Exclusive: NPC Centre in Badagry Council Where Extortion and Forgery Are the Order of the Day
By: Manoah Kikekon
 |
| National Population Commission and Badagry Local Government |
Residents of Badagry Local Government have raised concerns over the high level of extortion allegedly taking place during the collection of birth and death certificates, as well as widespread forgery, allegedly perpetrated by Mrs Hope Omono Enenmoh, Controller of the National Population Commission (NPC), Badagry Local Government, Lagos State.
Mrs Enenmoh oversees the seven officially recognised birth certificate registration centres in Badagry Local Government: Ilado PHC, Ilogbo PHC, Mowo PHC, Apa PHC, Oglogbo PHC, Ajara PHC and the Badagry Head Office.
An unauthorised registration point has now been added at the Local Council Secretariat, where various irregular activities are alleged to be taking place.
Digital Registration and Official Fees
The National Population Commission launched a digital platform in July 2026 as part of efforts to digitise civil registration services across the country. The platform allows Nigerians to register births and deaths, apply for birth attestations, correct civil registration records, and verify certificates online.
According to the Commission, birth registration for children under five remains free at all NPC registration centres. However, online self-service registration for a child above the age of five attracts a fee of N5,000.
Undercover Investigation
While investigating residents' concerns, I, Manoah Kikekon, visited the NPC office at Badagry Local Government Council in disguise, where I met Mrs Enenmoh. On arrival, I told her I wished to register birth certificates for my two children, aged three and six.
"Where are your kids?" she asked. I explained they were at home, that I lived far from Badagry town, and that I needed the certificates for their NIN registration.
She replied: "With the new directives, it is either you bring the kids, or you snap their pictures and send them to me on WhatsApp."
I then asked how much it would cost. She said: "Let me check the price list to confirm. For the one that is six years old, it's N10,000. For the one that is three years old, it's N4,500."
When I asked whether I could collect the certificates that same day upon payment, she said: "You should have gotten it today, but you don't have the children's pictures now. Send the pictures to me, and you can come and collect the certificates tomorrow."
I told her I had assumed all that was needed was my National Identification Number (NIN). She responded: "They have changed the whole thing. If you know the old certificate, this is the new one the old one was handwritten, while this new one is an online registration, and they have stopped issuing the old certificate."
I went on to ask whether an older person, aged 23, would pay the same N14,000. She explained: "The person will first need to swear an affidavit at the High Court, stating that they want to obtain a birth certificate. Ideally, you should get it while you're younger, but if you don't, you need the affidavit, and then you bring it here with your NIN."
I asked how much this would cost. She replied: "It will cost N40,000, and if the person wants the old version, we can backdate it, which is more expensive."
I told her I had believed birth certificates for children were free, and that I could not afford the amount she had quoted. She said: "Let me just have the names of your children. When you are ready, you can come."
Allegations of Forgery
Further investigation revealed that Mrs Enenmoh has allegedly not only extorted Badagry residents but has also committed various acts of forgery. Mr Ezerem Kenneth said: "I paid the sum of N14,000 to get the birth certificate for my daughter, who is 13 years old." When asked whether he had proof of payment, he said: "The madam insisted we pay in cash."
.jpg) |
| Issued birth certificate |
A closer examination of the birth certificate Mrs Enenmoh issued to Mr Ezerem in August 2026 revealed that it had been backdated to June 2026 and appeared to contain forged details. In the space for "Registration Centre," Mrs Enenmoh had written "Oglogbo PHC" as the place of issue, even though the certificate was actually issued at Badagry. Her reasons for doing so could not be independently verified.
Mr Olayemi David, another Badagry resident, reported an identical experience to Mr Ezerem's. Investigation revealed that both certificates were vulnerable to counterfeiting.
To verify the authenticity of the certificate issued to Mr Ezerem, I visited Oglogbo PHC at Seme Border, where I spoke with Mr Daniel Akinlabi, the NPC officer at that centre. He said: "I had not yet resumed duty at Oglogbo as at the date the certificate issued to Ezerem was backdated to, and I cannot say why Madam Enenmoh chose to write Oglogbo instead of Badagry. But since she is our overall boss, I believe she knows better."
To further substantiate the extortion allegations, Ayomide Deji, an ad hoc staff member working under Mrs Enenmoh, said in a WhatsApp conversation: "Now we only do digital registration; we don't write by hand anymore. The cost for age two is N3,100; age three is N4,500; age seven is N8,000; and age fifteen is N14,000."
 |
| Chat with Ayomide Deji |
Death Certificate Extortion Allegations
According to the NPC, death certificates are issued free of charge. However, Mrs Enenmoh has also allegedly been extorting Badagry residents seeking to obtain them. To confirm this, I visited the NPC Head Office at Topo Garage, Badagry, to request a death certificate, where I again met Ayomide, who did not realise I was the same person she had previously chatted with online.
