The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged Nigerians to Disregard fake news circulating on social media that it would resume its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) on Monday, 25th January, 2021.

Click to Watch Our YouTube Videos

“INEC wishes to inform the general public that no date has been fixed for the resumption of the CVR.

“We implore Nigerians to ignore the fake news making the rounds that the commission will open the register of voters from Jan. 25,” the flyer stated.

Recall that Although the commission Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, while assuming office for his second tenure in December 2020, said the resumption of the CVR across the country would be in the first quarter of 2021, no date has been announced for the exercise.

The exercise, when commenced, is expected to continue until six months before the 2023 general elections.

Incase You Missed: 

NIMC Calls for Reduced Public Panic

2023 Polls: INEC Announces Resumption of Voter Registration

About Nigeria’s Bid to Procure Covid-19 Vaccines

 BREAKING: Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki Sworn in for Second Term

CBN raises alarm over fake tweet posts on N50 billion COVID-19 fund

Suspected kidnappers have abducted seven children from the Rachael’s Orphanage Home, Abaji Area Council, Abuja.

The gunmen also abducted a security guard identified as Joseph Mathew, including two housewives; Rukaiyyat Salihu, and Suwaiba Momoh, during the attack on Saturday.

While the police claimed they had rescued one of the hostages, it added that efforts were being intensified to free others still held captive. The names of the abducted orphans were given as Elizabeth Andrew, Dayo Udeh, Jacob Ukpas, Melody Ijeh, Benard Itim, Issac Mathew and Laruba Emmanuel.

YOU CAN FOLOW US ON FACEBOOK

Police sources said the attackers forcefully entered the orphanage and whisked away their victims to an unknown location.

A resident of the area, Mohammed Nurudeen, who was shot in the thigh, explained that the gunmen abducted his wife at gunpoint and also shot him.

He said, “The men came at midnight while we were sleeping and forced me to open the door threatening to kill us if we refused to obey their orders. They shot me and took away my wife. I appeal to the security agencies and the government to assist in rescuing my wife unhurt from the gang.”

The police spokesperson, ASP Maryam Yusuf, said, “We are working hard to rescue them and apprehend the perpetrators. Already, we have rescued one of the hostages and we want to assure that the rest would also be rescued unhurt,” she stated on Sunday.

A total of about 143 million Subscriber Identification Modules are now identifiable to the National Identity Management Commission for registration with their respective National Identity Numbers, telecommunications operators said on Wednesday.

Mobile operators also explained that the number of subscribers without NINs was about 21 million, as the deadline for the registration of SIMs with valid NINs draws near.

Speaking on behalf of the firms, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, told our correspondent that the number of NINs submitted by the telecoms sector to NIMC was for about 143 million SIMs.

The Federal Government through the Nigerian Communications Commission had announced on Tuesday that so far a total of 47.8 million NINs had been collected by the mobile operators.

“At an average of three to four SIMs per subscriber, this means many millions will be linked up before the deadline in February 2021,” the government had stated.

YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

Providing further explanation on the figure released by the government, Adebayo said, “We collected 47.8 million NINs at an average of three to four SIM cards per person or enrollee.

“So, on a further average we have about 3.5 SIMs per person and when multiplied by 47.8 million, that is about 167 million. Now if we take a lower rate, say an average of three SIM cards per person, it is about 143 million SIM cards.”

He added, “Therefore what this means is that about 143 million SIM cards now have their NINs identifiable to the NIMC. This is what the numbers look like right now.”

Asked to state the number of subscribers without NINs, Adebayo replied that the figure was around 21 million.

He said, “If we take this number (143 million SIM cards) and compare it with the 207 million subscriber records that we have, then the numbers are not looking bad.

“Because you will be looking at about 63 or 64 million SIM cards that do not have NINs. And at an average of about three SIMs per person, it then means that we have about 20 to 21 million people without NINs yet.”

Adebayo said the telcos hoped that more subscribers would be able to get their NINs, submit the identity numbers to mobile operators and have them forwarded to NIMC before the February 9, 2021 deadline.

On December 15, 2020, the Federal Government declared that after December 30, 2020, all SIMs that were not registered with valid NINs on the network of telecommunications companies would be blocked.

It later extended the December 30, 2020 deadline following widespread opposition against the earlier announcement and gave three-week extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020 to January 19, 2021.

It also gave six-week extension for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020 to February 9, 2021.

Asked to state the number of subscribers without NINs, Adebayo replied that the figure was around 21 million.

He said, “If we take this number (143 million SIM cards) and compare it with the 207 million subscriber records that we have, then the numbers are not looking bad.

“Because you will be looking at about 63 or 64 million SIM cards that do not have NINs. And at an average of about three SIMs per person, it then means that we have about 20 to 21 million people without NINs yet.”

Adebayo said the telcos hoped that more subscribers would be able to get their NINs, submit the identity numbers to mobile operators and have them forwarded to NIMC before the February 9, 2021 deadline.

On December 15, 2020, the Federal Government declared that after December 30, 2020, all SIMs that were not registered with valid NINs on the network of telecommunications companies would be blocked.

It later extended the December 30, 2020 deadline following widespread opposition against the earlier announcement and gave three-week extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020 to January 19, 2021.

It also gave six-week extension for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020 to February 9, 2021

However, many organisations have called for further deadline extension or outright suspension of the NIN registration process due to the large number of people that are yet to secure their NINs.