In this undercover investigation by Bayo Akinloye, he unearths places in Ikeja and Igbosere in Lagos; Ibadan in Oyo; Apo and Maitama in the FCT and Ota in Ogun State, where one can change their identity for a paltry sum of N700 in just seven minutes. This perhaps explains why identity theft and impersonation are common crimes in Nigeria
A couple of days before meeting the young man in Ibadan, THISDAY had obtained different sworn affidavits for a change of name and date of birth at two high courts in Lagos – one in Igbosere and the other in Ikeja – with a lady acting as the intermediary. After seven minutes, he appeared with the legal documents ready though the names and dates of birth used are fictitious. There was no receipt issued to her. At the registry in the high court at Igbosere, it does not cost more than N500 for a change of name and change of date of birth. Since the intermediary did both for both she and the husband, she coughed out N2,000 which might not go into the coffers of the state.
Investigations show that several of the processes required to establish one’s identity as a citizen are routinely circumvented by Nigerians, even judicial officers. For example, it was discovered that in the legal procedures to obtain an affidavit, the key to changing one’s name and identity, are hardly followed by government officials as the examples above show.
In addition, the identity of the deponent “will be verified,” by checking a “passport or national ID card” with the commissioner saddled with the responsibility of verifying “the facts of the deponent’s statement by asking questions and requesting the deponent to present any evidence, as needed, to ascertain the facts”.
The President of the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network, Olu Omotayo, told THISDAY that the standard practice and “the position of the law both under the Oaths Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and the provisions of the Evidence Act is that a deponent to an affidavit must appear in person before the commissioner for oaths, to make an oath.
“I know him as a strict and God-fearing man. Anyway, you pay at a point, collect the receipt and someone else authenticates payment then you are moved to the commissioner for oaths,” he added. Seated beside the typist was a man affixing a passport photograph that hardly looked like him to a typed document he was about to present to the commissioner for oaths.The intermediary said no. “The court keeps no record. It’s a failed system.”In Abuja, you can do a change of name for someone else without appending any signature on the affidavit.
Presuming, the intermediary was in a hurry, she asked, “You’re in a hurry?” to which Hajara answered in the affirmative. The commissioner’s countenance changed upon learning that the affidavit was being processed via proxy.She returned after five minutes. Looking less angry, she appended her signature to the document.In the sworn affidavits issued by Nigerian courts, checks revealed that there are no security features of any sort to prevent fraud. One police source stated that it is “almost impossible” to determine the authenticity of such a legal document on the spot.
Even job seekers in Nigeria carry multiple age declaration certificates obtained from courts and use them to apply for a job depending on the age requirement. Sometimes, this fraud is taken to an international level and it all boils down to the country’s judicial system issuing questionable affidavits.In local parlance, there is what is called ‘football’ age.
Last September, it was reported that at least 300 athletes were disqualified by the Ministry of Youth and Sports over age falsification at the National Youth Games in Ilorin, Kwara State. “The national information managers are supposed to have collection of certain documents. Over there, you can’t forge birth certificate because they have your data – even thumb-prints of the citizens, etc.”
He is not alone. Another legal expert, Olufunke Oluwole, explained that countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany will continue to look at personal data of Nigerians with suspicion because of its broken judicial system, among other things. “This system has an interface which allows each agency to upload necessary activities and allows for update and changes made on such delicate documents in order to ensure checks and balance,” said Oyebade.
😂...Nigerians have double personality disorder not identity changes!
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