Nigerian media personality Olamide has reportedly raised concerns after discovering that three phone numbers she does not recognise are registered against her National Identification Number (NIN).
The discovery has drawn attention to growing concerns about the unauthorised use of Nigerians’ personal information, particularly in connection with SIM card registration and identity-related fraud.
Olamide’s experience comes amid renewed warnings from security authorities about the risks of having unfamiliar phone numbers linked to one’s NIN.
On November 6, 2026, the Delta State Police Command warned Nigerians to check all phone numbers associated with their NINs, following concerns that some SIM registration agents allegedly collect customers’ personal details and use them to register additional phone lines without their knowledge.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Edafe Bright, explained that unsuspecting customers could provide their information believing they were registering their own SIM cards, only for the details to allegedly be used to register other numbers.
He warned that such phone lines could potentially be used for criminal activities, including financial fraud and kidnapping, leaving the individuals whose identities were linked to the numbers exposed to investigations.
The police spokesman advised Nigerians to visit official offices of their telecommunications providers to obtain a list of all numbers registered against their NINs and request the removal of unfamiliar lines.
Olamide’s reported discovery has therefore renewed conversations about the importance of protecting personal information and regularly checking the phone numbers associated with national identity records.
The National Identification Number is an 11-digit identification number issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). It is used to establish and verify an individual’s identity across various government and private-sector services.
Under Nigeria’s NIN-SIM linkage policy, mobile phone numbers are connected to subscribers’ NINs as part of efforts to improve identity verification and security within the telecommunications sector.
Although subscribers can link multiple phone numbers to their NINs, the numbers should belong to or be legitimately authorised by the individual concerned.
Nigerians who discover unfamiliar numbers linked to their identities are advised to contact their network providers through official channels and seek assistance with verification and delisting.
The development also highlights the importance of being careful when handing over personal information to SIM registration agents or other third parties.
As conversations surrounding Olamide’s discovery continue, the incident serves as another reminder that Nigerians should not assume their identity information is being used only for the purpose for which it was originally provided.
