measures in Nigeria. Paradigm Initiative stressed the urgent need for robust data protection laws and stringent enforcement mechanisms to safeguard citizens’ data.
Earlier in March, an online publication, FIJ, reported that another private website, expressverify.com, had unrestricted access to the NIN database and personal details of every registered Nigerian. This prompted NIMC to restrict third-party access to its database, and the NDPC launched investigations into the alleged breach. The expressverify.com website was subsequently taken down.
However, the latest discovery by Paradigm Initiative indicates that unauthorized third parties still have access to Nigerians’ databases, including not just NIN but also BVN, driving licenses, and international passports, among others.
The ongoing unauthorized access to personal data calls for immediate action to protect Nigerian citizens from the potential risks of data breaches and misuse.