The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has reiterated its commitment to strengthening Nigerians’ digital identity, cybersecurity and privacy safeguards under the 2026 NIMC Act.

The commission also pledged to expand access to essential services across Nigeria through an improved digital identity system.

NIMC Director of Operations, NIMC, Uche Chigbo, said this on Thursday in Abuja on the sidelines of the Digital Nigeria Conference organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Recall that President Bola Tinubu signed the NIMC Act (2026) into law on June 26, 2026.

Chigbo explained that the repealed NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007 had become obsolete over the past 19 years before its replacement by the new law.

She said the new legislation would reposition NIMC and strengthen its role in Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem.

According to her, the commission had shifted its focus beyond enrolment figures to maximising the value of digital identity.

She said that NIMC was working towards achieving universal identity coverage while ensuring that the National Identification Number (NIN) unlocked economic and social opportunities.

Chigbo said the new Act would expand the commission’s mandate to strengthen its technology architecture, particularly cybersecurity, and position it as the certification authority for public key infrastructure.

She added that the legislation would empower NIMC to play a leading role in developing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure.

She said that the Act introduced stricter sanctions for identity-related violations, particularly through collaboration with the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

The director said that the commission was developing identity-proofing mechanisms for people without conventional identity documents.

According to her, community chiefs or relatives could identify such individuals to facilitate their identity registration.

Chigbo added that the Act would also address challenges faced by Nigerians without permanent residential addresses to prevent their exclusion from identity registration.

Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the NDPC, Babatunde Bamigboye, said that it was imperative to protect personal information under the new Act.

Bamigboye said NIMC’s expanded mandate did not override individuals’ privacy rights, stressing that the law recognised the need to protect personal data.

He said possession of citizens’ identity and personal data did not give NIMC or any government agency unrestricted access to the database without a lawful basis.

According to him, access to personal information must be supported by lawful grounds, including consent, public interest and other provisions recognised under the Nigeria Data Protection Act.

He added that individuals had the right to access their personal data, correct inaccurate information and object to unauthorised access.

Bamigboye also stressed the need to protect individuals from decisions made solely through automated systems, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into public services.

He urged digital stakeholders to adopt proactive measures to ensure compliance with privacy, accountability and data protection standards.

“We want to see that such an operation is proactive. We don’t have to wait until things happen before we react,” he said. (NAN)

Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Bimbo Ademoye, has rejected an apology from a man who filed a copyright claim against her YouTube movie, My 30th Wedding, insisting that she remains angry over the incident.

The actress had earlier offered a ₦1m reward for information about the individual, identified as Mazi Enemuo, after a copyright claim temporarily affected the monetisation of the movie, which has reportedly garnered about 29 million views.

The film was released on October 1, 2026, on her YouTube channel.

On Monday, Ademoye took to Instagram to express her frustration, alleging that Enemuo had uploaded a song from the movie and used it to claim earnings from the project.

She said the soundtrack, titled “We Can Take It (My 30th Wedding)”, was specially produced for the film by musician Progress and that she owned the rights to it.

Ademoye also urged her followers to report the individual across social media platforms and called on YouTube and YouTube Africa to intervene.

She later announced that monetisation on the movie had been restored, thanking her team for their intervention.

However, she maintained that her ₦1m bounty on Enemuo remained in place.

Enemuo subsequently apologised, saying he had uploaded the song to help promote the movie’s soundtrack and reach a wider audience, rather than infringe on Ademoye’s rights.

In a public apology, he said, “Unfortunately, the distribution platform has laid a YouTube Content ID claim on the content. I take full responsibility for the situation and have since taken down the song from all streaming platforms.”

He added that the song would be removed from all platforms within 24 to 48 hours and that he would contact the distributor to ensure that no residual claim remained.

But responding to the apology on Instagram on Tuesday, Ademoye described it as insincere and questioned his explanation that he had intended to help her reach a wider audience.

“Mr Enemuo, while I see your apology, I call it complete bullshit! I took multiple breaths and I’ve counted 1-10 multiple times to ensure I calm down and not say anything out of pocket but guess what, I’m still very angry!

“You claimed you wanted to help me reach a wider audience, I’m not sure you thought that statement through, you wanted to use your 250 subscribes to help me reach a wider audience with my almost 2 million subscribers?” she asked.

Questioning why Enemuo uploaded the particular soundtrack rather than another song from the movie, she said, “You specifically took the song I didn’t properly copyright of all the songs in the movie. Why didn’t you take hammerboi’s song? If anything, that’s the viral one I’d have loved to go even more viral song.”

She also questioned why he attempted to claim earnings from the movie after allegedly uploading the song to promote it.

“After you ‘helped me reach a wider audience’ why did you try to claim my earnings? Why did you monetise it and have me demonitised?” she asked.

The actress further warned that she would pursue the matter, writing, “But I’d make an example out of you. Don’t ever take my silence for weakness, believe me when I tell you I AM NOT THAT NICE AT ALL! ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MY WORK.”

In a postscript to her response, Ademoye also dismissed suggestions that she was using the controversy for publicity or had failed to protect her work through copyright registration.

She shared screenshots of messages from people who, according to her, had contacted her after their channels were taken down following copyright enforcement on her projects.

By David Torough, Abuja

Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 18 Brigade have rescued 21 kidnapped victims following a fierce gun battle with terrorists in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.

The rescue operation was conducted on November 9, 2026, after troops acted on credible intelligence about the activities of terrorists in Abaha and Sabon Wuri villages.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 18 Brigade, Captain Adebayo Samuel Adewumi, the troops swiftly deployed a fighting patrol to the affected communities to intercept the criminal elements.

The statement said a fierce firefight broke out when the troops made contact with the terrorists, who were eventually overpowered and forced to flee into nearby bushes with suspected gunshot wounds.

All 21 kidnapped victims were rescued unhurt. They were subsequently given first aid treatment and subjected to preliminary profiling before being handed over to the appropriate authorities for reunification with their families.

The Army said troops had intensified operations, including aggressive patrols and ambushes, to track down and apprehend the fleeing terrorists.

It also urged residents of Mariga and neighbouring local government areas to report anyone suspected of having gunshot wounds, as well as suspicious movements of criminal elements, to the nearest security agency.

The Commander of 18 Brigade commended the troops for their gallantry, resilience and professionalism during the operation, urging them to sustain the momentum and maintain an aggressive operational posture.

He reaffirmed the Brigade’s commitment to eliminating criminal activities within its Area of Responsibility and ensuring the safety of law-abiding residents.

The operation comes amid the Nigerian Army’s recent expansion, which the military says has strengthened its operational capacity in the fight against terrorism and kidnapping.