The legal framework
Section 22 of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 criminalises identity theft and impersonation carried out electronically. In practice the exposure runs through the Bank Verification Number and the National Identification Number: both are widely requested and widely misused. The EFCC and the police special fraud unit handle serious cases.
The Cybercrimes Act punishes identity theft and impersonation, and the practical pressure points in Nigeria are the Bank Verification Number and the National Identification Number, which together unlock banking, SIM registration and much else. Misuse of either is difficult to unwind, and the banks' internal fraud desks are usually more effective in the first hours than any formal channel.
Key points
| Statute | Cybercrimes Act 2015 section 22, as amended in 2024 |
|---|---|
| BVN | Central to banking identity; check linked accounts through your bank |
| NIN | National identity number, managed by NIMC |
| Enforcement | EFCC and the Police Special Fraud Unit |
| Data protection | Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 for the underlying breach |
| Banking | CBN consumer protection department for unresolved bank disputes |
| BVN linked accounts | You are entitled to the full list from your bank |
| CBN escalation | Consumer protection department reviews unresolved disputes |
In practice
- Ask your bank to list every account linked to your BVN and to freeze those you do not recognise.
- Report to the police or the EFCC and obtain a reference.
- Escalate to the CBN consumer protection department if the bank does not resolve it.
- Never send a photograph of your NIN slip to anyone who contacts you first.
- Ask your bank for every account linked to your BVN: you are entitled to the list.
Where to go
- EFCC.
- Central Bank of Nigeria consumer protection department.
- Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
Worth knowing
The BVN links all your bank accounts. Asking the bank for the full list of linked accounts is the single most revealing check, and you are entitled to it. The BVN links all your accounts. Requesting the linked account list is the single most revealing check available.
Frequently asked questions
What do I do if my BVN or NIN is misused?
Contact your bank's fraud desk immediately and ask for a restriction on accounts linked to the BVN, and report to the National Identity Management Commission for NIN misuse. File a report with the police cybercrime unit or the financial crimes commission and keep the reference; you will need it for every dispute that follows.
What should you do in the first hour?
Call your bank and freeze the affected accounts and cards, change the passwords on your email first and then on everything linked to it, and turn on two-factor authentication. Take screenshots of everything before anything is deleted. Then report to the police and keep the reference number: banks, lenders and telecom operators will ask for it before they reverse anything.
Official sources and links
- Nigeria.gov.ng — official government portal