Ayomide called Mrs Enenmoh to confirm the cost. After the call, she said: "You are paying N5,000 for a court affidavit and N20,000 for the death certificate, making a total of N25,000. We now do online registration, not the previous handwritten version, so you won't be able to get it today it will be ready tomorrow morning."
When I asked whether payment could be made into an official account, Ayomide replied: "You cannot pay into the official account because only my boss has access to it. You will pay into my Moniepoint POS, account number 5038592380."
 |
| Payment receipt for death certificate |
After making the payment, which included an additional N300 in transaction charges, further investigation revealed that the POS terminal was registered under the name "Hope Omono Enenmoh" confirming that Mrs Enenmoh had obtained the POS device for the purpose of collecting unauthorised payments from Badagry residents.
Further Testimonies
Mr Jimoh Ahisu, from Iragbo, said: "When I visited the Iragbo/Iragon PHC for my grandson's birth certificate, I was told to pay N1,500, which I did. It took weeks before I could get it. Every time I went to check, they told me it wasn't ready, until I finally received it."
Kriko Augustine, Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government, distanced the council from any fraudulent operations allegedly taking place at the NPC office within the council secretariat.
"The Local Government Chairman, in his magnanimity, made the office available to the NPC within the council premises, in addition to the existing office occupied by the agency at the Council Area Office, to ease the stress associated with birth certificate registration for Badagry residents," Kriko said.
"The scope of the agency's operations, and how it uses the facility, are matters within its own administrative responsibility. The Local Government does not have jurisdiction over the agency's activities or operational decisions within the facility."
"As we speak, the Chairman is not aware of any fraudulent activities taking place there. However, should any such activity be brought to his attention, I am confident he will take the necessary and decisive action," Kriko added.
Several Badagry residents have reportedly fallen victim to Mrs Enenmoh's alleged extortion, which has been identified as one of the major challenges discouraging parents from obtaining proper documentation for their children. This, in turn, is said to be contributing significantly to the number of out-of-school children in Badagry, since a birth certificate is compulsory for enrolment in both public primary and secondary schools.
By: Manoah Kikekon
|
| National Population Commission and Badagry Local Government |
Residents of Badagry Local Government have raised concerns over the high level of extortion allegedly taking place during the collection of birth and death certificates, as well as widespread forgery, allegedly perpetrated by Mrs Hope Omono Enenmoh, Controller of the National Population Commission (NPC), Badagry Local Government, Lagos State.
Mrs Enenmoh oversees the seven officially recognised birth certificate registration centres in Badagry Local Government: Ilado PHC, Ilogbo PHC, Mowo PHC, Apa PHC, Oglogbo PHC, Ajara PHC and the Badagry Head Office.
An unauthorised registration point has now been added at the Local Council Secretariat, where various irregular activities are alleged to be taking place.
Digital Registration and Official Fees
The National Population Commission launched a digital platform in July 2026 as part of efforts to digitise civil registration services across the country. The platform allows Nigerians to register births and deaths, apply for birth attestations, correct civil registration records, and verify certificates online.
According to the Commission, birth registration for children under five remains free at all NPC registration centres. However, online self-service registration for a child above the age of five attracts a fee of N5,000.
Undercover Investigation
While investigating residents' concerns, I, Manoah Kikekon, visited the NPC office at Badagry Local Government Council in disguise, where I met Mrs Enenmoh. On arrival, I told her I wished to register birth certificates for my two children, aged three and six.
"Where are your kids?" she asked. I explained they were at home, that I lived far from Badagry town, and that I needed the certificates for their NIN registration.
She replied: "With the new directives, it is either you bring the kids, or you snap their pictures and send them to me on WhatsApp."
I then asked how much it would cost. She said: "Let me check the price list to confirm. For the one that is six years old, it's N10,000. For the one that is three years old, it's N4,500."
When I asked whether I could collect the certificates that same day upon payment, she said: "You should have gotten it today, but you don't have the children's pictures now. Send the pictures to me, and you can come and collect the certificates tomorrow."
I told her I had assumed all that was needed was my National Identification Number (NIN). She responded: "They have changed the whole thing. If you know the old certificate, this is the new one the old one was handwritten, while this new one is an online registration, and they have stopped issuing the old certificate."
I went on to ask whether an older person, aged 23, would pay the same N14,000. She explained: "The person will first need to swear an affidavit at the High Court, stating that they want to obtain a birth certificate. Ideally, you should get it while you're younger, but if you don't, you need the affidavit, and then you bring it here with your NIN."
I asked how much this would cost. She replied: "It will cost N40,000, and if the person wants the old version, we can backdate it, which is more expensive."
I told her I had believed birth certificates for children were free, and that I could not afford the amount she had quoted. She said: "Let me just have the names of your children. When you are ready, you can come."
Allegations of Forgery
Further investigation revealed that Mrs Enenmoh has allegedly not only extorted Badagry residents but has also committed various acts of forgery. Mr Ezerem Kenneth said: "I paid the sum of N14,000 to get the birth certificate for my daughter, who is 13 years old." When asked whether he had proof of payment, he said: "The madam insisted we pay in cash."
|
| Issued birth certificate |
A closer examination of the birth certificate Mrs Enenmoh issued to Mr Ezerem in August 2026 revealed that it had been backdated to June 2026 and appeared to contain forged details. In the space for "Registration Centre," Mrs Enenmoh had written "Oglogbo PHC" as the place of issue, even though the certificate was actually issued at Badagry. Her reasons for doing so could not be independently verified.
Mr Olayemi David, another Badagry resident, reported an identical experience to Mr Ezerem's. Investigation revealed that both certificates were vulnerable to counterfeiting.
To verify the authenticity of the certificate issued to Mr Ezerem, I visited Oglogbo PHC at Seme Border, where I spoke with Mr Daniel Akinlabi, the NPC officer at that centre. He said: "I had not yet resumed duty at Oglogbo as at the date the certificate issued to Ezerem was backdated to, and I cannot say why Madam Enenmoh chose to write Oglogbo instead of Badagry. But since she is our overall boss, I believe she knows better."
To further substantiate the extortion allegations, Ayomide Deji, an ad hoc staff member working under Mrs Enenmoh, said in a WhatsApp conversation: "Now we only do digital registration; we don't write by hand anymore. The cost for age two is N3,100; age three is N4,500; age seven is N8,000; and age fifteen is N14,000."
|
| Chat with Ayomide Deji |
Death Certificate Extortion Allegations
According to the NPC, death certificates are issued free of charge. However, Mrs Enenmoh has also allegedly been extorting Badagry residents seeking to obtain them. To confirm this, I visited the NPC Head Office at Topo Garage, Badagry, to request a death certificate, where I again met Ayomide, who did not realise I was the same person she had previously chatted with online.
Ayomide called Mrs Enenmoh to confirm the cost. After the call, she said: "You are paying N5,000 for a court affidavit and N20,000 for the death certificate, making a total of N25,000. We now do online registration, not the previous handwritten version, so you won't be able to get it today it will be ready tomorrow morning."
When I asked whether payment could be made into an official account, Ayomide replied: "You cannot pay into the official account because only my boss has access to it. You will pay into my Moniepoint POS, account number 5038592380."
|
| Payment receipt for death certificate |
After making the payment, which included an additional N300 in transaction charges, further investigation revealed that the POS terminal was registered under the name "Hope Omono Enenmoh" confirming that Mrs Enenmoh had obtained the POS device for the purpose of collecting unauthorised payments from Badagry residents.
Further Testimonies
Mr Jimoh Ahisu, from Iragbo, said: "When I visited the Iragbo/Iragon PHC for my grandson's birth certificate, I was told to pay N1,500, which I did. It took weeks before I could get it. Every time I went to check, they told me it wasn't ready, until I finally received it."
Kriko Augustine, Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Chairman of Badagry Local Government, distanced the council from any fraudulent operations allegedly taking place at the NPC office within the council secretariat.
"The Local Government Chairman, in his magnanimity, made the office available to the NPC within the council premises, in addition to the existing office occupied by the agency at the Council Area Office, to ease the stress associated with birth certificate registration for Badagry residents," Kriko said.
"The scope of the agency's operations, and how it uses the facility, are matters within its own administrative responsibility. The Local Government does not have jurisdiction over the agency's activities or operational decisions within the facility."
"As we speak, the Chairman is not aware of any fraudulent activities taking place there. However, should any such activity be brought to his attention, I am confident he will take the necessary and decisive action," Kriko added.
Several Badagry residents have reportedly fallen victim to Mrs Enenmoh's alleged extortion, which has been identified as one of the major challenges discouraging parents from obtaining proper documentation for their children. This, in turn, is said to be contributing significantly to the number of out-of-school children in Badagry, since a birth certificate is compulsory for enrolment in both public primary and secondary schools.
.jpg)
.jpg)
